JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:              Programme Officer

Job location:                 Based in Colombo

Contract duration:         12 months with possibility of renewal

Organisation

Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere (PEaCE) is a Non-Governmental organisation registered under the Voluntary Social Services Organisations Act in Sri Lanka.

It began in the year of 1991 as a campaign that was part of the ECPAT International initiative to ending sexual exploitation of children. As a pioneer organization, it has continued to dedicate itself to the battle against Sexual Exploitation of Children (SEC) in Sri Lanka for over 30 years. The programmes conducted by PEaCE have included country-wide awareness programmes, training, advocacy, legal aid and counselling services.

PEaCE aims to protect and promote the rights of the child and create an environment in which the safety and security of every child is assured. PEaCE is currently located at No. 39/4, Jayasinghe Road, Kirulapone, Colombo 6 and has a Board of Directors made up of representatives from professional and development organisations.

Position Summary

The role of the Programme Officer is to plan, execute, and finalize projects according to strict deadlines and within budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and external resource persons, agencies or consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan. S/he will oversee the overall activity of PEaCE Island wide; ensure effective and timely reporting and accounting. The Programme Coordinator will also define the project’s goals/objectives and oversee quality control throughout the course of the programme.

The Programme officer will be based at the Colombo Office and would need to travel extensively to different districts. This is a senior position reporting directly to the Executive Director of PEaCE and will work very closely with the project staff, information officer, legal monitoring officer, child and family counsellor, accountant and other staff. The following are his/her responsibilities in detail.

1. Ensure high quality project planning, monitoring and evaluation, communication of progress and results, fund management and reporting.
2. Write/contribute to formulate project proposals to donors, with the support of the staff and volunteers.
3. Assist, guide and monitor the functions of the project officers at every level.
4. Plan and conduct appropriate training programmes for the child protection professionals of the government agencies, civil society organisation, the corporate sector and teachers on different forms of exploitation and abuse of children.
5. Conduct appropriate capacity building programmes for the grassroots child protection mechanisms in specified geographical areas with the support of relevant government agencies, e.g., Department of Probation and Childcare Services.
6. Work closely with the government child protection institutions, such as National Child Protection Authority, Women and Children Bureau of the Police, Department of Probation and Childcare Services and Ministry of Education.
7. Review activities frequently and understand the weakness and the shortfalls and try to find remedies to implement activities effectively.
8. Implement the monitoring mechanisms effectively to all the projects undertaken by PEaCE.
9. Create and implement effective training programmes to improve the capacity of project team and their engagement.
10. Ensure the compilation of information from the field is reported on a regular basis internally and to donors.
11. Provide honest and timely information to the Executive Director and assist in decision making.
12. Extensive travelling to the project areas and constant communication with different stakeholders using telephone, email or postal mail and coordinate activities.
13. Assist the information officer in providing with current information related to violence against children and make sure that the organisation social media platforms are promptly updated, and messages shared widely.
14. Identify most vulnerable areas, local CSOs and authorities, and initiate awareness programmes on SEC.
15. Undertake any other tasks entrusted by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.

Qualifications, Experience and Requirements

• A university degree in the related field.
• Commitment to the Rights of the Child.
• Willing to work long hours, when required
• Experience in conducting training and public awareness programmes.
• Minimum of five years of experience in a senior leadership position.
• Excellent administrative, interpersonal and communication skills, with a good command of written and spoken English.
• Ability to work independently using own initiative within the scope of responsibilities.
• Good report writing skills, monitoring and evaluation experiences.
• Proficiency in computer application.
• Ability to work easily with other cultures in difficult circumstances.
• Willingness to work with people from all walks of life.
• Understanding of how to run programmes and projects
• An aptitude for financial/budget management

PEaCE is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.