The Grants Focal person/ Grant Assistant will support the Country Office in Rwanda in implementing the key grants management processes and practices by applying a set of relevant systems, policies, procedures and tools to ensure that grants and contracts are donor compliant and best serve the organizational mission. Under the direction of the Head of Programmes while receiving technical support from the HQ Grant Management team, the Grants Focal Person/Grant Assistant is responsible for ensuring that the country program adheres to all its grant management obligations internally within BRAC and externally with donors. This position is empowered to make recommendations for improvements needed within Country Office systems to support donor compliance.

This role will work closely with Fundraising/Program Implementation/Operations and Finance on proposals, financial and narrative reporting, monitoring and analysis, and compliance processes. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Responsibilities:

Coordination:

• Coordinates and negotiates the drafting process for financial and narrative reports among different teams, ensuring submission deadlines are met and reports of high quality
• Facilitates Kick Off meetings with a diverse stakeholder group
• Facilitates monthly Grant Review Meetings with a diverse stakeholder group, notes action commitments and follows up to ensure completion;
• Facilitates Close Out meetings and actions
• Participates in Global Grant Management community of practice calls and trainings on behalf of Country Office and applies relevant information and learning internally
• Lead and coordinate the performance of the Grants management key performance indicators
• Lead and coordinate Due Diligence of Downstream partners during grant implementation as needed.

Compliance:

• Supports adherence to BRAC Grant Management procedures and policies
• Supports adherence to BRAC Sub-Grant Management procedures and policies
• Supports adherence of complex donor compliance requirements across the Country Office and downstream partners through regular communication of compliance elements and training
• Supports the Donor Contract review process by reviewing contracts with a compliance lens;
• Support teams across Country to ensure all opportunities, proposals, contracts and amendments follow BRAC processes
• Ensure vetting of all partners complete and evidenced
• Draft sub-grant agreements using endorsed template packages and ensuring that all donor compliance requirements are passed down
• Identify and address or escalate any potential compliance issues to SMT/CMT.

Analysis:

• Perform monitoring of grants, grant spending, portfolio spending and perform further analysis to aid in resolution of issues identified
• Maintain portfolio and pipeline tracker for the Country Office
• Maintain reporting tracker for the Country Office.

Portfolio Management:

• Use Grant Management System and tools and monitor Country Office portfolio and performance in grant management
• Lead regular grant reviews and other monitoring across allocated portfolio
• Provide regular management information to the SMT/CMT on the performance of the active portfolio (Key Performance Indicators).

Capacity Building:

• Capacity build more junior staff and promote learning in the grant management team, as applicable.
• Encourage professional development among Grants Management team.
• Support capacity building of country office teams in Grants Management Practices and processes.

Systems:

• Maintain grant files in accordance with BRAC procedures
• Develop expert knowledge of Grant Management System & dashboard functionality, maintain up to date data and use GMS data for decision making.

Safeguarding responsibilities:

• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation.
• Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• # of procedures and tools of Global Grant Management Manual adopted as core process by the Country Office
• # of procedures and tools of Global Sub-Grant Management Manual adopted as core process by the Country Office
• Dashboard maintained of grants portfolio & pipeline & presented to SMT/CMT for decision-making
• Adoption of Grant Management System within Country Office
• Improved donor feedback on reporting timeliness and quality
• # of monthly Grant review meetings conducted
• Timely submission of donor reports
• # quality of donor reports assessed by the program quality checklist and financial quality checklist
• # of grants that have held closeout meetings and completed the closeout checklist.

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or International Development or Social Studies, or Communications.

Required Skills, Competencies & Knowledge:

• Basic Knowledge of NGOs and preparing, writing, and reviewing donor reports.
• Basic Knowledge of the requirements of major institutional donors including budgeting, eligibility issues, compliance management, and reporting; experience of engaging with donors at a strategic level (UNHCR, USAID, GAC, DFAT, DFID) is an added advantage
• Possess basic understanding of program operations including procurement and field realities
• Possess basic understanding of the full grant cycle including proposal development phase
• Possess basic understanding of the financial aspects of grant management, ability to work with Finance Departments on grant management issues
• Show basic skills in coordination and negotiation
• Show basic skills in attention to detail, problem solving skills, and ability to analyze trends
• Computer literate (i.e. Google Suite/ Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, financial systems)
• Patient, adaptable, able to improvise, and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure
• Fluent communication (written and spoken) in English.

Experience Requirements:

• 1+ years in development or related field;
• Experience in grants management is added advantage.