The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded over 80 years ago, the IRC is a leading humanitarian and development organization with presence in more than 40 countries. Across contexts, the IRC is committed to delivering innovative, high-impact programs tailored to the needs of communities affected by crisis.
The International Rescue Committee began responding to the growing humanitarian crisis in Honduras since 2018. IRC Honduras has reached more than 243,745 people with integrated services, including research-driven education interventions, gender-based violence response programs, child protection services, protection coordination, cash for families in crisis, and increased access to trustworthy information. The IRC serves individuals and families who are internally displaced, returned asylum seekers and refugees, and survivors of violence, especially women, girls, and the LGBTQ+ population. Where there are gaps in the delivery of humanitarian assistance for people identified as most at risk of harm, IRC delivers direct services and works to strengthen national systems.
Scope of work
The IRC seeks a Senior Municipal Reintegration Coordinator for an anticipated five-year USAID Improved (Re)Integration Services activity. The project will increase sustainable (re)integration of returned Honduran migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to reduce irregular migration to the US and ensure that returnees and IDPs find safety, as well as quality social services and economic opportunities, within communities of origin. The $15.5M Improved (Re)Integration Services Activity will focus on empowering and enabling existing local government and NGOs to provide better services with more uniformity in the quality of services across the country, suggestions for policy improvement and execution related to inclusive services for returnees and IDPs, including case management, and improve community outreach interventions.
The USAID Improved (Re)Integration Services activity will address and strengthen the integration of returnees and IDPs at three levels. At the individual level through supporting quality and inclusive access to (re) integration services for returnees and IDPs. At the community level through the implementation of activities that encourage social cohesion within communities and between communities, dispel myths related to irregular migration, and raise awareness of returnee and IDPs services. At the structural or institutional level through a capacity strengthening process for municipal and national governments, as well as CSOs. This structural level will also include technical support for the creation or strengthening of (re) integration policies.
The Senior Municipal Reintegration Coordinator (SMRC) will be responsible for supervising the programmatic activities of staff and partners aimed at improving reintegration services for returnees and internally displaced persons, which will be implemented in 15 municipalities. The Senior Municipal Reintegration Coordinator will technically support the design of an integrated approach to implement the different activities at the three levels – individual, community, structural. In addition, the Senior Municipal Reintegration Coordinator will coordinate actions with other areas of the IRC and local partners (Plan International and HRC) that are part of this project to guarantee the efficient application of this approach.
The SMRC will be in charge of ensuring the technical quality of the overall implementation of all aspects of the program in areas of reintegration, providing technical support and developing staff capabilities, to ensure that the program effectively meets the needs of clients. In his/her role, the SMRC will: i) Supervise and provide technical guidance to the technical teams (i.e. Reintegration Managers, and Municipal Reintegration Officers), ii) Provide technical support to the DCOP and COP, iii) Coordinate actions with other units for personnel management and development, administrative supervision, budget management, iv) Coordinate actions with the local partners and municipalities and the technical personnel they have for the project, to guarantee an efficient, standardized and high quality implementation, v) Establish strategic relationships with municipal and national institutions, when needed.
The selected candidate must demonstrate his or her ability to work in fast-paced environments, experience in the following areas, and apply a creative and flexible design to the work of municipal governance, reintegration, case management, work with internally displaced persons and returnees and have knowledge of Honduras context and complexities, as well as have experience working with different government levels.
This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding. The position will be based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, but will be asked to travel to the 15 municipalities of the project.
Main objectives:
1. Supervise programmatic implementation for fidelity and quality, including the execution of activities, personnel management, budget management of the activities of the reintegration components, technical supervision and strengthening the technical team.
2. Provide technical guidance to the team, including strategic direction, tools, training and ongoing capacity building, especially around protection and municipal governance activities, ensuring the technical quality of the project implementation.
3. Facilitate and manage inter-institutional relationships with municipalities, national government (when needed), local community organizations, NGOs, and implementing partners.
Responsibilities:
Project management
• Provide strategic direction, lead the implementation of Protection and municipal governance interventions, coordinate with other IRC units and local partners, and provide technical guidance for the implementation of the program in line with the donor’s requirements.
• Direct the creative and context-adapted implementation of the program, while ensuring high quality of activities and compliance with IRC best practices.
• Provide technical guidance for the implementation of the activities and/or tools that are part of the project, especially on protection and governance issues, including: initial analysis service assessment, stakeholders and political economy analysis, municipal strengthening in service provision, evaluation and strengthening of the organizational capacities of municipal public entities and Civil Society Organizations, case management, mapping of services and referral routes.
• Lead the implementation of institutional evaluations and initial context analysis including the municipal services and stakeholders’ analysis, political economy analysis, and those others that are required; and based on the results obtained, support the adaptation of activities to the context.
