Tracking Code: 219405-927
Job Description
This position is contingent on funding. Estimated
start date Dec. 1st
PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 200 people working in
5 locations. Mercy Corps is currently in the inception phase of a large-scale
5-year DFID-funded urban WASH program. This program known as IMAGINE will reach
1.55 million beneficiaries in Goma, Bukavu and Bunia and seeks to
simultaneously improve availability of, access to, management of, and proper
utilization of WASH resources to ensure sustained health impacts. In support of
this Mercy Corps has recently completed a number of assessments as part of the
IMAGINE Inception Phase (UKAID-funded) to define key needs around WASH
infrastructure, water governance, market development and hygiene practice and
better understand the environmental, socio-economic and gender issues that
affect WASH needs and delivery.
IMAGINE identifies critical and inter-related outputs to
address these causal factors preventing sustained improvements:
- Improvements to Infrastructure to increase availability of basic WASH services from source to tap;
- Improved market-based WASH Service Delivery to engage and incentivize market actors and create more viable, efficient and sustainable WASH markets;
- Enhanced Governance and Accountability structures to ensure effective feedback loops among consumers, providers, and regulators of WASH services;
- Behavior Change interventions to improve knowledge and practice essential health practices;
- Gender integration across all IMAGINE teams and activities; and Targeted gender interventions aimed at ensuring equitable access to, and control over, WASH resources.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Deputy Program Director – Change Management (DPDcm) will
support the Program Director in implementation of the overall program with
particular accountabilities around Service Provision, Governance and Behavior
Change. The DPDcm will provide overall leadership with a particular emphasis on
program quality and integration of all the key outputs of Infrastructure,
Governance, Behavior Change, Gender equity and Service Provision in the
implementation of the program. The DPDcm will be accountable for the overall
direction and delivery of Service Provision, Governance and Behavior Change.
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Vision and Strategy
- Demonstrate visible leadership and adherence to Mercy Corps’ core values, principles and strategy;
- Collaborative capability to ensure that all program design aspects are implemented to good standards that adhere to industry norms/regulations, while working in a challenging environment;
- Ensure program objectives for Service provision, Governance and Behavior Change and deadlines are tracked and met and support the objectives of the other outputs;
- Ensure Service provision, Governance and Behavior Change is delivered on budget and to schedule;
- Ensure that activity design and implementation addresses gender dynamics to ensure equitable participation in Service provision, Governance and Behavior Change interventions;
- Oversee the performance of the three Service provision teams, Governance and Behavior Change team, contractors and consultants;
- Oversee all aspects of design, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and ensure that all program aspects are documented;
- Manage collaborative partnerships, providing effective donor liaison. Identify, build partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders;
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor (UKAID) obligations are met;
- Ensure all program management minimum standards are met including risk management, issues management.
Program Management
- Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to IMAGINE-wide program implementation;
- Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations;
- Oversee important consultancies with direct relevance to DfID, such as the Evaluation Feasibility Study;
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan;
- Ensure development of program implementation plans for Service provision, Governance and Behavior Change in collaboration with Delivery Managers as well as monitor implementation, program quality, and impacts of these activities;
- Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate;
- Develop gender sensitive monitoring systems and dashboards (with technical support from the M&E team) and provide regular reports on program activities as required by the program;
- Collaborate with evaluators and advise on evaluation and research questions relevant to Service provision, Governance and Behavior Change;
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
Team Management (required for roles that require
management)
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews;
- Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary;
- Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives;
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
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: Direct
supervision of: Program Managers
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Program Director
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Deputy Program Director -
Infrastructure and other Delivery Managers, Gender Manager, monitoring and evaluation,
DRC team members, DRC external finance and procurement team and members of the
Mercy Corps Technical Support Units
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- MA/MSc or equivalent or an MSc/MBA in management with program management experience and strong technical knowledge;
- 7-10 years of management experience in progressively responsible positions – demonstrating key content experience in delivering sustainable change in development situations;
- Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues;
- Fluency in oral/written English and French is required;
- African origin or previous experience in Africa, DRC or other developing country is strongly desired;
- Demonstrated delivery capability, working within procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The Deputy Program Director – Change Management will combine
strong collaborative working skills with an ability to implement programs
successfully. S/he will demonstrate adaptability, flexibility in approach and a
strong sense of equity. In meeting these challenges, S/he will be able to
develop their team to be able to self-develop and grow with the program.
S/he will have a have both a strong coaching and mentoring capability and be
able to apply these in challenging and evolving situations within a cross
cultural team. In DRC, patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination
and a sense of humor are all success factors.
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
This position is an accompanied post based in Goma (DRC)
/Gisenyi (Rwanda). The position is entitled to individual housing and is
suitable for an accompanied spouse and young children (up to the age of 10
years) due to limited education institutions. Travel to field sites (estimated
up to 30%) Bunia, Bukavu, and Kinshasa will be required where living conditions
are clean and secure, but basic.
Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and
electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and
unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.
While conditions in the country are improving, and security
is quite stable in Goma, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity.
Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the
situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get
from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular
service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps
offices. There are a number of health services available with evacuation
options for serious illnesses. There’s reasonable access to most consumer
goods, although they can be expensive.
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.
Job Location: Goma, Nord-Kivu, Congo - Kinshasa
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular
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