HDP Community Engagement Coordinator – AFGHANISTAN

WHO ARE WE?

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

Overall Context

Danish Demining Group (today known as the Humanitarian Disarmament and Peace building, HDP, sector of DRC) Afghanistan was established in Kandahar in 1998 during the Taliban regime and since May 2000 conducted operations in Central, Northern and Eastern regions of Afghanistan. HDP has trained a large number of professional Afghan national mine action personnel across a wide range of disciplines and has built a solid reputation as an implementing partner (IP) of Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) with a strong focus on integrated activities as well as quality and safety.

In addition to Mine Action activities, DRC HDP focuses on community safety programming. DRC strives to identify safety and security needs from the perspective of those living in conflict areas and to help them find non-violent solutions. These include community engagement and violence reduction programming that specifically seeks to engage communities in addressing root causes of conflict and local safety and security challenges. From April 2018 to March 2019, DRC implemented Peace building activities in the form of Community Safety Planning, Conflict Mediation trainings and Youth Campaigns in Kabul and Herat.

DRC HDP is looking for a dedicated Community Engagement Coordinator to lead in the development and implementation of DRCs Peace building activities in Afghanistan.

The Community Engagement (CE) Coordinator is primarily responsible for providing technical lead and support to programme staff based in Area Offices in organizing and providing conflict mediation trainings, community safety planning and youth empowerment activities. The CE Coordinator will work closely with a CE Specialist to conduct detailed conflict analysis in areas of implementation to inform community engagement, programme development and ensure conflict sensitivity of all activities. The CE Coordinator will also lead on project monitoring, evaluation and reporting as well as fundraising for potential scale up of peace building activities. The CE Coordinator is expected to mentor and conduct capacity building of CE staff based in Area Offices.

Responsibilities:

• Lead/coordinate the recruitment of area office CE staff.
• Provide comprehensive training (including Training of Trainers) to DRC CE staff on conflict mediation, community safety planning, conflict analysis and youth engagement activities.
• Lead/coordinate project implementation including planning of community activities such as conflict mediation trainings, community safety planning, conflict analysis and youth engagement activities.
• Lead designing and/or updating training methodology, content and materials.
• Lead/coordinate with programme staff in area offices in carrying out conflict analysis, ensure that they are updated and shared with relevant DRC staff.
• Ensure conflict sensitivity and do no harm throughout implementation of community engagement activities specifically and DRC programs in general, including through the provision of guidance and recommendations on conflict sensitivity to DRC and implementing partners.
• Maintain regular communication with programme staff in area offices for mentoring and reporting.
• Establish and maintain linkages among relevant stakeholders, including relevant working groups and coordination mechanisms
• Collect relevant data on drivers of conflict and community tensions across DRC areas of operation and update the line manager on any information related to conflict, safety and security.
• Line Manage a CE Specialist and technically supervise community engagement teams in the Area Offices
• Support the MEAL department in establishing an appropriate and relevant monitoring and evaluation mechanism for community engagement activities and in generating qualitative and quantitative data to document milestones of project progress and submit weekly, monthly and quarterly updates as required.
• Ensure comprehensive impact assessments of community engagement activities are carried out
• Lead on proposal development for community engagement and peace building activities
• Lead on reporting of community engagement and peace building activities
• Promote a culture of learning with the team and actively share challenges and lessons learned.
• Any other tasks assigned by the line manager.

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in this role you must have:

Qualifications

• Master degree in Social Sciences, Political, law or any other relevant degree
• Qualified females are strongly encouraged to apply.
• At least 4 years of work experience in conflict management, conflict analysis, community safety or other relevant area.
• Experience in developing and implementing mediation training, community safety planning, conflict analysis and youth engagement.
• Experience working in the NGO sector.
• Strong analytical and technical skills on community safety and conflict management.
• Knowledge of and experience working with communities in Afghanistan.
• Ability to clearly express one’s thoughts, to analyze and present information clearly and concisely.

Conditions

Duty station: Kabul, with regular travel to other regions. The position is unaccompanied and the candidate must be prepared to live and work in an isolated environment for longer periods of time with limited recreational and social facilities. Simple accommodation is provided for the duration of the contract.

We Offer:

• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with DRC salary scale