Omolade Olalekan Usman

Key Responsibilities

Objective 1: Grants and Compliance

• Ensure high-quality and timely grant reporting from technical support staff and programme managers for submission to the HOD Grants and Compliance.
• Develop and support the use of grant management tools and systems; including reporting tracker, grants table, project management tool updates, and archive.
• Coordinate responses to any donor feedback and ensure compliant and quick submission of additional and/or revised information required in collaboration with the Coordination Team.
• Archive and distribute project documents and related grant documents to project team, ACF staff and auditors.
• Develop external communication tools to track stakeholder engagements and resource mobilization efforts.
• Support internal checks and strengthen compliance systems within the Action Against Hunger Nigeria mission
• Facilitate grant events including kick-off, review, and closing meetings to ensure project objectives are being met and identify challenges, delays, or deviations from the project plan.
• Ensure the development of grant revisions, cost extensions, budget realignments and modifications, ensuring that proposals meet donor specifications, global best practices, and context-specific adaptations, deadlines, and quality standards.
• Focal point for DFID grants and ensure that all grant files are complete, accurate, and up-to-date.

Objective 2: Training and Capacity Building

• Build the capacity of field staff to write and incorporate feedback on donor reports and develop proposals; this includes undertaking visits to field sites to work directly with program staff
• Facilitate training and capacity building for field teams on project management cycle to strengthen the capture of evidence-based results.
• Conduct after-action reviews and develop lessons learned products to document and improve future efforts.
• Improve the linkages and knowledge exchange between departments
• Train staff to use reporting and monitoring tools (Activity progress reports, budget follow up, Progress on log frame Frameworks etc)

Objective 3: Proposal Development

• Lead the development of concept notes and proposals; visit field sites in order to work directly with program staff on the development of proposals.
• Support teams to improve proposal competitiveness through cross-sector engagement and integration of industry tools.
• Improve the capacity of field-based staff on proposal development; strengthening the ability of technical and country program teams to be effective in new business development.
• Communicate with donors, and support any internal or external realignments as appropriate.
• Facilitate training and capacity building for field teams, in particular, Program Managers and Field Coordinators on the Project Cycle Management Tools and internal reporting tools.
• Support the development of MOUs and teaming agreements for partnerships in compliance with AAH HQ Guidelines.
• Identifies funding opportunities, prepares and processes grant applications, and oversees grant management and implementation for all public-sector opportunities.

Objective 4: Reporting, Gender, and Cross-Cutting issues

• Work in close collaboration with MEAL staff of the mission on gender-sensitive data collection, management, and quality for reporting and story-telling ;
• Ensuring high-quality and timely grant reporting with support from the DCD Program and technical coordinators and providing technical support to staff on donor regulations and compliance ;
• Lead high-quality and timely grant reporting with support from the Area Director and Coordinator, technical staff, and program managers and providing technical support to staff on donor regulations and compliance ;
• Support field coordinator and project managers for grant and internal project and program coordination meetings; grant opening, review, and closing meetings.
• Participating in donor engagement in close collaboration with Area Director and Coordinator ;
• Represent ACF and support the development of visibility materials for the presentation of the project portfolio with relevant stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Mission 1: Grants & Compliance

• Develop and support the use of grants management tools and systems
• Ensure high-quality and timely grant reporting with the support of Grants and Reporting Managers/Officers.
• Distribute and share with all staff copies of all documentation (grant proposals, reports, budget etc ) related to their specific programs and ensure that the documents are continuously updated on the NHF folders.
• Provide donor regulations to program teams and provide technical support on donor regulations and compliance
• Identify risks of compliance and suggest mitigation measures.
• Support the development of external communication tools as relevant
• Participate in donor engagement meeting

Mission 2: Training and Capacity Building

• Support field teams on project design and implementation
• Facilitate training and capacity building for field teams, in particular Program Managers and Field Coordinators on the Project Management Cycle.
• Support in disseminating donor standards and grant management guidelines within the related team in charge.
• Understand the relationship between the different phases and deliverables of the project cycle and help improve the linkages between departments.
• Identify the different reporting and monitoring tools of ACF and train teams to use these tools together

