More Information
- Experience 0-2
Desired start date: 04/23/2025
Duration of the mission: Until 06/30/2025 (renewable depending on funding)
Location: Bangui
SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) is an international humanitarian aid association that, for over 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their vital needs: drinking, eating, and shelter. Particularly committed to combating diseases linked to unsafe water, the world’s leading cause of death, SI implements through its interventions expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and the promotion of hygiene, but also in the essential field of food security and livelihoods. Present in 26 countries, SI’s teams – 3,200 people in total, made up of expatriates, national employees, permanent staff at headquarters, a few volunteers, etc. – intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultures.
The mission
SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams in CAR are rehabilitating water and sanitation infrastructure, while training water management committees to ensure their sustainability. Awareness campaigns on hygiene and the use of water points are helping to cope with the high pressure exerted by the massive influx of populations. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is providing drinking water to families, but also to farmers, by repairing some defective boreholes and ensuring the transport and storage of this water to their land, contributing to improving food security.
Community service projects facilitate agricultural, pastoral and commercial activities, thereby increasing food availability and reviving the market. Our teams provide toolkits and seeds to farmers and livestock keepers, and provide training.
Thanks to a rapid emergency response mechanism and the creation of an emergency stock, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is ready to intervene from the first hours of a man-made or natural disaster in order to ensure access to drinking water and a healthy environment for populations made vulnerable by a shock, a natural disaster or an epidemic.
The projected budget for the SI RCA mission is approximately 9 million euros in 2023. Several fundings cover the year 2023 but the financial visibility for 2023 must be confirmed through several ongoing project proposals. The objective is to stabilize the mission around a volume of activity and funding equivalent to or slightly higher than 2022.
Activities are spread across 3 operational bases (Kaga Bandoro, Markounda and Bouar) covering the central/northern zone of the country as well as part of the West. The coordination office is located in the capital, Bangui. The opening of a sub-base in Kabo is underway. There are currently around 180 staff on the mission.
General objective:
The Programs/Grants Coordinator will work on all programs currently being implemented or negotiated. Currently 5 projects are underway and funded by the following donors: Unicef (Kaga Bandoro base); FH, CDCS, ECHO (Markounda base); AFD (Bouar base).
Three projects in consortium: The ECHO 2024 project and the FH project in consortium with the local NGO Echelle Appui au Développement (EAD), and the PARSEP Project under AFD funding with Water for Good and the local NGO I3D.
Main Challenges:
(i) General decline in humanitarian funding in the country exacerbated by the Stop Work Order announced by President Donald Trump and strong competition between NGOs, (ii) humanitarian access which remains fragile in many SI areas (risk of incidents directly affecting NGOs) and very complicated physical access during the rainy season, i.e. 6 months out of 12, and (iii) Increased presence of the State on the scene, particularly for the operationalization of the Nexus and increasingly strong administrative pressure on NGOs
The challenge is therefore to set up a real programmatic/grant strategy and to have reliable and rigorous monitoring tools in order to be dynamic and anticipate an adaptation, particularly in terms of set up (operations, HR), to the financing prospects and change of context.
This challenge requires the recruitment of a technically solid profile (in EHA, MEAL and SAME), already having experience in the position of Program/Grant Coordinator
Priorities for the first 2/3 months:
(i) Monitoring of ongoing or upcoming projects (FH, AFD), launch of the new ECHO project and RRM 14 (Unicef) in May, closure of the CDCS project in June 2025 and launch of the new CDCS.
