Overview

Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations in Ethiopia (SHARPE) is an initiative funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID). The aim is to create inclusive economic growth for, and increase the economic agency of, host and refugee communities in three regions in Ethiopia, namely Gambella, Dolo Ado and Jijiga.

SHARPE utilises a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to partner with private and public sectors players to facilitate investment in and innovation in key regional markets, namely cereals, horticulture, livestock and small ruminants, dairy, poultry, fisheries, financial and business services and the regional labour market. Because humanitarian assistance constitutes a significant transfer of goods and services in these regions, SHARPE also support efforts which enable this assistance to strengthen the regional economy by flowing regional economic channels. 

Investment and innovation should result in regional market systems and the host and refugee communities participating in these to become more productive and resilient, and experience increases in employment opportunities, income and savings. Joint economic participation in growing economic sectors should also facilitate win-win scenarios (mutually beneficial exchanges) for host and refugee communities and contribute to the integration of refugee communities in the regional economy, in line Ethiopia’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF, i.e., the ‘Nine Pledges’).  

SHARPE is expected to last for 3.5 years, from September 2019 to March 2023.

Assignment Objectives

SHARPE is a fast-paced work environment in which (Senior) Market Analysts (S)Mas) and Results Measurement Specialists are encouraged to work in a dynamic fashion with public and private sector partners, coordinate their work with the Hubs, and travel to the field whenever required. This work is supported by an extensive network of Short-Term Technical Advisers (STTA) and the DAI home Office.

The Grants & Compliance Officer’s objective is to support responsible grants management in this dynamic environment. S/he ensures that potential partners are vetted, that due diligence is performed, and that partnership deals contain realistic budgets and deliverables, meeting compliance standards, able for partners to meet, while ensuring payment against costs and efforts in a value for money manner.

In this capacity, the Grants & Compliance Officer supports the technical team, who manage the relationship with the partner and who are responsible for effective partnership implementation, to ensure that partnership deals adhere to applicable SHARPE’s policies and procedures. The Grants & Compliance Officer helps find practical yet transparent and robust solutions that enable partners to comply and coordinates with the Finance & Operations Manager that grant disbursement is timely.

 Key Responsibilities

Grant Systems and Procedures

• With support from the Finance & Operations Manager and the Technical Team, establish practical, robust and transparent grants procedures in line with donor guidelines and the project design – ensuring robust management of the grant process from concept to disbursement and reporting.
• Ensure full compliance with the grant agreement and grant processes.
• Oversee Value for Money indicators at all steps of the grant management process.

Grantee Management

• Lead on the vetting and conducting of due diligence for all grants – identifying areas of risk and providing recommendations to the management team.
• Liaise closely with grantees to ensure understanding of and compliance with the grant’s management manual and procedures.
• Assess and, where necessary, build the capacity of grantees – including financial and administrative capacity building; ensure grant partner (and relevant individuals within the organisation) adequately understand what is required from SHARPE’s systems.
• Lead on finding practical yet robust and transparent solutions that meet compliance criteria yet allows SHARPE to partner with a broad range of partners – to fulfill its mandate.
• Operate in all these matters in close coordination with the Technical Team to ensure a strong partnership relation in which SHARPE speaks with one voice, in which the Technical Team takes the lead; only in exceptional circumstance swill the Grants & Compliance Officer approach a partner without coordination with the Technical Team; where the Grants & Compliance Officer has concerns about grant management and reporting, which is not shared by the Technical Team, the Finance & Operations Manager and Portfolio Lead will review the matter and suggest further action.    

Grant Reporting

• Develop a sophisticated system for tracking grants expenditure including estimating future expenditure, informed by the Technical Team’s perception of what realistically can be expected (which should also from the basis for the Partnership Deals).    
• Update this tracking system at least every month so that the project has an overview of grants expensed, committed outstanding amounts and when these are likely to be expensed.  
• Provide and ensure overall financial management of the funds including regular reporting and analysis to meet donor and internal project deadlines.
• Work closely with the Technical Team and Finance & Operations Manager on monitoring grantee compliance with financial management and reporting obligations.
• Ensure grants management records are uploaded into TAMIS (in house procurement system) efficiently and accurately and ensure TAMIS is always up to date.

Key Performance Indicators

• KPIs set annually in agreement with the Finance & Operations Lead and Team Leader

Requirements  

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of five years' experience in a similar position.
• Excellent understanding of grant project management - from solicitation to contracting, compliance, financial management, risk management, progress monitoring, etc.
•  Experience with cost-sharing agreements with private sector parties is highly desirable; experience with financial-administrative capacity development of partner organisations and a realistic understanding of what SMEs can deliver is highly desirable.   
• Strong organisational skills and ability to coordinate in a flexible, responsive manner with a varied range of actors, activities and relationships.
• Budget development and financial analysis experience required
• Excellent MS Excel and data based skills essential
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Attention to detail and deadlines is essential.
• Fluency in English essential
• Basic knowledge of M&E approaches would be an asset