TECHNICAL ADVISOR, VILLAGE SAVINGS & LOAN PROGRAMS

Description:

CARE is seeking a Technical Advisor, Village Savings & Loan Programs (VSLA), who will be responsible for leading CARE USA’s strategic discussions around cash and VSLA programming as well as enable regional and Country Office operational readiness to assess, analyze, design and implement humanitarian strategies and response. The candidate will explore opportunities to integrate the implementation of VSLAs in connection with CVA into current and new humanitarian response programs, initially focusing on 2-3 pilot countries in the MENA region. The candidate will coordinate with Humanitarian and VSLA Scaling team members and country office staff to provide guidance on the integration of VSLA and CVA approaches in humanitarian response programs and capture best practices to develop guidance on scaling these approaches and potentially other market based approaches in humanitarian contexts. The TA may need to take an active role in supporting regional or country-based technical coordination, support and advocacy with the country office, Cash working groups and other stakeholders and technical agencies relevant to the sector. The position will also be expected to work closely across CARE USA departments (e.g. PPL, Innovation, IPO, HT) to ensure the work is connected to broader organizational goals and takes into consideration the humanitarian – development nexus and must be fluent in Arabic and English.

Responsibilities:

1. Coordinate and Provide Technical Support to Village Savings & Loan (VSLAiE) Country Programs

• Support Regional Pilots (focal investments) to advance VSLAiE programming Strategies.
• Work closely with other TA’s and Regional/Country teams to identify appropriate VSLAiE strategies for CARE humanitarian responses.
• Support scale up on in country pilots (focused funding) in collaboration with Country Office teams and; determine priorities and immediate activities and resources.
• Support implementation of in country pilots, as well as any other VSLAiE programs implemented by CARE in focal countries.
• Work in close collaboration with the regions and Country Office programs to ensure that VSLAiE interventions build upon and link into longer term programming.
• Strategically engage with critical humanitarian forums such as the Grand Bargain and the Cash Learning Partnership in coordination with Cash Advisor (Humanitarian Team) to position CARE as a convener and a strong player in this space.
• Integrate transformative gender approach in VSLAiE programming.
• Ensure that issues of protection, gender, livelihoods, DRR and environmental impact, operation and maintenance are factored into new program design.
• Contribute to the letters of intent, concept papers, budgets and proposals in respect of the above.

2. Capture Monitoring and Lessons Learned

• Analyse VSLAiE programming impact, lessons learnt and utilize the information to strengthen future work and inform CARE’s evidence base.
• Contribute to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system set-up, in coordination with other TA’s and country office teams.
• Lead the development and the roll out of the Global Best Practices /Standard Operating Procedures/Tools for VSLA+ Cash programming.
• Coordinate the formulation and conceptualization of CARE’s overarching strategy and roadmap in using Markets and Cash programming in emergency settings.
• Support and/or lead high quality evaluations of CARE’s VSLAiE interventions and distil learning for CARE and wider humanitarian response from these efforts.
• Participate in monitoring field visits and evaluation activities including process, market and impact monitoring and capture learning and feedback to improve VSLAiE model.
• Closely work with CARE USA’s Humanitarian and VSLA Scaling Teams to documention the best practices and learning pertaining to VSLAiE.

3. Capacity Building of Staff on VSLAiE Programming

• Compile & upload VSLAiE program related resources available on the cloud-based and internet-driven platforms (Tools, Documents, Lessons Learned, etc.)
• Conduct capacity building of CARE staff to implement VSLAiE programs in a technically appropriate way through knowledge transfer, training, development of good practice and evidence- based research.
• Assist the global cash and markets advisor on VSLAiE training relevant for staff and peers related to CVA.

Qualifications:

• MA in development studies/economics/social science or related subject, or equivalent expertise.
• Deep, practical understanding of villages savings and loan associations or similar savings group modalities.
• Experience in planning and delivering cash programs.
• Contextual analysis, qualitative and quantitative research and other assessment tools.
• Understanding of gender issues and its linkages with Market and Cash response approaches.
• Experience managing programs in a field setting, preferably challenging environments.
• Ability to support and advise non-specialist colleagues, communicate complex ideas clearly, and facilitate learning and reflection activities.
• Must be fluent in Arabic.
• Ability to present clear ideas while providing remote support, training and influence.
• Ability to summarize and synthesize learning into plain English for a wide range of audiences.
• Strong ability to work independently, organize work, meet deadlines, prioritize work under pressure, and coordinate multiple tasks. Fluency in Arabic.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills in humanitarian programming, assessing emergency needs, market analysis, and program design.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and networking skills.
• Strong project management and budgeting skills.
• Understanding of principles of participation, gender equity and women’s empowerment.
• Understanding of quality monitoring and evaluation, basic understanding of statistics.
• Highly effective in conceptualizing and communicating opportunities for new initiatives and leading new business development efforts to support them.
• Program design using different in-kind assistance, markets support and cash modalities.
• Familiarity with key donor relevant regulations.
• Facilitation skills.