Location: Yemen, Aden and Mokha, with frequent travel to field locations in the target areas on the West Coast (Red Sea)
About Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)
Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) renders humanitarian aid worldwide, and currently works in 37 countries. DKH supports people who are affected by natural disasters, war, and displacement and who are not able to cope on their own in the emergency situation they find themselves in. The work is guided by the Humanitarian Principles and the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS). It is DKH's approach to work through a global network of partner organizations.
DKH is part of the Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V. (EWDE), an umbrella-organization with a nationwide established Social Service Agency, one of the biggest welfare institutions in Germany.
DKH is not directly implementing humanitarian projects in Yemen, but rather ensures that the local partner organizations have the administrative and technical capacities to respond according to highest quality standards possible. DKH needs to ensure that the response is meeting expectations in all relevant aspects, that DKH can fully rely on the partner organizations, and an added value becomes visible through the own presence on the ground.
The BMZ Program Coordinator plays a key role in providing technical and other backstopping support to the partner organizations. It is a continuous effort to increase and further strengthen relations with the local partner organizations and building their capacities.
Purpose and tasks of deployment
The purpose of the deployment is to lead an innovative transitional aid program, that seeks to introduce new approaches to strengthen existing livelihoods in Yemen, in the fields of fish cage farming and fuel-efficient cooking solutions.
Main Job Responsibilities
Program & Quality
- Ensure the program is implemented according to narrative proposal, logical framework, workplan and budget in coordination with relevant staff (eg. project officers, MEAL coordinators, CVA coordinator, finance staff)
- Support and supervise day-to-day program implementation, including staff management, revisions to project design, work- plans, activities and planning, budgets, and recruitment of project staff
- Prepare all necessary ToRs for consultants/expert support, and oversee its announcement/circulation, selection and contracting (coordinate with relevant support staff)
- Oversee all technical studies (including hatchery set-up, feed processing plant set-up, fish cage farm design, fuel-efficient cooking solutions, solar dryers, in addition to relevant training manuals)
- Oversee research studies and indicator measurement (gender study, labour market study, market study on dried produce, baseline and end line, etc)
- Provide consultants all required support and ensure (partner) coordination on the ground to facilitate their successful completion and ensure deliverables are met in a timely fashion
- Lead kick-off workshops with partners and conduct quarterly reviews with partners on progress and lessons learned
- Instill an innovative approach in program implementation among DKH and partner staff, including a strong focus on learning, openness to report failure, and adaptation/reiterations. Documenting changes for learning.
- Ensure awareness and adherence to humanitarian quality standards and donor compliance. Including effective, transparent, and responsive compliance mechanisms
- Guide on the development of a proper exit/handover strategy process
Coordination and Representation
- Work closely with the respective project managers at the Partner Organization (PO) to ensure that they are planning and implementing in coordination with national and international/ UN coordination bodies, and projects are included/ reported in the UN-system
- Represent DKH with other national and international actors including the German Embassy / BMZ and media
- Strengthen relations with both partner organizations and identify Capacity Building needs at the partner in relation to the BMZ-funded intervention
- Create and maintain systems to ensure efficient and transparent capture of program data for management decision-making and timely and informative internal and external reporting
- If required, develop further effective and transparent remote management tools
- In collaboration with MEAL coordinator
(In the target area)
- Work with formal and informal governance structures and representatives, maintain and develop relevant and productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in the target area
- Ensure provision of communication material (photos, videos, human touch stories etc.) for HO communication department
- Handle media/PR tasks as well as visits of delegations in close collaboration with HO
- Ensure that DKH maintains a high degree of risk awareness and impartiality
Monitoring and Reporting
- Conduct frequent support and monitoring visits to the program sites
- Monitor all PDMs conducted by partners and review PDM reports and analysis (in collaboration with MEAL coordinator)
- Monitor the program implementation environment, including security, political, development and personnel issues that may affect implementation of the program, and provide updates to line management/Head Office (HO) in a timely manner
- Engage program leadership in ongoing context analysis that enables programs and teams to adapt to significant changes in the geopolitical/conflict environment
- Identify and report any difficulty or possible change in program strategies, objectives, results or activities to line management and HO in a timely manner, and recommend feasible corrective actions
- Provide situational analysis as and when needed
- Ensure (partner) narrative and financial reports are prepared in accordance with the requirements and regulations of DKH and BMZ. Track reporting schedules and ensure timely submission
- Ensure that all reporting or other requirements towards the Yemeni Authorities, in relation to the BMZ program, are being met
- Provide a Monthly Progress Report to line management
- Ensure that third-party monitoring and program evaluations are planned and executed (including preparation of Terms of Reference) in due time and review of respective evaluation and monitoring reports
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- DKH team members are expected to support all efforts for increased accountability towards the beneficiaries while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.
