Yemen: Economic Recovery & Development Coordinator

Apr 15, 2019 | International Rescue Committee
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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC Yemen began its Health, Nutrition and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and ERD programs in response to the impact of conflicts in Abyan and Aden Governorates in October 2012. Currently IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen through direct programming and through a local partnership in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Economic Recovery Development and Women Protection and Empowerment. These sectors are responding to food insecurity, cholera and other humanitarian needs within the displaced and conflict affected populations

BACKGROUND:

Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world and has been plagued with internal conflicts in recent years. The humanitarian conditions in Yemen deteriorated rapidly since 26 March 2015 with the beginning of Saudi-led air campaign to stop the expansion of Houthi militias and their supporters towards the south of the country. The conflict in Yemen has gutted the country’s already weak economy. Millions have lost livelihoods due to dwindling purchasing power, lack of economic resources, and general insecurity. Yemen’s agriculture sector has also been significantly impacted, spiking reliance on food imports for survival, as restrictions on food and fuel imports limit resources. An estimated 18.8 million people, 70% of the total population, have been left in need of humanitarian aid, women and girls being the most vulnerable. Currently, an estimated 17 million people are food insecure, with approximately 10.2 million people at crisis level (IPC Phase 3) and 6.8 million people at emergency level (IPC Phase 4). Nearly seven million people are facing the threat of famine. The IRC is in the process of developing programs (under its Economic Recovery and Development sector) that are aimed at supporting food insecure families in Aden, Abyan, Hodeida and Al Dhalee to access basic food commodities.

In its focus on Economic Recovery and Development, the IRC in Yemen is currently addressing three outcomes: people meet basic needs and avoid negative coping mechanisms, people are food secure, and women and girls are equal to men and boys in the extent to which their basic needs are met, they are food secure, and they use, generate and control income and assets; it has secured funding for and is expanding the portfolio into a fourth outcome area, people generate income and assets. IRC is focused on encouraging the ability to become self-sufficient, as the conflict and potential length of displacement is expected to continue. The IRC will support skills development and training in a variety of areas that gives both refugee and host community beneficiaries the economic and livelihoods skills that will potentially help them avoid negative coping strategies during this time of crisis in the country, including business skills training and grants, VSLAs, and kitchen gardening. This livelihoods work will complement on-going multi-purpose cash assistance to especially vulnerable groups.

SCOPE OF WORK: The ERD Coordinator will report to the IRC Yemen Deputy Director of Programming and will be based in Aden. He/she will coordinate and oversee the development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of cash and livelihoods programs funded by a diverse portfolio of donors. In particular, the ERD Coordinator will scale the ERD programming to implement a largescale, 18-month livelihoods and cash program beginning in March 2018. The ERD Coordinator will liaise with other technical coordinators within IRC (particularly on nutrition and integrated protection components and women’s empowerment); fellow agency, government, and community partners, as well as the Cash Working Group and Food Security, Agriculture and Livelihoods Cluster within the interagency coordination structure; and with IRC’s headquarter-based Economic Recovery and Development Technical Advisor to ensure coordination and complementarily of programming, as well as appropriate technical rigor in project design and implementation. The ERD Coordinator is responsible for overall management of the cash and livelihoods portfolio, providing any and all support necessary to ensure successful implementation of ERD livelihoods assistance programming and proposal development/project design for prospective projects, which includes/may include enterprise development and employment initiatives, cash/voucher programming, financial inclusion, micro-enterprise development, kitchen gardening, village savings and loan associations,, and other activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Programme Planning & Implementation

  • Provide technical expertise for an upscaling of ERD programming, including overseeing hiring and on-boarding of new Agriculture and Enterprise Development and Employment (EDE) staff
  • Prepare and maintain/update detailed work plan(s) that support and achieve the overall grant timeline and completion date.
  • Provide direction and monitor staff in their implementation of the work plan and quality of technical activities, share relevant information and direction to improve quality and achieve timelines,
  • Approve expenditures to designated level; manage/monitor monthly expenditures and track budgets to ensure that all spending is in line with approved budgets and timelines, including developing procurement plans, monthly program spending plan and cash forecasts.
  • Lead program design and provide technical input and oversight to new business opportunities, in coordination with grants unit and HQ Technical staff for the expansion of IRC’s ERD portfolio in Yemen.

Project and Budget Management

  • Manage and oversee all ERD grants; develop and maintain work, spending and procurement plans for multiple projects.
  • Participate in all ERD Grant Opening, Mid-Term and Closing meetings.
  • Manage the project budget; oversee all budget expenditures and ensure they are allowable and allocable according to IRC and donor regulations; monitor monthly Budget vs. Actual and expenditure sheets. Prepare budget forecast quarterly. Bring any over/under expenditure issues to the attention of the DDP and the Grants Team.
  • Build staff capacity in writing activity and monthly reports to document the program.

Programme Implementation & Reporting

  • Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions and implement modifications as required.
  • Coordinating with the M&E team to ensure all monitoring activities, including beneficiary questionnaires, regular market monitoring, post-distribution surveys, and vendor spot-checks are fully documented, including systematic and timely data collection as required under the grants and for IRC M&E purposes.
  • Prepare regular reports for IRC donors on grant activities, progress, indicators, and achievements as specified in grant agreements and reporting schedules.
  • Liaise with M&E unit to ensure feedback channel is in place, used, and that feedback received is follow-up on appropriately within a timely manner so ensure accountability with affected communities.

Staff Supervision & Development

  • Directly supervise ERD field officers based in the field.
  • Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their duties.
  • Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly timesheets, probations reviews and annual performance reviews.
  • Plan/coordinate and oversee staff work plans, work and vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities
  • If/as required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.

Coordination & Representation

  • Work closely and coordinate with IRC logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely and compliant program activities and expenditures; including active participation in grant opening/closing and review meetings,
  • Represent the IRC in the Cash Working Group and the Food Security, Agriculture and Livelihoods Cluster, and take the lead on inter-agency cooperation and information sharing with national NGOs, international organizations, donors and local authorities, including reporting of 4W information and other government updates, as required
  • Serve as the main focal person in Aden for the IRC’s implementing staff and partners; maintain respectful and constructive relations.

Other

  • Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC ERD programs.

Professional Standards

  • All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Economics, Agriculture, Food Security Social Science, Business Administration, Public Health, or related field
  • 3-5 years of technical experience implementing cash transfer, cash for work, or cash voucher programs.
  • 3-5 years technical experience in micro-enterprise development, agricultural livelihoods, food security and value-chain or market analysis required
  • 2-3 years of experience leading teams in a humanitarian context, preferably during an emergency.
  • Experience facilitating technical trainings and workshops related to emergency response, food security or livelihoods.
  • Proven abilities to manage teams, monitoring staff performance, and provide technical support and coaching to field teams.
  • Prior experience in developing program implementation work plans, data collection and analysis, and program reporting.
  • Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
  • Experience in program design.
  • Strong writing skills in English language for technical proposal writing, donor/cluster reporting.
  • Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility
  • INGO experience preferred.
  • Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
  • Fluency in English and ability to speak Arabic is an added advantage.
  • Work Environment: There is active conflict in parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states. The situation in Aden remains unpredictable. Security will be thoroughly discussed during the interview process.

Housing: Lodging in Aden and Sana’a is in shared IRC guesthouses. All IRC sites have electricity and internet all day through. Food is the individual’s responsibility.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality: IRC is 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 and allowances.