Assistant Program Officer Responsibilities

Assistant program officer responsibilities and roles in an organization are a source of support to the senior program manager or program officer. The importance of an assistant program officer can be characterized by the fact that he is the second most important person in the development and implementation of various programs. Assistant officer is the one who can take decisions on behalf of the program officer as and when he is unavailable.

Assistant program officers are found in every organization. Some organizations may design and develop programs for social welfare, while others may do the same to enhance the organizational efficiency or increase revenues. While some organizations deploy various programs simultaneously, other organizations choose to work on a specific program.

An assistant program officer responsibilities vary from performing research, providing technical support, documentation of programs and processes; arranging materials, equipments, and other resources; communicating program objectives, supporting program activities, evaluating program effectiveness, etc.

The assistant program officer is responsible for maintaining an orderly flow of information and tasks. He has to report the activities of all the staff involved in the program to the program officer. If due to any reason the program officer is unavailable, the assistant officer takes the decision related to a program.

The description of assistant program officer responsibilities is provided in different categories below.

Program Planning, Development and Execution

• An assistant program officer helps in identifying the program requirements. He has to research and plan the a program model with the program officer.
• He helps in budgeting by providing estimated or accurate costs of material, labor and equipments for the program. He suggests cost cutting measures to save organizational expenses.
• He communicates and negotiates with different vendors and places orders for program requirements. Once the materials are delivered, he checks the quality of materials, stores it in the warehouse or office, and allocates the material as the program begins.
• He makes last minute arrangements if any contingencies occur while the program is executed.
• He helps in the documentation of the program and activities related to it such as purchasing or hiring materials, labor and/or equipments, program schedule, work flow, etc.

Program and Participants Evaluation

• The assistant program officer checks whether the program is executed as per the plan. He helps in solving any problems that are faced by the personnel involved in the program.
• He evaluates the effectiveness of the program and solicits feedback from the participants. He also monitors the behavior of the participants while the program is executed to see whether they are interested in the program or not.
• He reports the information so collected to the program officer for further evaluation.

Communicate with Clients or External Agencies

• If the program is developed for external agencies or clients, then the assistant program officer is asked to communicate with them to know if they are satisfied with the program or not.
• He prepares a report on the clients/agency's feedback and presents to the program manager.

Skills of an Assistant Program Officer

To work in this position, you should possess excellent organizational skills combined with an ability to lead a large number of people with ease. You should know how to use various computer applications for research and communication. Problem solving and multitasking skills are also mandatory for a person working in this position.

Becoming an Assistant Program Officer

An associate, bachelor's or master's degree in business, information technology, operations and/or event management will help you to get this job.

Career Scope for Assistant Program Officer

An assistant program officer working as a fulltime employee for an organization can earn an annual compensation of $60,000 on an average. Career progression comes with a promotion to the position of associate program officer with a hike in salary. In a matter of years, you can get promoted as an assistant program manager or program manager if you outperform consistently.

Assistant program officer responsibilities are necessary to ensure that any program initiated by an organization is executed successfully.