Program Coordinator – Titanyen Program

Reports To: DeputyHead of Mission, UMCOR Haiti

Purpose: The Program Coordinator - Titanyen (TC) plays an important role in the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) programming in Haiti. UMCOR’s program areas in Haiti focus on continued earthquake recovery and development activities. The program is a community integration project that seeks to integrate 154 families newly settled in the DLA 3 settlement site, into the host community of Titanyen near Cabaret and to ensure the management of the new settlement site is effective and transparent. Interventions in integration include, but are not limited to: water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihoods, shelter and reconstruction and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Interventions in settlement management include training local government agency managers and residents committees in how to manage the housing complex effectively – collect rents and fees, make contracts with service providers for utilities and maintenance, deal with resident complaints etc.

The TC will provide quality on-site support and advise the national staff field-based Titanyen program team implementing the project, prepare work plans including monitoring activities which measure progress indicators, prepare comprehensive reports on the Titanyen Program.

The position is based in Cabaret with travel as needed to other parts of the country. The position is through September 2015 with the possibility of extending depending upon performance and funding. This position is also contingent on funding.

The TC works under the UMCOR Deputy Head of Mission-Program and is part of the Senior Management Team. The TC will also work closely with Port-au-Prince based Head of Mission; Finance Director; as well as Operations Unit staff; Human Resources; Logistics; and Procurement.

This position is contingent on UMCOR receiving the award.

Essential Functions: The Titanyen Program Coordinator is responsible for the safety and general oversight of field based staff implementing the Titanyen program. Note: Technical staff based in the Cabaret office working on the Titanyen program will report to the respective technical Coordinators (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Livelihoods; and Shelter and Reconstruction) based in the Port au Prince (PaP) office but the oversight of day to day operations of the Titanyen team will be the responsibility of the TC. The TC will work collaboratively with the Program Coordinator at Cabaret (PC) who has primary responsibility for the operation of the Cabaret office (transport for the two teams, communications, security of the premises etc.). The TC will take over operations management of the Cabaret office when the PC is away including ensuring both Cabaret and Titanyen staff are punctual, supported with transportation/communications etc. and working according to sector technical work plans.

The TC will lead community engagement/community liaison in Titanyen and in Cabaret on issues related to the Titanyen program to smooth the way and keep information flowing between local authorities, beneficiaries and other stakeholders in Titanyen. The TC will work in close cooperation with the PC who will provide training and assist government agency workers in Titanyen to develop the management systems for the Titanyen settlement site. The TC will have the primary community engagement role in Titanyen but liaise closely with the PC. An essential role of the TC is to ensure coordination with the three technical Sector Coordinators in PaP on Titanyen program issues.

Also essential to the work of the TC is knowledge of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and the community driven development (CDD) approaches. Specifically community capacity building in: participatory disaster risk assessment and planning, transparent democratic priority setting, training in proposal development and budget setting, contracting, and managing the implement of small community projects relevant to their reducing disaster risk reduction plans.

This position demands the ability to live in basic and sometimes difficult conditions, commitment to humanitarian principles, beneficiary service and program excellence; as well as strong communication, administrative, management, interpersonal and leadership skills. The successful candidate will be able to operate professionally with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities: The TC holds primary responsibility for the overall direction, management, and successful donor compliant implementation of the Titanyen Project. The TC serves as focal point and liaison with other partners including donors and Government of Haiti representatives, UN, National, and International NGOs, as well as a variety of implementing partners at the local level. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Community engagement: Lead focal point with community engagement service providers and other community engagement activities as related to program implementation. Ensure clear beneficiary communication and participation in activities. Anticipate and appropriately rectify community program conflict resolution-including clarifying any misunderstandings of program goals and/or related community tension in implementation.
• Represent UMCOR and collaborate, plan and liaise with key local government officials, UN, NGOs, implementing partners and community members in the execution of program activities
• Alert the sector Program Coordinators and sector staff to anything that may have a potential negative impact on the implementation of the project or donor compliance.
• Alert the sector Program Coordinators and sectors staff to potential community concerns and provide feedback on community perceptions of program implementation.
• Mitigate concerns and respond to questions from community members and others stakeholders.
• Organize and facilitate stakeholders meeting including community meeting to inform the stakeholders and community on the goals, requirements, procedures, contributions, and objectives of the project.
• Supervise and mentor the ‘Community Engagement Manager’. Conduct periodic staff performance appraisals (contribute to the projects’ sector technical staff performance appraisals conducted by the three technical Coordinators in PaP).
• Supervise and mentor the Program support staff. Conduct periodic staff performance appraisals.
• Prepare and submit timely reports on community engagement field activities, detailing the progress toward objectives and achievement of the outputs and impacts, highlight the challenges faced and how they were resolved with recommendations for future replications of these activities.
• Work closely with the Sector Technical Coordinators and Deputy Head of Mission - Program in Port au Prince, in the preparation of donor reports and contribute community engagement information to sector technical reports
• In conjunction with the Sector Program Coordinators and Deputy Head of Mission –Program, participate in any needed assessment missions with other stakeholders in the area, representing UMCOR in terms of preparation, training, analysis and reporting of findings and recommendations
• Management and tracking of community engagement budget and DRR/CDD budget to meet UMCOR and donors’ requirements. Liaise with the Deputy Head of Mission - Program and Finance Director in monitoring expenditure to ensure that expenses are in line with allocated budgets.
• Manage and supervise the Cabaret field office in related Human Resources, Administration, Logistic, Procurement, and Finance, under approval limit authority from the Port au Prince Office when the PC is away.
• Represent UMCOR at local level or Titanyen Program specific coordination meetings/forums to foster positive interaction and good working relations with all partners
• Respond, organize and prepare for donor visits to project site.
• Report security situations, making decisions that enhance the safety of UMCOR staff and assets
• Ensure lessons learned in monitoring and evaluations are captured, understood by all project staff and incorporated into UMCOR programs through participation in systematic review processes
• Other duties as assigned by Head of Mission and Deputy Head of Mission - Program.

QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• The position requires a Master’s Degree, preferably in Community Development/Organization, Disaster Risk Reduction or related fields.
• English fluency required, French fluency preferred, knowledge of Creole highly desired.
• Minimum five years of progressive experience managing staff teams, budgets, community engagement liaison, at least two years in a Third World location, preference to those with Haiti experience
• Experience working with Community Driven Development
• Preference to those with experience in integration of displaced into host communities to promote sustainable community recovery and development programs, preference also to those with experience across a variety of sectors (water and sanitation, livelihoods and reconstruction).
• Experience in community capacity building – developing training material and conducting training
• Minimum two years’ experience in budget management
• Experience with community level conflict resolution and promoting peaceful co-existence across beneficiary communities
• Previous experience in coordination with a variety of donor and stakeholder partners including on areas of community engagement, social housing, technical importance, financial accountability and related management functions.
• Highest degree of professionalism and personal responsibility and accountability.
• Knowledge of USAID granting requirements and/or project implementation experience highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE:

• Working knowledge and experience of humanitarian principles, SPHERE and UN standards and protocols and procedures is desirable
• Knowledge of institutional donors, with a special emphasis on USAID, policies and procedures related to project management, reporting, quality control, monitoring and impact evaluation
• Strong representation, negotiation and coordination experience.

ABILITIES:

• Must possess strong diplomatic skills and patience
• Must have a team-oriented, inclusive work style with excellent interpersonal and team building skills.
• Must possess maturity and ability to interpret and foster cohesion within the local political dynamics
• Proactive attitude ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong analytical, problem solving and decision making skills
• Proactive attitude and ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• A team player with excellent interpersonal and team building skills
• Ability to work and live in basic accommodations
• Ability to understand and respect the cultural, religious and political environment and to work patiently but resolutely to build the capacity of local staff.
• Ability to successfully resolve conflicts which threaten the implementation of the work
• Ability to work well in unstable security environments, and under administrative and programmatic pressures; must demonstrate flexibility to adapt to changing requirements
• Ability to work under at times, unstable security conditions, and under administrative and programmatic pressures; must demonstrate flexibility to adapt to changing requirements

This position works from the UMCOR Cabaret office with activity in the Titanyen community. Successful candidate must be willing to live and work in a sometimes challenging environment with minimal direct supervision.