Grants Coordinator (Cash and Livelihoods Consortium for Iraq, CLCI) At Norwegian Refugee Council

NRC In Iraq

Since the Government of Iraq declared that combat operations against the Islamic State Group (IS) had ended in 2017, Iraq has been recovering from the significant damage and destruction caused by the armed conflict. Of the more than six million Iraqis who fled their homes since 2014, 4.78 million Iraqis have returned to their area of origin and 1.28 million remain internally displaced. Many Iraqis have returned to areas that lack basic infrastructure, services and livelihood opportunities, or where explosive devices have not been cleared. Other challenges returnees and secondarily displaced people face include the lack of security, community acceptance, housing, property and civil documentation issues as well as critical educational and health service gaps. Throughout this, Iraq continues to host over a quarter of a million Syrian refugees.

The Humanitarian Community calculates that more than 4.1 million Iraqis require assistance in 2021, 2.4 million of them in acute need. With military operations against IS group having ended, the Iraqi government faces new challenges to ensure an inclusive reconstruction and reconciliation that will sustain peace. Since 2010, NRC Iraq has been assisting internally displaced Iraqis, Syrian refugees, returnees, and host communities in Ninewa, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Basra, Salahdeen and Anbar Governorates. We focus on assisting the newly displaced, those experiencing protracted displacement in camps, people moving to new areas of Iraq and resettling, and people returning to and living in hard-to-reach places by improving their chance of obtaining a durable solution. NRC runs integrated programmes across Iraq to respond to people in need through our shelter and settlements, education, camp management, legal assistance, livelihoods, cash activities, and partnerships.

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Duties and responsibilities

About the Cash and Livelihoods Consortium for Iraq (CLCI): The CLCI, previously known as the Cash Consortium for Iraq, is a multi-donor, multi-program partnership that has implemented over $160,000,000 USD in humanitarian and recovery funding since its formation in 2015. The CLCI is comprised of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Oxfam and Mercy Corps as lead. The CLCI focuses on harmonised implementation at scale to meet basic needs and support the self-reliance of vulnerable populations with cash- and market-based livelihoods approaches.

The CLCI Grants Coordinator is hired by NRC and seconded to Mercy Corps as a member of the CLCI Management Unit. The purpose of the CLCI Grants Coordinator position is to provide essential oversight and coordination of all reporting, proposal development, and communication tasks for the Cash and Livelihoods Consortium for Iraq (CLCI). S/he will receive and review report inputs from CLCI partners and prepare high quality and timely consolidated donor reports, lead multi-partner proposal development and ensure consistent application of the CLCI visual brand guide on internal and external communication products. S/he will assist the CLCI Director with other reporting activities including: responding to information requests, writing success stories, and monitoring and reporting on program impact. S/he will take up other duties as assigned by the CLCI Director including leading specific program quality initiatives. S/he will coordinate with donors, partners, other NGOs and other stakeholders in humanitarian/durable solutions coordination (including clusters, multilaterals and ad hoc working groups) as required by the CLCI Director and will attend/facilitate key coordination meetings and support information sharing across partners.

Generic responsibilities:

Adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
Develop and maintain overview of all grants, donor requirements, rules and regulations, and internal and external deadlines, including filing of grant documents (including through the grants database – forthcoming).
Coordinate the development of donor applications and reports, as well as ensuring donor compliance and quality control.
Contribute to the development and revision of funding proposals, budgets and donor reports
Be updated on donor priorities and track and share relevant calls for proposals.
Document, analyze, and share learning from proposal and reporting process, and compliance with donor rules and regulations.