Finance & Compliance Management
(In cooperation with Finance and Admin Manager)
- Maintain oversight of partner and overall program budget ensuring appropriate allocation of resources to meet program objectives
- Ensure the administrative and other preparatory work for the planning and implementation of project components is completed. Including procurement procedures, documentation, financial and work planning of partners
- Support monitoring or compliance and accountability by PO´s of all controls with the requirements and regulations of BMZ, DKH Yemen policies and procedures, the local laws and the Internationally Recognized Accounting Principles
- Close follow-up so that audit processes are initiated timely and reported to the necessary parties including HO
- Support drafting of any required of MoUs and contracts
- Carry out budget control in close cooperation with relevant colleagues from finance department
- Support the preparation of financial forecast jointly with the financial department and relevant project manager.
- Manage and monitor the procurement process in coordination with responsible program and support staff
Human Resources & Team Building
- Establish constructive relations across teams (between DKH and two partners, and between the partners)
- Maintain team dynamics that enable DKH to achieve its goals and objectives, and create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect, including towards the partners, where team members strive to achieve excellence
- Support the partners and their respective teams in the implementation of the program activities
- Guide the team so that each staff member can fulfill the tasks of his/her specific job description in order to meet desired quality and standards within approved timelines and budgets
- Ensure preparation of job descriptions, recruitment of personnel, supervision, disciplinary measures and performance reviews (2 project officers)
- Lead in the ToR development and contracting of (international) consultants to support partners in key elements of the program. Involve relevant partner staff in the process
- Coordinate for their travel and visas, (security) briefings, accompaniment, introduction with partners, assignment, and deliverables
- Ensure that DKH’s core values and standards are understood throughout the team, and strategies and policies are guiding the daily work.
Health, Safety and Security
(In cooperation with Logistics and Security Manager)
- Ensure program team commitment to health, safety, and security regulations
- Make or endorse decisions on travel of BMZ program staff, movement restrictions, hibernation, and other mitigation measures
- Contribute to the constant monitoring and analysis of the security situation in the target areas and brief program staff accordingly (in addition to partner staff as appropriate)
Strategic Guidance & Leadership
- Operate as Acting Country Representative upon delegation during his absence
- Contribute to the development of DKH Yemen strategy 2022-2026 within the framework of DKH Global strategy, HRP and partner strategies
- Lead assessment and exploratory missions in the target areas in case of sudden displacements or other acute emergencies
- Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation in Yemen
- Support a coherent and active humanitarian principle-focused communication and advocacy strategy including a joint definition of red lines.
Qualification and experience:
Required
- University master’s degree in a related field, in lieu of a master´s degree, additional years of relevant experience may be considered
- 5 to 7 years of senior-level program management experience in large and complex humanitarian operations is required, including in the Middle East and/or insecure environments
- Experience in working with local partner organizations based on equal partnership principle and in providing them technical and other backstopping support
- Proactively working with excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to work under high pressure, in a highly volatile context with strict security measures, and motivated by constant program adaptation to an evolving context
- Good understanding of humanitarian principles and other key principles of international NGOs including accountability, impartiality, neutrality, independence
- Excellent coaching and mentoring skills, ability to listen, to organize and to present information, views, and concepts in a concise, understandable, and interesting way for a variety of audiences, both written and oral
- Team player with outstanding personal attitude: especially sense of responsibility, diplomacy, concern for quality, result orientation
- Outstanding personal values: integrity, commitment, respect for diversity, patience, and sense of humour
- Excellent English oral and (report) writing skills
Highly valued
- Proven experience in guiding transition from relief to early-recovery is highly valued
- Proven prior experience with BMZ funding
- Proven experience in fish cage farming (hatchery, fish feed production, open-sea cage farms) and/or fuel-efficient cooking solutions and solar drying is highly valued.
- In lieu of experience a keen/proven interest and strong capacity to learn (from expert consultants) on the technicalities of this topic is a must
- Demonstrated experience in representation and working effectively and respectfully with host country government and other stakeholders in complex environments
- Experience in communicating in a professional way with donors and other stakeholders in a politically and culturally sensitive environment
- Strong participatory leadership with the ability of solving complex issues collegially, defining a clear way forward, and utilizing best practices in management to ensure shared success
- Proficiency in Arabic and/or German is strong asset
The remuneration follows internationally accepted standards. The consultancy contract is for three years (minimum commitment of 18 months), starting date, if possible, 01 January 2021.
Contact: Kindly send your application and CV by email to the HR Officer at Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe head office in Berlin: jobs@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de
Further questions regarding the assignment kindly address to loek.peeters@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.org