• Lead the implementation of activities related to the operationalization of reintegration policies.
• Lead the curriculum design to strengthen the capacities of public institutions and CSOs that provide reintegration services at the municipal level, in articulation with local partners and other sectors within IRC.
• Supervise technical aspects of implementation including governance and protection activities, such as: service provision municipal strengthening, evaluation and strengthening of municipal organizational and local organizations capacities, case management, mapping of services and referral routes.
• Provide support to the team to develop work plans and spending plans that guide the execution of approved activities and grants.
• Support program managers and field teams in the execution and monitoring of work plans, ensuring that activities reflect the commitments made by the IRC to the donor and the community.
• Plan and guarantee the quality of activities’ implementation at the municipal and community level, through regular visits to the intervention municipalities, thus guaranteeing the quality and correct monitoring of the activities.
• Ensure that protection principles are integrated into processes focused on meeting customer needs and strengths, adequate management of data and resources, information protection, etc.
• Provide technical support to the DCOP and COP of the project, in the dialogue and articulation of actions with municipal and national public entities to advance the implementation of the project.
• Articulate actions with different units within the IRC and project partners for a unified implementation that guarantees high quality standards in the application of the methodologies and services provided.
• Provide technical support for the integration of governance and protection indicators into project M&E frameworks.
• Advise on budgeting for staff, governance and protection activities as part of project development and be responsible for financial oversight of project budgets and expenditures in accordance with donor agreements.
• Produce inputs for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports.
Oversight and development of personnel
• Provide training, supervision and mentoring to municipal reintegration managers and officers around municipal governance and reintegration activities(i.e. OCA, service delivery assessment, stakeholder and social network analysis, etc.) and protection tools.
• Adapt and contextualize technical tools to support the daily execution of the program.
• Lead the creation of the case management SOP, and provide support to the team to provide technical advice on case management following activities and monthly visits to intervention sites of implementing partners or allied institutions.
• Creation of internal and external case referral plan.
• Provide technical recommendations on how best to address the protection needs of returnees and internally displaced persons through recommendations on programmatic interventions based on continuous analysis of implemented activities.
Monitoring and evaluation
• Design and monitoring of work plans, including field visits to municipalities where IRC is conducting activities as well as those where local partners are conducting their activities.
• Prepare implementation monitoring reports.
• Monitor program activities for quality, fidelity to proposed methodologies and quality assurance and work on corrective actions with teams and partners to be applied in programming.
• Support the design of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools and methodologies, around capacity-building processes with local actors, and articulate activities with the MEAL team.
Coordination and Representation
• Participate in strategic external coordination spaces at appropriate levels to contribute to the management and support of reintegration services.
• Participate in internal coordination and management meetings to promote effective and efficient information sharing, problem solving, and decision making.
• Participate in coordination and management meetings with local partners.
Qualification and experience:
• Master degree in the areas of social sciences, political science, public administration, law, or other relevant field.
• Minimum ten (10) years of experience in coordinating multi-sector development or humanitarian aid, local governance, public administration, system strengthening and/or protection services projects.
• Strong experience in working with returned, refugees, internally displaced people, and vulnerable populations.
• Strong knowledge of the structure and functioning of Honduran government at all levels, particularly municipal level, understanding of political economy analysis, governance in service delivery as well as community driven development.
• Strong track record in working and coordinating with national, regional and municipal governments and civil society at various levels and diverse organizational stakeholders, developing and implementing appropriate and targeted learning and capacity development activities.
• Knowledge of public donors such as USAID.
• Experience working with different sectors.
Other Competencies:
• Must have good time management, multitasking skills
• Good team work and leadership skills are essential in order to motivate different groups of people to fulfil their responsibilities within a given time frame.
• Demonstrates well-developed interpersonal skills, excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, as well as negotiation skills;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and motivate staff working in multiple locations;
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and partner with communities, civil society, government representatives, donors and other stakeholders;
• Values diversity, inclusion, people with disabilities and minorities in Honduras
• The candidate must have an intermediate level of English.
• Good knowledge of computer software, Microsoft Office, virtual media, among others.
• Willingness to travel within the country
Key Working Relationships:
• Strong coordination with other technical positions including: the economic reintegration specialist, the social cohesion specialist, Airbel Impact team, Governance TA, Prol TA and ERD TA, and other TAs when needed.
• Strong coordination with the DCOP, COP of the project and IRC DDP.
• Permanent coordination with finance, MEAL, partnership, communications and operations teams.
• Strong technical and operational articulation with local partners, in coordination with the partnership team. Supervision of reintegration managers, and municipal reintegration officers.
Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.