Deputy Country Coordinator

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH aims to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision-making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, and GIS and remote sensing. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO headquartered in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organisations have a strong complementarity formalised in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.

We are looking for an IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator tooversee Programmes for the IMPACT Iraq mission. The position is based in Erbil, with frequent travels to IMPACT field bases across Iraq.

Supervisor: IMPACT Country Coordinator

Title: IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator – Programmes

Location: Erbil, Iraq

Contract duration: 1 year

Start date: August 2023

Country profile

Following years of displacement and conflict, the Iraq context is increasingly transitioning to a post-conflict

stabilisation and development phase. While reconstruction and development initiatives are underway – with significant international support – populations in Iraq continue to face problems stemming from widespread infrastructural damage, reduced access to public services, and economic decline. Humanitarian needs also remain; in 2020, it was estimated that at least 4.1 million IDPs and returnees in Iraq needed humanitarian assistance, with ongoing climatic shocks continuing to intensify humanitarian needs. In addition, 1.2 million IDPs and 4.8 million returnees face hurdles to durable solutions to their displacement, including security concerns, lack of access to livelihoods, destroyed or damaged housing, and lack of social cohesion.

To support humanitarian decision-making and evidence-based prioritisation, since 2012, IMPACT has been

coordinating with humanitarian clusters and other national and regional coordination mechanisms to address information gaps and implement assessments. More recently, as the context shifts, IMPACT has supported development actors to improve humanitarian and development interventions’ effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy, and encourage an equitable and needs-based transition to stabilization and development initiatives. Overall, IMPACT Iraq has led country-wide multi-sectoral assessments, informed cash programming across Iraq through monthly market monitoring exercises, extended technical support to CCCM and WASH partners, encouraged evidence-based approaches to durable solutions, and conducted thematic assessments and rapid needs assessments in response to contextual changes. More information can be found here.

Position profile

IMPACT is currently recruiting for a Deputy Country Coordinator to oversee the programme management of its activities in Iraq. The role will involve oversight of all IMPACT Iraq’s Research Cycles, line management of Research Managers (RMs), liaison with and reporting to donors, Human Resource Management (recruitment and staff welfare of all assessment staff), external engagement (external representation, partnership development, and maintenance), strategy development, through a contextual understanding of both the crisis and the coordination structure, as well as striving for team cohesion. This person will be a vital IMPACT Iraq’s Senior Management Team (SMT) member. The position will also sometimes serve as the Acting Country Coordinator in the absence of the CC. The position will be in Erbil, with regular travel to other bases.

Resposibilities

1.Programmes Oversight and Quality Control

• Provide high-level line management to RMs, including effective delegation of day-to-day tasks to RMs, and ensuring all team members are fully aware of their job description, duties and responsibilities;
• In coordination with the Country Coordinator, oversee that all Research Cycles (RCs) and associated datasets are conducted in a timely manner, to IMPACT quality standards, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders, in line with the IMPACT country strategy and information needs of humanitarian actors;
• Monitor the progress and delays of all Research Cycles across each unit and ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner.
• Ensuring RMs have the programme management training, support, and resources required to manage their Research Cycles effectively and independently. This includes:
  • regular follow-ups and check-ins to project plan and identify any challenges or bottlenecks.
  • supporting in building and maintaining external relationships as relevant.
  • Empower RMs to take personal responsibility for RCs, and proactively identify areas where they cannot work independently. Resolve these issues by developing training plans and supporting RMs in capacity-building junior staff.
• Review information products to ensure that products are of high quality and effectively inform target audiences.
• Together with the Country Coordinator, ensure that all team members and hubs are kept up-to-date on key activities, plans, and achievements;

Together with the rest of the SMT, ensuring a good work environment and taking active steps to ensure staff welfare and that all teams work towards common goals. This will include building strong professional relationships, having good visibility of issues in teams through regular check-ins, as well as maintaining a professional, respectful, and supportive tone in the office.

2. Training and staff capacity development

• Support technical and assessment focal points in developing the capacity of staff, for example, by proactively organising training and development sessions;

• Autonomously identify talent, capacity gaps, and staff who would benefit from specific training, particularly amongst national staff.

