Technical Assistance Manager (TAM) - UNAIDS Technical Support Fund - Centre for African Family Studies

Job Purpose

To ensure the efficient and effective management of the TSF’s Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) assignments and the Technical Assistance Fund (TAF).

The post holder ensures:

• quality assurance of consultancy assignment deliverables; and
• programme management to ensure efficient implementation, monitoring, and reporting on TSF activities.

The post holder will deputise for the TSF Team Leader on an occasional basis.

Closing date: 09 Apr 2010

Location: Kenya - Nairobi

Technical Support Facility for Eastern Africa (TSF EA)
Technical Assistance Manager (TAM)
Temporary 3 months

Reporting: Reports to the TSF Team Leader (TL)

Duration: Three Months, with the possibility of extension: April to June 2010

Key Tasks

1. Manage TSF technical assistance identification and delivery processes

• Oversee the development and day-to-day management of programmatic and operational procedures and systems to ensure that the project TA is delivered according to agreed work plans and project timetables.

For each assignment contracted the TA Manager will ensure the following tasks are carried out, working in close consultation with and delegating to the Contracts and Admin Officer (COA) as appropriate:

• Serve as focal point for all technical support requests
• Receive and undertake technical review of the Terms Of Reference (TORs) received by prospective clients; strengthen TORs in consultation with clients
• Identify appropriate short-list of consultants, prepare skill summaries of short-listed consultants and forward to clients
• Prepare work plans and negotiate budgets based on the TORs for each assignment
• Manage contracting processes with both consultants and clients; assure service agreements containing negotiated performance outputs are clear; review and certify final copies of consultant contracts prior to consultant signature
• Work with COA to ensure assignment logistical requirements are in place
• Manage and monitor implementation of assignments, providing any other backstopping as required
• Ensure the assignment budget is monitored and managed effectively on an ongoing basis with regular and timely reports made to the TSF Team Leader (TL)
• Initiate appropriate corrective action where consultants are non-performing or in instances of clients non-acceptance of deliverables
• Working closely with COA to initiate client invoicing as per contract upon client’s acceptance of deliverables, ensuring invoices include consultant’s fees and any other project expenditure; ensure invoices are promptly forwarded to the CAFS Finance Department for processing
• Certify progress and results prior to payment by the TSF to consultants
• Contact clients to obtain feed-back about the consultancy process and deliverables

For each assignment requiring TA management and support from a member of the TSF Technical Review Panel, or other external short-term TA (STTA), the TA Manager wil:

• Identify TRP members, or other short term consultants, with relevant skill areas for the assignment
• Prepare TORs and manage contracts of TRP members and other external short-term QA consultants
• Final review of the services provided or outputs produced by TSG members, or other short-term TA

2. Strengthen and ensure adherence to TSF QA protocols and processes

• Review, strengthen and manage the TSF’s internal QA monitoring system for technical support in line with UNAIDS M&E guidelines
• Support the roll-out and institutionalisation of new ERP database
• Ensure adherence by all staff members to the TSF QA system from receipt of TORs to management and close out of assignments
• Ensure consistency in application of TSF procedures for quality assurance
• Ensure consultant deliverables are in line with TORs requirements
• Undertake QA of consultant deliverables including editing. Ensure layout of documents in accordance with the “TSF house style”
• Ensure the maintenance the TSF’s TA statistics for incoming requests, assignments and assignment closure
• Liaise with CAFS’ Financial and Support Services Manager to ensure all data is accurately maintained and entered into database
• Ensure accurate donor monitoring spreadsheets are kept on all TSF assignments and that information is complete
• Make recommendations on alternative QA where assignments are outside of TSF/CAFS capacity to QA
• Undertake final review of products to be submitted to clients ensuring deliverables match client requirements and achieve highest possible standards

3. Manage the UNAIDS Technical Assistance Fund

• Oversight of all TAF related systems ensuring procedures are observed at all stages of TAF related technical assistance delivery
• Respond to incoming queries on the UNAIDS TAF, sending out TAF application forms on request with complete information on procedures and agreement timescales
• Ensure application forms received from the country partner are registered in the TSF database and review proposals against checklist to ensure that applications are complete
• Contact the applicant to acknowledge receipt and request any additional information if the application is missing minor pieces of information; if application is significantly incomplete, return application to the applicant with a request to rework the application form
• Receive revised applications and conduct final review. Forward final applications to the respective UNAIDS Country Coordinator (UCC) along with a checklist and comments
• Upon receipt of signed assessment form from UCC forward all documents to UNAIDS Regional Support Team (RST) and await approval
• Notify client on approval; clarify issues and agree on details such as delivery dates, TORs, inputs, client obligations etc.
• Identify appropriate consultant/s and where applicable send shortlist to client
• Ensure that the COA issues: i) Letter of Agreement (LoA) to UNAIDS clients; ii) contract if it is an NGO client; and iii) contract to consultants. Final review of, and sign off on all LoAs and contracts.
• Prepare periodic status reports on the use of the TAF, submit to TL for review and then forward to the TSF Focal Point at RST
• Once assignments are initiated ensure adherence to standard TA protocols
• Work with COA to ensure that assignment logistical requirements are in place
• Manages and monitors implementation of consultancy assignments, providing any backstopping as required
• Ensure assignment budgets are monitored and managed effectively on an ongoing basis with regular and timely reports made to the TL
• QA of all TAF deliverables prior to submission of final drafts to clients
• Initiate appropriate corrective action where consultants are non-performing or in instances of clients non-acceptance of deliverables
• Ensure feed-back is secured from clients about the consultancy process and deliverables

4. Monitoring, Reporting, Planning & Other Tasks

• Provide oversight for internal monitoring of STTA to ensure achievement of TA and QA indicators as set out in the TSF performance monitoring framework
• Ensures the maintenance an electronic filing system for incoming TAF applications and other TA requests
• Prepare quarterly reports on TA assistance delivered through the TSF inclusive of challenges and lessons learned
• Ensure ongoing generation of accurate statistics in relation to TA delivery using spreadsheets; maintain data charts (TSF internal chart and UNAIDS chart) and update on weekly basis capturing any changes as they occur in relation to level of consultant effort and other variables
• Contribute to the up-dating of the TSF EA’s list of key contacts
• Assist the TL in marketing TSF services and the identification of new business opportunities
• Network and create linkages with stakeholders
• Represent the TSF at national and regional meetings and fora as requested
• Participate in UNAIDS Governance meetings, as required, and senior team meetings of the TSF
• Contribute to content development for the TSF website
• Any other tasks commensurate with the position of Technical Assistance Manager as identified by line manager

How to apply

Qualified Candidates are request to submit their CVs and cover letters to info @ cafs.org.

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