VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT No. 2023 – 003
QUALITY ASSURANCE COORDINATOR
Peace Corps is an international autonomous agency of the US Government with operations in over 60 countries. It operates in Uganda by the invitation of the Government of Uganda. Peace Corps Uganda has memorandum of understanding with government ministries that outline broad areas of agreement of cooperation regarding the work of Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda. Volunteers are assigned to government and non-government agencies and organizations, community based organizations, universities, colleges and schools who partner to enable Volunteers to provide capacity building in Education, Health and Community Agribusiness. Peace Corps also aims to build cultural understanding between Americans and Ugandans.
Position Title: Quality Assurance Coordinator
Announcement date: Monday July 24, 2023
Closing date: Monday August 07, 2023, 4:45pm
Position type: Personal Services Contract
Supervised by: Country Director
Location: Peace Corps Uganda, Kampala
JOB DETAILS:
- Minimum Requirements:
At a minimum, the successful candidate’s CV must demonstrate the following:
- Education: A Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Business, Health or Management is required.
- Experience: At least Five years of professional work experience in records management, audit, compliance, project management / Volunteer management
- Strong background in data standardization, process facilitation and management (organizational development, tracking tasks and processes and ensuring accurate documentation)
- Experience effectively coordinating complex processes across multiple business units.
- Experience in planning and delivering training.
- Experience working with database management software.
- Professional oral and written English proficiency required.
- Advanced computer proficiency in MS Office: Windows, Excel, Word, Power point
- Demonstrated intercultural competence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility related skills and experience.
- Demonstrated ability to synthetize, interpret, and apply regulations.
- Versatility; ability to take initiative to resolve problems
- Detail-oriented and organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural team.
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Ability to pass a background check and maintain a security clearance.
- Must be legally able to work in Uganda.
- Ability and willingness to travel throughout Uganda.
- Ability to work on a regular Monday through Friday schedule with occasional evening and weekend hours when necessary.
- Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience implementing and improving quality assurance systems, including developing information management processes.
- Experience in a multinational NGO or similar organization
- Background
The U.S. Peace Corps is an agency of the United States Government, which sends American volunteer development workers to assist in capacity building and technical assistance activities in over 70 countries worldwide. It operates in Uganda by the invitation of the Government of Uganda and has a memorandum of understanding with government ministries that outline broad areas of agreement of cooperation regarding the work of Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda. Volunteers are assigned to government and non-governmental agencies and organizations, community based organizations, colleges and schools who in partnership enable Volunteers to provide capacity building in Education, Health; Agribusiness and Community Economic Development. Peace Corps also aims to build cultural understanding between Americans and Ugandans. Peace Corps Uganda is located at 48 Malcolm X Avenue, Kololo, and Kampala. Our Post office box number is 7007 Kampala, Uganda. Please see https://www.peacecorps.gov/uganda for more details about Peace Corps Uganda.
The work of a Peace Corps Personal Services Contractor (PSC) is not limited to the Statement of Work: active support of the Peace Corps mission is paramount to the job because contractors are representatives of Peace Corps in the country.
- Objective of the Position
The Quality Assurance Coordinator (QAC) will champion a culture of quality assurance (QA), continuous quality process improvement, and system simplification at Post. A key goal of quality assurance is to optimize systems and processes, and make it easier to accomplish Post priorities while ensuring compliance with Agency policies. In order to advance the quality assurance agenda, the QAC will take the lead on integrating a QA approach into relevant Post activities, serve as Records Liaison/Records Management point of contact, and also train up and support staff in QA related areas. The QAC will play a supportive role in the coordination of site management and site history documentation, ensuring that clear guidance and systems are in place to assist Post staff in adhering to high quality and complete site management planning, execution and documentation. The QAC will be responsible for the oversight of VIDA (Volunteer Information Database Application) at Post, providing trainings to Post staff on topics including site management and the latest VIDA updates. The QAC will also be responsible for tracking deadlines and completion status of all mandatory trainings for all Post staff, in addition to directly providing trainings when necessary. Similarly, the QAC will support Post through preparations for Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits and evaluations, along with presenting recurring findings to assist Post in proactively addressing common issues. The QAC will track OIG and Regional Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer (PCSSO) recommendations, and support staff in order to bring timely closure to any outstanding recommendations. The QAC will be a key resource in providing quality assurance and process simplification input to Post and the Agency.
Reference Materials
- Peace Corps Manual and associated referenced documents (Manual Section 270; Safety and Security Instructions (SSI) 401, 410, 415, 420, and 430;
- Medical Technical Guidelines (TG) 204, 385, 110) and other guidance published on the Peace Corps Intranet
- The Peace Corps/Uganda Staff Handbook
- Post Site Management Manual
- The Peace Corps/Uganda Volunteer Service Handbook (VSH).
- Tasks & Deliverables
Continuous Quality Improvement Process
Post champion for adopting a quality assurance and compliance culture.
- Designs and oversees a yearly compliance calendar for reoccurring tasks and deadlines at Post.
