Project Coordinator - ASM Formalization & Responsible Sourcing

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Mines to Markets (M2M) - Pact’s Mines to Markets Signature Initiative assists mineral-dependent communities to gain lasting benefits from the more sustainable use of the natural resources around them. Pact takes an integrated approach to its work in the mining sector: we link mining to livelihoods, governance, health, environment, and the strengthening of local, regional and national institutions. The M2M program is currently active in eleven countries, working with all scales of mining from large scale industrial operations (LSMs) to individual Artisanal and Small-scale Miners (ASMs) and their communities, in remote areas. For more information on current and some past projects at www.pactworld.org/mining.

Elevated scrutiny from the news media, advocacy groups, and other international organizations of child labor and other human rights abuses in the copper-cobalt (2C) supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has prompted a surge of interest in Pact's M2M program by a range of existing and prospective donors. Industry and consumer demand for responsible sourcing, as well as increasing regulation of transparency and supply chain accountability, are important drivers of change in the mineral sector’s practices at all scales of extraction, processing and trade.  Pact's work addressing due diligence and traceability in the tin, tantalum and tungsten (3T) supply chain is an example of our integrated development approach working at scale over time in DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. By working in partnership with industry, government, miners and other stakeholders, Pact develops and delivers solutions for the mining sector that make business sense, are locally appropriate, meet international standards, and continually evolve in changing environments and with constructive input. Beyond the 3Ts, Pact has a long track record of working in the copper and cobalt sector on responsible practices and sourcing, most recently implementing a demonstration project on formalization of cobalt production at a key site in the Kolwezi area of Lualaba Province, DRC.

Our portfolio encompasses the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining in addition to interventions for large-scale mine operators (LSMs) to strengthen human rights, their engagement with mining communities, and transform their relationships with ASM activities into socially and commercially constructive ones. Such interventions are focused on developing the capacity of mine operators, cooperatives, and regulators to work together to make ASM safer, more transparent, more professionalized, and meet ambitious international responsible sourcing goals.

 

Pact anticipates significant expansion of our work in this sector. The M2M Project coordinator will have various responsibilities ranging from the coordination, design and management of project activities at various levels, communication, and donor relationships.

 

The project coordinator position is a one-year assignment with possibility to extend providing funding is available. This position can be based in Washington, DC, or a country where Pact has a country office in depending on the candidate’s experience and precise location. The project coordinator must have excellent connectivity to internet and speak and write fluently in both English and French. This position is contingent on confirmation of funding.

• Ensure coordination of project activities with and among Pact M2M team, field teams, donors, and partners
• Provide support to monitor ongoing project activities, through regular communication with and support to field-based project managers, to ensure projects are meeting goals, being implemented according to donor requirements and work plans, and meet the specific needs of beneficiaries within the framework of project scope;
• Jointly develop data collection, analysis, and reporting tools with local technical teams to make project tracking, learning, and implementation clearer and more consistent across projects;
• Design and implement the project’s MEL system, with the support of the M&E Officer and in coordination with Pact’s Results and Measurement (R&M) Team and the M2M team to develop key performance indicators, targets, tools, and appropriate M&E responsibilities across the project
• Leverage the effective use of the above tools to provide capacity-building to the local technical team in producing project deliverables;
• Provide capacity-building to local technical teams regarding the delivery of specialized trainings regarding child labor in mining;
• Supervise the reporting officer, review reports, and ensure reporting is in line with donor’s and Pact’s requirements
• Supervise M&E Officer, and also liaise with HQ M&E team as appropriate
• Support Deputy Director in donor and partnership engagement to maintain and grow their engagement
• Support the local team as they translate identified strategies into clear and compelling pitches and proposals to prospective donors and communicate the strategic value of the programs
• Work with the reporting officer to collect data and other communication material and package this information into regular reports for donors and project partners
• Work with Pact’s Results and Measurement team to develop tools and a learning agenda that generate data on program activities of sufficient quality and detail to synthesize and share best practices and models;
• Provide technical support to other Pact M2M projects around the world that could leverage practices and models implemented through this work.
• Maintain oversight of current research on relevant best practices as well as important local and international market dynamics, international norms, and politic-economic developments to incorporate such information into programming as necessary
• Participate in trainings and program management activities as required
• Participate in coordination meetings with current or new international development organization/partners, as needed
• Other duties as may be required

• Masters’ degree and 5-7 years of experience
• Proven experience in the coordination of projects with multiple stakeholders
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong sense of responsibility, personal initiative, and follow-through
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, multi-task environment
• Ability to work as part of a team and to coordinate across departments
• Ability to travel in remote areas
• Must be fluent in English and French
• Experience in supervising teams preferred
• Experience in communications or reporting preferred
• Experience in the Great Lakes Region preferred
• Understanding and/or experience in the artisanal mining sector in Africa and in responsible sourcing a plus