Regional Project Coordinator

Regional Project Coordinator: Job Purpose

The Naseej Project provides a regional approach to one of the most critical issues affecting the realisation of women’s empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict and fragile settings.

The Project targets the 3 fragile and conflict-affected countries of Yemen (North and the South specifically in Sana’a, Lahj, Aden and Taiz), Iraq (retaken governorates of Diyala and Anbar), and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT – West Bank, in particular, Area C, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip). These countries and locations have been chosen due to the scale of SGBV, as well as Oxfam and our partners’ presence and experience on the ground.

With the financial support of the European Union, the Naseej Project aims to contribute to more gender-equitable societies in Iraq, Yemen, and OPT, in which women and girls live free from violence across all spheres of life (overall objective) and to support civil society to effectively prevent and respond to SGBV during conflict (specific objective). The Action will address SGBV in the 3 contexts of conflict, post-conflict and occupation through a multifaceted approach in line with global best practices on preventing SGBV and minimum standards on responding to SGBV in emergencies

Building on over 40 years of Oxfam’s experience on gender equality programming and advocacy in MENA, the action leverages expertise across organisations from the global north and south with technical expertise in program design and management, social norms change, research, and advocacy on ending violence against women and girls in the MENA region. The action will be led by Oxfam and two national co-applicants – Birzeit University in OPT, and Sana’a University in Yemen.

Under the management of Oxfam Italia, the supervision of the Steering Committee, and in close coordination with Oxfam’s Country Offices, the Regional Project Coordinator (RPC) is responsible for providing vision, leadership and direction to the Project.

He/she will coordinate a Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU) composed of a Finance manager and Technical experts based in their HQs and in the region. This RPMU will be in charge of overseeing the overall activities, organize reporting, monitoring and evaluation. The RPC will also ensure that the RPMU is duly linked to the Oxfam Regional Platform to ensure strategic alignment of the Action with the programs Oxfam is carrying out in the MENA region. Additionally, in each targeted country, a Country Project Management Unit (CPMU) will be established, directly linked to the RPMU and composed by a Country Project Coordinator and local key staff. The CPMU will ensure sound implementation of all in-countries activities and their compliance with the EU rules. The RPC will supervise project implementation and ensure that CPMUs work coherently according to a common action plan and in strong collaboration with partners. The RPC will ensure the Project has a coherent strategy that responds to the requirements of people the project intends to support. Furthermore, the RPC will take a leadership role in coordination and advocacy among donors, key stakeholders and implementing partners.

The RPC position requires diplomacy and ability to advocate on behalf, and represent a coalition of partners especially when interacting with numerous institutions at Regional level.

The RPC is accountable to the Steering Committee and coordinates with the senior management teams of each partner.

The RPC is expected to work closely with the technical and policy teams involved in the project implementation towards common objectives.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Consortium Coordination, management and accountability (20%)

• Ensure high-quality technical program monitoring through hands-on guidance and support grounded in the program’s strategic objectives and adherence to donor requirements;
• Overall responsible for program and budget monitoring;
• Follow up of the discussion with partners to set-up the governance structure of the project;
• Engage with the steering committee, ensuring key information on the project is available to senior members of the consortium and decisions are taken to support the effectiveness of the consortium;
• Document and disseminate key steering committee decisions, roll-out the decisions and follow-up as required;
• Monitor work plan and keep partners accountable to program commitments;
• Facilitate the coordination among all partners and Oxfam country offices by ensuring all parties intervene according to a common approach and a shared vision.

Project Cycle Management & Programme Quality (35%)

• Ensure the development of overall programme guidance in terms of work plans/budget work plans, spending plans, MEAL plans, procurement plans in coordination with relevant staff from involved countries and partners;
• Report regularly, verbally and in writing to the line manager at Oxfam Italia and the Oxfam Regional Platform on regular basis on programme progress;
• Lead the preparation of mid-term and final reports for the donor in collaboration with partners, project staff, technical coordinators, Funding Coordinator, Support teams. Ensure narrative reporting and financial accounting meet Oxfam and donor’s requirements;
• Support and promote programme quality and project strengthening activities e.g. data management, project quality meetings, learning events and partnership reviews;
• Monitoring and evaluating the project regularly (with regular field trips and online supervision), ensuring partners’ and community participation as appropriate, as well as accountability towards communities;
• Follow up on MEAL activities and findings ensuring that learning from monitoring and evaluation is included and strategies and programme implementation are adapted accordingly;
• Ensure that risk management and contingency planning is included at all stages of the programmes;
• Ensure project activities have the appropriate visibility in compliance with donor requirements and procedures;
• Ensure that a common subgranting scheme is set up and roll out coherently with the Donor rules.