- Works with office/department heads to identify reoccurring tasks, trainings, Post policies, or periodic reviews and reports that are mandated by agency policy/procedure and are required to be tracked. Adds key deadlines to the compliance calendar, to assist all departments with compliance.
- Distributes compliance calendar or task reminders periodically to assist managers and staff in proactively meeting compliance related deadlines.
- Provides status updates to Country Director (CD) and supervisors on completed and outstanding tasks.
- Integrates a QA approach into relevant Post activities. (e.g. administration of annual performance improvement or compliance tools, such as the Administrative Management Control Survey (AMCS)).
- Reflects on current practices, identifies potential risks and areas for improvement, and works with relevant parties to document and implement.
- Works with Post leadership and Post Equity Council to identify opportunities for the integration of equity/ICDEIA into core business practices across operational units.
- Serves as the Records Management POC (Records Liaison) for Post.
- Coordinates distribution, completion, and return of annual File Plan to the Records Management Office.
- Advises Post on records management questions and issues.
- Collaborates with Senior Staff to ensure required documents are appropriately stored at Post (e.g. MOUs, other agreements etc.), and monitors to ensure expiration timeframes are known and tracked.
- Coordinates with Regional Quality Assurance Experts, PCSSOs, and Regional Security Advisors (RSAs), where applicable.
- Coordinates with Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) in informing and adopting compliance best practices.
- Other quality assurance related duties as assigned.
Site Management (including Site History Files)
Post champion for adopting a quality assurance approach for site management and promoting compliance with site management documentation.
- Serves as resource and technical expert on site management process and procedures and can assist Director of Programming and Training (DPT) (and other Post staff as applicable) in meeting site management requirements.
- In collaboration with DPT and other responsible staff, is responsible for training and mentoring staff in adhering to site management requirements.
- Under the DPT’s leadership, helps coordinate Post planning meetings regarding site ID and site visits to ensure all requirements from Site Management Guidance, including key Manual Sections, Safety and Security Instructions (SSIs), and Medical Technical Guidelines (TGs) are accounted for in the planning and implementation stages of site management (e.g.: Manual Section (MS) 270 – Volunteer/Trainee Safety and Security, SSI 401 Site History Files, SSI 410 Housing Standards and Inspection, etc.).
- Monitors compliance with required site management documentation in VIDA; advises staff on status and required actions.
- Supports DPT to ensure Post’s site management manual is aligned with current Regional Site Management Guidance.
- Coordinates with programming staff, Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs), and Safety and Security Manager (SSM) to ensure that site selection materials are fully completed and approved by the relevant parties with any appropriate programming, safety, security or health related considerations properly documented in VIDA.
- Conducts ongoing and routine quality checks on site management documentation (e.g. Housing Information, Community Information, Volunteer Request Form, Site Contact Form information) in VIDA to ensure alignment with policy and approval process and site history files.
- Provides supervisor and Post staff with periodic updates on site management and history file compliance, highlighting missing documents and/or data points for follow-up.
- Assists with occasional data entry as directed by supervisor in order to ensure compliance.
VIDA Point of Contact (POC)
Responsible for oversight of VIDA at Post, ensuring VIDA is used by all relevant staff throughout the Site Management, Volunteer Management, and Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Event Management processes.
- Serves as the principal Point of Contact for VIDA and liaises with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)/HQ VIDA Product Manager for relevant VIDA updates and troubleshooting of the VIDA system at Post.
- Serves as Post VIDA administrator with special permissions to edit data.
- In consultation with VIDA Product Manager at OCIO/HQ, trains relevant staff on VIDA capabilities and on-going enhancements.
- Works with responsible staff to conduct ongoing review of Volunteer and site data within VIDA, ensuring that information is accurate and complete as outlined in agency guidance. The QAC should not be the originator of data.
- Conducts ongoing and routine quality checks on key Volunteer information (e.g. phone numbers, e- mails, GPS coordinates, site visit information) to ensure alignment with policy.
- Ensures Post’s naming convention for site names and site geographic areas are followed consistently in VIDA.
- Works with appropriate staff to ensure there is documentation in VIDA of: a) adverse safety, security, health or programmatic concerns for sites that result in Peace Corps not placing a Volunteer, or b) other incidents or events that raise concerns for Volunteer safety and well-being.
- Works with SSM to ensure that EAP events are properly documented.
Tracking Mandatory Staff Trainings
- Tracks status of all mandatory staff trainings in collaboration with Senior Leadership.
- Provides periodic updates to supervisors on staff compliance with mandatory trainings.
- Coordinate with administrative staff to ensure that all staff (inc. part time, short term, and intermittent) are appropriately enrolled in mandatory training (e.g. staff are entered into a personnel tracking system).
- When staff are unable to complete on-line trainings, ensures that staff complete and appropriately record (e.g. in Learning Space) off-line trainings; may also facilitate off-line training sessions for staff.
