Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator

• Position Title – Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator
• Supervised by – Regional Head of Programme
• Reporting to – Regional Head of Programme
• Duty Station – Bogota with travels to other DRC offices of the Region
• Area of Operation – Region of West – North Africa & Latin America
• Employment period – 12 months (renewable)
• Type of contract – Expatriate or National
• Salary and Benefits
• Band – Non-Management F
• Accompanied position small family package

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

1 – Background

DRC has been operating in West Africa since 1998 and in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2011. The DRC West-North Africa & Latin America (WANALA) Regional Office is based in Dakar, Senegal, and covers several countries. Led by the Regional Executive Director, the DRC WANALAC oversees, supports, and provides strategic directions for DRC’s Country Offices within the above-mentioned regions. From May 2022, it will includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Venezuela.

The Regional Program Team has a range of technical capacities, including 2 Economic Recovery regional coordinators, one who covers West Africa and one who covers Latin America and North African countries.

The position advertised is for the ECREC coordinator covering Latin America and North Africa.

2- Purpose

The overall objective of the Economic Recovery sector is to build the individual self-reliance and resilience of conflict- and displacement-affected people. The sector aims at addressing immediate unmet needs through direct assistance, while supporting people of concern as they strive to recover or develop new means to generate an income. We adopt a holistic, integrated and contextually adapted approach to support such efforts throughout the displacement cycle, with a specific focus on achieving food security, restoring decent and sustainable livelihoods, and improving financial inclusion.

The Regional Economic Recovery (ECREC) Coordinator designs and supports the implementation of DRC’s policies and programmes within the Economic Recovery sector through providing strategic directions, technical and quality assurance support, operational guidance, capacity strengthening and troubleshooting to DRC and partners, in line with the global DRC strategy and standards on Economic Recovery. The role defines the regional sectoral strategy and contributes to the development of country and multi-country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks.

The ECREC Coordinator focuses on the three sub-sectors: food security; financial inclusion, and decent livelihoods, with a particular emphasis on the graduation approach and integrated programming with a view to promoting durable solutions. Beyond his/her sectoral responsibilities, the Regional Coordinator is the focal Point for Market Systems Approaches, inclusive of Cash and Voucher Assistance in the region.

The regional Coordinator can be deployed for gap filling and substitution in countries, with country-specific mandates or multi-country operation mandates.

3- Geographical scope:

This role has a regional focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines within DRC WANALA region and potential development in neighbouring areas covered by the regional office. The Regional Program Team has a range of technical capacities,. This role will cover two sub-regions, namely Latin America (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru) and North Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya).

The role defines the regional sectoral strategy and contributes to the development of country and multi-country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks.

4- Responsibilities

Country and multi-country specific support for the areas covered by the position

• Strategic support: Assists DRC country operations in implementing – and reviewing/updating as required – their strategies for economic recovery, and market-based programming (including CVA), based upon relevant assessments and stakeholder analysis and consultations.

The coordinator provides technical and operational guidance onthe graduation approach and integrated programming with a view to promoting durable solutions for people of concern.

