Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Coordinator 214 views1 applications

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Vacancy Announcement: Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Coordinator

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to justice and fairness, StARS works as displaced people and for displaced people to respect human dignity and enhance quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: Displaced people lead in the creation and implementation of responses to different forms of migration to establish safe, just, welcoming, and inclusive communities globally.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Department Description: Community Outreach

The Community Outreach Department serves many purposes in maintaining contacts with both individual community members as well as the diverse array of Community-Based Organizations in the Greater Cairo area to improve refugee services in Egypt overall. The Community Outreach team is the main and central body for any new contact or visit, with staff members fully knowledgeable of the services provided by StARS in order to represent the organization as a whole. Community Outreach also improves coordination between StARS programs, especially when striking relationships with the same organization. Community Outreach collects vital data on each Community-Based Organization in the community and, in collaboration with the Community-Based Organizations and other StARS programs, determines what actions should be taken to meet the Community-Based Organizations’ needs.

The Community Outreach Department at Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services and the Community- Based Organizations’ Development Project

StARS’ Community Outreach Department works closely with Community-Based Organizations from all major refugee communities to enhance their self-reliance and develop their capacity to deliver direct services to vulnerable members of their communities. Since November 2018, the Community Outreach Department has worked to implement the Community-Based Organization Development Project. This unique and innovative project takes a holistic approach to building the operational and institutional capacity of Community Based Organizations. The initial Phase will conclude in November 2021 and a second phase will commence immediately. This project has already shown huge potential to change the landscape in a positive way for the majority of refugees and vulnerable migrants not just in Cairo, but potentially in urban refugee settings in other areas in the world. Over the next three years, Community Outreach will work intensively with 15 Community-Based Organizations in Greater Cairo to build strong structures, enhance the long-term sustainability of the organizations, and improve management and the skills of individuals serving the displaced population. The Community Based Organizations have already been supported to form a Network, in order to better represent and advocate for the needs of their communities. Community Outreach will continue to work with this network to increase their capacity to advocate with local actors, INGOs, and International Organizations.

Role: Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Coordinator

Under the supervision of the Director of Outreach, the Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Coordinator is responsible for:

Reporting/Programmatic duties

• Build capacity of community leaders on the fundamentals of advocacy, adapting the course as needed;

• Assist community leaders in applying advocacy tools and strategies to their advocacy efforts with donors, INGOs, and other major policy-makers, such as UNHCR;

• Oversee all activities related to the Community-Based Organization network, including, but not limited to:

– Follow the progress of the Network Sub-Committees and offer support when needed

– Provide advice and support to the Network Executive Committee when required

– Maintain a relationship with both the Network General Assembly and the Network Steering Committee

– Collaborate with the Network to review advocacy agendas

– Ensure the Network Constitution is being followed and the Network continues to grow and develop throughout the project

• Facilitate the flow of relevant information between Community-Based Organizations and StARS;

• Advocate with donors and others for greater involvement of refugees in decision-making and programming;

• Lead the Network Task Force team which facilitates a network of Community-Based Organizations and of networks including StARS and like-minded organizations;

• Coordinate community monitoring and information collection with refugee populations and challenges they are facing in Egypt, including gaps in protection and assistance programs;

• Externally represent StARS and community leaders in coordination spaces with other refugee service providing organizations;

• Provide reporting data to the Director and Deputy Director of Outreach as requested, in order to accurately report work to senior management, funders, and others;

• Other duties as assigned.

Supervision/Administration

• Communicate regularly with the Director of Outreach regarding tasks and priorities;

• Attend internal and external outreach meetings as appropriate;

• Supervise the Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Officer

• Undergo probation and regular performance appraisals;

• Maintain accurate HR records, including with respect to expenses as per StARS’ financial rules;

• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English;

• Diploma/undergraduate degree in an appropriate discipline;

• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with community leaders and members, one’s

• supervisor, other staff members, and external partners;

• Commitment to advancing refugees’ capacities and opportunities to advocate for themselves;

• Experience in designing and facilitating trainings;

• Experience in providing supervisory support

• Motivation to create internal and external networks of communication;

• Commitment to thinking critically and being proactive;

• Highly organized and able to manage multiple competing deadlines with confidence

• Punctual, reliable, responsible, and detail-oriented;

• Willingness to travel to refugee communities and centers as needed;

• Belief in and commitment to non-discrimination on the basis of gender, race, disability, and religious belief.

Preferred Requirements

• Fluency in another language spoken by refugee communities in Egypt;

• Experience working with and for refugees;

• Experience working with Community-Based Organizations or similar initiatives;

• Experience conducting advocacy, particularly to donors, NGOs, INGOs, and INGOs;

• Experience in community organizing;

• Experience working in a not-for-profit organization;

• Knowledge of the refugee context in Egypt;

• Knowledge of StARS’ programs.

Working Hours: The Community Outreach Policy and Advocacy Coordinator is expected to be at work for 40 hours per week, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, from Sunday to Thursday. Longer hours, evening and weekend work are sometimes necessary. Work will be conducted both in StARS premises and also in refugee communities and centers.

Supervised by: Director of Community Outreach Department

Salary: 9,850 EGP/month, rising to 10,850 EGP/month following successful completion three-month probationary period. Plus 4,020 EGP/year Health Coverage and 100 EGP/month Saving Scheme Contribution upon completion of probationary period.

Additional official benefits as stipulated in StARS Staff Handbook Guidelines.

This position is subject to a three-month probationary period, at which time the employee’s performance will be reviewed and probation may be extended.