Head of Program
DRC
Job Type
Full Time
Location
Somalia
Description :
Organization: Danish Refugee Council
Country: Somalia
Closing date: 27 Apr 2017
BACKGROUND
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC seeks to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights in general and to promote long term solutions to the problems of forced displacement. The East Africa and Yemen region includes operations in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen and Uganda and is based on the displacement axis of Somalis, South Sudanese as well as mixed migration flows.
The Somalia programme is the largest programme in the region, with over 20 field bases, approximately 275 staff, a team of senior technical staff, and a broad portfolio of programmes. Programmes range from emergency response activities to longer term resilience activities. Currently DRC is implementing in sectors of WASH, shelter/NFI, protection, livelihoods, food security and cash in emergencies, household and community resilience, and community development programmes.
PURPOSE
The Head of Programs, reporting to the Country Director, will provide leadership and oversight of Danish Refugee Council’s programming across Somalia and support the CD in donor engagement, liaison and fundraising. The HoP will contribute to strategic planning and lead in management of all technical experts and the program leads in each region within the Somalia programme. The incumbent will oversee and coordinate programmatic issues related to quality and delivery with a focus on program sector integration and collaboration. The HoP is responsible for high quality and accountable programme design and delivery. In DRC, the HoP retains a high degree of autonomy, within a clearly defined regional strategic framework.
The HoP leads the development of new programming strategies and program reporting. He/she has a close working relationship with the DDG HoP, and the Operations Director (HOFA), and the Country Safety Coordinator, as part of the executive management team. The below list of responsibilities is not exhaustive but other tasks maybe required to adapt to programmatic needs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Management Responsibilities
a) As Head of Programmes, provides leadership in the design, delivery and quality of DRC Somalia programme.
b) Has the responsibility for managing and developing staff under her/his supervision and ensuring that the DRC values are incorporated in the leadership and upheld.
c) Serves as member of the SMT, including supporting the Country Director (CD) to lead the SMT toward the achievement of common goals, and, at times, serving as the Acting Country Director in the absence of the CD.
d) Works closely with the Head of Programme for DDG to ensure complementarity of action and enhance synergies between the program sectors as appropriate.
e) Supports the development of in-country expertise in each sector as well as supporting the agenda for capacity building of national staff.
f) Responsible for ensuring that the program is donor compliant and respects DRC accountability principles.
Fundraising and New programme development.
Assists with development of new Programmes and activities as required to respond to critical needs or for strategic development of programme.
a) Supports fund raising from traditional and new donors and especially DANIDA, WFP, OFDA/FFP, ECHO, UN agencies and other sources.
b) Supports opening of new strategic locations for program expansion.
c) Supports the CD in fundraising through Consortia approach.
d) Facilitates the technical teams to come up with a fundraising strategy for Somalia.
Programme Strategy:
To contribute to the Somalia programme strategy, within DRC’s overall country and regional and global strategic frameworks. Tasks include:
a) Ensures all staff understand the regional and global frameworks
b) In collaboration with RO, manages a consultative process for local strategy development, plays a leading role in annual programme portfolio analyses
c) In collaboration with the CD is responsible for fundraising and donor contract management
d) Responsible for the coordination of quarterly meetings, project kick off and closure meetings, and the Annual Review
e) Facilitates synergy between DRC and DDG program activities
f) Promotes development of sectoral strategies that contribute to programme strategy.
Programme Delivery:
To be responsible for delivering a high quality and accountable programme in Somalia. Tasks include:
a) Ensuring the local quality assurance systems are developed and followed,
b) Providing staff with direction and input and prioritize technical expertise according to programme needs,
c) Ensuring timely implementation and reporting,
d) Ensuring all Programmes have work plans which are in line with strategic priorities.
e) Consulting with AMs and advise them on timely implementation of programs.
