Posted: 06 July 2012 Deadline: 20 July 2012
Job type: Permanent Salary: unpaid
Location: Somalia
Organisation: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) – Denmark
Background
Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an independent, non-profit organization (NGO), founded on the basis of humanitarian principles, and human rights based approach, to secure the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to promoting long term solutions to the problems of forced displacement.
DRC has been working in Somalia since 1998 and implements advocacy, development and rehabilitation programmes in Somaliland, Puntland, South and Central Somalia. The strategic focus of the current Somalia/Somaliland programme is to facilitate, prepare and sustain return processes, with a focus on rural communities and districts.
Within its broader portfolio of projects, DRC implements the Community-Driven Recovery and Development (CDRD) project, and the Develop Informed and Accountable Local Governance through User Empowerment (DIALOGUE) project. Moreover, DRC is part of a consortium with IRC, CARE and UNICEF on an upcoming joint program on strengthening peace and governance in Somalia.
The Community-Driven Recovery and Development (CDRD) Project is a collaborative effort between EC, UNICEF, DFID, DRC, SIDA and Danida. The overall objective of the CDRD project is to strengthen local level governance and community-based organisations to meet community development needs. The specific objectives of the CDRD are:
a) To enable communities to freely exercise their right to decide on the design, implementation and evaluation of their own development programs (Community empowerment);
b) To develop and build the capacity of local government to be more responsive to community needs (Bottom-up governance);
c) To enable the delivery of sustainable and inclusive services and infrastructures (Socio and economic services).
The CDRD provides both demand and supply-driven training and technical assistance to existing institutions at community level, such as the Village Committees (which are sub-committees of the District Council) and ad-hoc community-based groups, to mobilize communities, develop plans at community level (or inform the District Development Framework -when this is in place), draft sub-project proposals and budgets, manage sub-projects, and maintain services and infrastructures created by the sub-projects.
In addition, the CDRD provides (a) two rounds of untied Block Grants, each round averaging USD 15,000 per community, to finance a sub-project proposal developed either out of the District Development Framework, or, alternatively, of the community plan (if the former is not in place), and (b) Social Services Access Grants (SAGs), a one-off conditional cash transfer scheme, provide a grant not exceeding USD 5,000 per community to financially support the poorest and most vulnerable members in the target communities in accessing certain social services.
CDRD works in close coordination with the UN Joint Program on Local Governance and Service Delivery (JPLG). CDRD has its focus at the community level, whereas JPLG has its focus at district level. CDRD usually precedes the work of the JPLG and helps creating an enabling environment for future JPLG intervention.
In some districts, CDRD is implemented jointly with the Community Safety Project of the Danish Demining Group (DDG), a specialized unit within the DRC.
The DIALOGUE project works in conjunction with the CDRD. The overall objective of the DIALOGUE project is to support the effective participation of non-government organizations at the local level in peace-building and good governance. The objectives of the Dialogue project are in common with objectives a) and b) of the CDRD project. The DIALOGUE project intends to reinforce the impact of the CDRD approach and, in particular, to complement the participatory approach of the CDRD with additional activities that are aimed to support the state building process and the reconciliation process in the target districts.
Purpose
The CDRD has established a project Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) comprising the Project Coordinator, an M&E Specialist, M&E Officer, an Engineer, an Engineer Assistant, an Engineer Trainer, a Community Development Trainer, a Management Information System (MIS) Officer and three MIS Assistants. The CDRD project has an Operations Manual that sets the procedures and roles and responsibilities of all parties involved (for more details please refer to the website at www.somcdrd.org).
The CDRD is implemented by the DRC Area Managers (AMs) with the support of national area coordinators. The latter supervise the CDRD field teams. The QAU provides recommendations to the AMs and carries out the monitoring of the CDRD.
The CDRD Coordinator will ensure that the CDRD project is implemented according to the provisions of the Operations Manual and the annual work plans. He/she will support the field teams with technical inputs, training and advice. He/she will coordinate with other project partners and stakeholders. He/she will act as DRC focal point for the technical unit of the upcoming joint program between CARE, DRC, IRC, and UNICEF.
The Coordinator of the CDRD project is a member of the DRC technical team. He/she will report to the Program Director. He/she will liaise with the CDRD Regional Advisor on Local Governance on all policy and technical aspects of CDRD.
Key Responsibilities
CDRD project
• Co-ordinate and work with relevant state-level government authorities, local government institutions, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and local communities in order to ensure the smooth execution of project activities.
• Develop project work plans jointly with CDRD project staff of both DRC and other partner agencies, and in consultation with CDRD stakeholders.
• Provide assistance to DRC staff responsible for project implementation to ensure that CDRD project is implemented in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Operations Manual and of the agreements between DRC and project donors.
• Provide assistance to DRC staff responsible for project implementation to ensure timely formulation and implementation of the Community Block Grants and Social Service Access Grants in support of the Community Action Plans (or their equivalent) based on participatory socio-economic assessments and community mobilization.
• Jointly with the QAU M&E specialist and the QAU Engineer carry out timely and sound appraisal of community subproject proposals and SAGs applications.
• Keep DRC senior management informed on progress and potential delays. Circulate monthly updates, as prepared by the QAU M&E specialist.
• Prepare with inputs from the QAU M&E specialist a comprehensive progress report every three months as well as a completion report at the end of the project and submit it to DRC senior management.
• Liaise with DRC financial controller to ensure that all expenditures related to the CDRD are properly recorded and maintained.
• Facilitate implementation of the communications and public information plan in coordination with CDRD partners.
• Participate in all project reviews and provide technical support in the project independent evaluation and audits.
Other initiatives and projects related to CDRD
• Manage pilot initiatives/projects that complement the CDRD project.
• Coordinate with DRC staff responsible for the implementation of the Dialogue project to ensure synergies between CDRD and DIALOGUE projects.
• Coordinate with the DDG staff of the Community Safety Project (CSP) to ensure joint implementation of CDRD and CSP activities.
• Provide inputs to the technical unit of the upcoming joint program between CARE, DRC, IRC, and UNICEF relative to the development of common procedures and joint workplans.
• Provide assistance to DRC staff responsible for the implementation of the upcoming joint program between CARE, DRC, IRC, and UNICEF to ensure that DRC implements in accordance with the common procedures and joint workplans.
Conditions
Availability: 15 August 2012
Duty station: Hargeisa, Somaliland, with frequent visits to CDRD project sites in other areas of Somalia
Contract: One year contract with possibility of extension. Salary and other terms are in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Field Recruited Expatriates recruited by the Horn of Africa (HOA) Regional Office in Nairobi.
General
Commitments: DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability committments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework (http://www.drc.dk/HAF.4265.0.html)
Qualifications
• Post-graduate degree in Social Studies, Management, Economics or equivalent.
• A minimum of 8 years of work experience in project formulation, coordination and/or management in complex environments.
• Direct operational experience and/or broad knowledge of themes relevant to conflict-affected or post-conflict countries, and specific experience in CDD or Local Governance interventions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as an integral part of multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural and multi-agency teams.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of government and civil society counterparts, and donor and UN partners.
• Self-motivated and able to work with a minimum of guidance.
• Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of Somalia language is an asset.
• Experience working in Somalia is a strong advantage.
Application and CV
Applicants should send a 1-page cover letter that clearly states how they are qualified, and why they are interested in the post, together with their CV (not longer than 4 pages) to: drcjobs@drchoa.org
Please indicate “CDRD Coordinator – Somalia” as the subject heading. The deadline for applications is July 20, 2012.
