Conflict Mitigation and Management Sector Manager- CAR

MERCY CORPS CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC:

Mercy Corps has been operational in the Central African Republic (CAR) since September 2007. With offices in the Bangui and in Bouar, Bambari, and Bangassou, Mercy Corps works to integrate short-term humanitarian assistance with programs to strengthen community resilience and support market-led economic development, with a cross-cutting accent on governance and gender. Mercy Corps takes a sustainable approach to its programming, seeking to change behaviors and create institutions to foster long-term development in the sectors of protection, governance, civil society capacity building, water/sanitation, and food security. Funding comes from a range of donors including the European Commission, OFDA, US Department of State, DFID, the United Nations, FIDA, and private donations. By addressing a number of overlapping and associated needs within a wide range of activities, Mercy Corps in CAR takes an integrated approach to ensure the greatest possible impact.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Conflict Mitigation and Management Sector Manager will supervise social cohesion program managers and teams and work closely with the Deputy Country Director (DCD) to ensure effective coordination and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and quality assurance of Mercy Corps CAR’s social cohesion portfolio. The Conflict Mitigation and Management Sector Manager is also responsible for leading and supervising all the technical components of the social cohesion programs, ensuring that all aspect of conflict are adequately assessed, appropriate strategies – particularly community-led economic and natural resource projects – are designed and implemented, and peace messaging to raise awareness of the economic and other costs of conflict are developed and disseminated. The position is responsible for developing the overall, country wide strategy on social cohesion programs. This position is responsible in ensuring that social cohesion programs complement one another and build on one another to drive forth the global MC CAR social cohesion strategy.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

• Construct a social cohesion strategy that is country wide and ties together all programs concentrated on social cohesion work.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and development of good practices that integrate dialogue and economic collaboration as tools for conflict mitigation in complex environments.
• Ensure the financial sustainability of the social cohesion portfolio with a global budget drawn, clearly defined Human Resource organizational chart and a global Monitoring and Evaluation plan for the portfolio.
• Identify, document and communicate the ideas, trends and emerging capacities in CAR that fall in the intersection between economic development and peacebuilding.
• Lead or actively participate in the development of new programs related to social cohesion.

Program Implementation

• Supervise the Program Managers in the development and execution of program activities, monitoring and evaluation and reporting requirements.
• Ensure all programs are in line with Mercy Corps internal rules and regulations as well as compliant with donor regulations.
• Provide technical input into the program implementation to ensure coherence with global social cohesion strategy. This includes working on the conflict mitigation/ negotiations skills curriculum as well as mass media messaging around peacebuilding.
• Design and deliver to the social cohesion programs team substantive trainings on the intersection between conflict mitigation, protection, economic collaboration and peacebuilding.
• Assist Program Managers identify and develop relevant local technical expertise in the areas of conflict mitigation and peacebuilding.
• Assist Program Managers in community- led conflict mapping, design, planning and implementation of conflict mitigation and peacebuilding activities.

Representation

• Collaboratively identify and nurture collaborative partnerships with appropriate local leaders, program partners, and other stakeholders.
• Participate in relevant fora in CAR related to peacebuilding and economic development.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices from MC Central African Republic’s conflict and peacebuilding portfolio to internal and external stakeholders, including at international conferences and similar forums.
• Alongside the Deputy Country Director and the Country Director maintain relationship with relevant social cohesion donors.

Training/ Mentoring:

• Provide technical assistance and mentoring of Bangui and field-based program teams on best practice principles, disciplines, and methodologies related to conflict mitigation, peacebuilding and economic collaboration.
• Assist with development of training materials and deliver training to teams during field visits.

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:  Social Cohesion Program Managers (3 international staff at the moment)

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:  Deputy Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Mercy Corps Social Cohesion Programs staff, M&E manager and teams, CAR operations, finance and program departments; relevant Mercy Corps headquarters units as necessary, including Mercy Corps’ Conflict Management Group and Economic and Market Development team, and various administrative/financial units.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• MA/S or equivalent in social science, management, business, or international development.
• Formal training in conflict management/mitigation is preferred.
• 5 – 7 years’ experience managing conflict programming in a development setting is required.
• Experience in highly volatile security situations and a commitment to team safety.
• Commitment to the principles of participatory team management and participatory, community-oriented development.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken French and English required
• Experience working in integrated economic development and peacebuilding interventions highly preferred.
• Experience in interfaith programming is a plus.
• Familiarity with the CAR context is highly valued.
• Experience working with pastoralists is valued.
• Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and constructively with local partners.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The Conflict Mitigation and Management Sector Manager will have the ability to multi-task, set priorities, and work under tight deadlines within a complex team. S/he will demonstrate strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, assume leadership, and make solid decisions while working remotely from country leadership.

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

This position is based in Bangui and is unaccompanied for spouses and/or children and includes hardship allowance and R&R benefits. Recent increases in violence around the capitol and areas to the north and west has led to a more fluid and less stable situation on the ground.  Hospitals and access to quality health care are very limited.  Malaria is prevalent.  It is estimated that 7-8% of the population may be HIV positive.  Suitable group housing is available, but electricity and clean water are sometimes sporadic.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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2015 Call for proposals, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

OSISA part of the global network of Open Society Foundations and operates in ten southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. OSISA promotes open society values by working to build vibrant and tolerant democracies across the region, through our various thematic and country programmes.

