Programme Officer, COAST

This position is only open to Filipino nationals. The successful candidate will be required to work from the COAST Philippines office in Manila.

Programme Officer – Job Description

The Programme Officer will provide additional processing capacity to the Country Grants Manager (CGM), the Technical Assistance Facility Manager (TAFM) and the Finance and Operations Manager (FOM) to enable smooth and speedy processing of applications, particularly in the field of Due Diligence (DD), vetting and updating the TA roster and assisting in procurement and payment processes.

Responsibilities

• Assist the CGM and TAFM with Due Diligence for grant applicants and TA providers
• Review grant applicants’ reporting or milestones relevant to the DD milestones agreed
• Assist TAFM with updating and vetting the TA roster
• Assist the TAF Manager in managing the TA applications, contracting, monitoring of milestones (through Flexigrants)
• Assist the FOM with procurement and payment processes

The Programme Officer will work closely with the CGM, TAFM and FOM to smoothly process a high volume of applications to facilitate speedy grant making and TA contract issuance as well as processing of payments upon completion of milestones.

The Programme Officer is a full-time role based in the Country Team Office and will be line managed by the COAST Facility Philippines FOM.

Roles and Responsibilities

Applicant Due Diligence and Vetting

• Coordinate the Due Diligence process for grant applicants, requesting and reviewing documentation submitted to demonstrate their suitability and ability to manage COAST funding
• Assess applicants’ documentation against DAI’s Grants/Management Capacity Assessment Tool (G/MCAT) to provide a score that will determine their suitability for funding
• Work with CGM to devise appropriate milestones based on the gaps identified by the DD process
• Work with TAFM to update and vet the TA roster
• Assist the TAFM to prepare/draft, seek inputs from COAST team members and finalise the TA concept notes for vetting with TA recipients
• Coordinate with grant and TA applicants to arrange meetings and prepare agendas

Grantee and TA Mobilisation

• Communicate with grant applicants and TA providers and keep Grant Agreement or TA Contract signing on track

Grantee and TA Contract Management

• Review quarterly/milestone reports submitted by grantees and TA providers and flag any implementation issues to GCM or TAFM accordingly
• Monitoring compliance of Grantees or TA providers in accordance with the Grant Agreement or TA Contract and operations in accordance with the guidelines

Procurement and Payment Processing

• Assist the FOM with procurement processes for TA and grant delivery and other office operations requirements
• Assist the FOM with the review of invoices and the corresponding source documents in order to facilitate timely processing of payments and ensuring integrity, accuracy and completeness of backup documents
• Process disbursements of travel advances, advance liquidations and reimbursements
• Assist the FOM in recording the financial transactions of the programme
• Coordinates with the FOM to ensure monthly remittances are correctly encoded to agencies’ online systems, reconciled and are being paid on a timely manner

Qualifications

• A college graduate in the following fields: management, social sciences, or other relevant-related courses
• At least 5-7 years' experience in development work particularly in coastal and marine sector
• Familiar with processes in grant-making, contracting and accounting
• Ability to work with a team and partners in a fast-paced work environment
• Familiarity with the compliance requirements of international donors (e.g., UK International Development, EU, USAID) is an advantage

Place of Assignment

• Metro Manila with a possibility to travel to project sites

Suggested Pay range

• c£1,000 GBP Per month

Suggested Contract Duration

• Project employment contract initially until March 31, 2026

Background to COAST

COAST is a key part of the UK government’s Blue Planet Fund. Blue Planet Fund (BPF) launched in 2021. There are 4 components under COAST:

• Component A: Technical assistance, grants, demand-led assistance (delivered by DAI)
• Component B: BlueTech Innovation Super Highway (delivered by WorldFish)
• Component C: Blue Carbon Action Partnership (delivered by WEF)
• Component D: MEL (delivered by ITAD)

DAI is the lead supplier for Component A and this Terms of Reference is for Component A only.

The Priority Countries for COAST Component A (known as the COAST Facility) are Mozambique, the Philippines, Indonesia and Viet Nam. The COAST Facility includes 3 sub-components (SCs):

• SC1: strengthening planning and policy in priority countries through the design and delivery of Technical Assistance (TA) packages; including TA to support national and sub-national capacities in coastal and marine management, data collection, evidence generation in decision making; analysis and capacity building; support the integration of ocean / climate objectives into non-ocean and climate sectors policies and plans; could include political economy analysis, security and sensitivity analysis for priority countries
• SC2 - inclusive coastal stewardship and livelihoods in priority countries through the provision of grant funding: including for capacity building, local level action on COAST priority themes and geographies; prioritising integrated approaches, local led community governance, stewardship and sustainable use of resources;
• SC3 - responsive coastal management and governance support through the design and delivery of Technical Assistance (TA) packages: that provide support to UK posts in ODA eligible countries; This could include support and analysis to help integrate coastal/ climate / ocean issues into other sectors policy and plans plus TA support to COAST themes and priorities.

DAI’s vision for COAST:

Human activities such as harmful fishing practices, coastal habitat conversion, and pollution directly contribute to biodiversity loss and degradation of ocean and coastal ecosystems and ecosystem services. This degradation amplifies coastal populations’ vulnerability, particularly in developing countries already burdened by high poverty, and frequently dependent on fragile ocean and coastal livelihoods such as artisanal fisheries and aquaculture. While the ocean is the primary source of animal protein for billions, climate change raises the stakes and compounds the problems as coastal areas are increasingly exposed to sea level rise, intense storms, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification, posing existential threats to both marine life and human communities.

DAI recognises the need to address these challenges holistically, integrating targeted interventions to improve both environmental and social systems. Our vision for the COAST Facility is “to revolutionise coastal and marine ecosystem management through a pioneering approach that uniquely combines local community empowerment with national reform and global advocacy.”

We propose an integrated methodology founded on five core delivery principles to direct our delivery approach. These principles are appropriate for addressing coastal and ocean challenges effectively; ensuring flexible and innovative solutions; the ability to deliver, manage and maximise impact; and ensure a high standard of programme and activity management tailored to the complexity of COAST. They are a holistic approach, community-centred solutions, collaborative partnerships, legacy and sustainability, and learning and adaptation.

The COAST Facility team consists of a central Project Management Unit (PMU) and country teams in each priority country. DAI’s COAST consortia partners are Blue Green Advisors, DevLearn, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Wildlife Conservation Society.