• Proposal design: Supports DRC country and multi-country operations in developing new project proposals, ensuring that proposed design is in line with country-level, regional and global strategies, and draws on established sectoral and inter-agency good practice, standards and guidance.
• Coordination: The coordinator maintains external relations with other stakeholders of the sector and ensure DRC’s presence in the relevant coordination bodies (Clusters, EcRec Communities of Practice, working groups).
• Technical support: provides technical guidance, advice, and support to DRC country and multi-country operations on economic recovery (decent livelihoods, food security and financial inclusion support), graduation, and market-based programming, including cash and voucher assistance programming:
  • On assessment, design, set-up, implementation, monitoring, learning, and reporting of higher quality, timelier and more accountable needs, preferences, and market-based economic recovery programming on behalf of IDPs or refugees, and their host communities.
  • Via remote support, field support missions, facilitating exchanges, etc.
  • Acting as reference/focal point answering specific technical questions, providing troubleshooting, and addressing country-specific challenges.
  • Including providing or reviewing methodology, guidance, and tools essential to ensuring predictable, accountable, and high-quality programming.
  • Ensuring programme strategy and design is evolved in line with context and needs, and integrated with other DRC sectors/areas of intervention to the extent possible
• Set-up: Upon request, supports the set-up of economic recovery support and/or market-based / cash and voucher assistance activities at country level – including conducting/coordinating feasibility, needs, preferences and market assessment; modality due diligence/selection and response design; recruitment and training of DRC and partner staff; etc.
• Capacity building:
  • Adapts and provides training materials relating to economic recovery programming in line with global interagency and internal DRC resources; provide training, mentoring and capacity building as required, including specifically for DRC country technical focal points
  • Assists countries of operations in designing, organising and facilitating strategic and technical workshops and trainings targeting DRC and partners’ staff
  • Supports recruitment of technical staff involved in supporting DRC’s Economic Recovery programming in the region.
• Quality assurance: Visits country programmes, measures quality programming and evaluates impact, cost-effectiveness and relevance of specific programmes; provides mission reports including recommendations for improvements and action plans to be followed up by country Heads of Programme.
• Learning: Leads and facilitates a collaborative regional learning and capitalisation process on economic recovery programming in country and multi-country operations. Compile and share best practices of DRC and partners extracted from quality assurance exercises conducted at country level.

5- Regional support

• Capacity: Assesses DRC country economic recovery capacities and identifies technical and/or programmatic gaps in DRC’s operational contexts and programming

Strategy: Advises the region and countries on further developing the interface between DRC’s economic recovery programming and other DRC core sectors, the DRC WANALA strategy, and the DRC 2025 Strategy on which it is based; reviews and refines regional strategy from an economic recovery perspective as required

6 – Required Qualifications

• 5 years’ experience with international humanitarian and/or development organisations, including significant experience working on economic recovery programming in contexts of forced displacement.

• Strong, practical and up-to-date knowledge of:

• Livelihoods concepts, methodologies, and impactful modes of support – across DRC’s core activity categories – ranging from emergency and longer-term food security promotion, to wage employment and business support (through skills development, access to inputs, market linkages, etc.); and financial inclusion; etc.

• Recent trends in economic recovery policy and evidence: e.g. on graduation; building self-reliance; private sector partnerships; and other areas of innovation

• Market System Approach (MSA), including proven ability to support development of market-based programming.

• Cash and voucher assistance: concepts; terminology; assessment and design methodology; and (digital) operations/implementation

• Demonstrable experience in providing high quality in-person and remote livelihoods, market-based (including CVA) programming technical advice and support to country programmes and partners, across the project/programme cycle.

• Understanding of and experience in developing integrated programming including interfaces between/graduation from emergency basic needs responses with both sustainable livelihoods and protection-oriented programming

• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology and processes suitable to document the effects of economic recovery programming.

• Demonstrable capacity building skills – including specifically with design and facilitation of impactful and contextually-adapted trainings and workshops.

• Demonstrated ability to devise and implement resource mobilization strategies, including in alternative financing approaches.

• Proven ability to secure new business opportunities and partnerships.

• Experience working with technical teams to develop program proposals that are funded by institutional donors.

• Strong networking, representation, and negotiation skills.

• Superior computer skills.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in Latin America and/or North Africa or similar context

7- Required Skills & Qualities

• Full professional proficiency in English
• Professional proficiency in Spanish required
• Knowledge of Arabic or French is an advantage.
• In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:
• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment
• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

8- General Regulations

The employee shall follow :

• DRC regulations on safety, health, COVID-19 norms and hygiene
• The Code of Conduct and all ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Rules for the use of the DRC guesthouse, which is a working accommodation

In addition :

• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request