Emergency and Cash Coordinator

Job Description

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and - whenever possible - for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

1. Background

DRC has been operating in West Africa since 1998 and in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2011. The DRC West-North Africa & Latin America (WANALAC) Regional Office is based in Dakar, Senegal, and covers several countries. Led by the Regional Executive Director, the DRC WANALAC oversees, supports, and provides strategic directions for DRC’s Country Offices within the above-mentioned regions. From May 2022, it includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Colombia and Venezuela.

A department of multi-country operations has been established at the Regional Office since February 2021 for multi country and cross border projects and regionally held grants. The Emergency and Cash Coordinator for Multi-country Operations is a new position within this department. It is either based in West Africa Regional Office in Dakar, or in one of the countries of implementation (Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali). As a key member of the multi-country operations team, the Emergency and Cash Coordinator for Multi-country Operations will collaborate closely with the programme and support services team at the regional level as well as with country and field office teams and with local partners.

DRC is a leading agency on the use and promotion of quality Cash and Voucher Assistance in humanitarian and durable solutions responses. DRC’s strategic, operational and programmatic approach reflects its organisational commitment to collaboratively driving the ongoing uptake and scaling of better quality, more evidence-based and wherever possible digital cash and voucher assistance.

The Coordinator will focus on one multi-country programme at this stage entitled “First local emergency response in Sahel hard to reach hot spots (the local Rapid Response Mechanism)”: The 32-months programme intends to pilot a local RRM led by reputed local NGOs to respond to small and multiple displacements. The project will be implemented in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in hard-to-reach areas. It aims at strengthening local first responder’s organisational and preparedness capacities to deliver high quality Value for Money emergency assistance, mainly through unconditional cash assistance, to small-scale and multiple displacements.

The technical leadership includes the supervision and monitoring of the quality of the interventions, the respect of international and RRM standards, the revision of tools, training of partners, communication with clusters and working groups when needed, leadership for the organization and facilitation of technical workshops, mission monitoring and innovative and strategic advice.

2. Purpose

The Coordinator designs and support the implementation of DRC’s policies in multi-county operations for the local RRM project through providing strategic directions, technical and quality assurance support, operational guidance, capacity strengthening and troubleshooting to DRC and partners, in line with the global DRC CVA strategy, standards on RRM, Emergency Response and Preparedness Requirements. The Coordinator is the Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) focal point in the implementation of the RRM project. A specific focus of the role is to oversee assessment, targeting, implementation and monitoring of basic needs and multi-purpose cash assistance for IDPs and Host Communities in DRC’s areas of operation. This position represents an excellent opportunity to provide technical leadership and capacity building in an exciting and challenging context of localization in the Sahel, and to strategically develop the quality, impact and protection integration of DRC’s emergency basic needs and cash-based response.

3. Responsibilities

Technical support : Provide technical guidance, advice, and support to DRC countries and local partners engaged in the RRM project in collaboration with in-country Economic Recovery Coordinators, Emergency Coordinators and Heads of Programmes:

• • On assessment, design, modalities, transfer values, implementation, post-distribution monitoring, learning, and reporting of high quality, timely and accountable needs and preferences and standardised and common indicators in line with global good practice;
  • Harmonised transfer values and up to date price data-based and inter-agency agreed Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) of basic needs items and services – as perceived and prioritised by crisis-affected populations and according to their local circumstances and habits;
  • Common Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) templates, across the project/programme cycle and where necessary per delivery mechanism, to outline the systems, critical actions, roles and responsibilities, and separation of duties for implementing cash- and voucher-based programming;
  • Mapping of financial service providers for cash and voucher delivery, with a specific focus on allowing the use of digital payments;
  • Remote support, field support missions, facilitating exchanges, technical meetings and peer networks with DRC teams and local partners;
  • Acting as reference/focal point answering specific technical questions, providing troubleshooting, and addressing country-specific challenges;
  • Assist DRC and local partners countries of operations in designing, organising and facilitating strategic and technical workshops and trainings targeting DRC and partners’ staff;
  • Including providing or reviewing methodology, guidance, and tools essential to ensuring predictable, accountable, and high-quality programming;
  • Ensuring programme strategy and design is evolved in line with context and needs and integrated with other DRC sectors/areas of intervention to the extent possible.
  • Lead development/adaptation of - and training of relevant team members and partners in - core technical tools and guidance.

Overview the delivery of the following core components:

• • A basic needs and markets-based assessment and response design using DRC’s Modality Due Diligence and Cash Feasibility methodology, guidance and tools;
  • Vulnerability criteria and targeting;
  • Timely implementation of multi-purpose and integrated cash assistance for the identified beneficiary caseload when possible;
  • Monitoring of basic needs cash assistance through the RRM Mechanism in each country to understand process, outcomes and impact, and document lessons learned to inform adapted and higher quality response and how the local RRM is complementing the overall assistance for displaced people and is satisfactory in terms of value for money.

