RE-ADVERT: Resilience CLA & Capacity development specialist
Mercy Corps
Job Type
Full Time
Location
Baidoa
Description :
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Position Title: Resilience CLA & Capacity development specialist
Duty station: Baidoa (With Travels to Mogadishu)
Position Category: Full-time
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been present in Somalia since 2005, responding to emergency needs stemming from conflict and displacement, while continuing work to build more resilient, peaceful, and productive communities in Puntland, Somaliland, Banadir, South West State, Hirshabelle, Galmudug and Jubaland. Mercy Corps Somalia also collaborates with Mercy Corps teams and partners in neighbouring countries to implement multi-country and crossborder programs. Working with a diverse base of donors that includes the USAID/OFDA, GIZ, UNHCR, ECHO, WFP, SSF, EAC, LDS and other foundations and institutional donors, Mercy Corps empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. We work closely with the private sector, civil society and governance structures at local and national levels to facilitate change and ensure that opportunities are inclusive of all Somalis.
The international community has awoken to the reality that the traditional aid architecture is largely incapable of delivering solutions to today’s humanitarian crises and that new ways of working are required. Yet the “how” of action that will drive lasting results for peace and wellbeing in protracted crisis contexts like Somalia has remained largely elusive. The Baidoa Resilience Partnership, launched in 2018 by USAID, positioned USAID as thought leaders in this space, promoting resilience as a collective imperative that transcends traditional funding, program, and sector siloes to advance pragmatic solutions to the world’s most pernicious challenges.
Mercy Corps is seeking a Resilience CLA & Capacity Development Specialist for the Somalia Resilience Learning Activity (RLA), a two-year opportunity funded by USAID. As a largely autonomous component of a larger regional learning award lead by ACDI/VOCA, the Somalia RLA is designed to leverage USAID’s previous investments in the Baidoa Resilience Partnership to advance collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) across actors and funding streams for sustained reductions in humanitarian need. Through the Somalia RLA, Mercy Corps will work closely with USAID, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to collectively analyze what they do and how they do it, surfacing findings to enable the replication and amplification of promising practices within and beyond Baidoa, enhancing USAID and other donor’s return on investment in Somalia
General Position Summary
The candidate will lead the implementation of the RLA porgram CLA strategy, ensuring all partners and their staff understand the strategy and its work plan. S/he will be supporting capacity development of partners on CLA. S/he will be responsbile in desining & cooridnating partners forum in Biadoa, facilitating and cooridnating the resileicne learning agenda, co-designiing and leading a participatory analysis of the complex crisis system in Bay/Bakool. S/he will also be responsible for conducting regular field visits to partner sites to facilitate the identification and capture of promising practices and follow-up on CLA/SLI commitment, designing & conducting of targeted studies that will catalyze learning. Likewise, s/he will be documenting “light-touch” interventions that link to member partner actions and help demonstrate theoryto-practice for adaptive management, SLI, or other core principles of a resilience approach Essential Job Responsibilities
CLA strategy Implementation
Design/coordinate forums that can empower practitioners and other stakeholders to design, implement, and adapt strategies and programs based on shared learning and promising practices
Facilitate the co-creation of a shared vision and resilience-informed learning agenda among member partners
Co-design and lead a participatory analysis of the complex crisis system in Bay/Bakool, applying crisis analytics and risk/resilience assessment methods to advance a common understanding of factors and interactions underlying persistent humanitarian needs and the role of aid in this system, while building partner capacity in systems thinking and providing a foundation for resilience-informed CLA/SLI.
Lead the participatory development and management of the collective learning agenda with member partners
Conduct regular field visits to partner sites to facilitate the identification and capture of promising practices and follow-up on CLA/SLI commitments / provide support to adhere to commitments.
Identify opportunity and coordinate the design and execution of targeted studies that will catalyze learning but are outside the scope/budget of member partners.
Lead the identification, design, and execution of “light-touch” interventions that link to member partner actions and help demonstrate theory-to-practice for adaptive management, SLI, or other core principles of a resilience approach.
Lead capacity building of technical staff and partners in CLA strategies and implementation
Facilitate capacity building assessments of USAID implementing partners and stakeholders, and develop capacity development plans
Facilitate use of collaboration, adaptation, and learning tools by implementing partners
PROGRAM SUPPORT OPERATIONS
Ensure close communication with operational support structures to ensure efficient support for implementation of RLA CLA strategy.
Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTNERS
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Directly to the RLA Team leader/Manager and Indirectly to the Programs Director
Works Directly With: RLA team leader, ACDI/VOCCA, Resilience partners
Knowledge and Experience
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant academic area such as a social science discipline.
Minimum 5 years’ experience in program design/implementation, including significant experience in capacity building and facilitation, preferably in Somalia or similar context.
Thorough understanding of resilience approaches, CLA, and SLI; demonstrated “systems thinker” and handson experience in the application of above to relief and development projects.
Solid background in data analytics and research methods; demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking, management, communication, data and program results presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate and capture learning for adapting and improving; proven ability to synthesize and communicate complex topics effectively and inspire diverse groups towards consensus.
Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge through training, mentoring; experience in communications and advocacy.
Excellent communication skills in English and Somali.
Strong roots and networks in South West State and intimate understanding of the political economy.
Success Factors
A successful Resilience CLA & Capacity Development Specialist will have the capacity to coordinate participatory analysis of the complex crisis system, undertake multi-sectoral research, build and manage relationships with different stakeholders, and lead collaborative design processes. S/he takes initiative for coordinating and planning tasks and work plans and is equally comfortable and capable of working independently and as part of a team. The Resilience CLA & Capacity Development Specialist will have the ability to easily forge and maintain professional relationships with team members, communities and partners. S/he is deeply curious, with an appetite for learning and takes responsibility for keeping him/herself up-to-date on research and promising practices, and for engaging with key networks in the resilience field.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in (Baidoa )and it requires up to 5% travel to Mogadishu.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/STA to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
How to apply :
Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit online applications through