Cash Coordinator – NEWCAP Consortium 18 views0 applications

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) provides essential support to refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide, offering life-saving assistance during the initial stages of displacement crises and supporting transitional and long-term solutions in prolonged displacement situations. We continuously advocate for the rights of those affected by displacement and work to empower them. Our efforts extend across conflict-affected regions, along displacement routes, and in areas where refugees and IDPs settle. By collaborating with local actors and systems, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions to displacement.

Founded in Denmark in 1956, DRC has grown into an international humanitarian organization with over 7,000 staff members and 8,000 volunteers. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and operating in forty countries, DRC is a non-profit, politically independent, non-governmental, and non-denominational organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced individuals. Our work is guided by our core values: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Background

A country of around 230M inhabitants, with over 129 million currently living in poverty, Nigeria faces one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises in the world. The fifteen-year conflict in the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, driven primarily by the Boko Haram insurgency and its splinter groups (ISWAP and JAS), has resulted in widespread displacement, violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and acute protection needs. More than 2.3 million people remain internally displaced in the northeast, while in the Northwest region an additional 1.3M people have been forcibly displaced due to banditry, kidnapping, and herders -farmers conflict. Northern Nigeria is heavily impacted by climate change, including lengthening lean seasons and erratic rainy seasons and droughts, resulting in food production shortfalls and more population displacements. Severe acute malnutrition is affecting a world-high total of 1.8 million children across BAY and northwestern states.

DRC has been operating in Nigeria since 2016. The Country Office is in Abuja and there are 2 area offices in Maiduguri and Sokoto with sub offices in Gusau, Bama and Banki.

The Cash and RRM Consortium is led by DRC and composed of Solidarités International, Impact Initiatives, and three National Partners. The Consortium aims to provide integrated life-saving assistance to address food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and build resilience among conflict and climate-affected populations in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria. It uses unconditional cash transfers to address immediate basic needs, improve food security, and reduce reliance on harmful coping strategies. Complementary services such as Protection, WASH and referrals for Nutrition and Health assistance ensure a holistic approach, especially in areas with rising malnutrition cases. The programme strengthens sector-wide coordination through support for coordination structures, collaboration with stakeholders, and monitoring economic trends and markets. It is supported by a centralized, interoperable information management system that facilitates data sharing and coordination among the humanitarian community.

The Consortium Management Unit will be composed of a Chief-of-Party, Cash Coordinator, Grants and Communications Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Finance and Administration Coordinator, and an IM Specialist.

Purpose

The Consortium Cash Coordinator provides overall technical oversight, leadership and coordination to the Nigeria Cash and RRM Consortium as part of its Consortium Management Unit (CMU). The Coordinator’s technical oversight, leadership, and coordination revolve specifically around its Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) activities. While leading the technical work of the Consortium and supporting the partners, the Coordinator will specifically ensure good Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) practices are in place and aligned with the market, that food security is supported by MPCA, and whenever feasible ensure that the projects promote financial inclusion and linkages with social protection system in Nigeria.

The Cash Coordinator has the overall responsibility for designing, coordinating, supporting Consortium’s programme in Nigeria and for providing technical guidance to CMU and Consortium partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Oversight

• Lead the Consortium Cash Technical Working Group on a regular basis, including organisation and reporting
• Provide technical leadership and regular support and guidance to Coordinators/Specialists, and other relevant staff of partners, in both a structured manner and on a case-by-case basis
• Ensure coordination with other sectors within the consortium to ensure timely and safe referral and access to complementary services
• Lead development, harmonization, trainings, and roll out of SOPs, tools and guidelines for projects, in a coordinated manner with partners. Collect and received feedback from the consortium partners on regular basis and make adjustment to SOPs and other program tools when required
• Lead on the development of selection criteria and identification process, and oversee compliance to agreed standards and guidelines
• Ensure compliance with Consortium and DRC quality standards and procedures and alignment with the Consortium’s strategy and minimum standards of DRC’s economic recovery, proactively identifying risks and mitigation strategies
• Coordinate with sector colleagues at DRC RO and HQ levels as appropriate about relevant strategic and technical directions
• Coordinate with external stakeholders for referral from and to the consortium for the MPCA component
• Complete regular field visits (North-East and North-West) to partners to ensure technical oversight, capacity building and support, identify needs, and ensure quality programming
• Promote learning, innovation and evidence generation related to MPCA and CVA approaches within the consortium.

