LHIF Director At Acción contra el Hambre España

The Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum (LHIF) is an informal, independent coordinating body comprised of 72 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that are working to address the needs of vulnerable individuals, families, and communities throughout Lebanon. LHIF was formed in October 2012.

The purpose of LHIF is to facilitate our members’ work by efficiently and effectively addressing key issues of common interest. LHIF facilitates coordination among members by identifying strategic issues of concern, advocating for common positions with a unified and consistent voice, engaging and representing the forum with external stakeholders and sharing information. LHIF also facilitates the representation of INGOs in response leadership bodies and works to enhance the engagement of INGOs in response planning and coordination mechanisms at both Beirut and regional levels.

LHIF is represented by an elected Steering Committee and has been supported by a full-time Secretariat since October 2013. The Director will lead the LHIF secretariat, managing a team of three staff – Access and Operations Manager, Advocacy and Communications Manager, and Knowledge Management and Membership Coordinator. The forum is hosted by Action Against Hunger Spain (ACF).

The Director is responsible for facilitating, leading and quality managing the work of the INGO Forum ensuring it remains relevant to the needs of its members and is appropriate to the context. The Director provides strategic and technical guidance to the LHIF Steering Committee and Plenary, spearheads joint LHIF advocacy and operational initiatives, and ensures consistent LHIF engagement with response leadership and planning mechanisms. The Director leads the work and the team of the Secretariat and represents LHIF internally and externally as necessary to support lobbying with key donors, UN agencies and Government Representatives.

Objective 1: Strategic coordination and representation

– Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information sharing between INGOs and other stakeholders.

– Enable INGOs to coordinate at strategic and operational level in Lebanon by facilitating high quality, regular meetings of Country Directors, thematic and regional working groups, and ad hoc meetings that maximize the impact of INGO action in Lebanon. Ensure information flows, feedback, drafting of relevant agenda and timely follow up on action points.
– Encourage active and open dialogue between the LHIF Secretariat, LHIF Steering Committee and Country Director Group.
– Participate in important policy and planning processes underway at the UN and government level that require field level operational inputs from INGOs where needed.
– Provide a regular and reliable conduit for the UN, Government, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with NGOs.
– Support the coordination of visits of high-level evaluation missions, UN and NGO missions, researchers, donors, diplomats as required.
– Increase and enhance INGO engagement with national NGOs and civil society groups, including LHDF, to create potential coalitions around key thematic areas and to continue work on collective localization initiatives.
– Identify opportunities and strategies for further coordination with development and stabilization actors in Lebanon.

Objective 2: Senior level representation

– Actively represent INGO Forum members in senior humanitarian and development platforms like the Humanitarian Country Team, Lebanon Response Plan Steering Committee, and Lebanon Humanitarian Fund Advisory Board as well as working level meetings such as the Inter-Sector Coordination Group. Ensure the dissemination of high quality written and/or verbal feedback with members.

– Regularly network and represent the INGO community at high-level forums and bilateral meetings including with UN, Donors, Member States, military and government, and other representative bodies including outside of Lebanon at capital level.

– Work effectively with delegated representatives of the INGO Forum and ensure accountability to members.

– Represent INGO Forum members at global meetings and conferences and raise members’ advocacy messages and key priorities by participating in high level panel discussions, round tables and closed door meetings.

Objective 3: Information sharing, analysis, and best practice

– Act as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among NGOs on relevant issues

– Facilitate and offer regular analysis, with the support of LHIF secretariat members, on key thematic and operational issues impacting humanitarian, recovery and development responses and affected populations.

– Ensure timely response to requests for help and information from member organizations, non-member organizations and other stakeholders, such as donors, governments and UN agencies. Often this requires a high degree of coordination and the collection of sensitive information.

– Create feedback mechanisms, open learning channels, support pilot efforts for knowledge management, and ensure information flow between NGOs.

Objective 4 : Project management and human resources

– Manage the employees and functions of the LHIF secretariat – currently consisting of a Knowledge Management and Membership Coordinator, an Advocacy and Communications Manager, and an Access and Operations Manager.

– Manage consultants, researchers and other external support, as needed.

– Provide leadership and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage staff.

– Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; maintain updated job descriptions.

– Ensure high quality INGO Forum donor reporting and proposal development, as well as donor liaison on key areas of progress in collaboration with the Steering Committee and Host Agency.

– Report back to the Steering Committee and Country Director Group on project activity progress, expenditure and plans.

– Build and maintain a productive relationship with the Host Agency.

– Facilitate the annual LHIF strategy review process with CDs.

– Ensure smooth running of the governance model of the INGO Forum and where required make recommendations for changes.