Learning, Coordination and Networking Advisor (National Contract)

Gülümseme ve Zeytin Yardimlaşma ve Dayanişma Derneği (GvZ) is a non-profit, non-governmental civil society organization that has been supporting the most marginalized and desperate Syrians affected by conflict in Syria. Since the beginning, GvZ believes that its role is to create avenues to empower those affected by the conflict by developing their skills and reviving their sense of humanity and dignity. Through its community centers, GvZ provides women, youth, and marginalized groups with a range of various humanitarian services such as relief aid, protection, education programs, and networking with other humanitarian actors on how to advocate for issues deemed essential to highlight. To that end, GvZ strives to continue sharpening the skills of Syrians to partake in the peacebuilding process in Syria and actively advocate for a democracy reflecting a diverse yet socially coherent society.

Job Purpose

To support consortium members and programme staff in delivering on a two-year programme to empower women-led organisations working with internally displaced people (IDP) and host communities in the Syrian crisis response. The post will work with partners based in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria as well as with representative offices of the partners involved in donor government capitals, Brussels, Geneva, and New York. The Accompanier will help these partners and programmes to develop research, analysis and recommendations arising from programmes to address the rights and protection of displaced women and girls and host communities, and local women-led organisations rooted in these communities, in the Syrian crisis response. The Learning, Coordination and Networking Advisor will also provide general support across the organisation on the development, communication and monitoring of advocacy.

Job Scope

The Learning, Coordination and Networking Advisor will work closely with consortium members and programme staff and will also feed into the partners’ general humanitarian policy, gender, inclusion, and advocacy work through the engagement with the International Programme department and Advocacy, Communications and Education Group.**

Accountability

The Learning, Coordination and Networking Advisor will report directly to the one of the consortium member’s Head of Humanitarian Policy

Duties, Responsibilities and Tasks:

Accompaniment of partners on advocacy (30%)

· Assist local partners working with community members in the development of advocacy programmes, strategies and workplans appropriate to the context and identify and mitigate risks associated with this. This will include support to a consortium-level advocacy strategy and action plan centering on rights and protection of displaced women and girls in the Syrian crisis response.

· Help local partners identify their own advocacy capacity development needs. When necessary, help them seek out third-party support.

· Set up and carry out advocacy capacity-building activities such as formal workshops, semi-structured discussions, mentoring, and coaching.

· Help promote learning between local partners.

· Assist partners in the translation of grassroots or qualitative evidence into credible policy alternatives, with an eye to improving communications and advocacy strategy.

· Assist partners in understanding, engaging with and influencing relevant external stakeholders, including UN agencies, INGOs, other national NGOs and other relevant actors.

Research and analysis (40%)

· Design and support the implementation of participatory and partnership-based research on issues prioritised by local partners in relation to women, peace and security, women’s rights and protection of women and girls in the Syrian crisis; and partnership, empowerment, and localisation efforts in relation to women-led organisations. This will include leading in producing at least three policy briefs as well as other means of summarising and communicating analysis from the research and analysis in appropriate mediums for relevant audiences.

· Develop and contribute to the knowledge base on effective methods for research, analysis, and advocacy in partnership with local women-led organisations in situations of armed conflict and forced displacement (including through use of online and off-line communication tools and strategy planning; risk assessment and management methodologies, etc)

· Monitor, analyse and raise awareness with local partners and other relevant stakeholders about relevant global and context-specific policies, guidelines, standards, plan and coordination and decision-making processes of relevance to the human rights, political, operational and security situation facing local organisations, and in particular local women-led organisations, in the Syrian crisis response.

Representation and participation in coordination and policy-making processes (25%)

· Participate in relevant coordination and decision-making processes (eg protection cluster, gender-based violence sub-cluster, and other relevant networks addressing gender, human rights, women’s rights and women, peace and security).

· Support and accompany partners in understanding, navigating and influencing relevant coordination and decision-making processes. This may include identifying opportunities for research and analysis to inform priority-setting, programme quality or other efforts within clusters and by other international and national agencies involved in them.

· Develop relationships with relevant donor government, UN agency, INGO, national NGO and other advocacy targets at the country, regional or international levels.

· Drawing on experiences from the project and partners, develop relevant policy messages or papers for peer audiences

Supporting on gender, protection, advocacy, and localisation (5%)

· Work with the Head of Humanitarian Policy and other staff to develop and deliver innovative ways to share learning across wider advocacy, partnerships and gender-related work to foster synergies and amplify the impact of our work.

· Produce materials and internal events to help staff develop advocacy programmes and support partners in their advocacy, protection, gender, and localisation related work

· Disseminate insights via internal communication mechanisms, blogging and twitter

The post will be required to travel regularly for up to 3-4 months a year.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required.

Qualifications and Experience:

· Master’s degree in Social Science, Journalism & Media, or related field.

· Understanding of the Syrian crisis.

· Understanding women’s rights, gender-based violence and related issues

· Understanding the humanitarian system and programmes.

· Able to make sound independent decisions in complex circumstances where information may be unclear

· understanding cross cultural sensitivities, ensures others fully understand what has been discussed and agreed; presents complex issues simply and clearly

· ability to build and maintain effective communication with influential external contacts

· Strong written and verbal communication skills in English

· An ability to conduct day to day work in Arabic and/or Turkish

· Ability to develop projects which use budget monitoring for advocacy

· Knowledge of technology and social media and its potential for advocacy

· Knowledge of participatory methodologies

Job-specific competencies:

· Understanding localisation and partnership issues

· Able to build the capacity of an organisation through a range of methods such as training mentoring or working alongside of people, and a strong practical knowledge of different approaches to advocacy work

· Understanding of the roles and challenges of civil society in the developing world.

· Good analytical skills, skills in review of documents and report writing

· Experience of working and liaising with international donors and working as part of a consortium

· Experience in monitoring advocacy projects

*Only candidates that are Turkish ID holders and legally able to work in Turkey will be considered

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with GvZ Code of conduct, PSEA and safeguarding policies.

GvZ expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us