DRC: Program Director IWRM

Apr 23, 2017 | International Rescue Committee
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With headquarters in Kinshasa 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. 

With support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IRC seeks to implement the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) “Maji ya Amani” Program[1] in the Ruzizi Plain in collaboration with its partners Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and ZOA. The program’s goal is to reduce conflict and increase stability in the Luberizi groupement of the Ruzizi Plain through increased and more equitable access to land and water for household and agricultural use, and improved governance around the use of land and water resources. The proposed intervention primarily targets the Luberizi groupement and should benefit an estimated 28,800 people.

Scope of Work:

The Program Director will be responsible for developing a strong, coherent team and working relationships within the IWRM Consortium and within the IRC project team and ensuring that the program is implemented in an integrated and cohesive manner. He / she will lead and/or participate in strategic, high-level discussions with the Dutch Embassy in Kigali, Country Directors of ZOA and SFCG, consortium key stakeholders across provincial and national government, and engage with NNGO, INGO UN and other multilateral actors (as appropriate) in South Kivu in order to further the program’s ultimate goal to reduce conflict and increase stability in the Luberizi groupement and Sange City of the Ruzizi Plain through increased and more equitable access to land and water for household and agricultural use, and improved governance around the use of land and water resources . The IWRM Program Director will also ensure that program implementation is carried out in accordance with IRC and donor regulations. 

The Program Director reports to the Deputy Regional Director of Programs. He / she will supervise the following expatriate IRC staff: IWRM Deputy Director, M&E Coordinator, WASH Senior Manager, Governance & Rights Coordinator, and Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Coordinator. 

Note: This position is contingent upon funding.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic leadership and management in all aspects of program implementation and progress review;
  • Ensure that the program is implemented on time and in a cohesive, integrated manner and maintain a positive working relationship with SFCG and ZOA. Make recommendations for changes to activities, approaches and partner Scopes of Work as needed; 
  • Provide strategic direction in diverse technical areas including water infrastructure rehabilitation and management, watershed management, value chain development, governance and land rights, and health care / GBV service provision;
  • Ensure that the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all activities are in accordance with IRC standards and meet the goals and objectives of the target communities and the Dutch Government’s compliance requirements, in collaboration with the technical advisors and M&E units;
  • Oversee project planning and quality assurance, including ensuring the quality and timely achievement of all deliverables;
  • Oversee the development of an “inception phase” report, summarizing the main program findings and achievements during the planned nine month inception phase and make recommendations for any needed changes in the program design; 
  • Review, in coordination with key IRC program staff and consortium partners, yearly work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track;
  • Oversee implementation of a common monitoring, evaluation, and learning system among all partners and analyze the data it generates to inform project management, technical programming, and development of best practices and applied research, in collaboration with the M&E Manager;
  • Oversee financial and technical staff to ensure the best use of resources by preparing sound budgets, monitoring project expenses and ensuring timely submission of financial reports to the donor;
  • Ensure that project assets are properly registered and used for the desired purpose;
  • Develop and the project closeout plan through internal consultations (grant, HR, supplies chain, finance), SFCG and ZOA;
  • Monitor budget utilization and ensure proper financial management and utilization of funds;
  • Represent the IRC at relevant events in the field;
  • Report to the donor through both formal and informal debriefings. Ensure the submission of high quality, accurate annual and semi-annual reports;
  • Ensure that the findings of ongoing conflict and security assessments are continually integrated into project design and implementation, working with the technical coordinators;
  • Coordinate with program and operations staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support project activities including logistics, procurement, security, and human resources;
  • Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility;
  • Manage and evaluate project staff performance.

Skills/Experience: ​

  • Master’s Degree in a relevant field;
  • A least ten (10) years of senior-level management experience in the development sector, including at least five (5) years of experience in managing WASH, water infrastructure and / or economic recovery programming; or experience in integrated program development and management;
  • A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible supervisory work experience including direct supervision of professional and support staff and assembling teams and consortium and working on multi-faceted international development programs;
  • Demonstrated experience managing similarly complex projects in changing contexts similar to DRC, involving management of multi-million dollar budgets/portfolios and coordination with multiple programs and partner institutions, including experience managing consortia;
  • Experience working with local actors, including local NGOs and CSOs/CBOs;
  • Demonstrated knowledge and application of conflict sensitive approaches within project design;
  • Strong leadership, analytical and organizational skills;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact professionally with donor, project stakeholders, in-country collaborators and staff at all levels of the organization. Proven ability to convene/chair high profile meetings and ability to productively interact with a wide range of organizations (e.g. government, private sector, NGOs, and research institutions);
  • Understanding of Dutch Government  processes and procedures for grants (preferred);
  • Solid understanding of the DRC context, with previous experience in DRC or the region preferred;
  • Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation;
  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written;
  • Fluency in English and French is required;
  • Strong MS Office skills, including Word and Excel.

SECURITY SITUATION / HOUSING

This is an unaccompanied post based in Bukavu, South Kivu, with frequent travel to field locations within South Kivu. Comfortable and secure individual housing is provided by the IRC. The current security situation in eastern DR Congo is unpredictable and complex, but all possible measures are taken by the IRC to ensure staff safety and security.