Program Background

The Agrifood System Transformation for Youth Employment (ASTYE) Uganda program

ASTYE is a 5-year transformative initiative designed to enable dignified and fulfilling work opportunities primarily for financially disadvantaged young women, refugees, and vulnerable groups by addressing structural barriers in Uganda's Agrifood system. Aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040, the National Development Plan and Government of Uganda Agriculture Value Chain Development Strategy, the program will contribute to national efforts toward poverty alleviation, economic growth, as well food and nutrition security. Additionally, ASTYE is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy in Uganda, which aims to empower 4.3 million young Ugandans, particularly young women, by addressing structural barriers to employment and providing them with the skills and resources to succeed.

Specifically, GOAL will implement component one to reach 500,000 financially disadvantaged young people, with 400,000 transiting into work and 320,000 securing dignified and fulfilling work. As the program is young women-centric, 80% of the total outreach target will be young women within Uganda's agrifood ecosystem. Furthermore, 3% of the total youth in work target will be refugees, and another 3% will be people with disabilities.

General Description of the Role

The Partnership Manager reporting directly to ASTYE Program Team Lead, will have overall responsibility for overseeing the coordination of all aspects of the partnership, financial and compliance deliverables of the partners (local CSO and private sector) in the programme across the project cycle in collaboration with the programme management unit (PMU) including the finance and programmes team. This includes leading due diligence assessments during co-design, assessing partners’ operational capacity and developing capacity building plans jointly with the partners, supporting the partners to achieve programme objectives and financial management and oversight over progress reports and partner payments. The role will also ensure partners understanding and use of accountability frameworks including maintaining compliance with donor regulations and requirements.

The key responsibilities of the role will be:

Partner Identification & Mapping

• Contribute to development of a clear framework on identification of local partners/private sectors etc. and maintain clear, accessible documentation of identified partners in line with the GOAL policies.
• Participate in the mapping of the strategic partners leading to long term partnerships.

Partner Financial Management

• Monitor the timely submission of accurate financial reports and regularly review and share partner financial forecasts with the PMU.
• Particularly for CSO partners, support the submission of timely, accurate and well written donor reports and other reporting requirements and closely monitor partner burnout rates to ensure actual expenditure is in line with approved budget.
• Prepare partner disbursement requests in line with partner funding agreements and milestone deliverables.
• Work with the finance team to resolve any financial issues that arise from partners/private sector.
• Maintain an updated Partner Management information System (PIMS) and hold internal monthly partner grant management meetings to monitor progress in coordination with the programme management unit.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to partner field offices / areas of operation.

Risk assessment and management

• Ensure effective and collaborative partnership assessments and routine vetting to prevent GOAL from being exposed to undue risk, while supporting the Portfolio Coordinators in defining, drafting, and co-designing partnerships with intervention partners.
• Conduct due diligence and financial assessments on potential partners.
• Complete financial assessments for local CSO and due diligence assessments for private sector partners
• Lead the drafting of sub-grants and partnership agreements, including modifications, to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations; act as the focal point with HQ for review and approval, and facilitate signature by GOAL and partner/private sector entities.
• Ensure that the partnership agreements as well as GOAL’s policies and procedures are complied with by the partner organizations, including policies on Safeguarding and advocating for amendments and flexibility where necessary.
• Coordinate annual internal and external audits for partners.
• Carry out compliance checks to ensure partners are in conformity with the terms and conditions of the agreement.
• Maintain contract files and ensure all financial reports and relevant documentation is kept up to date and in an orderly manner in soft and hard copy.
• In coordination with the MEL team, ensure that the partners are monitored for progress against deliverables and their capacity building plan, as well as against donor compliance and internal GOAL procedures, and develop monitoring tools tailored for the partner’s needs.

Capacity Building

• Support partners organizational development by coordinating the capacity assessments, development of capacity strengthening plans and follow up, on-going monitoring for partner implementation progress, financial reporting, follow up and phase out plans.
• Oversee the development of integrated capacity building plans for all partners in collaboration with the programme management unit and ensure that these plans are implemented in a timely and effective manner
• Follow up with partners in respect to areas of improvement identified during assessments / internal audits and work closely with the partners in closing the issues.
• Arrange and oversee the quality of regular operational and compliance capacity-building and training provided to partners.
• Responsible for organizing briefing / training on operating procedures, tools and donor requirements in collaboration with the programme management unit (PMU) and Global Partnership Centre (GPC).
• Develop the capacity of other staff on partnership management.

