Programme Officer at British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Job Title: Programme Officer

Role type: Business Delivery
Department: Education & Society
Job Category: Project Management
Pay Band: 6
Duration: Fixed Term (till December 2020)
Report to: Operations Manager

Role Purpose

• The Programme Officer will be responsible for managing the technical delivery and administration of programme outputs to ensure quality and timeliness of delivery; good control of resources and compliance with agreed programme management systems and processes;  ensuring workplans,  budgets and forecasts are prepared and implemented; and facilitate collection and collation of data for Monitoring and Evaluation of results and lessons of the programme.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function Overview

• The British Council in Nigeria is implementing the European Union Managing Conflict in North East Nigeria (MCN) programme under their Trust Fund (EUTF) and the Rule of Law and AntiCorruption programme in Nigeria and Agents for Citizen-Drivern Transformation (ACT) Programme under the EU Development Fund programme (EUDF).
• In partnership with COFFEY, we are delivering the Policing work under their Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and are managing the Programme Coordination Office for DFID’s Deepening Democracy in Nigeria Phase 2 (DDiN2) Programme.
• To support our existing contracts as well as future contracts, we are developing flexible structures that meet the global British Council standards to provide support to our FCR (Justice, Security and Conflict) work in Nigeria.
• Programme (2017-2021) has the overall aim of enhancing state and community level conflict management capability to prevent the escalation of conflict into violence and help mitigate the impact of violence on the most vulnerable population in a number of locations in North-Eastern Nigeria. The Programme has an annual turnover of around £5-£6m and works in 3 states – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
• The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme in Nigeria is a €25m EUDF-funded Programme (2017-2021) and has the overall aim of enhancing good governance in Nigeria by contributing to strengthening of the rule of law, curbing corruption and reducing impunity. The programme has an annual turnover of around £5-£6m and work in 5 states – Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Lagos, as well as in Abuja.
• The Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (ACT) programme is an EU funded programme under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and will be implemented over a period of five years from July 2018. The ACT programme will contribute to the progressive achievement of several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as to the national development priorities identified in the Nigeria Vision 20:20 Economic Transformation Blueprint.
• The Overall Objective of the programme is to contribute to more inclusive, effective, accountable and gender-responsive development in Nigeria; while its specific objectives is to enhance the credibility and role of CSOs as drivers of change for sustainable development in Nigeria. The programme has an annual turnover of around £3-£4m and will be implemented at the Federal level and in selected states where EU programmes concentrate.
• The Nigerian context is generally challenging, having poor infrastructure and currently facing a volatile security situation. There is still a significant reliance on the cash economy, corruption is high and the regulatory and compliance structures that exist are highly ineffective. The current economic situation is not good with high levels of poverty, high unemployment, rising inflation and inequality. This makes Nigeria a very challenging environment in which to deliver programmes. The Programme Support Office is located in the North Ease states (Adamawa, Borno, Yobe), which have been worse affected by the insurgency.
• The post holder must therefore have the ability to work in challenging environment in which British Council processes need to be adapted or developed to cope with unusual requirements and difficult context.
• The post holder will work closely with the programme delivery and management teams as well as having significant interactions with the technical teams and Nigerian partners.

Accountabilities, Responsibilities and Main Duties
Project management and delivery:

• To manage delivery of outputs of the programme in the state.
• To manage relationship with responsible partner staff aand consultants tasked with delivery of programme outputs.
• To prepare activity description and budgets for programme supported activities.
• To support financial and technical reporting to internal/external clients and customers, ensuring reporting standards are in accordance with client and corporate standards.
• Produce monthly work plan for end client, useful for planning and monitoring of programme implementation.
• Support with review of consultant deliverables against Terms of Reference to ensure agreed outputs and outcomes are delivered.
• Build and manage output folders and database of key contacts and stakeholders to ensure regular growth in engagement of key audiences, with the aim of increasing awareness and impact.
• Ensure the provision, collation and analysis of participants and stakeholder feedback on all events and programs to ensure quality and effectiveness can be assessed and recommend improvement.
• Actively builds professional networks and information channels that maintain an excellent understanding of relevant developments, stakeholders and opinion formers in the development sector to support the creation of high quality programs and events.

