Food security and Resilience Programme Manager Mali and Burkina Faso

Overall objective

The Food Security and Resilience Programme Manager (FSR-PM) will oversee the implementation and development of DRC´s food security and resilience programme in Mali and Burkina Faso by assuring a cross-bordering perspective under the supervision of the Country Director of Mali and Burkina Faso. This programme will focus on strengthening the communities’ capacities to develop food security and economic recovery environment with special attention to the bordering areas of Mali and Burkina Faso in order to gradually contribute to the design of a return strategy. The programme also focuses on youth and women empowerment in a cross-bordering perspective and in view to foster social cohesion. Food security, safety net, and early recovery are three emerging programmatic areas.

The FSR - PM will coordinate with local and international staff members in both countries. In addition, the FSR - PM will gather information essential for programming and advocacy priorities, as well as working towards capacitating the local authorities and services providers on issues pertaining to food security and economic development principles.

Background

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been operational in West Africa since 1998. Our aim is to contribute to the peace and stabilization, protection and promotion of durable solution to crisis-affected populations in the region. The overall strategic objective of the programme is to support peace and stabilisation, protect and promote durable solutions to conflict-affected population in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée, Burkina Faso and Mali on the basis of humanitarian principles and fundamental human rights.

Duties and Responsibilities

The FSR - PM will report to the Country Director of Mali and Burkina Faso. The FSR - PM will contribute to the overall implementation of DRC´s operation in these two countries and will be technically supervised by the Country Director to ensure a DRC cross-border vision within the two countries. The FSR - PM will work closely the Food security Program development manager in Burkina Faso  and, s/he will play a central role in building relationships with key humanitarian partners and donors in securing funding to expand DRC’s food security and resilience programmes in Mali and Burkina Faso.  Specifically, the FSR - PM will perform the following tasks:

Duties and Responsibilities

Programming

• Develop, coordinate, plan, implement, monitor and report on DRC´s foods security and resilience programme in the two countries;
• Provide technical expertise to develop the Mali and Burkina Faso foods security and resilience programmes with special attention to developing emergency foods security and resilience response in a cross-border fashion;
• Ensure the mainstreaming of food security, safety net and early recovery components in the DRC Mali and Burkina Faso emergency response programmes;
• Develop the cross-bordering approach (between Mali and Burkina Faso) in close coordination with the Country Director, the Regional Director West Africa and the Burkina Faso team Ensure that the foods security and resilience projects are implemented in a timely and professional manner, according to objectives, goals and indicators as approved by donors and foods security and resilience standards; 
• Ensure that the DRC foods security and resilience  programmes are implemented in accordance with DRC standard regulations and operational procedures (e.g. Code of Conduct, HAP Principles, DRC Assistance Framework, DRC Programme Handbook);
• Ensure that at all times contact with beneficiaries, target groups and representatives of authorities is conducted in a sensitive and respectful manner;
• Develop new programme initiatives and fundraising relating to foods security -resilience and emergency response;
• Conduct assessments and fact-finding missions to set up new projects, assist in preparation of project proposals for external donors and negotiate/defend them, conceptualize and develop national and local strategies in close co-operation with the Country Director and the Regional Director;
• Draft concept papers and assist in the preparation of creative, realistic, cost-effective and beneficial project proposals.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Supervise implementation of the projects via monitoring and evaluation (quality control, monitoring objectives and indicators) according to the regional M&E system;
• Ensure that activities/projects are implemented in accordance with agreed strategies, principles, implementation plans, and donor requirements;
• Ensure the use of qualitative and quantitative indicators and prepare accurate and timely reports on project progress;
• Ensure that timely and quality project narrative reports are provided to the donors on time according to donors requirement; 
• Ensure regular field monitoring and develop relevant analysis according to the day to day situation.

Administration and Personnel Management, Finance and logistic

• Hire, support, appraise and mentor DRC foods security and resilience staff by identifying clear deliverables and providing training as needed;
• Implement projects in compliance with DRC- and donor requirements when it comes to administration, finance and logistics;
• Responsible for monitoring of foods security and resilience project expenditures;
• Cultivate good relations with key humanitarian actors – local and international, including government authorities and non-state actors, INGOs engaged in protection programming and donors, through regular attendance at technical meetings /clusters and bilateral meetings.

Security

• Daily aware and involved in the security situation and ensure the communication with the programmes staff;
• Responsible to understand and able to implement the security rules including regular updating of security and evacuation plans and measures, aa well as implementation of security and contingency plans and update of DRC´s SLS (Safety Level Systems);
• Responsible for following DRC Security procedures and at the programmes level in Mali and Burkina Faso, to follow  them including Chapter 19 & 20 of the Operations Handbook;
• Responsible for developing local security network at the programme level;
• Ensure that DRC is part of security networks at the field level and that appropriate information regarding security in the area of operations is collected;
• Ensures that security incidents at the programme level are reported to the Country Director.

Qualifications

Required

• Professional background in foods security and resilience program coordination;
• Minimum 5 years of food security and resilience experience in the field;
• Minimum 2 years of food security and resilience coordination, design strategy and work in fundraising;
• Proven experience with implementation of operations in very insecure environments;
• Experience with documentation and analysis of food security data, training and advocacy;
• Experience in project management, including donor relations and staff supervision; 
• Experience with relief/emergency response activities, especially assessment, logistics and monitoring, is an advantage; 
• Willingness to live and work in an insecure environment with limited physical amenities and security risk; 
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• Fluency in French and English (spoken and written) is a must

Preferable

• Experience in other sectors such as protection;
• Experience working for or with ECHO is an advantage;
• Good experience in training and liaising with national NGOs;
• Experience with donors such as UNHCR, OFDA, BPRM, PAM and SDC.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, irrespective of nationality, race, gender or age

Conditions

Availability: 1st January 2015. Duty station: Bamako and with travel to the field according to the needs – Non-Family Duty Station

Contract: 6 month until 30th June 2015 subject to funding, possibility for prolongation.

Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. The position will be placed at salary level A11.

Further information            

You are welcome to contact Mr Mikkel Trolle at mikkel.trolle@drc.dk for more information about the position.

Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr Trolle.We only accept applications sent online via www.drc.dk Applications sent directly to Mr Trollewill not be considered.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.

Application process

Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered. CV-only applications will not be considered.Please provide references, but do not attach any written recommendations.

We only accept applications online on www.drc.dk> About DRC > Vacancies > Current vacancies > Food security and Resilience – Mali and Burkina Faso.

Please submit your application, in English and marked “Food security and Resilience – Mali and Burkina Faso” no later than 10.12.2014

Please write to job@drc.dk if you have questions to the application process or experience problems with your online application.

Commitments

DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff is required to contribute to the achievement of this framework (http://www.drc.dk/HAF.4265.0.html).