Mission 3: Proposal Development

• In coordination with the Technical DCD, lead program teams in the development of quality proposals
• Ensure that the proposal development meets the related donor standards
• Act as the lead writer or editor for all proposals. Liaise with field teams, DCD Support and support staff to ensure coherence between budget and support sections with proposal narrative
• Coordinate with ACF France HQ to ensure proposals meet internal standards, and to receive up-to-date donor guidelines and technical advises.
• Visit field sites in order to work directly with program staff on the development of proposals.
• Support teams to improve proposal competitiveness through cross-sector engagement and integration of industry tools and best practices.
• Conduct after-action reviews as needed to develop lesson learned and improvements for future efforts

Mission 4: Partnership

• Identify potential opportunities for partnerships with local and international organizations
• Support the development of MOUs and teaming agreements for partnerships in compliance with ACF HQ guidelines
• Facilitate the vetting of potential partners with the support of the program teams, support team, CD and DCDs.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure that all projects meet and exceed donor expectations and are designed and implemented for maximum impact on beneficiaries.
• Organize and lead internal Project Cycle Meetings (PCMs) and act as the focal point for communications with the project team around award management and compliance functions;
• Regularly engage with Management teams to track the progress of ongoing programs in line with donor-approved technical designs, budgets, and work plans.
• Ensure that program quality standards are followed according to the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) policy and procedures.
• Monitor and analyze, identify, and address gaps and weaknesses in other to improve overall program performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Ensure and monitor effective grants management, research strategic funding opportunities, and develop proposals based on identified gaps and needs in strict compliance with global best practices, procedures, and other strategic donor regulations and compliance.
• Coordinate proposal development, No cost Extension, modifications, and project amendment requests and reporting to donors
• Provide guidance and ensure that programs align with strategy, monitor program objectives, outputs, indicators, and activities to ensure they meet stated goals.
• Track an up-to-date analysis of institutional donors, the development and humanitarian space, and funding opportunities.
• Lead strategic development and recommend new interventions in the function of needs identified in the field of operations.
• In collaboration with SMT, support the development of an annual operating plan that supports long-term operations strategy.
• Support collaborative efforts to develop and strengthen systems, processes, controls, and procedures that will improve largely the efficiency of Country missions.

Key Responsibilities

Research

• Lead research design, dissemination of reports and research products, and advocate advancing programmatic and influencing policy changes.
• Review survey and training protocols, questionnaires, and other survey tools
• Co-lead the training of survey enumerators, supervisors, and monitors on survey protocols and the use of other survey instruments.
• Advocacy
• Ensure key tools are developed including analytic tools (stakeholder/power mapping), risk assessment, sign-off procedures, events/opportunity calendars, monitoring, and tracking of outcomes).
• Provide timely policy analysis and information on key priority topics to support the representation and coordination of the NGO Forum.
• Lead in the development of Advocacy plans, and strategy, as it relates to the program advocacy priorities
• Ensure program visibility through strategic engagement with relevant stakeholders.
• Lead in the conduct of advocacy-related assessments like Political Economy Analysis to inform advocacy.
• Ensure and monitor that gender is mainstream into all program activities
• Lead on strategic plans and development, strengthen collaborations with National, regional and global counterparts to promote the use of best practices, encourage alignment, and improve working together.
• Coordinate engagement of high-level policy influencing /decision makers and other stakeholders at regional, national, and sub-national levels concerning strategic program priorities.
• Develop quality reports and research summaries for internal and external audience on critical issues in the development space.
• Lead the development of a fundraising strategy for the organization.
• Analyze the country’s socio-economic situation, (donor) trends, needs, and gaps;
• Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis, in particular, who does what and where (3W);
• Alert the Country Director of gaps and emerging needs to trigger assessments promptly

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and effectively supervised the project technical teams in the identification, analysis, formulation, and implementation of activities to strengthen key systems (leadership, logistics, and information systems) that supported the delivery of high-quality project activities;
• Finalize the annual work plan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the program/project; ensure synergies with other teams; Lead the emergency response team, and ensure that the activities meet the objectives.
• Managed the project cycle and budget ensuring proper budget forecast, and modification, in compliance with donor budget requirements.
• Lead the strategic development of the country program. Ensure program strategy is aligned with organizational priorities, adapted to the local and national context, and informs strategic decisions.
• Track funding opportunities, donor mapping, and program trends to understand specific donor priorities and resources.
• Ensure project communication, and all requested internal and external reporting are completed with the highest quality, responsive to information requirements, and submitted on time.
• Ensure programs are strengthened by knowledge management through data collection and analysis, complete and accurate reporting as well as participation in “lessons learned” workshops and other organization databases.
• Ensure the program has effective monitoring and evaluation plans; create the space for the lesson learned and ensure effective knowledge management within the team and communication of impact and results to various audiences.
• Leading humanitarian planning, quality programming, and managing, and improving MEAL systems within the humanitarian context.
• Monitor and report on the effectiveness of our accountability systems with a focus on Complainants, Feedback and Response Mechanisms, and Safeguarding.
• Participate in the country coordination team meeting.
• Security
• Ensures security guidelines as required in the security operational plan is compiled to by all staff, making sure that security management tasks is performed as assigned in the guideline.
• Communicate regularly with the Director of security on issues relating to security information or non-compliance with the security protocols.
• Continuously assess the humanitarian and security situation in the field promptly.

