Cameroon: Emergency Response Coordinator, Chad and Cameroon

About CRS:
Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background:

CRS has been supporting activities in Chad since 1984 with a program office opened in 2002 and in Cameroon for over 40 years. CRS implements programs through partners who work closely in long-standing relationships with communities. CRS Chad began an OFDA emergency and recovery project in Western Chad in August and a privately funded market based emergency response project in November 2015. Ongoing project development could expand and diversify the CP’s portfolio in Chad’s western regions. Known as a stable lower-middle income country in a volatile and poor neighborhood, the country currently hosts 320,300 refugees and asylum seekers from Central African Republic, Nigeria, Chad, Guinea, and elsewhere. [1] The Sahelian Far North region (part of the Lake Chad Basin) frequently experiences food insecurity resulting from inadequate rainfall and drought. As a result of recent refugee influxes and the threat of Boko Haram, the level of food insecurity nationwide has tripled since 2013.Currently, CRS emergency programming is focused on two emergency response projects in Chad and a Youth Entrepreneur Initiative in Maroua/Mokolo in north Cameroon. CRS Cameroun and Chad are looking to expand its emergency programming in Chad and northern Cameroon.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC) will be responsible for ensuring the quality of CRS Chad and North Cameroon emergency programming, including project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, budget management, and narrative and financial reporting. The ERC will play a significant role in supporting the Country Programs to identify and pursue new funding opportunities, both in response to upcoming emergencies and in connecting CRS Chad/North Cameroon emergency experience to longer-term development programming. A key function of the ERC will be to recognize and strengthen existing capacities of CRS and CRS Partner Organizations. The ERC is also directly responsible for the quality and timely implementation of the USAID/OFDA-funded Rebuilding Resilience in Western Chad (RRWC) emergency program and the privately funded Food Assistance and Resilience in Western Chad (FARWES) program. The EC will represent CRS in emergency clusters, raise CRS’ profile with donors and partners, and establish a culture of response agility and excellence across the CP. He/she will spend 10% of his/her time serving as the co-lead for the Cash and Voucher Working Group (CVWG), a sub-group of the Food Security Cluster.

Specific Responsibilities:

RRWC and FARWES Program ManagerProgram Quality/Management·

· Oversee and ensure the successful implementation of the RRWC/FARWES programs, in adherence with donor requirements

· Support RRWC/FARWES teams and partners in the development of DIPs, Quarterly reports, and M&E components.

· Lead the integration of the Information, Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D) tools in emergency projects during conception, development and implementation

· Ensure that protection and gender are integrated into the emergency projects, including the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment

· Plan and facilitate trainings for RRWC/FARWES team as appropriate

· Ensure robust financial and monitoring and evaluation systems (including all elements of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning) are in place for high quality programming.

Organizational Learning, Documentation and Sharing

· Identify, document and lead any efforts to document best practices and lessons learned from RRWC/FARWES interventions for organizational learning and donors. Present and share RRWC/FARWES best practices with other peer agencies.

· Take the lead in the completion of success stories and case studies – modify as needed based on intended audience

· Integrate best practices from RRWC/FARWES into other CRS emergency programming

· Maintain and update Gateway project record.

Budget Management

· Prepare and manage budget with attention to progress toward program objectives and against burn rates.

· Review the budget comparison report to ensure that spending and program implementation are aligned.

· Support partners to ensure adherence to financial guidelines.

· Proactively manage project budgets in accordance with donor regulations, and identify and address financial issues and concerns in concert with others (staff, departments, and partners).

Emergency CoordinatorChad and Cameroon Emergency Programs Leadership

· Together with CP and partner staff, operationalize CRS' global Protection Policy and emergency elements of CRS' MEAL Policy (especially ensuring quality beneficiary feedback mechanisms and quarterly meetings to reflect on monitoring data and take needed actions).

· Promote the use of CRS Program Quality tools and manuals, including all ProPacks (I, II, III).

· Develop and maintain strong collaboration with CRS technical experts in the areas of emergency programs, Cash & Vouchers and other relevant sectors as needed. Identify TA needs/develop SOWs in coordination with the Chad Country Manager, Cameroon Head of Programming, and HRD.

