Violence Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator

DESCRIPTION

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

BACKGROUND

Since 2002, the IRC DRC has been responding to gender based violence in North and South Kivu provinces, with bases in Goma and Bukavu. IRC’s Women’s Protection and Empowerment program in the DRC seeks to increase the social, political and economic empowerment of women and girls, and prevent and respond to gender based violence. The program aims to: 1) Improve survivors’ access to and quality of essential health, psychosocial, and legal services; 2) Improve community support to women and girls affected by violence; 3) Improve women and girls’ access to social and economic opportunities; 4) Promote the protection of women and girls through the application of and adherence to policies and international standards. The IRC’s Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program has been operational in North Kivu since 2008.  The program is implemented in partnership with 14 CBOs (community-based organizations) and 1 local NGOs.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The WPE Program Coordinator will be in charge of the management, the supervision and the monitoring of all activities related to the program in North Kivu province. He/She will be responsible for managing activities in the North Kivu Province.  . He/She will be responsible to administer a multi donor portfolio consisting in an annual operating budget of over $1 million US.

This position is ideal for a candidate with several years of experience in Program management in a complex setting. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning:

• Actively contributes to the broader IRC DRC strategic planning process and works collaboratively with country level program leadership, the  other WPE programs in DRC and the global WPE technical unit to develop a WPE sector strategy in North Kivu.

Program Implementation and Quality Assurance:

• Ensures that all interventions are technically sound in meeting the needs of GBV survivors and affected communities. Improves the technical capacity of local partners in providing psychosocial case management, medical referrals, legal assistance.
• S/he also ensures sound  socio economic programming, strengthened community work and emergency response strategies.  
• S/he will ensure start up and implementation of the programming for adolescent girls in humanitarian settings as well as expansion of men engaging activities; both in collaboration with the WPE DRC program leadership and the WPE South Kivu program
• Collaborates closely with the IRC Health Program to ensure implementation of clinical management of sexual assault protocols and access to health services.
• Seeks cross-sectoral input and collaboration to create synergies between different programs in accordance to the WPE country sector strategy and in liaison with the Kinshasa WPE team.
• Collaborates closely with the wider IRC Protection Program and ensures quality implementation of GBV emergency response activities.
• Strategically manages multiple budgets and oversees subgrants awards to local partners, quality and transparency of their implementation.
• Develops workplans, spending plans, program progress reports and other management tools for efficient implementation of the Program.

Program Monitoring and Evaluation: 

• Strengthens and oversees the monitoring and evaluation system to capture overall program progress, based on the program logframe and indicator tracking sheet and is responsible for ensuring that data is consistently collected and analyzed to inform programming.
• Takes part in discussion related to design, implementation and dissemination of finding from research and evaluations done or to be started in the WPE program in DRC 
• Ensures support for the roll out and consolidation of GBVIMS with partners.
• Develops lessons learnt documents and tools to actively share best practices across the IRC DRC program and with other IRC country programs in coordination with the WPE technical team in Kinshasa .

Proposal Development and Grants Management:

• Develop proposals that reflect the WPE sector strategy and that respond to emerging needs.
• Collaborate efficiently with the Grants Unit, Finance and Technical Units on proposal development and grant modifications, as well as for timely development of quality grant reports.

Human Resources:

• Supervise and manage the North Kivu WPE team (currently 22 staff), through timely use of the IRC PME system, coaching and capacity building.
• Responsible for ensuring a HR structure relevant to program needs and fill in gaps in a timely manner in close collaboration with provincial HR and WPE Technical team as necessary.
• Coordinate closely with the Head of Office, Logistics and other relevant departments to ensure compliance with security policies and procedures as well as timely exchange of information about the security context.

Representation and Advocacy:

• Promote inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaboration in GBV prevention and response in all IRC program sites and actively engage in GBV-related inter-agency coordination;
• Contribute to IRC’s local, national and international advocacy efforts and facilitate media opportunities where opportunities arise in line with IRC’s advocacy strategy.
• Strengthen partner capacity for effective advocacy.
• Ensures donor liaison and representation on the field as required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must have excellent French and English speaking and writing skills
• MA/S or equivalent in health (MPH), social sciences, humanities, gender studies or other related degree preferred;
• Minimum of 3 years GBV programming and project management experience in developing country; direct services experience preferred
• Excellent management (both project and human resources), project planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. 
• Excellent budget ability, ideally with sub-grant award funding. Previous work experience with DFID, WB and other institutional donors is preferred.
• Experience working with capacity building of local NGOs and sub-grant award system
• Academic and/or practical experience in designing and implementing training program for adults is preferred
• Additional qualities: ability to multitask, ability to handle pressure well, ability to improvise, flexibility, cultural and environmental sensitivity.

Specific Security Situation /Housing:
Goma is located at the north-eastern side of Lake Kivu and is the capital of North Kivu Province. Civil conflict is ongoing in the Kivu provinces, and the area is considered unstable. Strict adherence to security guidelines is requested of all IRC staff. This position in based in Goma with comfortable shared housing provided.  The WPE Coordinator will be spending  40-50% of time working from the Rutshuru field office 3 hrs drive north of Goma.