Somalia: Humanitarian and Resilience Program Manager 

Feb 19, 2019 | Oxfam
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Oxfam is a confederation of 20 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty. Oxfam’s approach is about tackling the conditions that cause poverty in the first place, rather than the distribution of material goods.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia has become increasingly fragile following consecutive failed or below normal rainy seasons. Over 3 million people faced Crisis and Emergency (IPC Phases 3 and 4) across Somalia through June 2017. There is a potential risk of famine and creation of a drought crisis even worse than 2011 in which 258,000 people died including 133,000 children under 5 years.

The drought effects being experienced in Somaliland and Puntland is driven by low rainfall and climatic shocks that have been recurrent over a number of years due to climate change coupled with increasing competition for resources, disrupted traditional patterns of migration; the erosion of coping strategies and exhaustion of livelihood assets, especially livestock. The drought has resulted into failed crop production for agro-pastoralist, increased livestock losses for both pastoralist and agro-pastoralist, pastoral dropouts, destitutions, chronic food insecurity, malnutrition, internal and external displacement / or migration. Underfunding of basic services and infrastructure and conflict are also underlying drivers. During the year 2018, there was improved rain in larger part of the country and this improved the situation in different areas.

Oxfam’s response is currently focusing on WASH and Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods (EFSVL) with protection mainstreaming and resilience building. Geographically Oxfam is responding in Somaliland and Puntland.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities and the rule

  • Ensures that the response strategy (speed, scale, contextually appropriated, integrated) is in line with Oxfam’s overall strategic ambitions, external commitments and Oxfam’s brand as a lead humanitarian actor.
  • Lead on responding in a timely, appropriate, accountable and cost-effective manner to humanitarian crises in programme areas, with a focus on programme quality and beneficiary accountability.
  • Lead the design and development of appropriate contingency plans (for Oxfam and partners), and related preparedness and mitigation strategies, including capacity building initiatives, to ensure Oxfam’s humanitarian mandate can be met at all times.
  • HRPM will initiate humanitarian responses in the area where Oxfam operates, based on contingency planning and will keep this document updated. Something around these lines.
  • Leads the implementation of the Oxfam Somalia response and resilience framework and the coordination of periodic operational/response plans and budgets of the response, monitoring progress towards achieving program objectives - measures outcome and impact against recognized indicators.
  • Coordinates the regular refinement of programme approach and strategy to ensure that programming contributes to recovery and resilience and Oxfam’s approach is the most relevant and cost effective possible.
  • Contributes and provides leadership to the overall One Oxfam response in Somalia by reinforcing strategies with communication and advocacy.
  • Supports and maintains oversight of financial and human resourcing for the Somalia response.
  • To develop strategy for second phase of response to recovery and resilience; and strengthen recovery and resilience programming.
  • Ensure response strategy is fully funded by applying appropriate fundraising mechanisms and developing relevant and winning proposals with the team.
  • Participates in regional level response coordination, ensuring follow up of agreed actions and necessary support from others (e.g. HR, Funding, MEAL, others).
  • Maintains effective partner grants and reports monitoring system, ensures adherence to Oxfam policies and procedures on partner management.
  • Represents Oxfam to government officials, Consortium, international organizations, NGO’s and other stakeholders.
  • Ensures staff safety and security procedures are monitored, updated and implemented. This will include an analysis of the risks and threats to staff working on the response.
  • Work with partners to strengthen partner capacity and response and resilience implementation with partners using their expertise.
  • Support humanitarian influencing and advocacy for localization and addressing the core humanitarian issues and represent Oxfam in relevant forums to raise the profile of Oxfam and voices of the people we work.
  • Ensure all donor and external reports are delivered on time with highest level of quality.
  • Make sure that MEAL function is working properly with proper data management, learning, accountability and evaluation of the program/projects is done on time.
  • Recruits and manages staff in line with Oxfam policies, ensuring that they have the necessary induction, training and support as required.
  • Develop and manage resilience programs in line with the response and resilience framework.
  • To work with team and partners to find innovative solutions and use of technological options available for scaling up, outreach and efficiency.
  • Develop and implement resilience program with partners.

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Requirements – you have:

  • First degree in a relevant field.
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in similar roles – specifically in managing humanitarian, resilience and development programs funded by different donors.
  • Significant leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of high-quality program, influencing and humanitarian strategy, with and through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations (humanitarian WASH, protection and/or EFSL programs).
  • Experience with people management.
  • Experience in second phase of response to recovery and resilience programming.
  • Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders.
  • A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.
  • Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, partially geographically remote teams and operations across many locations.
  • Good knowledge of developing and implementing monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of programs and an ability to build cooperative, professional relationships with donors, partners and peer organizations.
  • Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English.
  • Good interpersonal, influencing, diplomacy and negotiating skills.
  • Commitment to equal opportunity and gender policies; sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
  • Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
  • Prior experience of working in fragile and insecure context.
  • Ability to travel to remote programmatic sites within the country.

Requirements - desirable

  • Experience in managing funded projects and proven ability to write proposals and reports to main humanitarian donors (ECHO, GAC, GFFO, DFID, OFDA, DRA etc.).
  • Language, English and local Somali language

Competencies

  • Self-Awareness
  • Vision Setting
  • Agility, complexity and ambiguity
  • Relationship building
  • Decisiveness