People & Team Coordination (10%)

• Work closely with the technical advisors and support staff to provide appropriate guidance and managerial support to implement the project in line with the objectives laid out in the donor approved proposal;
• Facilitate communication flows between relevant staff (finance manager, technical experts at HQ levels, members of the 3 Oxfam country teams);
• Organize coordination meetings with staff to facilitate information sharing;

Budget & Financial Management (15%)

• Together with the Grant Manager, initiate quarterly financial review meetings, involving relevant consortium staff and support staff to plan and monitor the budget, review procurement and spending plans, and ensure funds are spent within the time frame acceptable to Oxfam and the donor and ensuring rules and regulations of Oxfam are adhered to;
• Review actual financial performance against the budget, and explain variances on a regular basis;
• Ensure that donor contractual requirements are fulfilled, including by partners, with particular reference to the General and Technical conditions of the Grant Agreement and internal regulations, throughout the entire project period.

Representation & Advocacy (10%)

• Serve as primary project representative to donor and stakeholders at regional and international level, responsible for addressing all project matters;
• Provide strategic leadership on external communications in line with Steering Committee guidance;
• Assist with the coordination of visits of donors, and/or partners related to the project;
• Lead on organizing joint consortium events, such as joint advocacy, research, and project launch etc., coordinating closely with the policy and media teams.

Reporting & Communication (10%)

• Monitor program implementation and ensure regular reporting by Project actors;
• Finalize quality final donor reports, and ensure sign off by the programme governance body;
• Establish and maintain clear lines of communication with project staff at Country level and ensure internal communication among consortium members and project staff is effective;
• Provide technical assistance, as needed, to Project partners on financial compliance and reporting;
• Support the Grant manager to receive, consolidate, prepare and submit regular financial reports to the donor;
• Ensure all partners are submitting timely financial and narrative reports in line with donor and Oxfam system requirements.

Other (crosscutting)

• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values (click here) as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights (click here).
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• Minimum 5 years professional work experience in international humanitarian/ development work, in the MENA region;
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and leading Consortia;
• Demonstrated experience in managing and leading Regional programmes;
• Demonstrated technical expertise and experience in some of the following areas: sexual and gender-based violence, gender in conflicts and fragile settings, and social cohesion programming;
• Proven ability to seek consensus and facilitate agreements and communication
• Knowledge of EU procedures;
• Demonstrated understanding of social norms that condition gender equality at individual, family and community levels;
• A strong personal and professional motivation to the objectives of the project and to deliver them;
• Experience in representation and networking, in particular with Governments, humanitarian and development actors and Donors;
• Demonstrated project, program and human resource management experience, including in working with local partners;
• Strong MEAL experience, including in complex programmes with high-profile evaluations;
• Previous experience in delivering and monitoring sub-granting schemes is an asset;
• A Bachelor Degree (post-graduate strongly preferred) in international relations, business administration, management, human rights, social sciences or related field;
• Proven analytical and strategic planning skills;
• High-level communications and people skills;
• Excellent writing and communication skills able to negotiate effectively between different stakeholders, and to represent the Consortium at high level forums;
• Professional fluency in written and spoken in English. Professional fluency in written and spoken Arabic represents an asset.

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities;
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work;
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Organisational Values

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our
• actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.

This job description is not incorporated in the employment contract.  It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments and following discussion with the post holder.

Submission of applications

Interested candidates should send their CV, the details of 3 people who will serve as professional references, self presentation and motivation letter, before March 20, 2019  to the email address [email protected].

Please specify in the reference: “Naseej_2019_name_surname”