PROJECT COORDINATOR – SKILLS ENHANCEMENT TRAINING FOR REFUGEE LEADERS

The Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR) and the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) are together seeking an energetic and dedicated person to lead an innovative new project offering skills training and other support to Refugee Led Initiatives (RLIs) and refugee leaders. The ideal candidate will be passionate about supporting refugee rights, have experience of working with RLIs, and will have strong organizational, management, and leadership skills. Also essential are a dedication to social justice, excellent coordination skills, an interest in learning, a creative approach to problem solving, and a willingness to support the collaborative efforts of diverse initiatives across the region.

APNOR is a network of refugee-led groups established in 2018. APNOR’s objective is to build a sustainable and inclusive network for refugee-led organizations in the Asia Pacific region, to set the regional agenda for refugee policy that draws on the collective voice of lived experience to influence stakeholder and decision-making priorities, and to support the development of stronger national refugee-led structures that can influence national policy reform.

APRRN is a network of more than 200 civil society organizations and individuals from 28 countries committed to advancing the rights of refugees in the Asia Pacific region. The network is supported by a Secretariat of eight staff. APRRN’s activities are structured into key areas of information sharing, training and capacity development, and joint advocacy. Our members are diverse. They include refugees, service providers, human rights advocacy groups, research institutions, law firms providing pro-bono legal aid, refugee community-based organizations, and dedicated individuals. APRRN’s vision for the Asia Pacific region is one in which all people affected by displacement and statelessness have meaningful access to assistance and protection and to timely durable solutions as needed.

THE PROJECT

APNOR and APRRN are partnering to offer leaders of RLIs and those wishing to establish them skills training in core organizational competencies — e.g., the essentials of financial planning and management, governance, and fundraising. This multi-module, practical course, delivered over eight months, will provide practical tools and templates rooted in an understanding of the uniquely difficult operational contexts in which RLIs work. The Asia Pacific region hosts some of the largest displaced populations in the world while offering some of the weakest protections, and sparse frameworks for advancing policy. The region has few signatory states to the 1951 Refugee Convention and most national protection systems are ad hoc and precarious. Severe violations of the human rights of forcibly displaced people are common.

The top-down structure of the humanitarian sector has largely excluded refugee-led organizations and initiatives from shaping the refugee protection space, leading to humanitarian agencies being viewed as the providers and refugees as passive beneficiaries. In reality, the majority of assistance provided to refugees is provided by other refugees within refugee communities, often by locally rooted RLIs and rarely with adequate funding and support. COVID-19 highlighted the crucial work of RLIs. Despite this, RLIs struggle to access funding because of an inability to satisfy (often unnecessarily) onerous eligibility requirements. Because many RLIs are created by activists to respond to the needs that they see and because the nature of the work allows little time to focus on organizational development, there is a need for skills training aimed at allowing RLIs to operate more effectively and efficiently and be in stronger position to apply for funding and partnerships. Participant organizations and individuals will be financially supported throughout the course. The Project Lead will be expected to coordinate the creation and delivery of the three-module course in close partnership with APNOR and APRRN. Each skills training module is delivered for four to six hours per week over four to six weeks, with participant homeworking expected. Tools, templates, and training modules are to be developed by module leads coordinated by the Project Coordinator. Collaboration with other partners to deliver portions of the training is likely. Key to the success of the project will be an ability to offer individualized support to RLIs based on a firm understanding of capacity and need. This position is home-based. The Project Coordinator reports to Najeeba Wazefadost, Executive Director of APNOR and Chris Eades, Secretary General of APRRN. Bi-weekly coordination meetings with APNOR and APRRN are considered key to the success of the project. The position will be offered as a consultancy. It is preferred that the consultant is based in the Asia Pacific region, but exceptions may be made for the right candidate able to attend online meetings in the region. APNOR & APRRN are looking for an applicant able to commit from as soon as possible until 31 March 2023.

POSITION DETAILS

Salary: EUR 2,200 monthly

Work Location: Remote

Hours: 3.5 days per week (28 hours)

Length of role: 8-9 months

Further information: Please visit: https://apnor.org and www.aprrn.org for further information.

The deadline for applications is 23:00hrs ICT on 18 July 2022. Start date is as soon as possible.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Project Coordinator carries out tasks in accordance with the Terms of Reference.

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for all implementation and management aspects of the project, including the effective coordination and implementation of all project activities in close coordination with APRRN and APNOR. The Project Coordinator will also be responsible for building strong relationships with potential partners and participants.

Specific responsibilities

Course design and implementation

• Finalize course structure and module selection

• Advertise course and coordinate the selection of participants

• Coordinate the selection of three module leads and other providers

• Oversee module design and content

• Coordinate online training and additional support to participants

• Oversee all technical aspects of online delivery including oversight of video production

• Oversee MEL during course and coordinate external evaluation at end of course

• Improve the effectives and impact of the course

Project Management and Coordination

• Provide strong grant and financial management of all project activities and ensure the best use of resources by preparing sound budgets, monitoring project activities and expenses, assuring all narrative and financial reporting is complete and timely, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and delivering on-time and high-quality activities.

• Lead the overall implementation of the “Skills Enhance Training Course” project by establishing inclusive coordination mechanisms with APNOR and APRRN, a shared vision and approach amongst all partners, and clear procedures for information sharing and learning.

• Ensure strong relationships with partners and collaborators – based on principles of mutual trust and respect, mutual accountability, inclusion and transparency – with project partners throughout the life of the project.

• Create activity and financial plans and reports, and contribute to donor reporting.

• Meet at least once every two weeks with the leadership of APNOR and APRRN to coordinate delivery of the project.

REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in non-profit management, international development, or other relevant fields

Skills & Experience

• Minimum five years of work experience in project leadership roles, preferably in the Asia Pacific region or international contexts

• At least two years of experience of working with RLIs, preferably in the Global South

• Demonstrated ability to foster strong collaborative partner relationships, with an ability to foster a common project vision among partner organizations

• Demonstrated ability to deliver high quality projects on time

• Demonstrated ability to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation of diverse activities, including remote monitoring

• Strong planning, monitoring, management, supervision, and budgeting expertise

• Strong English communication skills, both interpersonal and written

• Strong MS Office skills, including Word and Excel

• Excellent coordination and task management skills

• Ability to multitask and set priorities while managing competing deadlines

• Able to work proactively and supportively within a team

APNOR & APRRN are looking to fill the vacancy with the best possible applicant, even where that applicant may not precisely fulfil all requirements listed in this announcement, or where the applicant may demonstrate similar transferable skills. The role will require good humor, patience, optimism, and consensus building skill, as well as a willingness to learn and grow into the role.

APNOR & APRRN are especially interested in applications from people with the lived experience of forced displacement. This may include, but is not limited to, current and former refugees, people seeking asylum, stateless persons, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We are also interested in applications from women, LGBTIQ+ persons, persons living with disabilities, and others who have commonly experienced social or employment exclusion