REACH DEPUTY COUNTRY COORDINATOR – KEN/SOM LOCATION: MOGADISHU

Position: Deputy Country Coordinator

Department: REACH

Location: Mogadishu, Somalia – with possible field visits

Contract Duration: 31st December 2023

Direct Hierarchy: REACH Country Coordinator

Starting date: May 2023

Background on ACTED

Created in 1993, ACTED is an international non-governmental organization pursuing a dual mandate of emergency response and development interventions in 40 of some of the world’s most vulnerable countries affected by conflicts, disasters, or socio-economic hardship. With a team of 7,000 national staff and 400 international staff, ACTED implements 500 projects a year to support more than 20 million beneficiaries, notably in hard-to-reach areas.

ACTED goes to the last mile through programs and approaches that look beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihood reconstruction and sustainable development. Guided by the motto “Think Local, Act Global” and its 3Zero –Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty – strategy, ACTED puts local territories at the centre and provides a tailored support to local needs.

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two INGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction, and development contexts, supporting, and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

COUNTRY PROFILE

REACH has been operating in Somalia since 2012 and has multiple research cycles including two large-scale national assessments (Joint Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment and Detailed Site Assessment) as well as several other smaller assessments all aimed at providing intersectoral analysis of the response. In addition, there is a cash and markets team, which provide third party monitoring to the largest cash consortium in Somalia and Joint Market monitoring for the Shelter, NFI and WASH clusters.

REACH is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced, and committed team player to fill the positionDeputy Country Coordinator in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Position Profile:

Under the management of the Country Coordinator in Nairobi, the Deputy Country Coordinator is responsible for representing, managing, and developing REACHs programs in Kenya and Somalia. He/she leads the REACH team to achieve program excellence and ensure the highest level of impact and accountability, while ensuring compliance to all guidelines, policies, and standards across the mission. The DCC, with the support of the CC, is in contact with HQ, ensuring that organizational risks are promptly and clearly communicated to the ED, the Director of Country Programs and Operations, and other relevant HQ Senior Management. She/he will promote organizational vision and core values across the mission and will actively link with HQ to contribute to the implementation of global strategies.

The Deputy Country Coordinator will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide by ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations, and, in coordination with ACTED, will ensure that all IMPACT staff abide by them.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy development & implementation

• Context analysis: Ensure an up-to-date understanding of the aid/humanitarian situation, the impact of a crisis and the aid/humanitarian planning, coordination, and response mechanisms, as well as key aid/humanitarian stakeholders in Kenya and Somalia.
• Support the CC in the development of a detailed regional strategy (specifically the strategic objectives related to Kenya and Somalia). Oversee the implementation of this regional strategy and take a lead role in identifying strategic opportunities for strengthening our work.

FUNDRAISING

• In close coordination with the Regional Programme Development & Grants Officer, the different Research Managers, IMPACT HQ and in consultation with ACTED country teams, approach donors to identify funding to support programs (including, as relevant, REACH, PANDA and, with ACTED, AGORA).
• Oversee project proposal conceptualization (problem statement, log frame, budget/contract design within the framework of the country, regional and global strategy, review with ACTED and/or other relevant country partners as relevant and submit proposal to HQ Grant Management Unit for validation.

programme planning and implementation

• Ensure that all programs are aligned with global and country strategies, are conducted in coordination with and, when relevant, undergo the validation by HQ, and are planned in line with relevant project objectives and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines/standards.
• Supervise all stages of program implementation, any progress, and delays, receiving regular updates from team members providing inputs when required.
• Maintain regular link with (as relevant) to facilitate the provision of logistic, administrative and security support to facilitate program implementation, as well as ensuring that teams comply to ACTED’s security and other relevant FLAT regulations during program implementation.

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Process

• Ensure the application of the M&E framework for each program, in line with M&E guidelines.
• Ensure learning and knowledge is shared across units and country programmes.

