The IRC opened its offices in Burundi in 1996 and initially focused on life saving interventions and provision of immediate assistance to refugees and IDPs. IRC Burundi now focuses on post-conflict-oriented interventions in order to support the country’s transition to lasting peace and stability.
IRC Burundi has had a vibrant post-conflict program encompassing prevention and response to Gender Based Violence, Child Protection, Social Cohesion, Protection and Rule of Law, Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) as well as Environmental Health. Clients are vulnerable and marginalized populations, including refugees, IDPs, repatriates and other vulnerable categories such as women, children, and youth. IRC works with the Burundian Government, local and international partners to increase the protection, economic empowerment and social cohesion of these groups. The IRC has its main office in Bujumbura, serving not only as headquarters but also the base for programs in Bujumbura Rural. Field offices are located in Gitega, Muyinga and Ruyigi.
Scope of work
The Integrated Protection Coordinator (IPC) will have overall responsibility to supervise and support the Protection program teams composed of Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Rule of Law (PRoL) and social cohesion projects. S/he will ensure program results delivery, quality, and impact, sustainability. This includes PRoL, GBV inter-agency coordination, systems strengthening, capacity sharing/building with local actors, quality assurance, Community Engagement and reporting and monitoring.
The IPC will provide all technical and managerial leadership to the Protection program teams in all the program locations. The IPC will be based in Bujumbura and will travel to the field sites S/he will directly report to the Deputy Director for Programs. She/he will line manage and interact and communicate with the WPE, PRoL, Senior Manager Project Head focal points supporting the program.
The IPC will oversee implementation of the Protection strategy of IRC Burundi Country Program. S/he will contribute to context analysis, clients consultations to inform program design need assessments, collaborate with Technical Advisers for technical assistance and will ensure the adherence of IRC BDI programming to IRC global strategy, country strategic action plan, the Outcome Evidence-based Framework (OEF) as well as the Theory of Change (ToC) and other Protection related standards recognized by the IRC.
In addition, s/he will represent the IRC at various Protection coordination fora including but not limited to Protection Coordination fora, coordination meetings with Line Ministries and other relevant.
Key responsibilities
Program Strategy
• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to Protection programming in Burundi, ensuring it is based on evidence, client centered, context-appropriate and conflict-sensitive, responsive, coherent, collaborative, and operationally feasible.
• Design and lead assessments or research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC protection programming, as well as informing IRC advocacy.
• Contribute to program development and design, to ensure interventions are responsive to needs and informed by a sound understanding of the context.
• Proactively continue to grow the Burundi protection portfolio of each of the protection sectors through development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors.
Program implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Support the implementation of IRC BDI Strategic Action Plan
• Ensure that all activities in the protection sector are of good quality, evidence-based and consistent with established policies, recognized standards and best practices.
• Follow the IRC promoted Program Cycle Management.
• Work closely with other sectors to contribute to program integration that respond to clients multiple needs, share learning and maximize the impact of interventions.
• Supervise Protection teams and oversee implementation of Protection activities while extending technical support and supervision to IRC Protection local partners.
• With support from the Monitoring, Evaluation unit, the Regional Measurement Advisor as well as VPRU Technical Advisors, coordinate the design and implementation of sound monitoring and evaluation plan for protection interventions.
• Ensure that programs are continuously adapted to optimize quality and impact levels based on information drawn from data analysis and clients feedback through established mechanisms.
• Enable collaboration between program teams and operation teams (finance, supply chain, human resources and security) to ensure support departments provide timely support to program implementation and program teams adhere to IRC operational policies and procedures.
• Support Protection field team to identify and resolve program implementation challenges proactively.
• Ensure Protection program activities and expenditure are timely executed, and any anticipated delays are communicated to donors with support from Grants & Partnerships Coordinator.
• Work with M&E team and program teams to design robust monitoring and reporting tools, and ensure all monitoring activities are fully documented, including systematic and timely data collection and reporting as required by the donor and for IRC M&E purposes
• The incumbent will also ensure program adaptations to COVID-19 are updated and successfully implemented. He/she will support other program coordinators to adapt their program activities to COVID-19.
