Partnership Manager - Beirut

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

The August 4, 2020, Port of Beirut explosion compounded Lebanon’s existing economic and social challenges and disproportionally affected Beirut’s vulnerable populations. Since the explosion the efforts of civil society have been crucial for recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Several obstacles remain that challenge the effectiveness, inclusivity and sustainability of the broader recovery and rehabilitation process, which include coordination challenges between ongoing efforts and the ad hoc or temporary nature of interventions. The situation of Beirut’s population remains precarious and the need for support to recovery and reconstruction efforts urgent.

Project Description:

Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services

The project will focus on reducing vulnerabilities are prevalent amongst three groups affected by the blast in Beirut: (i) survivors of Gender-Based Violence (SGBV); (ii) those suffering from deteriorated psycho-social wellbeing; (iii) and/or those facing limitations related to being a person with disabilities and older persons. Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services interventions will entail providing grant financing directly to a select number of NGOs, to enable them to provide social services to reduce vulnerabilities in these groups.

This will be achieved by supporting non-government stakeholders that are engaged and have a track record in delivering social recovery services and working with target groups by improving their capacity to participate in the broader social recovery and reconstruction processes.

The World Bank has selected the IRC to act as the Intermediary Implementing Agency (IIA) to implement the Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services project. The IRC will take on project management, grant provision and/or procurement of services from NGOs and will be responsible for the fiduciary supervision of the selected NGO partners.

Responsibilities Partnership Agreement Management

- Develop, co-facilitate and guide competitive partner selection processes to identify partners for this project, by drafting and launching the Request for Applications (RFA) and scoring criteria. - Review Partners’ submitted proposals and budgets and support senior officers in this task before Project Lead sign off. - Conduct & coordinate Partner Identity and Background Review (Vetting) processes, including completion of the report and/or review of submitted reports by Senior officers. - Coordinate and co-lead Partner's Project Capacity Review (PPCR) processes, including contributing to and facilitating the collaborative risk analysis and management. - Coordinate with project lead and senior officer to agree/review appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements. - Liaising with HQ for approvals and/or review of documents and agreements. - Support senior officers and co-lead Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closing Meetings, together with the relevant team members. - Coordinate and participate in timely and effective partner program, finance, and compliance review and reflection (monitoring), and work with the Partnerships Senior Officers, Technical Coordinators, M&E and finance staff to address any project performance issues. - Coordinate narrative reporting processes and liaise with Partnership Finance Manager on finance reporting processes, including review and feedback. - Coordinate with Partnership Finance team to ensure timely transfer of payments to partners. - Maintain complete and organized partnership files for each partner. - Support senior officers and co-lead the review of the performance of the partners, of the IRC (including on the basis of partner feedback), and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, fostering ongoing partnerships beyond the sub-award project cycle.

Strategy and Program Approach

- Collaborate with project lead and technical coordinators to ensure a culture of mutual capacity sharing approaches and learning, so that IRC can learn from unique partners practices and innovations, - Identify opportunities for mentoring and/or coaching follow up activities at the partner organizational and individual levels. - Lead in capacity sharing monitoring, evaluating, learning and periodic reporting, including documenting successful capacity sharing methods that can be scaled. - Promote a culture of mutual learning and good partnership among all partners and IRC. - Coach, train, and mentor Partnership Team to strengthen their abilities to effectively support partners.

Key Working Relationships:

- Position Reports to: Project Lead - Position directly supervises: 2 Senior Partnership Officer - Indirect Reporting: Partnership Coordinator - Other Internal and/or external contacts: - Internal: IRC Lebanon Finance, HR and Supply chain departments, HQ and Regional grants/compliance teams, Partnerships teams, local and regional, programs, grants, M&E - External: Partner organizations

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline, Master’s degree a plus. - Demonstrated successful experience working with local partners and/or grants management - Demonstrable understanding of project planning and management cycles, and strong program design skills. - Demonstrated experience in working in capacity building roles. - Highly organized, close attention to detail, and ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment. - Professional fluency in spoken and written English; able to communicate concisely and with impact. - Very strong English & Arabic writing and editing skills; strong computer skills.

Working Environment: Staff will be based in Beirut with possible travel to field locations, upon business needs.

Candidates agree to disclose to IRC any situation of actual potential conflict of interest that impacts the capacity to serve the best interest of IRC and understand that any misstatement or misrepresentation described during the recruitment process and/or after hiring may lead to his/her disqualification or dismissal by IRC, and/or sanctions by the Donor (World Bank).

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