Location: Aden Yemen, with frequent travel to field locations in the target areas Shabwa and Marib (Partial remote work may be considered, depending on the candidate)
Duration: 21 months
Start Date: 01 July 2021 (Pending final approval of funds)
Reporting to: Country Representative
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.
Purpose and tasks of deployment
The purpose of the deployment is to lead a large-scale emergency response program, that seeks to address basic needs among IDP and host community in a protracted humanitarian crisis with active conflict.
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 GFFO 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.
Work Context
The German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO)-funded intervention is implemented by two strategic partners: Yemen Family Care Association (YFCA) and Building Foundation for Development (BFD).
The GFFO program coordinator will directly line manage one GFFO program officer. S/he will be supported by the program department consisting of a MEAL coordinator, CVA coordinator and Program officer, as required, who work under the guidance of DKH Program and Partnership Manager. DKH Yemen main office set-up is in Aden. The target areas are in Shabwa and Marib and can be reached by road and air from Aden. Shabwa has remained relatively stable in recent years, notwithstanding recurrence of security incidents can be expected in a war-torn country. The conflict in Marib has flared-up in recent months leading to additional IDP movement.
Main Job Responsibilities
Program & Quality
- Ensure the program is implemented according to narrative proposal, logical framework, workplan and budget
- 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
- Ensure knowledge and adherence to humanitarian quality standards and donor compliance. Including effective, transparent, and responsive compliance mechanisms
- Prepare ToRs for consultants/experts, and oversee its announcement/circulation, selection and contracting (coordinate with relevant support staff)
- Oversee their work and ensure alignment with partner needs and expectations
- Provide consultants all required support and ensure (partner) coordination
- Lead kick-off workshops with partners and conduct quarterly reviews with partners on progress and lessons learned
- Instill a collaborative approach in program implementation among DKH and partner staff, including a strong focus on learning, openness to report challenged and jointly seeking solutions
- Ensure awareness and adherence to humanitarian quality standards and donor compliance. Including effective, transparent, and responsive compliance mechanisms
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
- Represent DKH with other national and international actors including the German Embassy / GFFO and media
- 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
- 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 baseline, KAP and PDM surveys conducted by partners and review 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 PO 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
- Ensure (partner) narrative and financial reports are prepared in accordance with the requirements and regulations of DKH and GFFO
- Track reporting schedules and ensure timely submission
- Ensure that all reporting or other requirements towards the Yemeni Authorities, in relation to the GFFO 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
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
- Support monitoring or compliance and accountability by PO´s of all controls with the requirements and regulations of GFFO, 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 (Including review of financial documentation)
- Support the preparation of financial forecast
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
- 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 GFFO 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
Other
- Lead assessment and exploratory missions in the target areas in case of sudden displacements or other acute emergencies
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
- HEAT certificate Highly valued
- Proven experience in guiding transition from relief to early-recovery is highly valued
- Proven prior experience with GFFO funding
- Proven experience in WASH, Food Security (notably cash-programming) and/or Emergency Response Mechanisms (ERM/RRM)
- 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
- Previous experience in Yemen is valued
- Proficiency in Arabic and/or German is a strong asset
The remuneration follows internationally accepted standards. Consultancy status.
Awarding of contract pending final donor fund approval.
Deadline for submission: 22 June 2021
To apply: Kindly send your application, including Cover Letter and CV by email to: jobs@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de
Further questions regarding the assignment kindly address to loek.peeters@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.org