Finance Administration:

• Responsible for project procurement in line with established corporate policies and guidelines.
• To provide financial support to the State Team Lead and Finance team, including the detailed budgeting for planned events, raising advances, issuing payments to workshop participants, processing of workshop claims, retirement of advances in a timely manner.
• To ensure risk is minimized by strict application of corporate BC financial principles in all programme related activities.
• Monitoring expenditure against set budgets for an agreed portfolio of projects to ensure financial targets are met.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):

• To collect, collate and share data and evidence required to monitor and evaluate the results and lessons of programme interventions.
• Disseminate lessons learned to enable the State team share successes, act on lessons learnt and improve the quality of events and their outcomes.
• Identify opportunities for replication and support activities that facilitate replication of interventions.

Knowledge Management:

• To collect and share information required to disseminate the impact amd lessons of programme and improve its sustainability.
• Support activities to facilitate replication of interventions (Demonstrate ‘value for money’).
• To provide summary reports and stories that feed into the quarterly impact reports, newsletters and other knowledge management products.
• Provide up-to-date information and share stories and case studies required for programme website and other communications media.

Team Support and Contribution:

• Ensure professionalism is demonstrated in own work area and  that customer / client needs and perspectives are reflected in own behaviours and focus.
• To support the embedding of continuous learning and improvement into the team.
• To seek to understand the interdependencies and connections the State team has with other functions and teams within EU programmes and the wider organisation.
• To proactively share best practice and learning across the wider EU programmes team.

Leadership and Management:

• Provides coaching and mentoring and sharing information for staff in the project teams, as agreed to build capability and capacity within the team and ensure the team receives the support it requires.
• Supports the analysis of skills, identifies development needs and contributes to the development of learning and development initiatives from areas of own expertise.
• To ensure career planning, development planning and continuous professional development are embedded in own area of work.

Other Administrative Work:

• As required.

Key Relationships
Internal:

• National Programme Managers, Technical Lead, Operation Managers, State Team Lead (STL), Procurement and Estate Manager, HR Manager, Finance Manager, Other Programme Officers, Admin and Resource Assistants.
• All Visiting National and International Consultants
• Other Project Teams

External:

• External relationship management where appropriate (i.e. linked to function of role), to include: EU, consultants, external partner organisations, Civil Society Organizations, MDAs, etc.

Role Requirements

• Passport requirements/ Right to work in country – All applicants should have a pre-existing legal statut to live and work in Nigeria. British Council will not facilitate/sponsor visa applications and work permits.

Assessment Stage: Shortlisting

• Direct contact or managing staff working with children? – Appropriate child protection assurance checks in accordance with British Council policy
• Notes: Travel or occasional unsocial hours may be expected where the need arises

Person Specification

Qualifications
Essential:

• Graduate level education
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Desirable

• Project management qualification aligned to P&P professional standards (APM) at the appropriate level of the role.
• Other project / programme management qualification.

Assessment stage: Shortlisting and interview

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience
Essential:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience with an international organization
• Experience of working as part of a successful team/function.
• Experience of working in challenging environments, preferably in North east Nigeria.

Desirable:

• Experience of work in an FCR project.
• Experience of operating in a complex, multi-cultural context.
• Ability to speak Kanuri language and or any local dialect (i.e.Hausa) .

Assessment stage: Shortlisting

British Council Core Skills Assessment Stage

• Planning and Organising (Level 2) Plans ahead – Organises own work over weeks and months, or plans ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Managing Projects (Level 2) Analyses project data – Examines project data and performance, reporting on progress and recommending corrective action as needed.
• Managing Accounts and Partnerships (Level 2) Works with stakeholders and partners – Communicates regularly with diverse stakeholders, customers and/or partners to build mutual understanding and trust.
• Managing Finance and Resources (Level 2) Uses financial systems and processes – Uses corporate financial systems and processes appropriately as part of the job and on behalf of a team.
• Using Technology (Level 2) Operates as an advanced user – Works as an advanced practitioner in the use of office software and/or British Council standard and social media platforms and trains or coaches others in their use.

Assessment stage: Shortlisting and Interview

British Council Behaviours Assessment Stage:

• Being accountable (More demanding) Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own.
• Making it happen (More demanding) Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results.
• Working together (More demanding) Ensuring that others benefit as well as me.
• Creating shared purpose (More demanding)  Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together.

Assessment stage: Interview

METHOD OF APPLICATION

Interested and qualified? Go to British Council career website on jobs.britishcouncil.org to apply

Click here to download Job Details (Pdf)

Click here to download BC Behaviour (pdf)

Click here to download BC Core Skills (pdf)

Note: In your application form, please clearly explain how you meet the essential and desirable skills, qualification and experience criteria mentioned in the person specification section of the role profile. This will help us determine your fit for the role and increase your application’s chances of success.