Special Project Manager – Thrive 2.0 (WVV)

Background

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization working to improve the quality of life of people, especially children who are marginalized and living in poverty. World Vision helps all who are in need, regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity or gender. As a child-focused organization, WV’s work focuses on children, ensuring they are protected and their basic needs are met. World Vision Vietnam (WVV) has been funded from 13 support countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Funding of WVV consists of sponsorship program funding (70%) and Private Non-Sponsorship (PNS)/grants (30%). WVV employs about 430 staff, of which 93% are Vietnamese nationals.

WVV is operating in 4 zones: North 1 (Hoa Binh, Dien Bien), North 2 (Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Hai Phong), Central (Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri and Da Nang) and South (Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Thuan, Ho Chi Minh, DakNong). WVV’s Area Program (AP) usually focuses within one administrative district of a province which populated by ethnic minority people with high rates of poverty. A uniqueness of WVV’s Development Program Approach (DPA) is that AP team members are based at district level where the AP is located, which enables them to work closely with government partners and communities on a daily basis. Beside the APs, WVV is also implementing different Special and Grant Projects to meet the specific needs of vulnerable children in both AP and non-AP areas.

THRIVE 2.0 is a global project aimed at improving the livelihoods of vulnerable households and communities for child well-being. The project focuses on promoting positive behaviour change and household transformation to an Empowered Worldview, where households employ their talents and resources to move from dependence to dignity. The project implements a range of approaches, including training and monitoring of household action plans, empowering community members to participate in advocacy and local governance, improving access to financial services through Savings for Transformation (S4T) groups, and establishing profitable and sustainable enterprises for household income security through Local Value Chain Development (LVCD). The project also promotes the use of digital platforms for loans, savings, and linkage to markets and aims to provide evidence-based and scalable solutions for improving household livelihood outcomes.

The THRIVE 2.0 project is set to launch from FY23 to FY30 across a total of 31 Area Programs (APs) of World Vision International Vietnam. These will include 26 existing APs and 5 potential future APs.

Purpose of Position

The Project Manager will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the THRIVE 2.0 project, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The successful candidate will lead a team of professionals, coordinating with APs, partners, stakeholders, and donors, to ensure project deliverables are achieved within budget, scope, and timeline.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership/Management (30%):

Lead the planning, implementation of all project activities
Ensure that project activities are completed on time, within budget, and to a high standard
Provide technical guidance and support to AP staff and partners
Manage project budgets, ensuring that funds are used effectively and efficiently
Prepare and submit regular project reports to SO and other stakeholders
Ensure compliance with SO and donor policies and procedures
Manage project risks and develop mitigation strategies as needed
Support the recruitment, training, and management of project staff

2. Co-ordination and Relationship:

Support APs to build effective links with the wider target community in order to raise awareness of WVV’s philosophy and approach to development, particularly in THRIVE 2.0 measures, and foster the ownership and participation of the community in project activities.
Foster coordination and avoid duplication of effort in the THRIVE 2.0 target areas by interacting with other NGOs, United Nations agencies, and government/mass organizations.
Serve as a bridge between THRIVE 2.0 staff, project partners, Zonal Programs Managers, and Area Program Managers.
Represent WVV in relevant external meetings when required.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Reporting and Learning:

Ensure effective project monitoring and reporting by regularly visiting project activities.
Work with M&E staff and external implementation partners to identify the most salient problems and design appropriate responses, leading continuous observation, reflection, learning, iteration, adaptation, and quality improvement processes to ensure the highest possible project quality.
Prepare semi-annual narrative progress reports for submission to donors.
Develop monitoring tools for measuring each THRIVE 2.0 output and outcome indicator.
Plan and implement a mid-term project review and an end-of-project evaluation.
Ensure adequate documentation of all project activities, including lessons learned and best practices.
Lead the team to document and share best practices and lessons learnt of the program with other THRIVE target Field Offices as well as other relevant stakeholders.

4. Finance and Administration:

Guide APs to ensure compliance with World Vision financial policies and procedures, including proper documentation and record-keeping of all financial transactions.
Liaise with the Finance Department to ensure the integrity of financial documents, procedures and reports.
Monitor project budget and expenses, and ensure timely and accurate financial reports.
Develop and maintain an efficient financial management system for the project.
Ensure proper asset and inventory management for the project.
Manage procurement and logistics for the project, ensuring that all purchases are made in compliance with World Vision procurement policies and procedures.
Ensure that the project equipment and supplies is well organized and maintained.

5. Others:

Follow WVV guidelines to manage safety and security within the team, including conducting security assessments, planning, and management.
Prepare and regularly risk registers for the team.
Identify and mitigate any risks that could potentially impact the team's ability to achieve its goals.
Perform any other duties as assigned by the manager to contribute to the team's overall performance.

Knowledge & Skill

Conceptual understanding of and commitment to development work, especially Christian, Gender Responsive, Gender and protection Mainstreaming,
Demonstrated leadership skills, including leading, building, and supporting a team with diverse roles and capacities.
Skills in facilitation of development processes, including organisation and mobilisation of communities and networking among different development partners.
Demonstrated capacity in program management, with conceptual understanding and required competency in DME functions.
Strong interpersonal skills and well-developed written and oral communications skills in Vietnamese and English, especially report writing skills.
Solid computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and email.
Willingness to support articulate and demonstrate World Vision’s core in meaningful ways to colleagues, partners, donors, children and communities

Experience

1. Required Professional Experience:

A minimum of 5 years' experience in project management, preferably in the international development sector.
Experience in INGO-funded project planning and implementation.
Strong understanding of project management principles, methodologies, and tools.
Excellent leadership and team management skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and manage a team of professionals.
Experience working with partners, stakeholders, and donors.
Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets and resources effectively.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to identify and mitigate potential risks.
Proficiency in project management software and tools.

2. Required Education, training, license, registration, and certification:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, International Development or related fields.
Certification in Project Management is preferred

3. Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications:

Conceptual understanding of and commitment to development work, especially Christian, Gender Responsive, Gender and protection Mainstreaming,
Demonstrated leadership skills, including leading, building, and supporting a team with diverse roles and capacities.
Skills in facilitation of development processes, including organisation and mobilisation of communities and networking among different development partners.
Demonstrated capacity in program management, with conceptual understanding and required competency in DME functions.
Strong interpersonal skills and well-developed written and oral communications skills in Vietnamese and English, especially report writing skills.
Solid computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and email.
Willingness to support articulate and demonstrate World Vision’s core values in meaningful ways to colleagues, partners, donors, children and communities.

4. Travel and/or Work Environment Requirement

The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically up to 50% of the time; and travel to other countries as required.
Satisfactory preemployment medical report verified by medical doctors from licensed hospitals
Vietnamese: Fully fluent
English: Upper Intermediate