Grants Management
• In collaboration with program, finance, HR and Supply Chain departments, ensure smooth design, management, implementation, integration and compliance of project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, spending plans, procurement plans and expenditure), with best use of resources across activities and delivering on time, to scope and within budget.
• Through direct liaison with the Supply Chain Coordinator, oversee timely procurement of supplies and materials in compliance with donor and IRC rules and regulations through timely planning, specifications development and collaborative relations with Supply Chain colleagues. This will be led by PRoL and WPE managers.
• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time.
• Ensure grants are implemented with strong coordination and ongoing feedback from the community throughout the project cycle, including women and girls, older persons, persons living with disabilities and children.
Staff Management & Development
• Mentor, coach and promote learning program managers to enable them to independently run program activities with minimum support.
• Ensure that Protection staff are supported to learn, and to work effectively and efficiently as part of the country team.
• In collaboration with HR Department, manage the leave of Protection program staff to ensure adequate human resources are available to implement activities of the program.
• Recruit, supervise and develop the team and individuals needed to achieve program goals and maximize national ownership and leadership.
• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance, and ensure that capacity development plans are in place for all protection teams.
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented annual and mid-year performance reviews.
• Provide constructive feedback and effective management to direct reports and empower them to manage their teams by ensuring HR policies are rolled out and enforced.
Reporting
• Review all reports prepared by field staff and provide appropriate comments to ensure good quality reports.
• Provide in timely fashion IRC and donor reports, including lessons learned, and respond to any questions from Grants & Partnerships Coordinator to meet high level quality reports.
• Ensure projects deliverables and activities are of high quality, meet humanitarian standards, mainstream protection, align with IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework, and respond to community and monitoring feedback
• Liaise with PRoL,WPE Technical Unit advisors to ensure relevant support, tools and resources are being provided and integrated into programming.
• Lead on the implementation and review of the Integrated Protection strategy to ensure programming reflects standards for best practice and quality and modalities of integration and joint work remain context and need-appropriate.
• Proactively identify, assess, monitor and implement measures to reduce or control risks that may impact program delivery, quality or compliance
• Work closely with the Technical Advisers to promote joint work across all protection teams to enhance the quality of each programming and a holistic approach to addressing safety risks.
• Develop, update and ensure quality implementation of internal Standard Operating Procedures for protection programming, in strong consultation with managers, Technical Advisers, and field teams.
Budget management
• Responsible for developing program budgets, purchase and spending plans, in collaboration with program managers.
• Review in a participatory manner the budget and actual expenses on a monthly basis.
• Ensure the supporting financial documents provided by program staff are of high quality and timely submitted to Finance department.
• Coordinate with program managers, field coordinators and finance department in Bujumbura to ensure the field teams have enough and on time financial resources to implement Protection program activities.
• Contribute to the budget forecast, and submit monthly salary allocations to HR and Finance
Representation and network
• Represents the IRC before local communities, government institutions, international agencies, local partners and donors and in Protection fora.
• Network with his/her counterpart in other INGOs to assess areas of collaboration and mutual learning.
Requirements
• BA/BS Degree in community development, social work, international development, law, human rights, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years professional experience in managing protection programs (Women’s Protection / GBV, Child Protection, General Protection and/or Access to Justice) in humanitarian or mixed humanitarian-development settings; for this role.
• Strong program/technical, project management and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Demonstrated experience writing proposals and working with major institutional donors (mainly UN agencies and European Union donors)
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties.
• INGO experience required; experience working with the interagency coordination mechanisms desirable.
• Must be capable of applying their skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, advisory functions, training and the transfer of technical knowledge and management skills to others.
• Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Fluency in French compulsory
• Excellent command of English (written and oral).
Key working relationships
Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Programs
Position directly supervises: WPE Manager, PRoL Manager, Social Cohesion Sr Manager.
Other internal contacts: Country Director, Grants, M&E, Finance, HR, Supply chain, Grants Coordinator, M&E Coordinator, HR Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Finance Controller, Economic Recovery and Development Coordinator, Field Managers, and Finance Deputy Director.
External: Protection Working Group, peer and partner agencies, donors.
At IRC – we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits.
National applications as well as female applications are strongly encouraged.
How to apply
https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/27538?c=rescue