Community Driven Development Specialist

BACKGROUND:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading agencies working in post-conflict and development contexts, supporting communities in over 40 fragile, failed and developing states. In this capacity, we work to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted, struggling to endure and wishing to advance on a path of development. The IRC has been working in Myanmar since 2008 and is committed to implementing quality programming to improve the well being of the most vulnerable populations in the areas of livelihoods, water and sanitation, health, and social development. IRC programming reflects a commitment to sustainable solutions, and believes this is achieved through participatory approaches such as community driven development, social accountability, community disaster risk reduction, and capacity building of local partners.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar has received a grant in the amount of US$80 million from the World Bank toward the cost of its National Community Driven Development Project which is being implemented by the Department of Rural Development (DRD). The objective of the project is to enable poor rural communities to benefit from improved access to and use of basic infrastructure and services through a people-centered approach and to enhance the government’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency. This approach will empower villagers to manage and participate in their own development. The project is comprised of five components, implemented over a period of approximately six years (that started in 2013). Each component includes specific activities that seek a gender balance as well as to empower women.

The project operates in 15 townships – one in each of the country’s 14 regions and states as well as the union territory (this bid is for the Naypitaw Territory). Criteria for the selection of townships are: primarily poverty, with additional criteria being absence of external funding and commitment by regional government to the objectives of the project. Our main task is to assist the township DRD office in planning, implementing and monitoring project activities in assigned Township in line with the implementation guidelines.

The CDD Specialist will also engage with the IRC-led Tat Lan program’s Village based planning process. The Tat Lan program includes rebuilding infrastructure; strengthening existing agriculture programs and diversifying crop production; strengthening the local fishing industry; providing access to financial services; and increasing access to nutrition-rich foods in remote areas.  Project activities are grounded in a village-based participatory planning process that engages entire communities to ensure that Tat Lan is responsive, effective and sustainable. The CDD Specialist will work to ensure that the Tat Lan program approach is consistent with CDD practices; reflecting community identified needs and tailoring interventions to communities.   

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The CDD Specialist primary responsibility will consist of overseeing the start-up of the NCDD program in the new Township of Tatkon, Naypitaw territory.

• He or She will provide technical support to the national team to assess DRD capacity, to review the project design and plan, to review M&E and training plan,
• Advise township TA to anticipate management problems and recommend solutions
• Providing technical input / recommendations to the union level consultant on draft version of NCDDP tools as part of review process and in light of IRC’s expertise in CDD;
• Work with all key staff to identify technical assistance needs and arrange for the provision of assistance;
• Providing training to staff to acquire key CDD knowledge and community engagement, mobilization and participation techniques and technical guidance to IRC’s field staff on NCDDP methodology and tools;
• Supporting IRC township field staff in use and implementation of NCDDP methodology & tools
• Facilitating staff and township stakeholder (community and DRD staff) review of the NCDDP methodology & tools
• To liaise with Union DRD and World Bank to provide expert technical input to key documents/discussions related to the NCDDP.

The secondary level of responsibility in NCDDP will consist of supporting the ongoing NCDDP program to build DRD capacity and document key learning from it. The incumbent staff may be requested to support other CDD discussion/strategy the country office would be developing.

• In the Tat Lan program, the CDD Specialist will review the approach adapted to the Village based planning process, ensuring that community engagement is consistent with both CDD practice, and the program’s goals and objectives.

• He or She will provide technical support to the TL team to assess the Village based planning process; to review the methodology, tools, M&E and training plan.
• Providing technical input / recommendations on the approaches adopted to community participation, the structure, training and linkages of Village Development Councils within Tat Lan program areas.
• Work with all key staff to identify technical assistance needs and arrange for the provision of assistance;
• Providing training to staff to acquire key CDD knowledge and community engagement, mobilization and participation techniques and technical guidance to IRC’s field staff consistent with the planned activities and technical/infrastructural developments of the Tat Lan program.
• To liaise with the broader consortia on the VDC approach, field findings, and to share information on best practice and lessons learned to ensure that local community participation at the village level remains central to the goals and objectives of the Tat Lan program.

Program Design, Management & Implementation: 

• Contribute to context analysis, needs assessments and data collection as necessary to feed into project design;
• Design social audits and other technical points proposed in the proposal;
• Contribute to identifying elements of CDD in other on-going IRC programs in Myanmar and ways to strengthen their value/practice;
• Ensure that program implementation is managed closely through the development of structured work/implementation plans;
• Provide leadership and technical capacity building to CDD project staff/teams;
• Ensure that lessons learned from other IRC CDD programs / organizations are considered for relevance to ongoing program activities, and propose adjustments as needed;
• Participate and support the design and implementation of evaluation strategies for CDD projects;

Coordination & Representation

• Represent IRC and participate in coordination meetings;
• Liaise with the IRC’s Governance & Rights Coordinator and Technical Unit concerning governance and CDD programming in particular; and
• Liaise and coordinate with UN and NGO partners, ministry departments, local authorities, NCDDP union level consultant, and beneficiaries as needed.

Reporting & Documentation

• Lead all NCDDP report as per contract’s obligations and any other reports as required by Senior Management or as appropriate under the circumstances;
• Draft program briefing materials, and respond to requests for program information as requested by Senior Management;
• Work with the program staff to ensure that field experiences are documented and used to advocate on behalf of the communities with which we work.

REQUIREMENTS:

• An advanced university degree and at least 3 years of field experience with Community-Driven Reconstruction or Community-Driven Development programming, or similar;
• Demonstrated ability and experience developing training manuals and tools for project staff, including field testing tools and training staff on use of methodologies and tools;
• Knowledge of local governance and decentralization issues, and of gender and inclusion strategies;
• Experience managing similar projects, including budgets, programs, multi-cultural staff supervision (start-up a plus);
• Experience with rural development programming, particularly livelihoods and improved incomes.
• Must be comfortable working as part of a larger team in a complex, fluid and demanding management environment.
• Prior experience of working in rural Myanmar is an asset
• Ability to travel frequently to project sites for monitoring visits, include very remote and sometimes insecure (weather and conflict) areas.
• Ability to communicate effectively with project stakeholders;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic and strong negotiation skills, including the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders;
• Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive and conflict-sensitive programming and implementation; 
• Strong track record in working in partnership with diverse organizational stakeholders, developing and implementing appropriate and targeted learning and capacity development activities in support of programmatic partnerships;
• Proficient in MS Office, MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint
• Experience with World Bank funding a plus.
• Fluent in English, both verbally and in writing.

Any interested applicants that meet the requirements above are encouraged to send their application online on or before Sunday, January 18, 2015.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/CONDITIONS:

The CDD Specialist will be based in Yangon, Myanmar with frequent travel required to project field site locations in rural areas of the country. This is an unaccompanied post and candidates can expect to share group housing. The assignment would consist of 6.5 months, with a possibility of contract extension to contribute to CDD programming in new projects.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.