Project Cycle Management

• Grant Management: Monitor output achievement and ensure a timely completion of projects. Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements.
• Finance Management: Ensure accurate budget expenditure tracking, cash burn rates and forecasting to anticipate financial risks and avoid under/overspending in close coordination with the Finance Officer, the Country Coordinator, (Senior) PD and Grants officer and (as relevant) with the IMPACT Finance Control Unit and ACTED PD and finance departments.
• Assets and IT Management: Ensure proper asset management in collaboration with the Senior FLATs Officer and ACTED logistics and IT departments.

Team Management and Leadership

• Leadership: Provides leadership across the mission, as well as within the Regional Senior Management Team.
• Staff Management: Ensure that all staff understand and can perform their roles and responsibilities. Ensure that all staff have clear and regularly updated TORs, workplans and Key Performance Indicators against which their performance will be appraised. Promote team building, productivity, and staff welfare. Mentor and support the team to build capacities, and improve efficiency and performance, and follow career management of international and national staff working in programs.
• Unit Model: In close collaboration with the Regional Country Coordinator ensure, organizational units are established within overall mission and regional set-up. Ensure all staff within a given a unit is provided clarity on their roles and responsibilities.
• Administration and HR management: Ensure timely recruitment of staff working in programs (in coordination with ACTED where relevant) and contribute to international staff recruitment upon HQ identification; proactively adapt the staffing structure to needs and funding. Ensure timely attendance sheets, leave plans, as well as exit forms for departing staff.

Internal Coordination and Communication

• Internal communication: Facilitate internal communication within the team and information sharing for a positive working environment. Contribute to the regional Monthly Coordination Report. Ensure that any risk to programming, projects or staff is as soon as possible communicated to and understood by Country Coordinator and relevant HQ head of departments.
• Coordination with ACTED: Regularly coordinate with ACTED’s Country Director and the Somalia Area Coordinator through weekly meetings. Ensure regular coordination with ACTED’s Project Development, Finance, and other FLAT departments at all stages of project development and implementation, including donor discussions, participation in project kick off and lessons learnt meetings, joint drafting of monthly internal updates (BFU, RFUs, allocation tables, etc), and drafting of donor reports or amendment requests. Ensure compliance of all staff to ACTED FLAT, HR and security procedures.

External Engagement

• Establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with coordination and aid decision-making forums (clusters, sectors, working groups, NGO forum, HCT, etc), UN agencies, donors, NGOs, consortia, academia, etc. Ensure programs are well understood by key aid stakeholders and that potential partnership options have been explored when relevant. This responsibility will be vital in Mogadishu where the majority of the Somalia Aid Coordination is centralized.
• Capitalize and strengthen relationships with key global partners at country level; ensure any issues that may impact on global partnerships are communicated to and understood by directors.

Dissemination of Products and external communication

• Support the Research Managers and Assessment Officers in the dissemination of research/program products/outputs, including through in country presentations, website articles, journal articles, social media contents, targeted e-mails, meetings, etc, in line with Dissemination and External Communication guidelines.
• Support HQ in global-level dissemination related to the country mission, including through provision of updated information for website and social media, organization/attendance to HQ level events, briefings, and panel discussions.

Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

• The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every staff member.

Data confidentiality and Data Protection

• The IMPACT DCC will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data collected during his/her assignment.

Qualifications/Technical Skills Required:

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar)
• Management experience Previous experience in a senior management role in an INGO at field level. Proven track record in successful management of international and national teams in humanitarian contexts
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system, and the research community.
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to high level presentations/briefings.
• Years of work experience At least 5 years of relevant working experience or proven progression within IMPACT
• Research skills: Excellent research and analytical skills an asset. Experience in assessments. M&E, field research, evaluations an asset.
• Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles in complex environment.
• Level of independence A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently.
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility.
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in the HoA region is desirable.
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Somali an asset.
• Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment