Self Reliance and Durable Solutions Specialist at Norwegian Refugee Council

Background:

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 UN estimates that more than 4.1 million Iraqis will have needed assistance in 2020, 1.77 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 working towards greater self-reliance and durable solutions. 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. NRC has also provided ongoing support to the broader durable solutions architecture in Iraq; in particular, the Durable Solutions Technical Working Group (DSTWG), in order to promote a coordinated and collective effort in advancing solutions to displacement in the country.

Role and Responsibilities:

The Self-Reliance and Durable Solutions Specialist role will provide a range of advisory and technical support, and capacity building to NRC Iraq programme in relation to self-reliance & durable solutions programming, promote integrated programme approaches and integrated ways of working across Iraq. The position will spend approximately 30% of the time dedicated to the DSTWG co-chair position, ensuring effective coordination between humanitarian, development, and governmental stakeholders to operationalize programming and advance progress towards durable solutions.

Generic responsibilities:

Develop Reliance and Durable Solutions strategy, technical guidance and Macro Logical Framework Analysis (LFAs) that are aligned with regional and global strategies and priorities.
Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports
Identify trends technical standards and donor priorities.
Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within Reliance and Durable Solutions, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation.
Provide technical direction and project implementation support.
Ensure that key learnings are extracted from Reliance and Durable Solutions implementation, and incorporate them in Reliance and Durable Solutions and staff development processes.
Provide systematic training and build capacity of technical staff, in approaches including cash-based interventions and market based programme.
Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors.
Promote the rights of Internally Displaced People (IDPs)/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy.

Specific Responsibilities:

Internal NRC Responsibilities (70%)

Work closely with NRC’s Regional Head of Durable Solutions Unit on self-reliance and durable solutions programme development and implementation in Iraq to ensure alignment to regional and global priorities.
Act as the Country Office Integrated Programming focal point and support the development of area level integrated programme strategies, response plans and review of pilot initiatives and approaches.
Roll out of tools/training on self-reliance & durable solutions and integrated programing for NRC Iraq staff.
Develop resources and tools to ensure cross-cutting initiatives (i.e. self-reliance and durable solutions, integrated programming, Safe and Inclusive Programming) align with and reinforce one another throughout NRC Iraq’s programming.
Contribute to resource mobilization and fundraising to enable stronger self-reliance and durable solutions-aligned programming.
Support the senior management group on donor engagement strategies on self-reliance and durable solutions.
Lead on efforts to bring together research, programming, and advocacy to act with one voice on self- reliance and durable solutions in Iraq.
Support country management group in identification and utilization of programmatic synergies across CC/thematics, area offices and regular review of program management structures and functions (eg: core teams, foundation teams, integrated teams, etc.).
Work with NRC Area Offices to develop context-specific programming approaches to advance self- reliance and durable solutions.
Identify internal barriers and bottlenecks preventing integrated programming witin NRC structures and facilitate solution oriented discussions with regional and global leads.
Provide guidance for promoting a common understanding of self-reliance and durable solutions and integrated programming, particularly internal awareness raising for staff and decision makers to understand the investments needed.
Responsible for ensuring best practices are identified, documented and disseminated across COs and beyond.
Link with regional and global initiatives on Self-reliance, Durable Solutions and integrated programming including sharing of approaches, best pratices and lessons learned with other countries.

DSTW CO-chair Responsibilities 30%

Along with the other co-chairs, support basic functioning of the working group including helping in developing agendas, minutes, management of meetings, liaison with partners, drafting and reviewing overarching and framework documents, etc.
Work with existing technical working groups and entities, as required, for the development of DS programmes and approaches
Coordinate technical assistance to national and local authorities through capacity building or other related activities.
Collaborate with key NGO actors to ensure the interests and perspectives of NGOs are meaningfully included in national discussions related to durable solutions.
Facilitate collective monitoring of progress towards Area Based Coordination Group’s action plans, in support of resource mobilization, implementation, evidence-based and adaptive learning and advocacy.
Liason with external stakeholders, including donors, on behalf ot the DSTWG in coordination with other co-chairs.

Critical interfaces:

By critical interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons, but not under the position’s line management. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

Technical advice for coordination, programme development and quality support: Head of Regional Durable Solutions Unit, Global Integration Programme Adviser, CC Specialists, Area Program Managers, DSTWG, DSTF

Monitoring Evaluation and Accountability: M&E Manager

Capacity development: Area Programme Managers, Project Managers, CC Specialists, field-based programme staff, DSTWG partners

Scale and scope of position:

Staff:

N/A

Stakeholders:

External: DSTWG co-chairs (IOM and UNDP), DSTWG members including

clusters, national and governorate level stakeholders, Donors, Area Based Coordination leads

Internal: CC Specialists, M&E team, Area Programme Managers and Area Managers, Project Managers (primarily those working on Self-reliance and Durable Solutions and Integrated programmes)

Budgets:

N/A

Information:

GORS, assessment data and needs analysis, community accountability and

response mechanisms,

Legal /compliance:

N/A

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:

Professional competencies:

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic Professional Competencies

Advanced degree in relevant sector including humanitarian and/or development work.
Documented technical competences related to the position’s responsibilities, with a minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience in a similar role
Experience of developing, testing and implementing practical tools and resources to strengthen outcome orientated programming
Experience and expertise as technical advisor, specialist or demonstrated success moving forward a technical development area across levels of the organisation.
Experience of delivering learning and development as part of quality improvement and capacity building
Fluency in English, both written and verbal. Arabic language skills are an advantage.

Context related skills, Knowledge and Experience :

Experience with self-reliance and durable solutions programming and strategy development in the development/humanitarian field
Experience designing and implementing integrated programming approaches such as area-based approach, market-based approach, graduation approach, etc.
Experience developing materials and facilitating processes that inform new methods, solutions, or ideas for integrated solutions towards higher outcomes.
Skills to establish and facilitate mechanisms to ensure staff can work in a harmonised manner across teams and locations. Understanding of, and commitment to working collaboratively with technical and operational colleagues within a matrix structure, including capacity building
Experience with inter-agency coordination in the humanitarian sector, either through clusters or other seconded positions
Very strong analytical skills (experience in collecting and analyzing large quantities of data)
Experience in facilitating the capacity building efforts of diverse colleagues, including internal and external stakeholders

Behavioural competencies:

Strategic thinking
Analysing
Influencing
Empowering and building trust
Initiating action and change
Handling insecure environments

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: