Remote Management Program Specialist

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.5 people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. There are 3.9 million refugees in neighboring countries – a number which increases by the day. IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. With an annual budget in excess of $140 million and a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1250 staff in the region, IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, education, women’s protection and empowerment, distribution of and core relief items, cash assistance, water and environmental health, and economic recovery. IRC’s work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

As the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, organizations such as IRC increasingly rely on remote management in order to continue operating in insecure environments. Successfully delivering responsive and accountable remotely-managed programs inside Syria requires significant capacity building of both partner organizations and IRC staff, ongoing guidance and support for them, and adaptation of organization-wide remote management guidelines and supporting policies and procedures to the Syrian context.

IRC, its partner organizations, and other NGOs/INGOs face similar challenges to support staff, manage operations, maintain quality and monitor results inside Syria. IRC’s Syria Regional Response (SRR) will soon launch a 12-month project to enhance IRC’s capacity for remote management and partner support inside Syria. This project aims to catalyze the application of IRC’s remote management guidelines by providing tools and training necessary to adapt the guidelines to the Syrian context and ensure IRC staff and partners have capacity, knowledge and systems to deliver against the guidelines. IRC will design content and launch an online platform of resources that are immediately relevant to remotely-managed operations inside Syria, whether undertaken by IRC, its partners, or other agencies. Key modules and resources on the platform will address:

• Partner remote operational and technical capacity building
• M&E assessor remote capacity building
• Remote management training that contextualizes IRC’s organization-wide remote management guidelines

POSITION OVERVIEW:
Based in Syria and reporting to the Remote Management Capacity Building Coordinator, the Remote Management Program Specialist will provide the regional team key information on operating conditions inside Syria to contribute to the development of remote management guidelines and initiatives. The Specialist will liaise directly with staff, partners and other stakeholders within Syria and will work closely with the Remote Management Capacity Building Coordinator, the Director for Partnership and Capacity Strengthening, and the Regional Safety and Security Advisor to ensure remotely management programs are meeting the needs of stakeholders inside Syria and that approaches and procedures are robust and appropriate to the operating environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Context Analysis
  • Gather, review and verify information on operating conditions in Syria, particularly those related to community acceptance and client and partner safety Disseminate information on operating conditions in Syria within the remote management capacity building team and regional team. Support analysis of information across IRC staff engaged with project.
  • Support wider use of analysis in IRC operations in the Syria Response Region
• Liaison
  • Carry out ongoing liaison with all relevant stakeholders inside Syria (local councils, national NGOs, CBOs, networks, community leaders, health care providers etc.) and establish and maintain networks for information exchange and project engagement
  • Liaise with IRC staff, Syrian NGOs, networks and fora to consult on capacity strengthening priorities and approaches, ensuring they are appropriate and meet priority needs
• Remote Management
  • Contribute to decision making on the development of remote management procedures
  • Work with engaged IRC teams, partners and stakeholders to develop and pilot techniques and approaches for remote management procedures
  • Carry out ongoing reviews of adherence to remote management standards and continued appropriateness to the operating context
• Communication and Feedback
  • Work with Remote Management Capacity Building Coordinator to develop communication and support materials for the roll-out of remote management procedures for IRC staff and partners and other stakeholders
  • Lead on ensuring regular feedback and responses from IRC staff and NGO stakeholders/users and work with the project team to ensure their incorporation in updates to internal and external stakeholders

Professional Standards
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Degree in relevant field
• Minimum 3 years of experience in similar/relevant position
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to and within Syria up to 65% of the time
• Significant experience building and managing relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders in Syria, including local councils, national NGOs, CBOs, networks, community leaders, health care providers, etc.
• A keen understanding of political complexities inside and around Syria
• Strong skills in research and critical analysis
• Professional experience working in a remote management setting preferred
• Fluency in Arabic and English

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci4wMDM3OS40ODEwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20