Set-up of activities: Upon request, in the frame of multi-country operations, support the set-up of activities at country level - including supporting partners conducting and coordinating feasibility, needs, preferences and market assessment; modality due diligence/selection and response design; recruitment and training of DRC and partner staff; etc.

Capacity building:

• • Assess local partners’ capacities in relation to RRM project and identify technical and/or programmatic gaps relevant to DRC’s operational contexts and programming;
  • Adapt and provide training materials to local partners relating on cash-based programming in line with global interagency and internal DRC resources; provide training, mentoring and capacity building as required, including specifically for DRC and local partners’ country technical focal points and teams.

Quality assurance: Visit country programmes, measure quality programming and evaluate impact, cost-effectiveness and relevance of multi-country operations; provide mission reports including recommendations for improvements and action plans to be followed up by country Heads of Programme.

Learning: Lead and facilitate a collaborative regional learning and capitalisation process on the localisation project. Compile and share best practices of DRC and partners extracted from quality assurance exercises conducted at country level.

Coordination and representation:

• • In coordination with the regional programmes team and in-country coordinators, contribute to the liaison and synergies / alliances with Clusters, Cash and Voucher Working Groups, and other relevant stakeholders regarding multi-country operations.
  • Actively participate in internal programme coordination meetings and ensure integration of sector activities with other DRC sectors.
  • Ensure good coordination with the Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator that is the technical line of this position and is responsible to overview CVA based-programme in the region and to support in-countries programming.
  • Ensure that CVA approach within Emergency’s project is in line with the overall regional strategy.

Program development and proposal design : When requested explore options for new partnerships, consortia and alliances with international and local organisations for multi-country operations; Support in developing new multi-country project proposals, ensuring that proposed design is in line with country-level and regional strategies, and draws on lessons learnt and established sectoral and inter-agency good practice, methodology and guidance.

4. Roles reporting to this position

No direct reports - technical line at regional level to Multi-country Operations team and at country level to Economic Recovery Coordinators, Project Managers and local partners’ focal persons.

5. Required Qualifications

• 5 years’ experience with international humanitarian and/or development organisations, including significant experience working on Emergency/Basic Needs programming using CVA in contexts of forced displacement
• Strong, practical and up-to-date knowledge of:

• Rapid Response Mechanism
• Cash and voucher assistance: concepts; terminology; assessment and design methodology; and (digital) operations/implementation; payment systems/transfer mechanisms; technical guidance and tools; SOPs - including relevant global guidelines and toolkits on cash- and market-based programming
• Market System Approach (MSA), including proven ability to support development of market-based programming

• Demonstrable experience in providing high quality in-person and remote emergency, cash and market-based programming technical advice and support to country programmes and local partners, across the project/programme cycle
• Experience in uses of cash and vouchers for sectoral outcomes (e.g. protection, food security, livelihoods, shelter, education) and/or MPCA
• Experience delivering targeted and high-quality technical training and capacity building, including in settings with remote technical management
• Experience in market assessments, market analysis, and cash and voucher feasibility assessment
• Ability to conduct financial service provider and delivery mechanism/payment system mapping, assessment, and identification/selection/contracting
• Understanding of and experience in developing integrated programming including interfaces between emergency cash-based responses with both sustainable livelihoods and protection-oriented programming
• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology and processes suitable to document the effects of emergency programming
• Demonstrable capacity building skills - including specifically with design and facilitation of impactful and contextually-adapted trainings and workshops
• Experience working in complex institutional environments - and developing close working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues and partners
• Excellent analytical skills; ability to think strategically, and take a flexible, creative and innovative approach when needed
• Excellent communication, representation, coordination, training and writing skills
• Highly motivated and hard-working, with strong attention to detail
• Understanding of and previous experience working in the West Africa strongly preferred
• High degree of flexibility; willingness to deploy at short notice, to insecure environments, and to operate in a physically demanding working environment
• Excellent written and spoken French and English

Desirable :

• Previous experience in Sahel and West Africa

6. Required Skills & Qualities

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

7. General Regulations

The employee shall follow:

• DRC regulations on safety, health, COVID-19 norms and hygiene
• The Code of Conduct and all ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Rules for the use of the DRC guesthouse, which is a working accommodation
• In addition :
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request

8. Application Process

Are you interested? Then apply for this position online: www.drc.dk/about-drc/vacancies/current-vacancies . All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English. Applications can only be made online, on the site indicated above.

DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process. DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

However, candidates should take into consideration that the DRC cannot employ, under an international contract, a national of the country in which he/she will be working.

Closing date for applications: 8 August 2022. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Due to the urgency of the position, DRC has the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadline.