Partnership Coordinator – Gaziantep

General Description of the Programme:

GOAL an International Humanitarian Organisation has had a presence in Turkey since 2013 and has been contributing to the migrant response since 2016 with a focus on responding to needs in health service delivery, social safety nets and the protection of vulnerable and marginalised migrants in southern Turkey.

GOAL has been working in Syria since 2013, responding to the acute needs of conflict-affected communities. GOAL is working in Idleb Governate, both through direct implementation and through partners, delivering food, non-food programming to highly vulnerable populations, and provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) through support to Water units, as well as emergency support to recently displaced households.

GOAL has been working in North Aleppo Governate since 2019, through direct implementation and through partners, delivering food, non-food programming to highly vulnerable populations, as well as emergency support for recently displaced household.

GOAL has two projects (ECHO funded LINK and PRM funded GREEN) in Turkey, LINK program targets refugees from nomadic / semi-nomadic backgrounds and those engaged in seasonal agricultural labor. LINK has been designed to address and mitigate protection concerns of the vulnerable / marginalized refugees through provision of critical information and raising their awareness on their rights, obligations and services available in Turkey, by sensitization/advocacy (targeting key stakeholders and service providers, etc.) activities, and Individual Protection Assistance (IPA) services to enable highly vulnerable refugees to access to basic, social and protective services available under the provisions of Temporary and International Protection regulations in Turkey. On the other hand, Green program aims to improve socioeconomic inclusion, resilience and self-sufficiency of highly vulnerable/excluded women and girls from host and refugee communities (Syrians as well as those living in program locations under the international protection regulation) including nomadic communities and seasonal agriculture workers from both communities through integrated and market driven livelihood opportunities and protection services, including language courses and vocational skills training on greenhouse production and agriculture; case management (CM)/coaching services, establishment of a women cooperative, protection outreach, information provision and awareness raising; and provision of special needs and individual protection assistance services.

Job purpose:

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Programme – Partners and Quality (DPP) the Partnership Coordinator will provide leadership and technical expertise to advance GOAL Syria’s partnership agenda in line with GOAL Global and GOAL Syria’s country programme strategy. The incumbent will ensure that GOAL and its partners uphold partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approach, accountability, transparency, and complementarity in GOAL Syria’s work with partners. The incumbent will lead coordination of GOAL Syria’s partnership portfolio to safeguard strong, high quality partnerships that deliver timely, appropriate, and effective assistance; and ensure a high level of risk management and donor compliance. The partnership Coordinator is a key contributor to overall project cycle management.

The Partnerships Coordinator will lead the Partnership Working Group (PWG) to ensure effective and clear roles and responsibilities are understood and interdepartmental collaboration is maintained within the country program. The Coordinator will also be a leader in fostering and promoting a culture, attitudes, and values conducive to collaborative partnerships among the team, based on a clear and shared understanding of GOAL’s role and approach, and core partnership principles.

Duties, objectives and competencies

Job Responsibility #1: Leadership & Management

30% of Time:

• Lead PWG meetings, define meeting schedule, outcomes and agenda in coordination with the DPD and programme quality department coordinators depending on priority partner workstreams. Promote a coherent, strategic, and coordinated approach through the PWG to partnerships in GOAL Syria and facilitate regular inter-departmental meetings to ensure effective collaboration across the country program for partnerships.
• Supervise the Partnership Officer. Overall responsibility for annual appraisals, work plans and supporting with ensure access to training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.
• Work with DPP and SPD to ensure that budgets and resources support the implementation of GOAL Syria’s Partnership Strategy together with it’s defined strategoc objectives and outcomes.
• Manage effective collaborative working relationships with Systems and Finance departments to ensure smooth, effective and streamlined engagement.
• Any other duties as required.

Job Responsibility #2: Partnership Accountability & Results

30% of Time:

• Oversee, facilitate, and coordinate aspects of partnership life cycle management, from stakeholder analysis, partner identification, due diligence, agreement, start-up, performance monitoring framework, implementation through to close-out, coordinating effectively with all program, programme quality, systems, and compliance components.
• Coordinate the pre-award due diligence process with respect to all new partnerships, including through appropriate vetting, coordinating the pre-award assessment with other departments, analysis of risks associated with the award, and the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to manage those risks, working with other departments as appropriate. Lead capacity building efforts for Partners to mitigate, prevent, and manage risk.
• Coordinate the effective start-up of partnerships, including introductory Partnership Opening Meetings with partners, and GOAL’s Programme Quality Team.
• Ensure programme quality minimum standards are in place and the alignment with GOAL country strategic plans.
• Support the development of programme quality strategies, targets and workplans with Partners in close coordination with both GOAL & partner Technical Advisors, MEAL Coordinators, Programme Coordinators; support their implementation and monitoring.
• Stay informed and updated on partner progress with regards to implementation and monitoring through reading of routine partner reports. Contribute to improvement and capacity building processes for partner reporting.
• Ensure the timely review of partners’ programme narrative reports in accordance with the terms of their partnership agreements, coordinating with Partnerships Officer, and programs and MEAL teams.
• Maintain and coordinate partner program, finance, and compliance monitoring and review meeting schedules, and coordinate support for partners to address any concerns or issues that may arise. Ensure any issues are attended to.
• Coordinate effective partnership close out processes, incorporating reflection, lessons learned and future planning in collaboration with programme and programme quality teams.
• Identify with partners, preferred two-way (GOAL – Partner) participatory accountability mechanism(s)/peer review process to promote and empower partners to hold GOAL accountable within the partnership.
• Contribute to donor reporting for partnership-related matters.
• Ensure GOAL maintains documented analysis of Partner programming and systems and review, analysis, and performance.

Job Responsibility #3: Promote Effective Partnerships

20% of Time:

• Champion robust partner relationship management characterized by the core partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approach, accountability, transparency, and complementarity.
• Ensure appropriate proactive and reactive communications and engagement with partners through regularly scheduled partnership management meetings and outside of formal partnership relationships.
• Facilitate systematic partner feedback on GOAL’s management of the partnership relationship, as well as appropriate action in response to the feedback, engaging senior management as needed.
• In coordination with the technical coordinators, Grants Coordinator, Programme Director, and the Deputy Director of Programs, proactively engage partners on program development and design efforts.
• Collaborate with technical and programme coordinators to proactively identify potential partnerships with LNGOS, both through an annual stakeholder analysis process as well as through external networking, regular research, and engagement with actors in NWS.
• Work closely with the Learning Coordinator to promote a learning culture with GOAL and partners through facilitating and organising thematic two-way learning reviews.
• Lead and participate in cross-cutting programme quality technical working groups with GOAL and partners to promote learning, capacity building and two-way knowledge transfer.
• Informed by the ACP and Learning Agenda explore new and alternative partnership modalities including informal partnership opportunities that promote awareness raising, research and knowledge sharing around themes and topics that strengthen the delivery of GOAL Syria’s programme portfolio.
• Actively co-ordinate and collaborate with other Middle East regional country programs to ensure a coherent, efficient, and effective joint approach to partnerships.
• Work closely with GOAL HQ staff and ensure Partner related documentation is uploaded to SharePoint.
• Represent GOAL at the Partnership Platform, and other relevant forums.

Job Responsibility #4: Partner Capacity Building

20% of Time:

• Provide and/or facilitate partnership management trainings, refresher trainings and ongoing support on partnership management, systems-support, programme quality and compliance for partners.
• Identify and assess Partner programme quality capacity-building needs and work with, and ensure a collaborative, positive, and proactive progressive working relationships with Partners.
• Ensure Organisational Capacity Assessments, financial assessment, programme assessments are conducted yearly for each Partner (and as required). Manage the development, delivery, and reporting of assessments in collaboration with the compliance coordinator. Ensure yearly Organisational Capacity Development plans are developed for each Partner, monitor their implementation, and provide progress updates to senior management.
• Carry out gap analyses and identify programme quality and other technical, and operational capacity building needs and requirements for GOAL Partners. Coordinate with MEAL and programme teams to design and deliver trainings, and workshops; create and facilitate, mentoring and coaching opportunities, share online learning opportunities, best practice resources and tools etc. to strengthen Partner organizations institutionally and technically. Instil processes to ensure improvement planning for Partners is designed and implemented within GOAL.

Requirements (essential)

• Degree (Masters preferred) in Business Administration, International Development, or relevant field.
• Minimum 5-8 years management experience in humanitarian, development, or NGO sectors; at a country management level.
• 2 years’ experience managing subawards and of working with downstream Partners (sub recipients)
• 2 years direct experience providing capacity building to partners.
• Proven experience in remote management; including leading and managing remote teams.
• Strong team leadership skills; including developing, motivating, and problem solving in remote teams.
• Knowledge of NGO donors (USAID, ECHO, DFID, EU, etc.) and knowledge of Syria Crisis Response.
• Highly developed, analytical, and relationship management skills
• Experience in designing partner mapping, two-way partner performance evaluation methodologies and capacity assessment tools, templates, SoPs, and guidelines to support partner identification, management, and support.
• Demonstrable understanding of accountability, monitoring & evaluation, and learning principles and practices.
• Excellent time management aptitudes, and the ability to prioritise work when under pressure.
• Ability to work independently on own initiative, assess risk and make plans accordingly.
• Flexible, organised, and creative with a proven ability to resolve issues and identify solutions, including interpersonal sensitivity and effective judgement.
• Excellent English writing and spoken language skills.
• Turkish Citizenship or right to work in Turkey.

Requirements: GOAL Competencies

• Communication: Skilled communicator and ability to work effectively across multiple cultures, including remotely.
• Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to manage a large workload and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines, and to continually reprioritise multiple tasks as a result of new information.
• Work style: Highly organized team player, pro-active and with demonstrated strong personal initiative and interpersonal skills.
• Travel: Ability and willingness to travel to Jordan when required.

Requirements (desired)

• Good contextual knowledge of North West Syria ‐ social, cultural and economic context, priorities and constraints.
• Fluent in written and spoken Arabic
• Turkish language skills.