With headquarters in Goma and field offices in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut Katanga and Tanganyika, the IRC is one of the largest humanitarian actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The IRC aims to save lives, to strengthen Congolese institutions and to reinforce social cohesion through carefully designed and professionally implemented programs. The IRC has been working in the DRC since 1996 and currently operates in five core programming areas – primary health care, community-driven reconstruction and local governance, women’s empowerment and the prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, education, and emergency preparedness and response. These programs reflect IRC’s guiding principles of capacity-building; participation; partnership; protection and promotion of human rights; and holistic programming.
The IRC DRC country program will develop its new ‘Strategy 100’ strategic plan in 2021, through which we aim to provide the best possible impact for some of the most vulnerable boys, girls, women, and men affected by the humanitarian crises. In all that we do, we strive to deliver through IRC’s core values of Integrity, Accountability, Service and Equality. This new role is at the heart of that challenge.
Job Overview/Summary:
The Compliance Coordinator will support the Country Director and senior staff to oversee ethics and compliance related functions across the country program. The core purpose of the role is:
To support and promote an ethical and compliant work environment within the DRC Country Program, through proactive prevention initiatives to raise awareness and promote behaviors consistent with IRC’s Code of Conduct; and to provide timely review of alleged wrongdoing inconsistent with IRC values and policies under the supervision of the ECU Investigation team.
The role will have a range of responsibilities, all aimed to promote a culture of integrity, ethics and compliance in the behavior of staff, incentive workers and volunteers and to coordinate consistent and effective follow up as needed when there are allegations of misconduct. The Compliance Coordinator is responsible for providing guidance, facilitating, and supporting the compliance of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) DRC country program and the implementing partners to local laws, IRC policies and procedures and donor guidelines, regulations, and contractual commitments.
Major Responsibilities:
1. Prevention: Create a safe and compliant environment
• In coordination with and under the guidance and direction of the Country Director and the Global Ethics and Compliance Unit (ECU), act as focal point for the local integration of IRC Organizational Policies and co-ordinate a training and awareness program for staff on ethics and compliance issues.
• Ensure compliance to applicable Congolese laws and donor guidelines and regulations governing grants.
• Participate in project opening, review and closure meetings for key donor grants. In close collaboration with the Grants team, lead the compliance section of project opening meetings and subsequently as required.
• Conduct compliance reviews as appropriate, prepare reports for the SMT and ensure that recommendations are implemented.
• Follow up with Department Heads and budget holders in ensuring timely response to compliance audit requirements and recommendation.
• Partnership management –Review the partners’ agreements or contracts, ensuring compliance to IRC policies and procedures.
• Provide on needs basis, capacity building and trainings to partners or sub recipients on contract compliance issues, and risk identification & management.
• Actively monitor the status of mitigation measures to be implemented by the Country Program related to its Enterprise Risk Management
• Using a range of innovative strategies promote a culture of ethical and compliant behaviors across all field bases, offices, and areas of operation.
• Promote a culture of reporting on ethics and compliance concerns, providing appropriate feedback to staff, partners, and complainants, working closely to ensure support and follow up is provided.
2. Misconduct Allegations and Investigations
• Work with IRC’s global Ethics and Compliance Unit (ECU) and Country leadership, to ensure that staff and partners are aware of the IRC’s reporting mechanisms.
• Provide timely support to the ECU on investigations as appropriate, in accordance with the IRC’s investigations process.
• Contribute to investigations on a case-by-case basis under the guidance of ECU (Sr Director of Investigations). This may include the following:
o By agreement and in conjunction with ECU, support or undertake investigations of breaches of IRC Way including alleged fraud, waste, financial corruption, and safeguarding misconduct while ensuring objectivity, impartiality, and fairness throughout the investigative processes in accordance with generally recognized international investigative standards, and IRC Investigation Guidelines.
o Prepare investigation reports (in English) and ad hoc briefs pertaining to investigations in coordination with ECU.
o Liaise with ECU to ensure identification of impacted donors on allegations of misconduct.
o Undertake investigation assignments in the local area at the direction, and in coordination, with ECU, keeping country and regional management informed, when appropriate, consistent with any investigation confidentiality constraints
3. Other
• Work in collaboration with and support the Monitoring and Evaluation/ Client Feedback team on client responsiveness, ensuring any issues are escalated from the client responsiveness mechanisms to the CD/ECU when appropriate.
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation / Client Feedback senior staff to roll out training to all Client Feedback staff to ensure clear understanding of what to escalate and how to do so
• Perform other tasks as requested by the CD as required.
Job Requirements
• Experience within NGOs or in the development / humanitarian sector, with knowledge of donor rules and regulation.
• Strong planning, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent analytical, presentation, and reporting skills.
• Ability to respond to changing priorities.
• Ability to work independently on own initiative
• Excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing, in English and French, with local languages a plus.
• Evidence of successful experience in compiling and conducting training workshops.
• Excellent IT skills in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel.
• Strong commitment to IRC’s mission, purpose, and values.
Specific Security Situation/Housing
Goma is security phase 3 (ORANGE) so the DDO will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country. Phase 3 requires clear contingency planning in place with staff prepared should hibernation or evacuation be called.
Standard of Professional Conduct: IRC and IRC employees are required to abide by the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way Code of Conduct which are Integrity, Equality, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and implements policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.
Safeguarding: Strictly adhere to IRC’s Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy and all other policies, including those relating to security and fraud prevention. In accordance with Safeguarding, IRC operates and implements policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honours the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, 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.
Female candidates are strongly encouraged. Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Returning National Candidates: IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.
CVs to be submitted in English or French
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employees.
How to apply
https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/19983?c=rescue