Documentation

• Keep a record of all the monthly grants management meetings.
• File all financial reports and other related partner documents in an orderly manner.
• Ensure partners’ information (assessment, documentation, agreement, reports, payment requests), among others is duly saved on the Partnership Information Management System (PIMS) and kept up to date.

Job Level Specifications

Essential Requirements

• Professional Accounting qualifications (CPA, ACCA)
• Bachelors’ degree in Accounting & Finance, Business Administration,.
• 5 years experience in capacity building for partners, partnership relationship management, working with diverse range of partners including government, CSOs, CBOs and Private Sector Actors of which 2 years should be at management level

Desirable Requirements

• External and/or Internal Audit experience
• Evidence of successful management of partnership process from assessment through implementation to close out including financial oversight and ability to establish capacity building plans and to provide mentorship and support.
• Highly analytical and systematic thinker
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Contribute to development of a clear framework on identification of local partners/private sectors etc. and maintain clear, accessible documentation of identified partners in line with the GOAL policies.
• Participate in the mapping of the strategic partners leading to long term partnerships.
• Monitor the timely submission of accurate financial reports and regularly review and share partner financial forecasts with the PMU.
• Particularly for CSO partners, support the submission of timely, accurate and well written donor reports and other reporting requirements and closely monitor partner burnout rates to ensure actual expenditure is in line with approved budget.
• Prepare partner disbursement requests in line with partner funding agreements and milestone deliverables.
• Work with the finance team to resolve any financial issues that arise from partners/private sector.
• Maintain an updated Partner Management information System (PIMS) and hold internal monthly partner grant management meetings to monitor progress in coordination with the programme management unit.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to partner field offices / areas of operation.
• Ensure effective and collaborative partnership assessments and routine vetting to prevent GOAL from being exposed to undue risk, while supporting the Portfolio Coordinators in defining, drafting, and co-designing partnerships with intervention partners.
• Conduct due diligence and financial assessments on potential partners.
• Complete financial assessments for local CSO and due diligence assessments for private sector partners
• Lead the drafting of sub-grants and partnership agreements, including modifications, to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations; act as the focal point with HQ for review and approval, and facilitate signature by GOAL and partner/private sector entities.
• Ensure that the partnership agreements as well as GOAL’s policies and procedures are complied with by the partner organizations, including policies on Safeguarding and advocating for amendments and flexibility where necessary.
• Coordinate annual internal and external audits for partners.
• Carry out compliance checks to ensure partners are in conformity with the terms and conditions of the agreement.
• Maintain contract files and ensure all financial reports and relevant documentation is kept up to date and in an orderly manner in soft and hard copy.
• In coordination with the MEL team, ensure that the partners are monitored for progress against deliverables and their capacity building plan, as well as against donor compliance and internal GOAL procedures, and develop monitoring tools tailored for the partner’s needs.
• Support partners organizational development by coordinating the capacity assessments, development of capacity strengthening plans and follow up, on-going monitoring for partner implementation progress, financial reporting, follow up and phase out plans.
• Oversee the development of integrated capacity building plans for all partners in collaboration with the programme management unit and ensure that these plans are implemented in a timely and effective manner
• Follow up with partners in respect to areas of improvement identified during assessments / internal audits and work closely with the partners in closing the issues.
• Arrange and oversee the quality of regular operational and compliance capacity-building and training provided to partners.
• Responsible for organizing briefing / training on operating procedures, tools and donor requirements in collaboration with the programme management unit (PMU) and Global Partnership Centre (GPC).
• Develop the capacity of other staff on partnership management.
• Keep a record of all the monthly grants management meetings.
• File all financial reports and other related partner documents in an orderly manner.
• Ensure partners’ information (assessment, documentation, agreement, reports, payment requests), among others is duly saved on the Partnership Information Management System (PIMS) and kept up to date.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Professional Accounting qualifications (CPA, ACCA)
• Bachelors’ degree in Accounting & Finance, Business Administration,.
• 5 years experience in capacity building for partners, partnership relationship management, working with diverse range of partners including government, CSOs, CBOs and Private Sector Actors of which 2 years should be at management level
• External and/or Internal Audit experience
• Evidence of successful management of partnership process from assessment through implementation to close out including financial oversight and ability to establish capacity building plans and to provide mentorship and support.
• Highly analytical and systematic thinker