Key Responsibilities

Policy and Research

• Develop and implement the program of policy research and advocacy for WaterAid.
• Lead all major research, including scoping studies on national socio-economic and political/security issues in the development space.
• Oversee quality assurance for all research, campaign and advocacy, and related outputs at the country level and review research plans, proposals, and advocacy action plans, working closely with originators to ensure that research strategy is sound and focused, key methodology, legal and policy issues are addressed, and that the evidence, analysis, and conclusions make a compelling case for change.
• Identify policy and advocacy priorities at the national and regional levels that align with and complement WaterAid integrated advocacy approaches at all levels.
• Proactively initiate policy analysis and research on specified topic issues to strengthen and further our policy development work. Research and monitor relevant regional and international policy, decision-making or commitments to WASH Rights, Gender equality etc.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary material, and adapt them into tailored messaging/recommendations for use in policy and advocacy work including providing regular inputs into and/or influencing the policies and advocacy/programming agendas of targeted stakeholders and institutions.
• Prepare background papers, briefing documents, and reports as appropriate for use in policy, advocacy, funding, and communications activities and effectively capture information in case studies, and policy messages, targeting different audiences, to proactively influence the effectiveness of WASH investments in Nigeria.
• Support Program Quality, Learning, and Accountability Manager, in establishing systems, Tools, policies, and approaches necessary to ensure and demonstrate the quality of programs.
• Support the development of MEAL strategy and plans
• Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration
• Liaise with the UN agencies to strengthen UN collaboration, cooperation, and harmonization of programming.
• Ensure organizational position, interests, and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UN cooperation Framework development planning and agenda/priority setting at the National level.
• Provide support to the Country Representative on inter-agency coordination-related activities by attending meetings, and events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• Collaborate with inter-agency, INGOs partners in Programme Development planning and consortium partners of projects.
• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with government institutions, sub-national stakeholders, and other partners/allies/donors/academia to advocate WaterAid's goals to advance the right to Water for survival, development, and good being, mobilize resources, seek cooperation, and establish alliances.
• Ensure that thematic leads are represented in all relevant coordination meetings and follow up with them to ensure that the minutes of these meetings or relevant information is shared with the concerned staff.
• Actively engage with donors, partner agencies, and the humanitarian community in Nigeria to ensure WaterAid is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts, across the region.
• Participate in NGO sector coordination groups and identify areas for coordination and collaboration; Networking and engagements.
• Represent the country director in key external meetings.
• Provide leadership, training, and mentoring in the development of M&E Plans, M&E tools, survey design, methodology, data analysis, and other skills required for assessing the impact of programs.
• Leading staff and partners toward adaptation, integration, and learning around key areas including safeguarding practices, monitoring and evaluation, disaster risk reduction, and gender equity and diversity.
• Support the development of fundraising strategy, researching fundraising approaches, tools, processes, trends, best practices, and markets, and sharing findings and recommendations for WaterAid fundraising strategy.
• Setting and monitoring a prioritized target list of fundraising activities, corresponding sub-activities, and annual plan and budget allocations, with an emphasis on sequencing, for effective allocation of resources for the greatest impact

Provides technical leadership and expertise for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects, leading to the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of WASH interventions that improve public health. Key responsibilities include developing and managing budgets, proposal development, building relationships with local authorities and communities, ensuring technical standards and quality are met, promoting hygiene, and producing reports for donors and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Strategy: Development and implement technical strategies for WASH programs, ensuring alignment with goals and local context.
• Project Management: the entire WASH project cycle, from planning and needs assessment to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Budgeting and Resource Management:Create and manage project budgets, ensuring efficient use of resources and adherence to financial procedures.
• Partnerships & Coordination:Build and maintain strong relationships with government agencies, local communities, NGOs, and other partners.