PROJECT OFFICER – FUTURE4BINTI

Job Title

Project Officer – Future4Binti

Function

Programme Implementation

Supervises:

Reports to

Project Manager

Location

Mogadishu

Travel required

50% travel to Jubaland

Effective Date

June 2026

Grade

Level 13

ORGANISATION OVERVIEW & ROLE PURPOSE

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 this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination.  And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.  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. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 88 years and are now active in more than 87 countries.

Plan International Somalia/Somaliland is part of the global federation of Plan International and was registered in Somalia/Somaliland in 2020 and has started programmes with strategy that centres protection and prioritizes programs aimed at preventing violence, enhancing inclusive, quality education, and strengthening resilience to climate change and disasters, particularly focusing on children, adolescents, and youth, with a special emphasis on addressing disproportionate gendered impact on girls and young women.

The Project Officer is responsible for supporting the direct delivery of Plan International's Future4Binti (F4B) activities in Banadir and Jubaland, while also providing day-to-day technical support, oversight and supervision to local partners implementing activities under the programme. The position will be based 50% in Mogadishu and 50% in Kismayo and will work closely with local CSOs, WROs, YLOs, government counterparts and community structures to ensure high-quality, timely and accountable programme implementation.

The Project Officer will plan, coordinate and deliver activities assigned to Plan International under the approved F4B workplan, including government engagement, community-level interventions, capacity strengthening, monitoring and other programme activities within the assigned geographical areas. In parallel, the incumbent will provide hands-on technical accompaniment to implementing partners, monitor delivery against approved workplans, budgets and grant agreements, strengthen programme and institutional capacity, and ensure that partner-led interventions achieve the intended results for girls and young women affected by FGM/C, CEFM/U and other harmful practices.

ROLE DIMENSIONS:  

The Project Officer will support the F4B Project Manager in the technical planning, direct implementation, monitoring and quality assurance of Future4Binti activities in Banadir and Jubaland.

The role has two complementary areas of responsibility:

• Plan-led implementation: Coordinate and deliver F4B activities for which Plan International has direct implementation responsibility, including engagement with government institutions, communities and other programme stakeholders, and ensure timely completion of activities, deliverables and supporting documentation.
• Partner-led implementation: Provide regular technical accompaniment, supervision and monitoring to implementing CSOs, WROs and YLOs, including capacity strengthening, mentoring, field monitoring, problem-solving, documentation of results and follow-up on agreed actions.

The Project Officer will manage a delegated portfolio of Plan-led, partner-led and government-linked activities, ensuring that interventions are technically sound, safeguarding and gender-transformative standards are applied, and implementation remains aligned with the Future4Binti proposal, approved workplan, budget, grant agreements and Plan International requirements.

Level of contact with children

This position has been classified as “high contact”: Significant interaction with children

Key result areas:

KRA 1: Technical Planning & Direct Programme Implementation

·         Coordinate and directly implement assigned Plan-led Future4Binti activities in Banadir and Jubaland, ensuring alignment with the approved project proposal, workplan, budget, results framework and implementation standards.

·         Develop and regularly review detailed activity and implementation plans for the assigned geographical areas in coordination with the Project Manager.

·         Lead and support implementation of programme interventions addressing FGM/C, CEFM/U, gender equality, protection and girls' rights, ensuring locally appropriate and gender-transformative approaches.

·         Coordinate implementation of activities undertaken jointly with government institutions, community structures, and other stakeholders within the assigned locations.

·         Ensure Plan-led activities are implemented on time, within approved scope and budget, and that required activity documentation and supporting evidence are completed and maintained.

·         Track implementation against the detailed implementation schedule and promptly flag delays, quality concerns or technical gaps to the Project Manager, proposing practical corrective actions.

·         Use lessons from implementation, monitoring and stakeholder feedback to adapt activities and continuously improve programme quality.

·         Coordinate and directly implement assigned Plan-led Future4Binti activities in Banadir and Jubaland, ensuring alignment with the approved project proposal, workplan, budget, results framework and implementation standards.

