- Partnership Management Specialist
- Plan International
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- Plan International
- Job opportunity
- Partnership Management Specialist
- Plan International
- Lilongwe
- Full time
- Closed
- Free
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- Job Description
- THE ORGANISATION
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children's rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children's rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children. Plan has vast experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world.
We won't stop until we are all equal.
- ROLE PURPOSE
We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, partners and host government. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future. We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights. Plan International has been working in Malawi since 1994 in 14 districts, aiming to reach 3.5 million adolescent girls and young women between 2022-2027 through different interventions.
This role exists to support the strategic growth and management of Plan International's portfolio of partners in Malawi. The incumbent will focus on building and maintaining strong relationships with organisations within Malawi, supporting partnership development, and contributing to the successful delivery of partnership initiatives that advance Plan's mission. The role will lead initiatives to increase Plan's capacity to engage with strategic partners and promote and model effective partnership approaches especially with local actors. The position will represent Plan with strategic partners and lead the implementation and mainstreaming of the Building Better Partnership principles and country strategic ambitions. This includes mapping of NGOs and partners, promoting collaborative partnership management, as well as capacity sharing, training and support of partner organisations in project implementation.
- DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
The position reports to the Business Development Manager and works collaboratively with the Country Leadership Team, Specialists for Business Development and Grants, Technical Leads, MERL team, finance, supply chain, and programme area teams. They also work closely with the MEESA regional partnerships team to align strategic approaches. They have no direct reports and may manage a functional budget of not more than €100,000.
- ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Strategy and Partnership Approach
Under the leadership of the country leadership team (CLT), facilitate and support the implementation of the Country Strategy's partnership priorities including robust stakeholder analysis processes and informed decisions to assess the best collaboration approaches for working in partnership with local civil society, government and private sector actors.
Lead in the development of the Partnership Strategy to deliver the partnering ambitions of the Country strategy.
Promote and apply the Building Better Partnership principles, including the efforts to build a strong understanding and application of working with partners management standards, skills and approaches among all departments.
Manage the country-level Partnership Management Committee, including referral or escalation of issues to CLT as appropriate.
Promote and disseminate Plan's vision, values, procedures and code of conduct to partners.
Facilitate systematic partner feedback on Plan's management of the partnership relationship, including the documentation of, and response to partner feedback.
- Partnership Development and Management
Collaborate with technical coordinators to proactively identify potential partnerships with local and national organisations, including those that are led by youth and by women and serve girls or women.
Co-facilitate and guide partner mapping and selection processes of new partners, including to identify women-led and women/girls serving organisations.
Ensure due diligence assessments are conducted for partners or sub‑grantees to identify and address risks to safeguard organisational and donor interests.
Contribute to the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to manage those risks.
Contribute to project and proposal design and Go/No Go decisions and ensure that these are consistent with the partnership strategy.
Contribute to project start-up agenda and materials to ensure that Plan and partners have clear expectations.
Prepare, review, and amend sub-contract documents and partnership agreements using approved templates to ensure accuracy, clarity of terms, and alignment with organisational and donor standards.
Coordinate with finance to achieve timely funds transfers and robust financial follow up in support of partners and work with the department to address any disbursement challenges, including escalating related issues to the CLT.
Recommend and implement sub-contracting and partnership management process improvements to reduce approval timelines and strengthen consistency and quality of agreements.
- Relationship Management
Act as focal point for all partners, providing clear guidance and timely responses on teaming, grant, partnership, and contract management matters.
Engage with project teams, country offices, partners, and sub‑grantees to resolve contractual, compliance, and implementation issues in a timely and constructive manner.
Liaise with partners or sub‑grantees on MoU or contract terms to ensure clear roles, responsibilities, and deliverables.
Participate in regular partner monitoring visits, review and reflection meetings, organised by project implementation teams.
Lead in organising and conducting annual review meetings with partners, ensuring inputs from programme, finance and compliance staff are received and included, meeting minutes taken, filed, and disseminated.
Proactively engage and communicate with partners in project development efforts, including supporting partner communications during proposal development processes.
Co-lead the review of the performance of partners (including based on partner feedback), and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
- Knowledge Management
Contribute actively to knowledge management initiatives through the sharing and dissemination of partnership approaches and lessons.
Stay abreast of new or updated partnership management policies, procedures, and standards from Global & Regional Hubs and support the rollout of these initiatives in-country.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date partnerships records including agreements, sub-contracts, MoUs, reports, etc on the Malawi Team Site.
Propose ideas for improving partnership management or other innovations.
Communicate feedback and suggestions on processes related to partners to the Regional Hub partnership team.
Collaborate with the MERL team on the measurement of partnership initiatives and partner-led delivery.
- Partner Support and Capacity Sharing
Train key country office and partner staff on partnership processes.
Facilitate the collaborative development and delivery of partner organisational support plans, ensuring that they appropriately addresses issues identified in the due diligence process.
Understand partner capacity strengthening priorities to ensure Plan can develop and provide support.
Collaborate with technical leads to integrate technical capacity sharing approaches, including how Plan can learn from local partners.
Consistently monitor and analyse Plan's performance as a partner, making recommendations to CLT and adjustments as needed.
Organise and contribute to training and information sessions on partnership management requirements to strengthen compliance and shared understanding among project teams and partners.
- Safeguarding
Ensure that Plan International's global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan Internati