(ii) Focus on the budgetary monitoring of the project, capacity building of Program Managers on the use of the OFU tool, and budgetary monitoring meeting at Bangui level in coordination with the finance department and the logistics department in order to improve financial visibility and information available in real time
(iii) Technical and qualitative monitoring of the response provided by SI with the launch of RRM 14 for Kaga Bandoro; acceleration of the implementation of the PARSEP project within the framework of the NCE for Bouar; and the deployment of Markounda teams on new axes (Bodjomo-Boguila and Bodjomo-Kouki-Kambakotta) more challenging in terms of access which requires careful planning and anticipation
(iv) Coordination of the SERA team (ARP/SERA supervisor on the bases and Green Line Operator in Bangui) and strengthening of the Accountability Mechanism (time limit for collection and response to complaints) and monitoring (including planning of investigations and Monitoring & Evaluation plan)
(vi) Participate in the implementation and definition of the operational strategy of SI in the CAR and strengthen the role of SI in the sectoral coordination mechanisms (COPIL, Cluster)
Security :
The CAR is now among the countries in the world where the most incidents against humanitarian workers are reported. However, the impact of these incidents must be put into perspective, as most are criminal acts without physical harm. The main risk for NGOs today remains robberies on the roads, criminal acts and incidents linked to the presence of many weapon carriers in the country. The security context affects both the working conditions of staff, as well as the implementation of activities (sometimes suspended following security incidents).
Training:
If possible, a master’s degree related to humanitarian project management
Experience and technical skills:
More than 5 years in the humanitarian sector, 0-2 years in an equivalent position
– Good knowledge of donors and their operating methods, in particular DG ECHO, CCDS, UNICEF, FH, AFD, BHA, etc.
– Ability to anticipate and make decisions;
– Managerial qualities, and in particular skills in team management and remote technical support;
– Taste for teamwork and attraction to strengthening people’s capacities;
– Organizational and prioritization skills, and ability to manage several things at the same time;
– Strong work capacity and resistance to stress;
– Availability, flexibility, autonomy;
– Strong adaptability and ability to work in a reduced HR set up
– Knowledge of specific IT themes and tools (OFU in particular) highly appreciated;
– Accustomed to working in an unstable political and security environment.
– At least one proven experience as a program coordinator in an NGO. Proven Grants experience.
– Experience in budget management and monitoring
– Previous experience in team management
– Previous experience in optimizing operational and financial resources for the implementation of projects appreciated
– At least one experience of a mission with a difficult security context
LANGUAGES :
French, English an asset
A salaried position: Depending on experience, from EUR 2860 gross per month (2600 basic salary + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly Per Diem of FCFA 480 1600
SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s home country and the duty station.
Breaks: During the mission, a system of alternating between work and leave is set up at a rate of 7 working days every three months (with USD 850 allocated by Solidarités International). In addition to these break periods, there is one additional day of rest per month worked.
Social and medical coverage: Expatriates benefit from insurance that reimburses all health costs (including medical and surgical costs, dental and ophthalmological care, repatriation) and a welfare system that includes war risks. The costs of essential vaccinations and anti-malarial treatment are reimbursed.
LIVING CONDITIONS:
Bangui is a medium-sized city, very green, and with a relatively low population density. The city is bordered to the south by the Oubangui River, on the banks of which there are bars, terraces and sports facilities: swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, a weight room, etc. Other sports venues (gym, stadium, swimming pool) and relaxation areas (restaurants, bars, nightclubs) are accessible in the city. It is possible to find many foreign products in the large supermarkets in Bangui, but at a high price. There are many restaurants (French, Lebanese, Chinese, Indian and of course African cuisine) which are allowed to be visited during the day and in the evening. Some restaurants also deliver to homes. The large number of NGOs based in Bangui makes social life easier.
Generally speaking, it is a fairly calm city, although one must keep in mind the general fragility of the political context in Central Africa and the possibility of a deterioration in the security situation even in Bangui. It is not uncommon for security measures to have to be adapted to the local context and control operations are frequent by internal security forces.
SI has a guest office in Bangui. Internet access is good: the guest office has a Vsat. The city’s electricity is regularly cut off, but SI has a generator that provides constant power. Internationals have access to the French Embassy’s medical-social center and other medical centers in Bangui, and relatively advanced medical tests can be carried out at the Pasteur Institute in Bangui. These two institutions are able to effectively treat the majority of health problems. However, the Central African Republic is a country heavily affected by malaria and water-borne diseases and it is up to everyone to take the necessary precautions.