Deputy Country Representative - DRC

Job posted by: Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) - UK - Tue, 12 Nov 2019

Job Details:

Organisation: Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) - UK

Deadline Sun, 8 Dec 2019

Job type: Permanent

Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Starting Salary:  £35,083 - £36,405 per annum

Contract:  2 years

The post holder will be responsible for building effective working relationships with peers in the Programmes Department, as well as with colleagues in the Humanitarian and Programme Effectiveness Departments. This is in order to develop and maintain horizontal links, and to foster learning between programmes, innovation, good practice, and fundraising within and between regions or areas of work. The role also has a number of cross-divisional and cross-organisational functions linked to work with CAFOD’s Education, Communities & Supporters Fundraising, Finance, Media, Policy and Advocacy teams.

The post holder will be expected to undertake frequent travel to operation areas in country, in connection with the management of the programme portfolio, and the achievement of strategic objectives. There will also be travel to other countries.  Travel is sometimes at short notice and to areas of potential risk.

He/she will also be expected to deputise for the Country Representative.

To lead the programmatic and partnership aspects of CAFOD’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in line with the agreed strategy. The scope of the post falls into the following functions:

  • Lead and manage the programme portfolio: in line with the overall framework set by the strategy and the Country Representative, provide direction to and integration across the programmes portfolio, ensuring learning is captured and shared across the wider organisation and between partners;
  • Overseeing effective relationships with partners in the Eastern Part of the country: providing guidance and support to the Programmes team in their work to develop and nurture effective relationships with partners, and the provision or facilitation of capacity development support, where appropriate;
  • Financial and funding management: responsible for managing the programme budget to agreed standards and parameters, including feeding into the development of high quality funding proposals;
  • Internal and external representation: to be undertaken in co-ordination with the Country Representative and the programmes team;
  • Systems and compliance: ensuring the effective use of CAFOD’s systems to share programme knowledge and inform decision making. Includes ensuring compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work;
  • Security management: supporting the Country Representative in delivering effective security management;
  • Staff management: leading on the recruitment, management and support of staff within the remit of the post’s responsibility, in accordance with CAFOD’s management standards;
  • Management cover: providing management cover for the Country Representative (CR) when out of the office (travelling or on leave/R&R) including security management and representing the organisation as agreed by CR;
  • Thematic focus: complements partners’ thematic understanding on humanitarian work, climate change, Livelihoods and Governance and Peace Building, contributing to the development of relevant interventions that bring about positive change, offering guidance to the programmes team;
  • Act as a Country Representative in the absence of the Country Representative (approx. 4 months per year)

 

Key Responsibilities

Lead and manage the programme portfolio:

  • In line with the overall direction set by the DRC strategy and the Country Representative, provide direction to CAFOD-supported programmes and projects, ensuring that they meet agreed quality standards and donor/contractual obligations;

Ensure integration across the programmes portfolio;

  • Ensure that all programmes are evaluated according to CAFOD’s evaluation policy, that learning is captured, shared across the wider organisations and between partners and informs decision making and new programme designs;
  • Ensure that all programmes are being implemented with an M&E framework that clearly articulates the monitoring and evaluation system for the programme, including regularity of monitoring visits by the Programme Officers.
  • Co-ordinate the development of new pieces of work, while ensuring the effective implementation of existing programmes in line with agreed quality standards (including programme cycle management) and donor contract guidelines and obligations;
  • Lead the review of the programmatic aspects of the country strategy, particularly programme frameworks;
  • Ensure that cross-cutting themes (e.g. gender, downwards accountability, safeguarding children, protection,) are effectively managed within and across the programme, working with the relevant staff to achieve this;
  • Keep up-to-date with development issues and trends, both within the relevant country/sub-region or sector, and more generally;
  • Monitor the political and security context to contribute to CAFOD’s organisational risk assessments and security plans. This includes acting as security manager, where appropriate.

Overseeing effective relationships with partners:

  • Provide guidance and support to Programme Officers and other members of the Programmes team in their work, to develop and nurture effective relationships with partners. In some cases (e.g. strategic partners), the post-holder can take a more active role in developing those relationships;
  • Work with Programme Officers and the team to support or facilitate the development of partners’ capacities and to promote the sustainability of their work. This includes the development of tailor-made capacity development plans;
  • Ensure that the DRC partnership portfolio is regularly reviewed and that individual relationships are monitored against CAFOD’s and partners’ partnership standards and expectations, including through partnership reflection workshops.

