Local Governance Project Officer

Job Description

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to people affected by natural disaster, oppression, and violent conflict in 42 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, the IRC assists people from harm to home. The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in the country was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with integrated health, protection, and governance programs aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of crisis affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures.

IRC Libya’s governance portfolio includes skills-building and empowerment at the community level, capacity development support for local actors, and civil society and system strengthening. Through the USAID-funded PLAY for Peace project, now in its second year, the IRC works in partnership with local actors to promotes peace and reconciliation with a focus on youth political and civic engagement in and across Misrata, Tawergha, and Beni Walid. The project incorporates a people-to-people approach and empowers youth to advance peace, stability, and dialogue through organized groups, civic participation, positive media, and localized peace projects; at the same time, mitigating conflicts from escalating by providing targeted support to peace actors, community-level leaders/groups and influencers, and constituent-responsive authorities who are engaged in, or wish to be engaged in, peacebuilding, conflict mitigation, and reconciliation.

SCOPE OF WORK: With aims to expand the reach of this project while further advancing the ongoing activities and planned deliverables, the IRC is seeking a qualified Team Lead to help build on the PLAY for Peace achievement to date with strong partner and project management support across the project locations. The Team Lead will lead on organizational and other capacity building activities and is responsible for the day-to-day implementation and monitoring of project(s) in all the cities in accordance with IRC and donor requirements. This position will report to IRC Libya’s Governance Coordinator, and will supervise5 Community Engagement Assistants to ensure the project established and maintains strong relationships with project stakeholders for the fulfillment of project objectives.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project implementation and monitoring

· Support the Governance Coordinator to update the project management tools e.g., workplan, spending plan, procurement plan and the indicator monitoring table when needed.

· Manage the project’s Community Assistants across project locations/municipalities.

· Maintain open and professional relations with team members (IRC and partner), promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and mentorship to support successful staff performance.

· Ensure the compliance of program activities with the commitments made to the donor.

· Work closely with the local partners to plan and implement the following activities:

Ø Community assessments, stakeholder analysis, and targeted capacity-building training for youth committees.

Ø Liaison and engagement with local authorities (councils, Civil Society Commission, and relevant Ministries), in consultation with Governance Coordinator and Access & Security colleagues as needed, to support the Community Engagement Assistants.

Ø Design/implementation a youth community engagement strategy

Ø Implementation of the peace initiatives

Ø Design/implementation of Voice of Youth

· Support the Governance Coordinator, the IRC Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) team, and partners in the required monitoring and evaluation activities.

· Ensure that documents relating to activities and other project resources are filed and archived (lists of participants, activity reports as well as supporting documents for expenses incurred)

· Support integration and implementation of client feedback mechanisms

· Present short, periodic internal reports indicating the progress of the activities, and to support donor updates as needed.

Administrative, financial, and logistical management

· Work closely with the Governance Coordinator on the overall management of the project including compliance with commitments and deadlines, planning and systematic monitoring of budgets

· As required, support in the development of planning and budget forecasts for activities (e.g., Peace initiatives)

· Participate in the development of project management tools (work plan, spending plan and procurement plan) and monitor expenditure plans and the purchasing plan to avoid any delay or inconvenience in the implementation of project activities

· Prepare purchase requests and payment requests and produce other related procurement documents as needed.

· Plan the material supplies necessary for the implementation of the activities (training material, awareness raising as well as office equipment, etc.)

· Respect all administrative, financial, and logistical procedures of IRC

Communication and collaboration

· Ensure quality representation of IRC to implementing partners

· Maintain good relations with all stakeholders

· Collaborate closely with other team members and partners in the implementation of all activities, including Protection/Rule of Law, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Children’s Protection, and other IRC colleagues

· Produce high quality activity reports and reports of training, stakeholder engagement, and community events on timely basis

· Support in the coordination of field visits by donors and other people external to the program, if needed.

· Comply with the current IRC Libya Security Management Plan

· Comply fully with the commitments and regulations established in the Protection Policy and in the Code of Conduct

Qualifications

§ University degree in peacebuilding/conflict management, political science, international development, business administration, or another related field

§ Minimum three (3) years of relevant professional experience working on peacebuilding, social cohesion, protection or governance projects in Libya, and experience in project cities especially desirable

§ Demonstrated ability to engage and partner with communities, civil society organizations, government representatives, donors, and other stakeholders

§ Experience with youth empowerment programming

§ Knowledge of stakeholder and contextual analysis

§ Experience with gender-sensitive and conflict-sensitive programming and implementation

§ Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

§ Ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment.

§ Commitment to work in partnership and adherence to IRC principles of partnerships

§ Strong computer skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, Outlook)

§ Fluency in Arabic and preference for strong verbal and written communication skills in English

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values,

The IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.