April 2019 – DRC Ethiopia

DRC Program MANAGER | Deputy Area Manager

WRITTEN TEST

There are 9 questions to this test, with sub-questions. Please read through the test
carefully before commencing. You will have 2.5 hours to answer all the questions.
Exams submitted after 2.5 hours will automatically be disqualified. All answers must
be typed and you must include your name in the file name. Each answer will be
graded based on accuracy, demonstration of technical knowledge, professionalism,
thoughtfulness and presentation. All questions should be answered in your own
words. Candidates will immediately be disqualified for any responses which are cut
and pasted or plagiarized.

As Program Manager, you will be responsible for contributing to the development and
implementation for a strategy for your area of operation. In the below:

1A. Briefly describe the process you would use to collect and analyze the input for the
area strategy.

1B. Next, describe 5 key issues or topics that you believe should be included in a
strategy document. (5 Points)

1C. Finally, explain how you might be able to use the document to guide your work.
(5 Points)

1A.
 Develop Terms of Reference;
 Form a team from various areas of specialty;
 Organize/hold kickoff meeting and facilitate meeting sessions;
 Prepare a draft document , and share the draft document for additional inputs;


1B.

Issue 1 – Context of the operational Country/Area;

Issue 2 – Government policy on the strategy document;
Issue 3 – Guidelines and procedures;
Issue 4 – Period the strategy document applicable/functional;
Issue 5 – Annexes

1C.
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- Orient the document to staff, and let the staff to adhere to the document;
- Refer the document at any time if there is a need, and amend the document
whenever needed since the document is a living document;

2.A. One responsibility of Program Manager- Deputy Area Manager is to develop and
update a comprehensive master budget for your area of operation. List what you
believe would be key headings or budget categories in the document. (5 Points)

2.B. How would you ensure that the cost estimates you include in the master budget
are accurate? (5 Points)

2.A.

2.B.

3. As the Program Manager- Deputy Area Manager, you will have budget holder
responsibility for several projects in your area of operation, in the absence of Area
Manager. Specifically, you will be required to support the finance department and
project staff in tracking their spending.

3.A. Explain how you would support your staff to track the spending of their budget
lines. What tool(s) or system(s) would you use? (5 Points)

3.B. The Head of Finance requests that you review costs which have been booked
to your budget lines and asks that you take note of any re-bookings that are
necessary. Briefly describe your understanding of the term “re-booking.” (5
Points)

3.A.

3.B.

4. The Program Manager- Deputy Area Manager is required to provide support and
 April 2019 – DRC Ethiopia

supervision to both program and support functions in their area of operation,

including the logistics and procurement department. Briefly explain the following
terms and their relationship to procurement processes. (10 Points)

Value for Money –

Procurement Threshold –

Derogation –

Transparency –

Asset –

5. Briefly explain what documentation you would need to review before authorizing a
payment. (5 Points)

6. The Head of Program notifies you of a new call for proposals and asks that your
office take the lead in developing the inputs for your area of operation. This will
require you to complete the associated narrative, log frame and budget inputs.
Explain the key steps you would take to develop the requested inputs. (10 Points)

7. In your opinion, what are the advantages of conducting evaluations of your

activities or projects? Explain a potential output of an evaluation and how this could
be used by your field office. (10 Points)
 April 2019 – DRC Ethiopia

Advantages of conducting evaluations:

 To learn lessons to improve future project planning and strategy development;
 To improve program implementation;
 To inform and improve future programs/inform future programming;
 For accountability purposes;
 For advocacy

Potential output of an evaluation:

 An evaluation document that includes lessons learned, feedback,
recommendations;


8. A responsibility of the Program Manager- Deputy Area Manager will be to review,

edit and provide feedback to inputs from staff for internal and donor reports, in
collaboration with Area Manager and Country Office Program Team.

8.A. Use track changes to edit and format the below inputs provided by one of
your staff. The quality of your revisions and formatting should reflect
those which you would submit to a donor. (10 Points)

8.B. Add comments to points, which you believe are unclear or need further
revision. (5 Points)

Objective #1: Contribute to the creation of a favorable protection

environment in all refugee camps in Upper Nile State
Objective Indicator 1.1: 80% of individual protection cases resolved and/or
referred for remedial services

Community Participation:
During the first quarter of project, the identification of survivors ongoing the 136
SGBV focal points in Yusuf Batil and Doro camps referrals form. Follow-up and
response is on-going for survivors who have consented to medical, mental health,
safety and legal referrals. Protection and SGBV teams ensure participatory approach
conflict resolution and mediation, involve community leaders and the newly formed
protection networks, which gather host and refugee community members, co-lead
participatory assessment exercises in Doro and Batil camps to not only ensure that
the persons of concerns’ views are in planning but also engage mapping persons
 April 2019 – DRC Ethiopia

with specific needs.

Multi-Sectoral Collaboration:
While 85 of SGBV cases referred by SGBV focal points, 15 of referred by medical, mental health and
legal service providers. SGBV actors working in Doro and Yusuf Batil camps with the of bi-weekly case
management meetings. The bi-weekly meeting reinforce collaboration and SGBV, protection, child
protection and medical services partners’ confidentiality. DRC’s protection staff attend camp-level
coordination meetings with protection partners on a weekly and bi-weekly basis to ensure immediate
follow-up.

For persons of concern in need of protection, PSN individual protection assistance, assessment and
referral forms have been developed and are used to ensure all assistance clearly document to ensure
proper needs assessment and self-reliance of persons of concern.

Recruitment Database and M&E is the standard operating procedures (SOPs) on individual case
management, regular update the protection and SGBV database and monitor quality of activities

9. Describe the first step you would take in response to a staff member under your
management who is not performing according to your expectations. After you
have taken the initial step, how would you follow up? (10 Points)

 Identify the problem (Identify the causes for underperformance (Ability, Motivation, work
environment, family issue, etc.)
 Assess and analyze the problem;
 Meet with the employee to discuss;

How would you follow-up?

The employee and me to devise a joint solution, and monitor the performance of the employee.