Livelihoods Adviser 64 views0 applications

Concern Worldwide has been working in DRC since 1994. We are now one of the leading humanitarian organisations operating in DRC, implementing national rapid response, livelihoods, WASH and nutrition programmes. The Livelihoods Adviser role presents an exciting opportunity to support the development of Concern’s existing and new Livelihoods programmes for DRC and ensure that they are implemented to the highest quality.

About the role: This is a 12-month role with unaccompanied terms based in Goma with 50% travel to other project locations with a salary of Band 4 (€45,457 – €50,509).

You will report to the Programme Director and will work directly with Concern’s DRC Food Security and Livelihoods Programme Managers and Officers. You will also liaise closely with the Livelihoods Coordinator for the EAST Consortium, other in-country advisers (Protection, Gender and WASH), the Emergency Director, Area Coordinators, Programme Coordinators, Programme Quality and Development Team, and others. While you will not directly manage any role, you will be instrumental in building the capacity of Livelihoods Programme Managers. You will be overall technical coordinator on all food security and livelihoods activities for Concern DRC and will liaise with Head Office technical Advisers (Agriculture, Climate Change Adaptation, Social Protection and Safety Nets, Cash and Markets, etc.).

We would like you to start as soon as possible.

Your purpose:

The Livelihoods Adviser provides technical support to all Concern’s Livelihoods and Resilience projects in DRC, from rapid humanitarian response to longer-term development programming. This includes the provision of strategic oversight for the sector, while building systems and capacities that can continue the quality work without permanent oversight. The postholder will also play an active role in coordinating Concern’s Graduation Programmes, which focus on livelihoods support and include activities designed to graduate people out of poverty: cash transfers, skills training, literacy and gender trainings, WASH activities and market gardening activities.

The Livelihoods Adviser will liaise with colleagues across the organisation to build the knowledge and capacity of in-country staff, increase the quality of our livelihoods programmes and multipurpose cash interventions, and optimise learning and capitalization across programmes and with Head Office. The postholder will contribute actively to Concern’s fundraising strategy in country, representing the organisation externally as needed and developing strategies and communication material to increase visibility of our programmes in country. S/he will coach the programme teams and provide supervision and guidance for programme development and implementation, training the teams on technical subjects as necessary.

In this role, you will:

Technical support and coordination

• In collaboration with programme staff and the senior management team, lead on the ongoing roll out and implementation of Concern DRC’s livelihoods strategy, with a particular focus on the Graduation approach, ensuring that programme activities are in line with government strategy, organizational goals and resources.
• Enhance programme quality and ensure the harmonisation of approaches across programme by overseeing accurate application of approved livelihoods technical approaches and methods and by offering recommendations for innovative Food security and Livelihoods approaches relevant to the context of DRC and in particular the transition from humanitarian action to resilience and longer-term development interventions (DRR, Climate-Smart Agriculture etc).
• Provide technical support to Graduation programme staff on an ongoing basis with regular visits to the projects sites to address progress, programme quality and assist field staff as required.
• Ensure capitalization and programs harmonization will be one of your main objective.
• Provide technical support to teams implementing Multipurpose Cash interventions (market evaluations, supplier selection and management, participation in cash working group).
• Support staff in the preparation of regular project progress reports as required for donors and other internal and external bodies, ensuring accuracy and technical quality.
• Participate in and contribute to contextual analysis.
• Assist in the development of technical briefing papers, concept notes and high quality proposals that are in line with Concern and sector strategies and meet donor requirements.
• Participate in any multi sectoral emergency assessments and responses carried out by Concern country programme as directed by the line manager.
• Ensure that cross-cutting and mainstreaming issues (gender & equality, inclusion, protection, accountability, environment, as well as HIV and AIDs and conflict where relevant) are factored into programme design and delivery, reviews and evaluations.
• Enhance collaboration with other technical departments to support integrated resilience programming and improve impact