OIG/PCSSO Recommendation Support and Follow-Up
- Tracks Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Regional Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer (PCSSO) recommendations for Post, along with other formal recommendations from other offices if appropriate.
- Provides periodic (monthly/quarterly) reports to CD, SSM, and other relevant Post staff on status of open recommendations.
- Supports Post leadership, as appropriate, to track work on addressing open OIG/PCSSO recommendations. Coordinates with other parties outside of Post as necessary, under direction of CD.
- Assists Post with organizing, collecting, and submitting documentation to support closure of OIG/PCSSO recommendations, as appropriate.
- Coordinates with Region, and as appropriate Office of Safety and Security (OSS) and OCCO, to discuss challenges related to addressing OIG/PCSSO recommendations, and to share best practices.
- Periodically presents OIG recurring recommendations to Post staff.
- Facilitates process improvement solutions to proactively address recurring recommendations, as appropriate.
- Supports Post preparations for OIG evaluations and audits.
- Supports Post during OIG visits, as appropriate.
Additional Responsibilities
- Performs other duties or assignments, when deemed necessary by the Country Director and/or DPT if applicable, for the successful implementation of Peace Corps program(s) and/or operations in Uganda.
- May also have Communications duties/responsibilities which are spread out amongst various positions including the Executive Assistant and other staff.
- May have duties regarding implementation and compliance of agency priorities and initiatives such as Intercultural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
COVID-19 and Other Flexibilities:
- If there is a time at post, due to the COVID-19 pandemic or for any other reason, when there are
limited or no Peace Corps Trainees and/or Volunteers (jointly referred to as “Volunteers”) at Peace Corps/Uganda, the PSC may be temporarily assigned during that period, as determined by the Peace Corps Country Director, to carry out additional duties and responsibilities in furtherance of the goals of the Peace Corps in order to enhance the ability of Peace Corps Volunteers to perform functions under the Peace Corps Act, including facilitating a safe environment in order for the successful return or increase of Volunteers.
- This temporary assignment may require the PSC to provide services and/or support beyond what is listed in their current Statement of Work (SOW). The services and/or support may take many forms, examples of which may include but are not limited to, training, providing administrative, technical, medical, and/or operational assistance, building on host country programs, etc. This temporary assignment also may require the PSC to provide these services and/or support to individuals/organizations other than those listed in their current SOW such as host country government, partner organization(s), community member(s), staff, and/or contractors.
- Work Requirements and Guidelines
- Interact effectively and appropriately with cultural differences and similarities by demonstrating cultural humility and self-awareness of one’s own cultural programming, effectively navigating intercultural situations, practicing perspective taking by seeking to understand the values, beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews of others.
- Engage with differences and similarities in a way that effectively and appropriately contributes to a culture of access and belonging by demonstrating awareness of systemic inequities and one’s own social identities and perspectives, seeking to understand others’ and one’s own experiences with dominant and marginalized identities, building relationships with a range of people from a variety of dominant and marginalized identities and navigating opportunities to foster equity and inclusion using a culturally effective and appropriate approach.
- Safety and Security
Addresses Volunteer safety and security by adhering to Peace Corps site development policies and procedures. Identifies and immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the SSM and the CD. Assists Program Managers to ensure that prospective sites meet established programmatic and safety/security criteria (e.g., safe housing, a clearly defined assignment with an organization that shows real interest in working with a Volunteer, etc.). Reviews and references site history files when evaluating potential sites and incorporates appropriate safety and security-related information into site history files. Monitors Volunteer compliance with Peace Corps policies, especially related to safety and security. Participates in the design and implementation of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Acts as duty officer, as needed. Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons, or articles.
- Roles and Responsibilities
- The QAC reports directly to the Country Director, unless delegated to the DPT; technical guidance on site management provided by the DPT.
- Logistics
- The Duty station is the main office that is located in Kololo, Kampala.
- For new, difficult, or unusual tasks, supervisors give directions on objectives and suggested Broad exercise of judgement within confines of job responsibilities.
- PSC has no authority to make commitments.
- Works closely with Program Managers, DPT, DMO, Training Manager, Country Director, and Peace Corps Trainees and Volunteers. Communicates at all levels as required by the job responsibilities.
- Level of Effort
- This position is full-time, and the candidate will be expected to carry out their duties during a 40 hour work week. Events may require occasional work in the evenings and on weekends and holidays. May carry a duty phone.
How to apply
Only Electronic Submissions will be accepted.
Please submit only Ms. Word formatted documents to include: a letter of interest (one page maximum), resume (three pages maximum), names and contact information for three references to ug-applications@peacecorps.gov.
Clearly indicate your name and the position applied for on the subject line of the cover email as well as on all the attachments: For example “Katungu Bonita_ Quality Assurance Coordinator”. Do not write any other words in the subject line of your mail. Submitted documents become the property of the Peace Corps and will not be returned.
Peace Corps Uganda provides equal opportunity, fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. ONLY candidates deemed to be qualified will be contacted.