· Ensure high quality project implementation so as to establish a reputation of CRS as an exceptional responder

· Be responsible for the final content of emergency project reports (review reports from PMs, provide feedback for improvement, support PMs to integrate the feedback, submit final report to headquarters for submission to donors)

· Be responsible for producing and maintaining up to date Past Performance References for emergency portfolio.

· Ensure CRS/Chad and North Cameroon are significant and relevant actors in the Chad/North Cameroon humanitarian coordination structures, including cluster meetings

· Establish and foster productive relations with Caritas sister agencies in project areas.

Business Development

· Contribute to the identification and pursuit of new programming opportunities for CRS Chad and North Cameroon, both in emergencies and in connecting CRS Chad and North Cameroon Emergency experiences to longer-term development activities.

· Participate in the coordination of needs assessments, project design, or proposal writing as required.

· Identify key internal and external stakeholders for CRS emergency programming, including but not limited to existing projects, and develop and implement methods for ensuring they are appropriately aware of and/or involved in CRS emergency programming developments.

· Together with the Chad Country Manager and the Cameroon Head of Programming, build an accurate database of donors interested in funding emergency activities, including sectoral and geographic priorities

· Work with national and international Caritas partners to mobilize funds from European and other donors for emergency funding.

Capacity Building and Supervision:

· Provide high quality mentoring and coaching of staff and partners

· Promote awareness of and support access to ERR SPA Core curriculum for both national and international staff.

· Address poor performance promptly and constructively, ensuring fair treatment of staff by identifying, documenting and providing adequate support to address performance and behavioral issues.

· Work with Program Managers and Operations staff to ensure effective coordination between program and program support teams such as Finance, Procurement, Logistics, Facilities, and Human Resources.

· Promote a work culture in line with CRS values: promotion of international and national talents, collaboration, and uniform adherence to CRS programming principles

· Coordinate with the CP Field Security Focal Points (FSP) for all staff movements to project sites. Ensure that staff/projects have the required paperwork issued by Government Authorities.

Cash and Voucher Working Group Co-Lead (10% of LoE):

· Oversee and ensure the successful implementation of market-based emergency programs as appropriate, in adherence with international accountability standards such as the Sphere handbook, the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS), and the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) Minimum Requirements for Market Analysis in Emergencies

· Ensure that market assessments are conducted to determine the appropriate approach to delivering assistance, including in-kind distributions, cash, vouchers and/or market chain interventions (local/regional purchase).

· Co-facilitate monthly CVWG meetings. Update Cluster and CaLP databases as appropriate.

· Support punctual requests from the Food Security Cluster, OCHA and the CaLP.

Working Relationships:

Internal: Chad Country Manager; Cameroon/Chad Country Representative; Cameroon Head of Operations and Head of Programming; Emergency PMS, Chad Finance Manager and Administration Manager; MEAL Officer; Technical Advisors; Security Coordinators, and HRD, etc.

External: Provincial and local government officials, local/international NGO offices, UN agencies, donors, Clusters, Caritas Partners, CAL, etc.

Qualifications:

• Significant (5-7 years) experience in managing programs and human and financial resources in complex emergency situations
• Possess a graduate degree in a development related field, or its equivalent
• Sound management skills including a minimum of 5 years of field management experience in a development agency
• Proven experience in establishing and maintaining effective partnerships
• Proven track record of developing winning proposals for government, EU or UN funding opportunities
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to navigate and be relevant in the humanitarian coordination system
• Proven expertise in coordinating management and technical skill training programs to support the development of emergency response staff

• Experience using digital data collection tools and ICT4D tool (iFormBuilder, bartender, Mobile Money etc., and MEAL tools and procedures).

• Familiarity with the program cycles, project management, MEAL, and proactive budget management

• Sound analytical and conceptual skills

• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills

• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written

• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently

• Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations in emergency environments

• Ability to relate to and motivate staff effectively and to establish and communicate a vision

• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives

• Experience with staff care in emergency settings

• Professional proficiency in English and French, both oral and written

• Good computer skills. Familiarity with the application of ICT and GIS products in emergency preparedness and response an asset.

Disclaimer: This JD is not an exhaustive list of the responsibilities of the position, and should the program transition into emergency response mode this position will include additional responsibilities as appropriate.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

EOE

Apply online: https://www5.apply2jobs.com/CRS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=2790&CurrentPage=1