Specific responsibilities:

Documentation and Reporting

Maintain consortium-level reporting and information management tools including report pipeline, distribution trackers and other tools as required to meet consortium needs.
Manage sub-grant recipient reporting processes including preparing and providing templates, receiving and reviewing partner inputs and providing approval of final materials.
Engage with CLCI Management Unit team members and grant holder headquarters to prepare consortium-level donor report material and consolidate partner inputs, ensuring all reporting requirements are delivered on time and in a quality manner.
Ensure quality of program writing, including program activity plans, reports and informal updates.
Schedule and lead various CLCI coordination meetings as needed; ensure meeting minutes are documented and filed.
When appropriate, develop and release public communications.
Engage with CLCI Management Unit teams (Finance, MEAL, Research & Advocacy, grant holder headquarters) and with CLCI partners in the development of proposals, reports, success stories, briefs, grant/sub-grant maintenance and other tasks as assigned by the CLCI Director.
Support the CLCI Director during communication with current consortium donors on project and context updates, leading donor relationship management when assigned.

Program Quality

Support the CLCI Director in developing and managing project consolidation tools for use by the CLCI and Steering Committee for decision-making, including regular progress reports and key program highlights/ issues.
Lead project modifications including no-cost extensions, budget realignments, target revisions or concurrence requests when required, in consultation with the CLCI Director.
Maintain program files and ensure key materials are correctly filed.
Lead consortium-level project cycle meetings including Grant Kick Off for new awards and additional meetings as required by the project.
Ensure that partners are aware of requirements and conditions of grant agreements and contracts and provide guidance on both when requested by CLCI partners.
Ensure that grant coordination systems and processes are successfully implemented across the life of the grant.
Ensure that key controls are in place to support effective management of the funding portfolio and compliance with the donor requirements.
Ensure consistent application of the CLCI visual brand guide on internal and external communication products.
Visit CLCI partner programming field sites on regular basis.
Lead specific program quality initiatives as assigned by the CLCI Director.

Program Development

Develop and maintain awareness/mapping of humanitarian/durable solutions financing in Iraq and in consultation with CLCI Director and Steering Committee identify and prioritize CLCI funding prospects.
Support the CLCI Director with necessary information for Steering Committee Go-No Go discussions of funding opportunities by reviewing and summarizing RFPs and other call information.
Lead multi-partner proposal development processes including through clear communication on timelines, inputs and review schedules.
Receive and review partner proposal inputs (including budgets and workplans), acting as lead writer for consortium-level inputs and overall proposal consolidation.
Facilitate participation of CLCI Management Unit team members in proposal development processes on matters of strategic design, use of evidence and CLCI data.
Serve as focal point with proposal lead agency headquarters on review and final submission of funding opportunities.
Support the CLCI Director with the development of unsolicited strategic concept materials based on specific donor priorities.
Support the CLCI Director and Steering Committee during engagement and cultivation of CLCI funding prospects, leading cultivation of specific funders as assigned by the CLCI Director.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

NRC Grants Manager
NRC Grants Coordinators
CLCI Director
CLCI Management Unit team members

Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

Required Professional Competencies:

Bachelor degree or equivalent in related field, including public relations, journalism, and international affairs or commensurate field experience; Masters preferred.
Proven experience in program development, management, fundraising, and design – including in a consortium setting – with at least 3 years of relevant experience;
1- 2 years international development experience preferred, preferably with refugee/IDP-related emergencies;
Knowledge of the political situation in Iraq;
Previous experience in the compilation of donor proposals and reports, and familiarity with US and EU donors preferred, with special attention to reporting requirements;
Strong analytical skills (data and financial);

Required Behavioural Competencies:

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies and the following are essential for this position:

Planning and delivering results
Working with people
Managing resources to optimize results
Communicating with impact and respect
Analyzing
Handling insecure environments

Context/Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

Good communication and interpersonal skills
Strong organizational and team working skills
Good cultural awareness and sensitivity
Highly approachable, trustworthy and confidential
Fluency in English, both written and verbal
Demonstrated effectiveness in communicating program objectives to a wide audience required
Ability to represent the CLCI to international donors, government officials, local groups and community members is essential.

Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews: