FSD Africa is a £30 million financial sector development programme or 'FSD’ based in Nairobi, created in 2012 and funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). FSD Africa aims to reduce poverty across sub-Saharan Africa by building financial markets that are efficient, robust and inclusive. The Assistant, R3lab & Regulatory Engagement role provides essential logistical, administrative, research, and tracking support necessary for the efficient delivery of the R3Lab regulatory and policy Programme.
Key Responsibilities and Role Requirements
1. Programme Implementation Support
Provide logistical and administrative support to the delivery of the R3Lab regulatory and policy Programme, ensuring the results articulated in project plans are achieved. Duties include:
- Ensure full understanding of the R3Lab regulatory and policy project and the required administrative support; work collaboratively with the team for successful delivery.
- Assist with the preparation of all documentation required for the onboarding process.
- Liaise between the project team and the procurement team in the development of Terms of Reference and partner selection criteria.
- Conduct KYC on partners, including Anti-Money Laundering and related business integrity checks.
- Respond to KYC requests from partners.
- Coordinate the scheduling, planning, and logistics of workshops, policy dialogues, and sandbox planning sessions with regulators and key stakeholders, ensuring effective participation and smooth delivery.
- Support the team in developing relationships with potential implementing partners (IPs); provide support to IPs as they navigate the onboarding process, including help with producing documentation to standard (if required).
- Liaise with key suppliers to ensure maintenance of good relationships and quality of service; liaise with the Legal & Contracts Manager as required to amend contracts and with the Finance team to ensure timely payment once delivery has been made.
- Provide support to the R3Lab regulatory and policy team in entering projects into the project management system, ensuring that key activities and project milestones are comprehensively entered; liaise with the Operations Manager to ensure the involvement of Shared Services is scheduled and coordinated.
- Conduct baseline safeguarding risk assessments for the project and ensuring completeness of information reviewed and proper record keeping.
- Assist in the preparation of high-quality materials, reports, presentations, and briefs for donors and internal stakeholders, ensuring timely and comprehensive documentation of project progress and achievements.
- Coordinate all logistics for site visits, stakeholder meetings, optimising resource allocation and participant experience.
- Monitor partner deliverables and reporting timelines, providing timely follow-up and technical support to ensure adherence to programme requirements.
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing events and learning sessions, and manage the dissemination of programme tools, updates, and best practices.
- Assist the team in preparing presentations, reports, and other key programme documents; as well as editing and formatting documents as requested in compliance with timelines.
- Ensure completion of the project approval process prior to signing of contracting documentation and release of funds to implementing partner. Support the team in entering records of project progress into the project management, results tracking and knowledge management systems.
- Assist team members in developing and maintaining good working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; serve as an information resource on status of project/products and respond effectively to queries from stakeholders.
- Support the documentation, quality assurance, and formatting of guidance materials, analytical reports, policy notes, and consultant deliverables to ensure clarity, consistency, and readiness for internal and external use.
2. Research and Analysis
Support in undertaking of research and development of relevant collateral required by the team to achieve the Project’s knowledge management objectives.
- Provide general research support by reading widely, keeping abreast of current events or news and sharing relevant information with the team.
- Assist in analysing data and preparing reports related to risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and resilience-building initiatives.
- Compile and synthesize information from various sources to support the team's decision-making processes.
- Support the maintenance of the R3Lab regulatory and policy project knowledge management database (in collaboration with the Development Impact team) and leverage data and information from the database for various operational and strategic objectives.
- Prepare presentations and documentation as well as other analytical pieces and collateral required for stakeholder engagements.
- Support the development of the programme impact report.
- Support the development of collateral required for project events such as concept notes, agenda, registration forms, etc.
3. Results Tracking and Impact Analysis
Ensure monitoring and evaluation of results is robust and relevant (e.g., through timely data collection and active maintenance of a results tracker).
- Maintain and regularly update trackers for regulatory engagements, sandbox milestones, and policy development progress across countries, providing timely status updates to the team.
- Ensure robust and relevant monitoring and evaluation of R3Lab regulatory and policy project results, including timely data collection and proactive maintenance of a results tracker.
- Support impact analysis of R3Lab regulatory and policy related activities, contributing to periodic pillar reports and external reporting requirements.
- Track periodic reports submitted by implementing partners, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and timely submission.
- Support the systematic tracking and analysis of key indicators of programme initiatives to inform programme improvement and impact measurement, sharing updates with the project team and relevant stakeholders.
- Support documentation and record-keeping for R3Lab regulatory and policy activities, including meeting minutes, project plans, and progress reports.
- Assist in the preparation of presentations and briefing materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting on R3Lab regulatory and policy activities, milestones, and outcomes.
4. Record Keeping
Take overall responsibility in maintenance of AFIYA R3Lab regulatory and policy records and SharePoint folder, storing data according to filing systems for physical and electronic information:
- Ensure that electronic records of all project documents are well organised and stored securely; providing support to the team in maintaining comprehensive records and organising electronic scanning where necessary.
- Manage the maintenance of the project’s paper-based record systems; ensuring that all documents required in a paper form for conformance with legal, regulatory, or contractual obligations are stored effectively for easy retrieval.
- Liaise with the communication team to maintain the pillar contact database; includes frequently scanning business cards from contacts and uploading into the master database.
- Maintain records of procurements by the team to ensure compliance with policies and procedures.
5. Communication & Social Media
Support the Manager, R3Lab regulatory engagement, policy and team in managing strategic relationships and rolling out the project communication and advocacy plan:
- Work with the project team in the development of written pieces and reports while taking the lead in the dissemination of these reports; ensuring that high standards of written English are maintained, and that content is adjusted to cater for the audience.
- Support the project team in drafting and disseminating communications to project stakeholders.
- Follow a content plan to develop materials; personally creating, and/or editing content provided by other staff, in line with the given message framework, especially supporting a strong social media presence.
- Create and schedule content releases, uploading pre-written pieces and supporting assets.
Qualifications and Education
- Minimum of Bachelor's degree with 1 year of experience or High Diploma with 2 years in Business Administration, Project Management, Economics, International Development, or a related field.
- Professional certification in Project Management or Programme Management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP) would be advantageous.
- Excellent skills in written and spoken English.