Programme Development

• Lead design of project proposals (with associated budgets, recommendations, and indicators) in coordination with Partners, Chief of Party, MEAL, IM, and Grants
• Lead on developing assessments, including market system assessments, to inform evidence-based planning and implementation and ensure that all interventions are informed by market conditions
• Conduct and update on a regular basis a risk assessment and analysis
• Support the identification, evaluation and selection and FSP
• Contribute to map donor priorities in line with Consortium strategy
• Provide technical leadership and review of all proposals and reports, and other relevant sector-specific donor communications
• Contribute to project review meetings and contribute to other program review meetings as necessary (Grant Opening, Review, & Close Out Meetings)
• Lead periodic MPCA component programmatic and technical review and incorporate learning and recommendations into SOPs, guidelines and other programme’s documents.
• Technical advice on sector-related budget development and/or realignments, in coordination with Partners and other CMU staff.

Quality Assurance

• Oversight of overall programme implementation progress and quality; identification, resolution and/or escalation of issues;
• Work with CMU MEAL and IM, as well as IMPACT MEAL, to develop harmonized tools and databases to monitor and track efficiency and quality of programming and improve information management within the partners focal points
• Ensure that information and analysis from programme monitoring (including PDM, market and FSP monitoring, etc.) and CFM are taken into consideration for timely programme adjustments
• Work closely with MEAL in design, implementation, and evaluation of sector-level programming
• Coordinate with MEAL and IM to ensure accountability mechanisms are established for programming
• Capture best practices and lessons learned from the monitoring and evaluation results and analysis, and use them to enhance programme quality, effectiveness, and efficiency
• Ensure strong information management and use of databases for information management and reporting, in coordination with IM and MEAL staff
• Provide and support technical supervision or mentoring to consortium technical staff or partner focal points

Coordination and Donor Engagement

• Coordinate closely with the Cash Working Group for the harmonisation of registration tools and referral pathways across Cash actors
• Participation in relevant MPCA/CVA and food security coordination fora, working groups/strategic advisory groups, and any other relevant fora to represent Consortium and its mandate
• Act as the main technical-level point with donors, as instructed by the Chief of Party
• Support donor visits to the field
• Proactively engage in coordination with partners, but also with other local and international NGOs as well as with international public organizations to refine, expand and strengthen the Consortium’s referral and information assistance and partner networks whilst seeking new partnerships
• Report issues and challenges to the donor in a timely manner, in coordination with the Chief of Party
• Support the technical governance of the consortium, ensuring transparent decision-making processes and consensus-building among partners on MPCA strategy, tools and operational approaches

Other

• Ensure adherence to DRC’s Age, Gender, and Diversity policy and AGD programmatic minimum standards.
• Ensure compliance with zero-tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy.
• Ensure compliance with DRC guidelines and policies on HR, admin, finance, and supply.
• Perform other relevant tasks as requested by and in discussion with the Chief of Party
• Support to Identify and mitigate fraud, diversion and operational risks related to cash programming

Experience and technical competencies:

• Proven experience of at least 7 years in CVA (including MPCA), Livelihoods, Economic Recovery, Food Security, in a complex humanitarian context;
• Minimum 5 years managing or designing livelihoods and CVA programming (including with consortia).
• Strong communication and analytical skills, including demonstrated capacity to lead/design research and innovation in the sector.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of the conflict /economic environment of Nigeria;
• Sound understanding of humanitarian architecture and experience with representation in a cluster or working group;
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability;
• Experience coordinating with diverse teams and providing technical guidance and training;
• Able to manage high workload and deadlines in an efficient and timely manner;
• Able to manage stress and be flexible.
• Previous experience in Nigeria, particularly coordinating with Financial Service Providers to ensure efficient, secure and accountable cash delivery mechanisms, will be an advantage

Education

• Master’s degree in development, humanitarian affairs, social sciences, or a related field is desired.
• If Bachelor’s in the relevant field, an additional 5 years of humanitarian work experience is required.

Languages:

• Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential.

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• CMU
• DRC HQ Economic Recovery
• Technical specialists/coordinators in partner organizations
• Cash Working Group
• Donors

General regulations

• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality, and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization.
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC.
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization.
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request.
• Employee shall respect beneficiaries and partners rights and dignity.