Specific activities and duties of the position

Under the direct supervision of the Food Security and Livelihoods Project Manager (FSL PM) in Damascus, the Project Officer will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure effective partner coordination. In line with the project’s area-based approach and pertaining to the intervention area under his/her responsibility (Homs/Hama, Damascus/rural Damascus), the project officer will ensure overall coordination of project activities in the field, and across partner organizations. S/he will ensure overall follow up, monitoring and reporting of partner-implemented activities in the relevant sectors and areas of intervention, and smooth implementation of WHH-led activities, adhering to principles of accountability and do no harm, in line with WHH project management and quality standards.

Key tasks will include:

• Provides overall support, reporting and oversight of partner-implemented activities in the sectors of social cohesion and peacebuilding, food security and nutrition, WASH, including (but not limited to): cash and voucher assistance modalities, small business grants, peacebuilding and protection committees, rehabilitation committees and implementation of community-led initiatives.
• For each sector of intervention, ensures activities are implemented in line with sector-specific guidelines, tools and methodologies; coordinates and follows up with partners to ensure relevant tools and documents (SOPs, means of verification, attendance sheet) are available and duly produced.
• Coordinates and follows-up with relevant stakeholders, including national partners, security team, MEAL colleagues.
• Supports the reporting and documentation of project implementation, progress and learning on a regular basis, in line with WHH and donor regulations
• Supports overall administrative, operational and logistical management of the project, and is involved in partner-led procurement and/or administrative processes as required and in line with WHH policies (ex. Procurement processes)
• Supports the Project Manager and partners in developing SoPs, guidelines and relevant tools needed to ensure quality implementation across key intervention sectors, specifically: cash and voucher assistance, ERL, social cohesion, food security and livelihoods.
• Ensures technical and sectoral requirements are met and activities implemented in accordance with relevant guidelines (Clusters’)
• Provides ongoing support to partners through regular follow-up on workplans, weekly plans, targets and implementation modalities (in line with existing SOP and guidelines specific to each sector or approach)
• Monitors partner spending plans and reports any variance (under/overspending) to the Project Manager
• Documents challenges and risks, discusses and reports them to the Project Manager
• Works with MEAL teams across organizations to follow up on partner documentation and monthly IPTT
• In coordination with national partners, regularly reports and documents lessons learned and good practices, and provides inputs for case studies and success/ human interest stories
• Represents WHH and the project in relevant clusters (ERL, Protection, FSL, Nutrition, WASH) and working groups (CwG, Social Cohesion), produces detailed minutes and documents engagement results
• Supports the program department in proposal development as needed
• Ensures the submission of monthly data and reports (ex. 5W) to relevant clusters, and internally to relevant teams
• Ensures coordination with partners implementing similar activities in central Syria
• Conducts regular visits to project intervention areas in central Syria
• Prepare weekly plans and updates to Project Manager and relevant colleagues (security, MEAL)

Any other tasks as requested by direct supervisor.

Duties with own area of responsibility

• Supports the Project Manager in the set-up and management of the project(s)
• Carries out and monitors the project according to the rules and standards of the co-financing donors and Welthungerhilfe standards for the implementation of projects
• Establishes good working relationships with local stakeholders across intervention areas, including technical/ sectoral coordination mechanisms and working groups at the local level in coordination with the Project Manager and project partners
• Ensures compliance with WHH policies in project implementation
• Coordinates partners’ weekly reporting process, contributes to data collection as part of WHH and project-specific MEAL objectives and targets, ensures continuous learning and bottom-up knowledge sharing (ex. Success stories)
• Adherence to the projects’ security management system in Syria, in accordance with the global security policy / guidelines of Welthungerhilfe

Duties without own area of responsibility

• Ensures that all project relevant support is in place (monitoring, logistics, finance administration, etc.)
• Is responsible for regularly monitoring and updating project planning and budget forecast
• Develops the project’s visibility and communication plan, oversees the planning and implementation of visibility-related activities, in coordination with partner organizations and the responsible Project Manager
• Documents relevant technical and procurement processes in accordance with co-financing agreement or WHH directives
• Prepares project progress reports and activity-based forecasting and planning
• Any other tasks as requested and assigned by management and correspond in general with the character of the position