KRA 2: Partnership Management, Technical Supervision & Capacity Strengthening

·         Serve as a key technical focal point for Future4Binti implementing partners in Banadir and Jubaland, maintaining regular communication, technical accompaniment and follow-up throughout implementation.

·         Provide day-to-day technical supervision of partner-led F4B activities, ensuring implementation is consistent with approved proposals, workplans, budgets, grant agreements and programme quality standards.

·         Support the Participatory Institutional Assessment (PIA) process and subsequent development and implementation of tailored institutional capacity-strengthening plans.

·         Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring and technical support to CSOs, WROs and YLOs based on capacity gaps identified through the PIA and routine implementation monitoring.

·         Support partners implementing Future4Binti micro-grants and other delegated activities, including reviewing workplans, activity designs, training plans, community-engagement approaches, implementation progress and technical reports.

·         Conduct regular partner monitoring and support supervision visits, identify implementation or capacity gaps and agree and follow up on corrective actions.

·         Facilitate partner reflection, review and learning sessions and support documentation of organizational capacity improvements, emerging results and promising practices.

·         Escalate significant partner performance, compliance or implementation concerns to the Project Manager in a timely manner.

KRA 3: Government, Stakeholder Coordination, Learning & Influence

·         Maintain effective technical engagement with relevant government institutions and local authorities in Banadir and Jubaland, supporting implementation of government-linked Future4Binti activities.

·         Coordinate with CSOs, WROs, YLOs, community structures, religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders relevant to programme implementation.

·         Represent Future4Binti, as delegated by the Project Manager, in relevant technical working groups, coordination platforms and stakeholder meetings.

·         Ensure agreed actions arising from government, partner and coordination meetings are documented, communicated and followed through.

·         Support partners and programme stakeholders to document learning, promising practices, community perspectives, case studies and evidence that can inform programme adaptation, advocacy and influencing.

·         Contribute technical inputs to programme reports, donor updates, learning products, presentations and communication materials, ensuring that reported results are supported by implementation evidence.

·         Support meaningful and safe participation of girls and young women, boys and young men, families, community leaders and other stakeholders in programme activities.

·         Provide field-level analysis and emerging evidence to the Project Manager to inform programme decision-making and Future4Binti's advocacy and influencing agenda.

KRA 4: Programme Quality, Monitoring & Technical Support

·         Work closely with the Project Manager, MERL and relevant technical colleagues to ensure both Plan-led and partner-led activities meet agreed technical and programme-quality standards.

·         Conduct regular field visits across Banadir and Jubaland to monitor Plan-led activities, observe partner implementation, engage programme participants and stakeholders, verify reported progress and provide technical support.

·         Track implementation progress against approved activities, indicators, milestones, budgets and expected results and identify areas requiring corrective action.

·         Support routine, quarterly and joint monitoring missions involving Plan, government institutions and implementing partners, as appropriate.

·         Review partner reports, monitoring data and implementation evidence in collaboration with MERL colleagues and follow up on data-quality, documentation and performance gaps.

·         Maintain complete and timely documentation of programme activities, including activity reports, attendance records, monitoring findings, implementation evidence, lessons learned and agreed follow-up actions.

·         Provide timely and high-quality technical inputs to monthly, quarterly, annual and donor reporting processes.

·         Support programme reviews, learning, transition and closure processes, including documentation of results, sustainability actions, and lessons learned.

KRA 5: Risk, Compliance & Accountability

·         Support the Project Manager and relevant support functions to monitor programme, partner, financial, operational and contextual risks affecting implementation in Banadir and Jubaland and ensure agreed mitigation measures are followed up.

·         Monitor implementing partners' compliance with grant agreements, approved workplans and budgets, programme standards and Plan International requirements.

·         Work closely with Grants, Finance, Procurement, and MERL colleagues to identify implementation and compliance gaps and ensure timely corrective actions.

