Food Security & Livelihood Coordinator

ISLAMIC RELIEF SOMALIA: JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Food Security and Livelihood Coordinator

DEPARTMENT: Programmes

BASE LOCATION: Mogadishu - with regular travel to field offices and project sites/ satellite office areas to oversee the implementation of IR FSL Projects

GRADE:

CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 MONTHS with higher possibility of extension depending on performance and fund availability.

REPORT TO: Head of Programmes

LINE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES: SERVE Project officers and Project technical Assistants, and technically manages all FSL technical teams of IRS

MATRIX MANAGES: The position is under the overall supervision of the HoP for Programmes/Projects of the country.

Day-to-day line management: The FSL Coordinator directly reports to the HoP for Programmes and Projects, and works with both HoP programme Development/quality Assurance and Innovation, FSL Specialist and the partnership team of the country. The position holder will technically manage field teams based at the project sites. Also, work collaboratively with the other teams in the technical unit, program quality and fundraising. The coordinator directly manages the SERVE project staff, tracks the progress and spending status, and ensures overall achievements including documenting lessors and engaging diverse stakeholders.

JOB SUMMARY

The FSL coordinator is designed to strategically guide the overall food security and livelihood sector implementation of the country in close cooperation with the FSL Specialist and HoP for Programme development, Quality Assurance and innovation. The position works with the Area offices Programme Managers, coordinators, finance, and logistics/operation while technically supporting, coordinating, consolidating works, and ensuring smooth implementation collaborating of the different FSL teams across field offices. The coordinator will technically backstop all FSL related programme in the country, support implementation, track record the progress of the ongoing projects, and undertake a due analytical impact analysis of how the different FSL projects are supporting the needy community at the target areas. Support the FSL teams and ensuring adherence to IRS and donor guidelines, standards and compliance procedures. The FSL coordinator is in charge of building the capacity of the FSL team and provides job training, guidance and familiarisation sessions to help team implement quality programme. The position will solely be responsible for coordinating SERVE (Strengthening Emergency Resilience of Vulnerable Communities) Project working with consultants on designing, implementing and facilitating various community/field works. The Project will trial the materials in their planning and will later on support local actors in their use. This intervention under SERVE Project will extend the applicability of CVCA in humanitarian contexts and will build on Islamic Relief’s experience working with stakeholder engagement for the impact of climate change and awareness among local communities and integration with national and local political administration. The coordinator focuses on Climate change adaptation, and will collaborate with an array of stakeholders including funding and partner organisations to deliver, facilitate, coordinate and ensure the quality of implementation. Depending on Nature and structure of the task, the FSL coordinator reports to FSL Programme Specialist and closely works with the global SERVE Project coordinator based in Sweden.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Direct: Programme Coordinator, Senior Technical Officers, Project officers

Budget Responsibilities: As per organisation’s budget approval threshold, and solely responsible for SERVE Project

Role Dimensions: Liaises With: HoP and other field Program managers, Food security and Economic Empowerment specialist, Partnership Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Finance Manager, Communication Coordinator, Senior officer Food Security and Livelihood, WASH, Gender, Protection and Inclusion, M&E, Operation, Finance and staff from other support units.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
2. Strategic Management, Project Design, and Supporting Implementation of FSL activities

• Stay abreast about the Humanitarian and development arena of the country to strategically inform and assistant IRS to respond to the existing needs and vulnerabilities in the country
• Identify specific areas of intervention for the organisation according to humanitarian needs and vulnerable population context.
• Design and Undertake through analytical assessment and report the humanitarian needs and provide clear and detailed recommendations for interventions.
• Develop appropriate geographical and household level targeting criteria and mechanisms to ensure that the needs of identified vulnerable groups are met.
• Plan and implement food security and livelihood activities such as- Assessments and surveillance interventions, livelihood provision and protection activities, job creation and inclusive Financial services (VSLAs), Agro and pastoral interventions, Cash/Food based interventions, Income Generating Activities and Research an innovative intervention to fight hunger.
• Support the implementation of the key activities, track record of the progress and address the necessary project requirement with the team
• Provide technical assistance to implementation team, undertake review and learning sessions, and provide feedback
• Ensure that projects implementations are on track, achieving the required deliverables with the standard quality, time and cost, and discuss with the concerned PMs, PCs and FSL team on any deviations happening on the ground
• Ensure that effective Coordination among key humanitarian actors, key stakeholders, government offices are taking place across all projects of the FSL in all locations
• Give special emphasis to SERVE Project, ensure that learning is well documented, plans and progress updates are shared with the IRS Sweden team and the Country FSL Specialist, and CD
• Support the field level officer for SERVE to better understand the deliverables, ensure that activities are timed, and necessary key actors are well mapped, and progresses are tracked
• Facilitate and participate in meetings of the SERVE Project/ CVCA Product Development Team, prepare notes for monthly update, identify issues, resolve and escalate where necessary
• Maintain accurate records for SERVE Project, assist in evaluation of project outcomes and impact and prepare report for stakeholder
• Provide general administrative support to the project team as needed.
• Stay updated on industry trends and best practices related to project management.

