Company Overview:
Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.
For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved – and is committed to continuing to improve – economies, societies and most importantly, people’s lives.
Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.
Project Overview and Role:
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Palladium has an exciting opportunity for a strong project manager with experience in environmental programming and low-carbon economic development to serve as South Africa Facilitator for the UK PACT programme.
The UK PACT programme, funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), aims to improve the effectiveness of key institutions (public, private and civil society) in partner countries so that they can deliver accelerated emission reductions and raise the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets. Specifically, the programme will deliver the following results:
An increase in the capacity and capability of partner institutions (national, sub-national and civil society) to deliver enhanced and accelerated climate actions; and
An increase in in-country buy-in to urgently facilitate low-carbon development.
To deliver these results, the programme is composed of four lots:
1) a central delivery partner and bilateral country programming;
2) a global challenge fund;
3) skill-shares and secondments;
4) cross-programme M&E.
Purpose of the position
UK PACT is a flagship investment from the UK government and the South Africa Facilitator will play a critical role positioning, representing and promoting the UK PACT programme in South Africa.
The position will be based in the Pretoria / Tshwane region, South Africa with frequent national travel.
Primary responsibilities
In this role you will be the on-the-ground liaison for Palladium managing day-to-day activities from stakeholder engagement and project implementation to providing key contextual insights to ensure overall programme success.
Specifically, you will:
Stakeholder Relationships
Maintain an excellent working relationship with local BEIS team, supporting them in engagement with partner country government agencies, civil society groups, research agencies, (green) financial institutions and private sector firms in order to collaboratively design and generate buy in for the programme’s strategy, plans, resource requirements and any other contract amendments required;
Act as an ambassador for UK PACT in South Africa, promoting funding opportunities to potential implementing partners, project and programme outputs to intended beneficiaries, and broader UK engagement on low-carbon development where relevant, and as agreed with BEIS;
Manage day-to-day interactions and communications with PACT programme applicants and grant recipients/implementing partners;
Strategy Development and Engagement
Work collaboratively with BEIS in-post, BEIS UK, the M&E partner, the Lot 3 delivery partner and the Lot 1 core team to develop demand scoping for UK PACT-funded projects in-country, through key informant interviews, facilitation of focus group discussions and stakeholder and ‘ecosystem’ mapping;
Identifying complementary existing programmes (funded by the UK and other donors) to feed into UK PACT country implementation plans, theories of change and logframes and avoid programme duplication;
Provide technical advice and input for continuous context analysis and assessment of local market capacity to identify the most appropriate avenues for interventions and pathways to climate change impact within each key strategic sector;
Programme Management: Identification, Selection and Design of Interventions
Coordinate grant funding windows in accordance with country implementation plans, and lead on market engagement to ensure the right local stakeholders are aware of, and well-placed to apply for, funding opportunities;
Facilitate and contribute to the project selection process, particularly with regard to assessing deliverability and impact potential on the ground;
Support project set-up coordinating with the Lot 1 core team to adhere to any local due diligence required and to support initial briefing to potential Implementation Partners;
Oversee timely implementation of projects and regularly ensure the feedback of results, impacts and learning through quarterly reports to BEIS covering overall progress, progress against outputs, main activities and outputs for the next period, budget, spend and forecast, and risks;
Advise BEIS on potential to extend, scale up or replicate successful projects, and work with successful Implementation Partners to do this with BEIS approval;
Support defence against fraud, corruption and safeguarding risks, conducting spot checks and other processes to ensure BEIS grant funding is spent as intended and that Implementation Partners meet BEIS compliance requirements.
Programme Reporting
Support Implementing Partners on project reporting, ensuring reporting meets BEIS requirements and those of OPM, the M&E partner for UK PACT, providing a quality assurance function;
Oversee country and project specific risk management, working with BEIS in post and in the UK, the Team Leader and Lot 1 core team, ensuring any issues identified result in quick mitigation strategies and/or are escalated as required;
Contribute to programme governance and decision-making, both in-country and centrally, as required.
Required Qualifications:
Person Specification
Deep knowledge and understanding of the local political economy and business operating context in South Africa, including socio-economic context and development challenges and priorities, for example understanding of core concepts such Just Transition;
Good knowledge and understanding of the environmental / low carbon sector in terms of policy landscape, relevant state and non-state actors in relation to climate change, and low-carbon economic development;
Extensive local professional networks and broad technical knowledge in the priority areas identified within the country strategy. For South Africa these are likely to include:
Climate legislation;
Energy;
Industry,
Mobility; and
Green Finance.
Demonstrated ability to build networks and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of seniority;
Demonstrated understanding and experience of grant management and project management;
Excellent organisational, inter-personal administration and communication skills;
An ability to see both the big (strategic) picture, identifying opportunities for innovation and value addition for UK PACT, as well as keeping alert to project delivery risks;
Professional fluency in English and in other languages, i.e. isiZulu, Setswana, Afrikaans, an advantage;
A high degree of personal resilience, flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstances;
Highly collaborative and committed to close working and open communication with BEIS in post and in the UK, and other UK PACT partners; and
Commitment to neutrality in all dealings with stakeholders, including political stakeholders, to build trusted relationships and ensure maximum effectiveness of the programme.