·         Support verification that partner expenditure and activity implementation correspond with approved activities and reported programme results, while maintaining appropriate separation from Finance's financial-control responsibilities.

·         Ensure partners maintain appropriate programme documentation and evidence required under their grant agreements.

·         Identify and promptly escalate significant implementation, compliance, safeguarding or accountability concerns to the Project Manager and relevant functions.

·         Ensure Plan International policies, procedures and guidelines relevant to the role—including finance, procurement, security, IT, Code of Conduct and accountability requirements—are consistently applied throughout programme implementation.

KRA 6: Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion

·         Ensure Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion policies; implementation standards and guidelines are fully embedded in all Plan-led and partner-led Future4Binti activities within the assigned areas.

·         Ensure implementing partners understand and apply safeguarding, PSEA/SEAH, gender equality, inclusion and Code of Conduct requirements throughout programme implementation.

·         Promote safe, meaningful and inclusive participation of girls, young women and other programme participants, including persons with disabilities and other groups facing barriers to participation.

·         Identify safeguarding and protection risks within programme implementation and ensure appropriate prevention and mitigation measures are integrated into activities.

·         Ensure safeguarding concerns are promptly reported through Plan International's established reporting mechanisms and handled in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.

·         Work with Safeguarding and technical colleagues to strengthen partner capacity and address identified safeguarding, gender and inclusion gaps.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Social Science, Development Studies, Gender and Inclusion or any other relevant discipline.

At least 3 years’ post-graduation experience supporting donor-funded development or humanitarian programmes, preferably with an International Non-Governmental Organization.

Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in protection, gender equality, GBV, FGM/C, CEFM, harmful practices or partner-led programming, preferably in Somalia and/or humanitarian contexts. Experience providing technical support, capacity strengthening and accompaniment to local CSOs/WROs/YLOs is strongly preferred.

Leadership Competencies

Myself as a Leader

Behaves in line with our values, bringing energy and commitment to the task of safeguarding girls, children, young people, vulnerable adults and colleagues; constructive and optimistic in facing challenges and change.

Lasting Impact

Focuses effort where it will make the best contribution to PIS's purpose and strategic goals; takes the initiative to find new and better ways of doing work.

Open & Accountable

Holds self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively; at all times acts in the best interests of PIS and her beneficiaries.

Work Well Together

Acts as a good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them; is aware of the potential impact of their behaviour on others and makes sensitive choices.

Inclusive & Empowering

Collaborates with team members, colleagues and partners in an active and engaged manner; shares information, experience and ideas with the aim of helping or empowering others.

Skills & Knowledge

Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting, seeking and listening to feedback, learning from mistakes, finding people or resources to help them learn, keeping knowledge and skills up to date.

Critical Business Management Competencies

Good understanding of harmful practices, gender equality, protection and locally led programming in Somalia, including the roles of government, civil society, women’s rights organizations, youth-led organizations and community structures.

Experience applying project-cycle management and programme-quality principles to partner-led projects, ensuring results are achieved on time and to agreed technical standards.

Good understanding of financial and procurement systems, with a good track record of complying with relevant procedures and controls.

Good analytical skills as required to obtain and process information and numerical data from a range of sources and use the insights gained to inform decisions or communications.

Good written and spoken communication skills, including English and Somali, with an ability to effectively adjust content and presentation so as to connect with an audience.

Track record of leading a team to work effectively together, using negotiation and mediation techniques to manage conflict, and ensuring that diverse perspectives and viewpoints are welcomed.

Critical Technical Competencies

Strong technical experience in partner capacity strengthening, participatory institutional assessment, mentoring/coaching, community-based programming, monitoring and adaptive management. Demonstrated knowledge of gender-transformative approaches and programming to prevent FGM/C, CEFM and other harmful practices.

Desirable: Experience working directly with local CSOs, WROs and YLOs, government institutions and community-based organizations in Banadir and/or Jubaland, with established understanding of the operational and coordination context in Mogadishu and Kismayo.

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