3. Grants development, management, and oversight

• Under the supervision of the Country Coordinator and with support from Research Managers and project focal points, contribute to the development of new activities, including identifying funding opportunities, drafting proposals, and conducting initial discussions with donors/partners
• In coordination with the Country Coordinator, maintain IMPACT Iraq’s strong relationships with its existing donors through regular meetings to brief on project progress, critical developments in the Iraq context and coordination structure, findings from assessments, concerns with regards to information gaps, as well as the development of new grants as needed.
• Together with the Country Coordinator, develop IMPACT Iraq’s project development strategy, including exploring partnerships with new donors, mapping potential donors, and conducting prospect research.
• Support the Country Coordinator and project development department in tracking donor requirements and deadlines via delegation and follow-up of tasks to focal points, review, and in some cases, drafting of reports;
• Lead on building systems to externalize institutional knowledge to ensure lessons learned are not lost with staff turnover.

4.Human Resource Management (recruitment and staff welfare)

• Together with the Country Coordinator, identify needs for staff recruitment, including capacity or skills gaps within the units.
• Drafting of ToRs with the SMT, liaison with HR at IMPACT Headquarters, conducting interviews or supporting Research Managers to conduct robust interviews.
• Together with the Country Coordinator, ensure that appraisals, contract renewals, and recruitments are done in a timely manner to minimize gaps on the team.
• Together with the Country Coordinator, maintain team morale and a strong team spirit, monitor staff welfare, and help ensure team cohesion between Erbil, field bases, and within and across units.

5. External engagement (donor engagement, external representation, advocacy, partnership development and maintenance)

• Under the supervision of the Country Coordinator, ensure that IMPACT Iraq maintains its strong relationships and position as a critical information actor in the response through regular engagement with representatives within the humanitarian coordination structure, UN agencies, key NGO forums, and other Information Management actors.
• Together with the Country Coordinator and Research Managers, support the internal and external coordination, including internal preparation, synthesizing key streams of information and findings, coordinating with UNCT, preparing for bi-weekly meetings, chairing the forum when required, and presenting the outcomes to the Durable Solutions Technical Working Group (DSTWG) and other relevant coordination forums.
• Together with the Country Coordinator and project focal points, when relevant, identify, develop and maintain partnerships with relevant actors, such as other IM actors, clusters/working groups, NGOs, and representatives of relevant NGO forums.
• Support the Country Coordinator in IMPACT Iraq’s advocacy work, largely revolving around raising awareness of key findings with regard to the humanitarian caseload and durable solutions in Iraq and situating these within broader conversations in the response in order to ensure that key findings are heard and used to inform response strategies and implementation and that the response is based on reliable information.
• Represent IMPACT and present findings at relevant key platforms/meetings.

6.Support in the development and implementation of the IMPACT Iraq Strategy

• Closely follow the social, economic, and political situation in Iraq, humanitarian coordination developments, and critical issues in the humanitarian response.
• Together with the rest of the SMT, support the Country Coordinator through regular review of IMPACT information products for relevance, user-friendliness, effectiveness, and timeliness to ensure that they sufficiently inform the target audience.
• Together with the rest of the SMT, support the Country Coordinator in strategy development and implementation through conversations with external actors, context monitoring, and conversations with project focal points.
• Together with the Country Coordinator, ensure that project focal points are trained and able to situate their projects within the broader context and support them in thinking strategically about their project.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in relevant discipline required;
• At least 4 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian, development or related settings, including at least 2 years in a programme management role.
• Excellent team management, coordination, organisational and planning skills required, including ability to manage large workloads, oversee multiple teams and effectively meet deadlines through an excellent ability to multi-task and prioritise;
• Experience with external engagement (donors, partners, and other key stakeholders) required.
• Familiarity with the humanitarian coordination system required.
• Understanding of processes involved in conducting assessments required.
• Excellent communication and drafting skills required for effective reporting.
• Excellent analytical skills required;
• Experience managing multiple budgets is an asset;
• Ability to work independently and manage people remotely required;
• Demonstrable ability to work under pressure and meet competing deadlines required;
• Solution-oriented, flexible, and open-minded, including the ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment required;
• Good understanding of the Iraq context – past experience in the region is desirable;
• Fluency in English required;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word and Excel required;

Conditions

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retire