CHIEF OF PARTY, CASH CONSORTIUM OF SUDAN
Description
Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with possible relocation to Sudan as context and strategy evolve)
Position Status: Full-time
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)
Mercy Corps’ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food security and building on this experience, the MC Sudan humanitarian program will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and feasible to do so. Assistance is delivered with a focus on needs, in partnership with local actors and civil society.
The Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) is a collaborative platform to advance a progressive vision of the potential of cash assistance to transform humanitarian response and recovery in partnership with vulnerable conflict-affected populations. It is a multi-donor portfolio of approximately $60 million USD. CCS is led by Mercy Corps, building on its global experience and learning on leading cash consortia in multiple country contexts, as well as general expertise in cash coordination and breadth of technical resources. International partners include Acted, CARE, Concern, CORE, GOAL, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), each of which bring strong cash and complementary technical competencies, as well as expansive operational coverage in Sudan. The CCS also includes ten Sudanese NGOs as partners in alignment with global aid sector commitments to enhance the prominence of local actors in driving humanitarian response and recovery. IMPACT is a non-implementing partner dedicated to Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning. IMPACT will support quality data systems and an objective evidence base that will be essential to CCS’ accountability and adaptive management to refine programming approaches to enhance impact as the Sudan crisis context evolves. The CCS will work closely with other consortia and actors in Sudan to deliver an effective CVA response for communities affected by the crisis.
The core pillars of the CCS response include: 1) basic needs through cash assistance both at the community level through Group Cash Transfers (GCTs) delivered to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), as well as at the household-level through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA); 2) strengthening market systems to ensure resilience of key market actors and supply chains as well as strengthening the availability and affordability of key commodities; 3) strengthening capacity of local partner organizations with an emphasis on accompaniment and mentorship; and 4) generation of learning and evidence to inform broader response efforts.
The Position (General Position Summary)
The COP will lead the CCS in collaboration with the CCS Steering Committee, to develop its progressive vision of the potential of cash assistance to transform humanitarian response and recovery in partnership with vulnerable conflict-affected populations in Sudan. The COP will also ensure the prominence of CCS through external coordination with stakeholders such as the donor community, peer NGOs and INGOs, UN agencies, and government as feasible. The COP will look to influence national and global policies regarding the use of cash-based interventions in conflict settings as strategic.
The COP serves as the main focal point for the consortium as a whole, represents the interests of the partnership, and ensures it is working effectively and efficiently across member agencies.
The COP will provide operational leadership to the consortium, including managing the Consortium Secretariat team and encouraging the cohesion of activities across partners in partnership with the Steering Committee. S/he will oversee the contractual relationship between the different partners and consortium donors; work with consortium partners to broaden the donor base and grow the funding portfolio; coordinate the delivery of high quality programming; supervise reporting and build relationships between the consortium, the Cash Working Group and relevant clusters, donors, UN agencies and UN coordination structures, the World Bank, and local authorities as feasible.
The COP reports to the Mercy Corps Sudan Country Director, and is accountable to the the Steering Committee.
Essential Job Functions
Strategy and Vision
● Lead development of strategic vision and provide the operational leadership for the CCS as a whole.
● Continuously review and advise on adaptations and adjustments to the CCS vision for growth and sustainability.
● Lead and/or contribute to fundraising efforts for establishment and expansion of CCS.
● Recognize opportunities for innovative action and explore implementation possibilities with the CCS.
● Maintain strong and transparent communication with consortium partners at all levels.
● Advocate for the resources and operational support needed for the effective running of the CCS.
Representation and Coordination
● Lead and participate where relevant in external representation of the consortium with various groups, including donors, UN agencies, the World Bank and local authorities as feasible.
● Represent consortium progress to donors as well as within the Cash Working Group, the Emergency Livelihoods Cluster, other relevant clusters, working groups related to Social Protection, and other coordination fora as strategic.
● Share learning from the consortium with the greater humanitarian and development community within Sudan as well as regionally and globally, as relevant.
● Chair Steering Committee meetings.
Program Management
● Ensure partners are supported and accountable for tracking and reporting against deliverables.
● Oversee contractual agreements between grant holder(s) and partner agencies.
● Oversee operational planning for ongoing program activities across the consortium.
● Ensure program implementation is on scope, on time, on budget and with highest quality standards.
● Advocate for data-informed decision-making and adaptive management, applying learnings to iterative programming.
● Ensure planning and progress review meetings are held as needed.
● Adhere to all grant holder(s) procurement, logistics and administrative regulations related to programming.
● Ensure timely submission of high-quality donor reports
Finance & Compliance Management
● Ensure the consortium activities are compliant with donor and grant holder rules and regulations
● Manage the consortium budget and ensure partner expenditures are in line with agreed upon budgets
● Monitor expenditures and forecasts, ensure timely identification of under/over spends and propose and implement solutions
● Work with ethics teams to ensure allegations are investigated and addressed, and that the steering committee and donors are informed in a timely fashion
● Ensure timely submission of donor financial reports
Security
● Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership. Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
Organizational Learning
● As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
● Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
Deputy Director, Grants Coordinator, MEL Manager, Research Coordinator, Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, Partnerships Manager - Capacity Strengthening, Partnerships Manager - Group Cash Transfers, Communications Manager
Accountability
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Mercy Corps Sudan Country Director with direct accountability to the CCS Steering Committee.
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: CCS Partner Agencies, Mercy Corps Programs, Operations and Finance teams, Regional and HQ Technical Support Units
Knowledge and Experience
● BA/BS or equivalent in international studies, economics or another relevant field; MA/S preferred
● 7-10 years of international relief and development program management experience, in emergency and recovery program management
●Previous experience in managing consortiums, coordinating forums or managing/facilitating/influencing in network or partnership settings required
● Combination of direct and remote management experience preferred
● Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across multiple stakeholders
● Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
● Experience working with local authorities, national and international NGOs
● Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills
● Excellent oral and written English skills required
● Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
Success Factors
The successful COP will combine exceptional leadership, coordination and representation skills. S/He will have strong management skills and experience in building and maintaining donor and partner relationships. S/he will have an ability to approach complex challenges through a systems-thinking lens and have an ability to think creatively about solutions. S/he will possess a high level of adaptability and be able to adjust to a constantly changing working environment. S/he will have previous experience in implementing programs in insecure and conflict context. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya and it requires up to 40% travel to support consortium programming and operations in Sudan and neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. This may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.