Financial and funding management:

  • Manage the programme budget and cash flow (implementing manager/budget holder responsibilities), monitoring income and expenditure, and ensuring that the latter is done in compliance with agreed parameters and policy;
  • Identify opportunities for co-financing from institutional donors, and provide leadership in securing and managing such funds, working with the Programme Development & Funding and Major Gifts teams;
  • Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting on programme work;
  • Ensure the programme complies with CAFOD’s financial management standards, including managing financial risks.

 

Internal and external representation:

  • In co-ordination with the Country Representative and the Programmes team develop, nurture and sustain relationships and effective communications with relevant stakeholders, including local government, national networks and other agencies working in/on DRC. This will include other Caritas/CIDSE agencies;
  • In liaison with the Country Representative and the team, sustain relationships with relevant bilateral agencies, including DfID, Irish Aid and the EC, seeking opportunities for programme funding, where applicable;
  • Effectively communicate with other teams within CAFOD to ensure that the programmes are well understood, and that information is available for fundraising and other communications, including publications, media briefings, development education, etc. This may involve participating in communities of practice, working groups, supporter events, etc, as agreed with the Country Representative.

Systems and compliance:

  • Oversee the effective use of CAFOD’s systems to share programme knowledge and inform decision making. This includes overseeing compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work.

Security management:

  • Support the Country Representative in delivering effective security management. This includes among others, acting as security manager when delegated by the Country Representative; support the development of security risk mappings, country security plans; standard operating procedures; contingency plans (e.g. medical evacuation, relocation/evacuation and hibernation, staff welfare).

Staff management:

  • Lead on the recruitment and management of staff according to CAFOD’s management standards, so that staff are empowered, and the effectiveness of the team is maximised;
  • Provide leadership and support to direct reports (and staff under shared management arrangements), act as a sounding board and hold them to account in areas under their responsibility. This includes setting objectives, induction, organising regular 1:1 meetings, conducting annual performance reviews, providing coaching, backstopping and ensuring team members have individual development plans. The post-holder may be required to manage volunteers and staff remotely;
  • Enable and empower direct reports to achieve the best possible with the available resources, ensuring CAFOD’s management standards are followed;
  • Ensure effective and appropriate systems and processes for team learning and development are in place;

Thematic focus:

  • Complement partners’ thematic understanding on humanitarian work, Livelihoods and Governance and Peace Building contributing to the development of relevant interventions that bring about positive change, offering guidance to the programmes team, etc.

 

Notes:

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification;

If considered useful and appropriate, specific percentages per function/areas of responsibility can be assigned by agreement between the post holder and his/her line manager.

 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults 

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves responsibility for people who will have contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues.  If based in the UK the post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service).  If the post is based outside the UK the post holder will be subject to a different checking process.

The references to “the programme” in this Job Description reflect CAFOD’s intention and commitment to deliver through an integrated approach. Therefore, “the programme” includes long-term development, emergency response and advocacy.

 

Essential Criteria

Job-specific competencies

  • Ability to speak, read and write English and French.
  • Previous experience of managing teams
  • Strong understanding and first-hand experience of effective and values-based partnership work between northern and southern organisations and communities.
  • Proven experience of managing and delivering both humanitarian and development programmes through partner organisations
  • Previous experience of working in different complex emergency settings across different countries in the region.
  • Strong understanding of key country/sub-regional political, economic, developmental and humanitarian trends in DRC.
  • Strong understanding and experience of institutional funding priorities in the country/ region, trends and donor conditions. Proven ability to build effective donor relationships.
  • Experience of managing NGO office/sub office settings at country or regional level
  • Knowledge and first hand experience of strategic risk management, mitigation and escalation.
  • Proven experience of security management.
  • Strong financial management skills and experience. Experience of proposal development
  • Good analytical skills, skills in review of documents and report writing.
  • Understanding of approaches to ensure accountability programme work towards intended beneficiary communities and commitment to CHS
  • Experience of Cash based Programming
  • Sound understanding of humanitarian policy and best practice (e.g. LEGS, SPHERE, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct, CHS)
  • Ability and willingness to travel for approximately 12 weeks per year, sometimes at short notice and to areas of potential risk.

 

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

 

To read and apply, please visit the CAFOD Website to complete the online application form.



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