ROLE PURPOSE:

The Proposal Coordinator & Writer role is to support the Director of Program Development and Quality in the development of proposals and concept notes for development programming. The role provides leadership in the proposal development and writing process, ensuring the proposal aligns to the 2019-21 Country Strategic Plan and is developed with the relevent staff from across mutliple functions including: Technical Specialists, MEAL, Operations, Finance, Awards and Gender.

The Proposal Coordinator & Writer is also expected to work closely with the Country Office Awards Management Team to ensure that proposals and concept notes are developed in compliance with donor requirements. The role will also develop and maintain maintaining proposal development calendars and tracking all required inputs, ensuring all inputs are not only compliant but aligned to one another.

The Proposal Writer & Coordinator will work with the Senior Specialist for New Business Development to track and update information on donor strategies and their investments in Tanzania. The Coordinator will follow-up with donor engagement plans to help ensure meetings are taking place as scheduled, notes from meetings are catalogued and that staff have relevant materials to share during these meetings.

The Proposal Writer & Coordinator is also expected to capacity build existing Country Program staff on both proposal development (in coordination with the Senior Specialist for New Business Development), and donor reporting through coaching and trainings.

 

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of Program Development and Quality

Dimensions: Save the Children began operations in Tanzania in 1986. Currently, the Country Program is implementing development and humanitarian programming in 11 regions in Mainland and Zanzibar in the thematic areas of: child rights governance, child protection, education and health & nutrition. The estimated value of the Country Program’s portfolio for 2019 is $13.9M. The operating context is very dynamic, affecting the rights of children and the operating environment for all NGOs.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Identification of donor opportunities and donor engagement

• Support staff to seek donor intelligence on prospective new funding opportunities or partnerships for new opportunities
• Disseminate and track information on new funding opportunities from institutional donors, foundations and corporations in coordination with Senior Specialist for NBD and Awards Management Team
• Ensure key contacts and donor strategies are updated on a routine basis.
• Attend routine Member pipeline calls with Director of PDQ and Head of Awards
• Follow-up with donor engagement plans with designated leads
• Develop program and donor briefs; propositional concept notes and essential donor fact sheets.
• Ensure notes from donor engagement meetings and key partner meetings are catalogued

Coordinate and manage the proposal development process

• Develop proposal development plan (PDP) and manage the proposal development process for all development programming
• Ensure the PDP and process are undertaken in coordination with the Member and staff from across country program teams: PDQ (Technical Specialists and MEAL), Operations, Finance, Awards, Gender and external stakeholders, where relevant.
• Ensure all staff involved in proposal or concept note (CN) development receive the donor guidelines, templates and necessary supporting documents, along with a summary of highlights noting the participating staffs’ responsibility to read these documents in full.
• Carry out field visits, meetings and workshops necessary to develop and finalize proposals and CNs
• Ensure all documents required for proposal or CN submission are compliant as well as consistent across (i.e. ensure the proposal and budget align).
• Finalize package for submission to the Member
• In coordination with the Senior Specialist in NBD, provide direct input, guidance and support to proposal development teams for high-value or complex proposals or bids, such as USG
• Represent Save the Children (along with Technical Specialists) in consortium meetings regarding proposal development

Ensure good practice in terms of due diligence  

• Work with the Awards Management team to maintain proper records and filing of final submissions
• Ensure that gender equality markers, safeguarding checks, MEAL frameworks and other key cross cutting program elements have been taken into account for all proposals.
• Coordinate with Awards on communication with partners during positioning, pre-teaming, proposal writing.

Develop concept notes and proposals

• Support staff tasked in PDP with the design and writing of the CN or proposal, as well as required supporting annexes (with exception of the budget). Depending upon the geography and thematic area, writing of the CN or proposal by the Coordinator may be required.
• Work with Technical Specialists and project teams to ensure relevant data and information to present a compelling case in the CN or proposal
• Facilitate project design sessions and proposal team meetings
• Work with Technical Specialists and project teams to coordinate needs assessments, as required.
• Ensure coordination and information sharing between technical and operation teams (finance, logistics, field teams) vis-à-vis CN or proposal developemtn
• Provide skilled editorial assistance: edit and proofread drafts of proposals, including making editorial recommendations.
• Ensure CNs and proposals are donor compliant, and that all documentation aligns (ie technical and cost proposals support one another).
• Finalize, package and in coordination with Awards submit proposals to donors on time according to donor specifications and deadlines and Save the Children quality standards.
• In coordination with the Senior Specialist in NBD, mentor and/capacity build existing country programme staff on proposal development

Reporting writing

• In coordination with the Awards Management Team and Senior Speciliast in NBD, coach project teams, including field-based MEAL staff, to develop high quality and timely donor reports. 
• Undertake training of project teams on report writing workshops for senior project staff, Technical Specialists and MEAL staff.
• Coach Operations, Specialists, including MEAL staff in the field, to write impactful donor reports.  

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master degree in relevant subject with at least 3 years of experience with a humanitarian/ development organisation. A Bachelors degree with at least 5 years of experience with a humanitarian/ development organisation can be substituted.
• Experience in leading development of large-scale or strategic proposals, including the development of donor budgets greater than $5 million.
• Understanding of project management and project cycle management, including project design, implementation and evaluation
• Demonstrable competence writing winning proposals
• Strong understanding of donor compliance; previous experience with Save the Children reporting mechanisms and requirements a plus
• Demonstrated experience of participating in multi-sector needs assessments
• Solid understanding of monitoring and evaluation concepts
• Proven capacity to deliver training and coach staff
• Strong representational skills
• Ability to work calmly under pressure in a rapidly changing context
• Ability to be adaptable and flexible
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly into the field
• Ability to analyze information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.
• Commitment to Save the Children International values.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures;

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures