Grants Specialist

Scope of Work

USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment

Grants Specialist

The purpose of USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment is to catalyze and mobilize greater volumes of private capital into sectors that can increase employment, decrease poverty, and reduce inequality within the Southern Africa Region. USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment will use a market systems approach to accelerate investment and inclusive economic growth in Southern Africa. As a market facilitator, DAI will work with and through the private sector to identify investment opportunities and use de-risking (Component 1) to align incentives and mobilize capital while strengthening the skills, relationships, and sharing of information and knowledge on sources and flows to influence change in market behavior and dynamics across the investment ecosystems (Components 2, 3, and 4). 

1. Objectives of the assignment 

The Grants Specialist is a member of the partnership and grants team and is responsible for proficiently managing and administering a sizable and complex array of grants guided by the USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment work plan. The Grants Specialist administers the grantee selection process in full compliance with USAID and DAI rules and regulations, leads in the provision of technical and administrative support in building capacity of local sub ‐ grantees to effectively manage grants and oversees implementation of grant awards . S/he will be responsible for adherence to the project’s Field Operations Manual (FOM), USAID regulations, contract requirements and limitations, grant policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. The individual will need to proactively coordinate with all staff on planning and implementing grants through open communication, proactive task completion, and attention to detail.  

2. Tasks & Responsibilities

Partnership & Grants Planning and Implementation

1. Participates in work planning and activity planning to align the grants program with overall project activities.
2. Adds to the development of timeline and details required for any activities needing grants; conduct market search and price analysis in coordination with technical and procurement staff.
3. Coordinates with staff requesting grants to prepare Request for Concepts (RFC), Request for Applications (RFAs) or other Notices of Funding or collaborative design opportunities to solicit applications/concepts and assess the capacity and readiness of potential grantees.

Grants Due Diligence:

1. Work closely with program technical teams, grant colleagues and the Grants manager to identify grant concepts into implementable solutions (including solicitations) to further work plan objectives.
2. Support and participate in the evaluation and selection committee, without a vote, to ensure that policies and procedures are upheld as outlined in Mobilizing Investment’s approved Grants Manual and Field Operations Manual.
3. Assist in the process and development of calls for proposals and participate and take meeting notes and manage records in subsequent TEC review processes, co-design, kick offs and collaborative strategy meetings.
4. Assist and consult the technical teams during the co-design process in preparing a clear and comprehensive grant SOW/application with eligible grantees.
5. Analyze and evaluate grant applications, proposals and awards to ensure adherence to grants management policies. Conduct market research and detailed cost analysis of applicant’s budgets.   Maintain grant cost reasonability trackers for the grants department. 
6. Negotiate grant terms, specific conditions, standard provisions, and budgets with selected grantees.
7. Measure grantee financial and management capacity and propose capacity building plans for grantees.
8. Review and analyze budget estimates for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency for proposed activities in coordination with the proposed local partners. The Grants Specialist will ensure adherence to budget lines and that quantity and frequency/period of performance are in line with activity design. 
9. Review and assess the capacity of a prospective grantee to manage the type of grant considered, make recommendations to the technical teams and Grants Manager on the appropriate grant type and suggest special conditions.
10. Prepare grant agreements and amendments, explaining terms, conditions, roles, and responsibilities. Ensures that identified weaknesses in initial grantee assessments and related requirements are incorporated into the agreements explicitly/clearly with the required monitoring and actions on the part of the grantee.
11. Assist Grants Manager and Senior Grants Officer in preparing and submitting for USAID approval all approved applications packages. 
12. Draft grant agreements for signature by the Chief of Party or designee and ensure that all associated documentation has been completed by the relevant parties.
13. Maintain pre-award grant trackers and follow all record management policies as per Grant documentation.  

Grant Agreement Administration:

1. Maintain all required grants management documentation and ensure entry of grants information in DAI’s electronic management system (TAMIS and SharePoint) from solicitation to grant close-down.
2. Manage and consult with the technical teams to ensure deliverables are verified and approved.
3. Ensure compliance with all applicable USAID grants-under contract regulations, the approved Grants Manual, USAID regulations and DAI internal grants management procedures and forms.
4. Provide continuous assessments of grantee performance delivery against project objectives through regular review of grantee progress towards deliverables and milestones, escalate issues to Technical Leads and Grants Manager for troubleshooting.
5. Monitor the grant financials to ensure that grant expenditures are in accordance with the grant ceilings.  
6. Provide procedures and policy guidance and interpretation for grantees to ensure adherence to their grant agreement.
7. Process milestone payments, organizing and merging files for Mobilizing investment financial vouchers. Assist with file management and PDFing all required grant documentation for audit and payment vouchers.
8. Review all requests for payment or reimbursement for accuracy, compliance, and sufficient detail to ensure compliance with the grant agreement; submit requests for payment to the Finance department for payment.
9. Provide regular updates for staff on grant implementation. 
10. Maintain meticulous electronic grant records in the project management system(s) as per checklists, project record map and procedures. 
11. Work closely with the grantee, the technical teams, and the Grants Manager to ensure timely closeout, disposition, and final reports for grants.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

1. Support gathering feedback from grant recipients for monitoring, evaluation and learning purpose.
2. Conduct necessary data collection and provide required information and data to monitoring and evaluation department in required format.
3. As necessary, perform site visits to monitor Grantee’s Performance.
4. As needed conduct financial and programmatic audits of grantee during implementation. 

Reporting:

1. Ensures post award grant management in accordance with relevant regulations and generates reports of status of grant activities, such as forecasting payment, inventory, amendments, close outs, and sector specific data (i.e. monthly and quarterly reporting).
2. Assist the Grants Manager in preparing accurate and timely progress reports on a quarterly basis and contribute to the preparation of annual reports and any other ad hoc reports requested.
3. Oversee implementation of grant awards through the review of reports, correspondence, site visits, etc. 
4. Serve as the point of contact for all official communication dealing with grant recipient(s). 
5. Process all grant agreement modifications, suspension and termination actions and maintaining control the grant records in the grant program management systems. 
6. Keep respective activity records in DAI corporate systems (TAMIS, GMP).
7. Maintain with the Grants team grant trackers and internal price reasonableness analysis tools.  

Compliance

1. Responsible for providing training, guidance, and direction to project grants staff and other project departments (technical, MEL, Operations and Communications) on planning, implementation, and compliance of grant policies, procedures, responsibilities, and instructions. Enforces policies and procedures to prevent improprieties, intentional and unintentional.
2. Responsible, in part, for ensuring documentation requirements are met for Grants with various project departments i.e. technical, grants, procurement, MEL, communications and finance. 
3. Ensures all required documentation is uploaded in the grants database TAMIS, Grants Manager Plus and SharePoint.
4. Works with the procurement department to compete and purchase goods and services for in-kind grantees.
5. Supports the audit of grant files (physical, digital, TAMIS, GMP and SharePoint) no less than annually.
6. Works with grants team and TAMIS Administrator to customize Grant Module in TAMIS and/or GMP.
7. Troubleshoots grant related issues with the other grant staff. 
8. Mentors the other grant staff with guidance on Grant compliance and provide review of grant documents for grant staff. 
9. Support the technical, M&E and Communications teams in monitoring the work of grantees in agreement with USAID and DAI policies and regulations. 
10. Maintains with the Grants Manager and Senior Grants Officer in tracking at minimum the following: 1) number of funded activities and dollar amounts; 2) type of organization; 3) activity type; 4) cost-sharing; and 5) development impact among others. 
11. Other duties as assigned by the Grants Manager or Chief of Party that are consistent with the overall focus of the assignment.

3. Qualifications 

1. Bachelor’s degree in business or related field is required.
2. Grants experience, preferably with international donor-funded organization .  For a candidate with a master’s degree 6 years of professional work experience is required, for a candidate with a bachelor’s degree 8 years of relevant technical experience is required. 
3. Supervisory experience is a plus.
4. Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations strongly desired.
5. An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.
6. Ability to solve complex technical, managerial, or operational problems and evaluation options based on relevant information.
7. Strong communication skills (written and oral) in English are essential.
8. Legally entitled to work in South Africa.

Base of Operations and Reporting:

The Grants Specialist will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa and will report to the Grants Manager, USAID Mobilizing Investment project. The indicative start date is May 2024. The ideal candidate is an individual who is flexible, and able to work longer hours when the project demands. 

Applications

To apply, email your CV and supporting documents no later than Friday April 12, 2024, to to mi-recruitment@mobilizing-investment.com with the position name as a subject line.