Advocacy, Communications and Visibility

• Participate proactively in relevant Clusters and working group meetings, and engage with International NGOs, UN agencies, Ministries and other key actors within the sector, building on existing and developing networks.
• Actively liaise and seek opportunities for collaboration, coordination and learning with other technical and financial partners in DRC.
• Promote consultation and interaction with Concern’s head office Advisers as well as with Livelihoods Programme Managers and Advisers from other institutions and organizations in DRC on emerging sectoral trends and best practices.
• Coordinate advocacy, communication and visibility activities of Concern’s livelihoods projects in DRC, in line with relevant donors’ communication and visibility guidelines.
• Collaborate with the Programme Development Coordinator and Communication Officer to produce briefing papers and other publications, coordinate approval with the appropriate stakeholders, and ensure wider dissemination to influence practice and policy and promote the work of Concern Worldwide
• Lead on the annual launch of the Global Hunger Index in country and participate in any other external strategic events and workshops as needed.

Project development, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Work closely with the M&E Manager and Programme Quality Coordinator to create technically sound monitoring and evaluation guidelines, frameworks and indicators for the projects, in line with donor-approved documents.
• In collaboration with the programme teams, support the M&E Manager to develop and implement robust systems for monitoring programme implementation and results.
• Support the M&E staff and Programme Managers in conducting baselines and assessments, including market surveys, post-distribution monitoring surveys, value chain studies and stakeholders’ analysis.
• Conduct monitoring support visits to programme areas where security permits to assess performance against agreed program objectives and indicators.
• Work with the Programme Development and Quality Team to identify and document programme learning, success cases, good practices and disseminate learning for both internal and external audiences as required.
• Participate and contribute actively to programme workshops, kick off and close out meetings, annual review meetings and other strategic events in country.
• Review donor reports and ensure they capture required level disaggregated data.

Capacity Building, human resources and supervision

• Provide technical support and coaching to livelihoods staff through calls, visits and close follow up and provide technical guidance to others partners
• Design a comprehensive capacity building strategy for programme staff by identifying training needs and implementing the development of a training plan and undertaking of identified trainings.
• Participate in the recruitment, induction and technical evaluation of in-country programme staff, as required. This includes supporting the preparation of job requisitions, job descriptions, terms of references, etc.

Other

• Participate country-level strategic planning initiatives and other duties as determined by line management.
• Adhere fully to the commitments and rules of Concern’s Programme Participant Protection Policy and Code of Conduct (P4 and CofC), including the respect of confidentiality.
• Undertake any other relevant and reasonable work as requested by line manager.
• Support the development and implementation of the country strategic plan in the context of the Food Security and Livelihoods sector priorities and needs.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

• Degree in Development Studies, Agriculture, Disaster Risk Reduction, or other related discipline.
• Proven experience (at least 5 years) in senior programme management and leadership positions within the Food Security and Livelihoods sector, working with national governments, INGOs, NGOs, CBOs, other civil society groups.
• Knowledge and experience of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strategies, Climate Smart Agriculture and climate change adaptation and resilience approaches.
• Knowledge and experience of cash-based interventions in complex crisis.
• Knowledge of participatory methods and data collection methodologies, including experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis of food security and livelihoods data.
• Thorough understanding of gender, equality and protection issues.
• Clear commitment to and experience with developing and coaching staff, combined with the ability to give direct actionable feedback.
• Strong coordination skills, both internal across programming sectors and support teams, and externally with implementing partners.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior representatives of donor, INGO and Government structures and to represent the organisation at national or international level for a.
• Knowledge of the key tools used by donor agencies, such as logical frame works, results chains, theories of change, results-based management and financial administration systems.
• Fluent in French and English, excellent written and spoken French language skills.
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage a high volume work flow.

Desirable:

• An understanding of accountability as applied within humanitarian and development programming; familiarity with the Core Humanitarian Standard and its application.
• Knowledge and experience of The Graduation Approach
• An understanding of programme participant protection policies and international humanitarian standards.
• Experience of working in the region.
• Experience of financial management and donor compliance processes.