The board of OSISA considers grants over three times a year, and the foundation accepts applications twice a year through open calls.  For the 2015 Strategy Year, OSISA programmes are looking for proposals from civil society or state actors in the following priority spheres:

Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law

• Strengthen regional human rights bodies, human rights defenders and advocates, and instituting litigation on a selective basis to supplement other rights-promoting initiatives;
• Lead and support campaigns for the re-instatement of the SADC Tribunal;
• Address the systemic abuse of pre-trial detention through advocacy, legal support to detainees, posing alternatives and strengthening oversight systems;
• Support to organisations representing marginalised groups such as LGBTI people, people with disabilities  and indigenous communities to challenge state-sanctioned prejudices through advocacy, litigation and other means; and
• Systematically strengthen the rule of law through working with judges/courts, Bar Associations, states and civil society.

Democracy and Governance

• Contribute towards the realisation of strong parliamentary democracy by supporting state and regional electoral bodies, strengthening civil society’s capacity to monitor elections, encouraging citizen (and particularly youth)  participation in the political process and fostering a culture of democracy within political parties and parliaments;
• Strengthen civil society organisations and social movements that empower citizens to hold governments accountable between elections. OSISA’s support will include funding key organisations and movements,  facilitating the development of leadership, analytical policy and organisational skills and building linkages across the region; and
• Combat poor governance by working with those who expose corruption and maximising access to information that is critical to the full enjoyment of citizen rights, including social, economic and political rights.

Social and Economic Justice

• Support communities, CSO’s and States to: ensure that the abundant land, mineral and water resources of the region are governed and utilised for inclusive , broad based economic development;  combat exploitation by corporations and corrupt political elites of the natural wealth of the region; promote enhanced productivity and  economic empowerment of small (especially women) farmers;
• Support movements demanding services – particularly health care and education for marginalised groups, women and young children; supporting government initiatives in policy development and service provision aimed at broadening access and improving quality; and
• Support the development of policy frameworks that draw state, private sector and citizens into an economic policy framework that benefits board oversight and governance.

NB: This call for proposal does not exclude the seeking of funding for unanticipated and opportunistic work during 2015, whereby potential grantees may make submission outside the stated period. These submissions need to include a detailed justification for the submission.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for an OSISA grant, the following is preferable but not mandatory particularly for nascent organisations:

• Have a mission and implement  programmes that are consistent with open society values;
• Demonstrate the ability to operate in a clear niche and be a significant actor within that arena (demonstrated by a record of producing materials, having conducted research and/or advocacy, and having implemented programmes at a sub-regional, national or region-wide level);
• Demonstrate the ability to operate a well-managed and financially viable operation (demonstrated by the submission of three – five years of audited financial statements and a letter of support from an existing donor);
• Sound and strong track record of success and impact on its target population (as evidenced by the submission of independent programmatic evaluations that are less than two years old);
• Strong financial management systems and strong capacity for resource mobilization (as evidenced by the existence of a qualified accountant and/or accounting firm managing the organisation’s finances, and evidence of financial systems in place);
•  A clear strategic vision for the organization, and an articulation of how this vision will assist to organisation to address the needs of the population and/or open society issue for which it requires support and funding.

Selection Criteria

Grants will be awarded based on available funding and the priorities outlined on our website, for each programme.  Updated and mini-calls will also be posted from time-to-time.  Short-listed applicants may be required to provide more information, or may be contacted for field visits.

Submission of applications

Applications should be completed using the following methods:

1. By e-mail to: grantproposals(at)osisa.org
2. By Mail to: Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, PO Box 678, Wits 2050
3. By Fax: +27115875099
4. Online via http://www.osisa.org/apply/2015-call-proposals

Kindly ONLY use ONE method of application.

Specific guidelines can be accessed on our website through this link: web proposals guidelines 2015

The time required to review a proposal varies according to the complexity of the proposal, the problem being addressed, and the number of proposals being reviewed. Generally, it can take up to three months from the time a proposal is received to the actual award of a grant, although OSISA strives to be as expeditious as possible in its review of inquiries and proposals. Please keep this in mind when planning.

DEADLINE: November 30, 2014

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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT – EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)

The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) was established by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to build the institutional and operational capacity of civil society in West Africa, through research, training and policy engagement facilitation. WACSI seeks committed, motivated and dynamic persons to join its team in contributing to enhancing civil society’s professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness in West Africa.  Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified persons for the under listed position:

General Description

Provide personal administrative support and assistance to Executive Director.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare and edit correspondence, communications, presentations and other documents;
• File and retrieve documents and reference materials;
• Conduct relevant research, assemble and analyse data to prepare reports and documents;
• Manage and maintain executives schedules, appointments and travel arrangements for the ED;
• Arrange and coordinate meetings and events;
• Record, transcribe and distribute minutes of meetings;
• Monitor, respond to and distribute incoming communications;
• Answer and manage incoming calls to ED’s Office;
• Receive and interact with incoming visitors to ED’s Office;
• Review operating practices and implement improvements where necessary;
• Other duties assigned by Executive Director

Educational Qualification & Experience:

• Preferred university degree or Higher National Diploma in relevant discipline (Secretaryship or Business Administration).
• 3 years’ experience providing support at the executive level in an international or Non-governmental organisation
• Proficient computer skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software such as MS Office Suite;
• Knowledge of standard office administrative practices and procedures;
• Fluency in English and French

Key Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills both in English and French (oral and written);
• Ability to work in a diverse cultural context;
• Organizational planning and communication skills;
• Problem analysis and problem solving skills;
• Good judgment and decision-making ability;
• Self-motivated;
• Excellent information management skills;
• Attention to detail and accuracy;
• Multi-tasking ability and flexibility to handle changes in schedule;
• Good people skills.

Interested applicants for position must submit an application letter and Curriculum Vitae/Resume with names of referees, to the Administrative Officer at WACSI by email at admin@wacsi.org

DEADLINE: November 28, 2014

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