Quality and Accountability:
To be responsible for achieving programme compliance with the organizational quality and accountability commitments. Tasks include:
a) With RO and Country programme, ensure that Programme Handbook is presented to all staff
b) lead process of developing and updating local HAF and Quality Management System (QMS)
c) enabling programme reach compliance with HAF/CHS and follow QMS,
d) ensure complaints handling mechanisms are in place for all Programmes,
e) promote accountability concepts and practices amongst humanitarian community
f) supervise and prioritize M&E and learning section activities to ensure effective quality monitoring and evaluation for DRC Somalia Programmes
g) Support program teams in ensuring learning across the programs and replication of best practices.
h) support to ensure that all programs are complying with standards and procedures in terms of HR and Administration; Safety; logistics, procurement and financial accountability
*Representation Coordination and Stakeholder management.**
To ensure that DRC maintains excellent and productive relations with all key stakeholders, especially beneficiaries, local authorities, the humanitarian community and donors. Tasks include:
a) Representing DRC at relevant and senior forums/ meetings such as donor meetings, fundraising forums, HCT, field donor meetings, consortium meetings
b) Ensuring other senior staff under your supervision are appropriately representing DRC at relevant forums/ meetings,
c) Maintaining agreed profile of DRC at country/ programme level,
d) Conducting regular stakeholder analyses to ensure that DRC has good understanding of dynamics/ relationships in Somalia,
e) Representing DRC Somalia in strategic forums on behalf of the CD,
f) Engaging in coordination processes amongst key stakeholders particularly national and regional authorities and donors for Somalia, g) Taking lead with specific donors based on gaps.
*Advocacy and communication.**
To lead the team’s advocacy in all DRC’s key and agreed messages across programmatic platforms. Tasks include:
a) With Country programme and RO, preparing a programme advocacy and communication strategy,
b) Guiding staff to advocate clearly, appropriately and strategically. Support the CD in the development and review of communication materials, including brochures, case studies as well as press releases.
Capacity Building
Ensure that staff are continuously developing their ability to fulfill their job descriptions as well as the organizational requirements. Tasks include:
a) with Country programme HoFA and RO, preparing a capacity building strategy and action plan
b) securing resources to enable capacity building
c) implementing a variety of capacity building techniques
d) ensure EPRP training is carried out in all program locations and updated annually
e) Review relevancy of requested training among the program staff.
ABOUT YOU
The desired candidate is expected to have senior level management experience and a demonstrable successful track record of strategic programme development, capacity building and effective programme implementation and monitoring. He or she must also be able to conceptualize and articulate DRC vision and have the strong oral and written communication skill required to translate the vision into tangible action. The incumbent is expected to have extensive donor, government and partner engagement experiences.
Experience and understanding of refugee and displacement issues is an advantage and ideally the candidate will have a good understanding of the region and/or from other similar protection situations
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’ five core competencies:
i. Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results in a fast paced environment
ii. Collaborating: You lead initiatives and processes by involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
iii. Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while setting high standards
iv. Communicating: You listen to other stakeholders and staff; and you communicate concisely and persuasively
v. Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values.
Technical competencies
- A Master’s degree in a relevant field
- Six years management experience, as head or senior member of humanitarian or development project.
- Good communicator and proven diplomacy with all types of stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to fundraise and build excellent relationship with current and potential donors
- Proven commitment to accountable practices and knowledgeable of quality assurance systems
- Hands on experience of managing staff in insecure locations
- Proven financial and human resource management skills
- Proven commitment to accountability and quality assurance.
- Excellent analytical and writing skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with national staff members and other stakeholders
- Experience of managing budgets and multiple donor contracts
- Knowledge of protection issues
- Fluent and articulate in spoken and written English
Preferable
- Experienced with conflict related displacement issues
- Experience of humanitarian advocacy
GENERAL
Commitments:
DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework into the work of DRC
Conditions
Availability: As Soon as possible
Duty station: Mogadishu with frequent travel to the other field locations. Accommodation provided, Mogadishu is a non-family duty station and the R&R cycle is every six weeks.
Reporting: This position reports to Country Director, and is line manager to Programme Managers and coordinators, including all technical program coordinators in the DRC programme, as well as the program leads in each region.
Contract: 1 year contract dependent on both funding and performance.
Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A9. For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff.
How to apply :
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.
We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.
Please forward the application and CV, in English through the online application on www.drc.dk under vacancies no later than 27th April 2017
If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk.
For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.