B). Building Staff capacity, and managing performances

• Identify the capacity needs/gaps, performance levels and necessary skill requirement of the team
• Supporting development of personal development plans, and materialising key performance improvement plan
• Identifying critical support gaps, coordinating with the relevant department and delivery of the technical backstopping through diverse sources-online, in person or purchasing technical skills
• Tracking the progresses, performances improvement and overall achievement of the staff

C). Accountability and Complaint management

• Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management overseeing implementation of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectorial and cross-department learning.
• Ensure that community complain mechanism are in access and known to the fast majority of the beneficiaries in their respective locations,
• Ensure that accountability of the affected populations are well upheld in all the interventions, all complaints are recorded, responded and necessary tracking is conduct periodically in close collaboration with the compliance team
• Update the FSL specialist and management team about the progress of the different community complaints and overall how its managed

D) Research, Learning and Documentation

• Scrutinise the different interventions, process and overall procedures from design to project closure to ensure that our projects are need based, efficient and effective.
• Undertake a due action research on SERVE project emphasising the need for CVCA tool, address key necessary local climatic factors, and fine-tune the Somalia context specific climate responsive humanitarian approach
• Ensure that all FSL programme are evidenced based, and that all changes on livelihoods of the target community is well recorded and tracked
• While supporting SERVE Project, ensure that emergency project teams are well looped in the process, created synergies with current projects and future projects are designed in climate sensitive manner
• Pilot test the SERVE Project CVCA tool, document necessary lessons and ensure that Humanitarian response team are well understanding the linkage and work to further the incorporation of climate in programming
• Develop Somalia context Specific tools, and promote learning and adoption of key actors in the humanitarians sector
• Address lessons learning with array of stakeholders, promote and scale up successful learned practices
• Support and build the capacity of the key staff, stakeholders and duty bearer on the new successful modalities and approaches

1. Supervision, Coordination and Communication

• Design, organise implementation and monitor all projects (Annual and RRM)
• Decide on suitable strategies and objectives for all FSL projects and coordinate cross-project activities
• Lead and evaluate project staff, develop and control deadlines, budgets and activities and determine areas of improvement,
• Working with other departments, develop budgets and plans for the programs and ensure the projects stay within the budget.
• Undertake periodic project review meeting, document progress and achievements, take note of challenges provide technical support, and agreed on the way ahead
• Evaluating and assessing the strengths and weaknesses, effectiveness, scope, Risk and overall impact of projects during mid and final stages of the multi-year projects
• Routinely undertake Monitoring of projects progress and oversight to ensure goals are met
• Meeting with program stakeholders to discuss program status and goals, and inform necessary to management and FSL specialist
• Ensure that project status at the field level, discussed issues and agreed upon way ahead are recorded, communicated and shared with FSL specialist and programme quality team
• Ensure the use of conflict sensitivity, DNH, gender, protection and inclusion lens in the design and implementation of all projects, and all cross-cutting issues are well noted.
• Designing and implementing projects including detailed activity planning and its management, leading regular collection of evidence and review of data quality, and documenting key findings.
• Ensure effective linkage with the IRS program and other Humanitarian actors in the target project sites.

TECHNICAL SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS

• Project Cycle Management
• Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Sensitive Agriculture and overall mainstreaming approaches
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills;
• Dynamic and Evidence based livelihood programming and application of contemporary FSL approaches
• Had got knowledge and exposure on Humanitarian-Peace-development nexus
• Risk management, Cultural and political sensitivity;
• Should have better research background and excellent analytical capacity including use of statistical software and reporting systems
• Good organisational and multitasking skills
• Must have a ‘hands-on’, practical mentality, be self-driven and be motivated.
• Must be well organised, work independently, and be able to schedule and manage tasks/ initiatives effectively.
• Very high attention to detail, excellent teamwork and motivational skills
• Must be flexible and adapt to a fluid situation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and good command of English.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Collaborative and supportive in team works

QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferably Master in Agricultural Economics, Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change, Development Economics, Rural Development, Agriculture, Business Administration, Development Studies, or a similar related field.
• Certification in project/ program management is an added advantage.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Required Skills and Competencies

Essential skills

• Minimum of 5 to 7 years’ experience as Project cycle management
• Extensive knowledge of multi-sectoral project management
• Ability to analyse diverse context information, apply wider statistical approaches and software packages and able to write professional technical reporting
• Excellent spoken and written English and good working knowledge of the Somali language.
• Ability to identify quality partners and linkages and work effectively with them to leverage the program;
• Ability to represent IR program work professionally at high-level forums including government, NGO and donor;
• Ability to communicate regularly and openly with stakeholders and potential funding partners,
• Ability to communicate regularly and openly with the wider IRS/IRW team, to share progress, insights, challenges and recommendations;
• Self-directed and self-motivated; able to organise and deliver own work with minimal supervision.

Desired skills

• Track record in facilitating problem-solving, and stimulating sustainable project ownership
• Experience in implementing climate related projects, and exposure on action research
• Experience in project management, managing and reporting on donor grants.
• Experience in International agencies' durable solutions, and food security programming is an added advantage
• Good understanding of Somalia context and work experience. Somali national is an added advantage.

Additional competence experience

• Results Focused and outcome-oriented,
• Teamwork and team player,
• Excellent communication skills - able to communicate and report effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Willing to adapt to IRW’s norms and values without compromising personal beliefs and principles.
• Willing and able to work long hours as required and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to participatory approaches when working with communities.
• Willing to learn local mechanisms, culture and humanitarian development, Able to build productive working relationships; work as part of a team, and support colleagues.
• Communicates honestly, openly, and consistently. Shares information appropriately and ensure that the views of all members of the team are freely expressed.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to build working relationships quickly and to work sensitively with people from various cultural and social backgrounds.
• Able to form recommendations for creative solutions in problem-solving.
• Energetic and able to operate in situations which may be arduous.
• Show a good understanding of humanitarian principles and sympathy with Islamic Relief’s values.

How to apply

If you think that you are qualified and interested please send your updated CV and Cover letter to this email: hr.mogadishu@islamic-relief.so on orbefore 2nd of July 2023