Job Description
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Position Title: Resilience Partnership and Influence Coordinator
Location Baidoa (With Travels to Mogadishu)
Duty Station Full-time, Short-term
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is
possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner
to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build
stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary:
Mercy Corps has been present in Somalia since 2005, responding to emergency needs
stemming from conflict and displacement, while continuing work to build more
resilient, peaceful, and productive communities in Puntland, Somaliland, Banadir,
South West State, Hirshabelle, Galmudug and Jubaland. Mercy Corps Somalia also
collaborates with Mercy Corps teams and partners in neighbouring countries to
implement multi-country and cross-border programs. Working with a diverse base of
donors that includes the USAID/OFDA, GIZ, UNHCR, ECHO, WFP, SSF, EAC, LDS
and other foundations and institutional donors, Mercy Corps empowers people to
recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. We
work closely with the private sector, civil society and governance structures at local
and national levels to facilitate change and ensure that opportunities are inclusive of
all Somalis.
The international community has awoken to the reality that the traditional aid
architecture is largely incapable of delivering solutions to today’s humanitarian crises
and that new ways of working are required. Yet the “how” of action that will drive
lasting results for peace and wellbeing in protracted crisis contexts like Somalia has
remained largely elusive. The Baidoa Resilience Partnership, launched in 2018 by
USAID, positioned USAID as thought leaders in this space, promoting resilience as a
collective imperative that transcends traditional funding, program, and sector siloes to
advance pragmatic solutions to the world’s most pernicious challenges.
Mercy Corps is seeking a Resilience Partnership and Influence Coordinator for the
Somalia Resilience Learning Activity (RLA), a two-year opportunity funded by
USAID. As a largely autonomous component of a larger regional learning award lead
by ACDI/VOCA, the Somalia RLA is designed to leverage USAID’s previous
investments in the Baidoa Resilience Partnership to advance collaboration, learning,
and adapting (CLA) across actors and funding streams for sustained reductions in
humanitarian need. Through the Somalia RLA, Mercy Corps will work closely with
USAID, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to collectively analyze what
they do and how they do it, surfacing findings to enable the replication and
amplification of promising practices within and beyond Baidoa, enhancing USAID
and other donor’s return on investment in Somalia.
General Position Summary
Resilience Partnership and influence Coordinator will oversee and cultivate the day-today relationship building and liaison activities with member partners and other key
stakeholders, including government. S/he will be responsible for establishing
&maintaining networks with partners through effective communications, including
maintaining open lines of communication and managing an ongoing feedback system
with partners to inform operational adaptation to meet their needs. S/he will be also be
responsible for designing and maintaining stakeholder engagement and influence plan
(connected to learning agenda), monitor and document relationships with member
partners, government, and other local and national public/private stakeholders. S/he
will provide coordination and required to support for workshops, learning events,
assessments, research, coaching sessions.
Essential Job Responsibilities
COLLABORATION AND NETWORKING
Oversee and cultivate the day-to-day relationship building and liaison activities
with member partners and other key stakeholders, including government.
Maintain open lines of communication and manage an ongoing feedback system
with partners to inform operational adaptation to meet their needs.
Design and maintain a stakeholder engagement and influence plan (connected to
learning agenda).
Monitor and document relationships with member partners, government, and
other local and national public/private stakeholders; flag opportunity for
local/national actors to engage in the platform.
Provide coordination and required support for workshops, learning events,
assessments, research, coaching sessions, etc.
Work towards expanding and solidifying the Partnership
Identify opportunities for social innovation and enterprise that could be launched
through catalytic investments from public and private sector initiatives
Work closely with the M&E/Comms Manager, member partners, and other
stakeholders to conduct ongoing analysis of the operating context in Bay/Bakool,
documenting changes/trends, anticipated risks/ opportunities, and using the initial
analysis of the complex crisis system as a foundation for subsequent iteration;
analyze implications and feedback to member partners.
MONITORING AND RESULTS MEASUREMENT (MRM)
Gather and document information to generate learning and documentation
Analyze project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program
success and provide timely recommendations;
Submit timely reports as requested by the program leadership.
PROGRAM SUPPORT OPERATIONS
Ensure close communication with operational support structures to ensure
efficient support for the RLA Prorgamstrategy process.
Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting
and problem solving.
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 PARTNERS
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards
accountability, specifically
to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and
development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal
partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Directly to the RLA Team leader/mangerand Indirectly to Director
of Programs (Somalia)
Works Directly With: MEAL/Communication Manger, RLA Team leader/manager,
ACDI/VOCCA Colleagues
Knowledge and Experience
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in relevant field.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain relationships with diverse actors,
including implementing partners, government, donors, local/national
organizations, etc.
Demonstrated systems thinker; familiarity with the concepts of CLA/SLI.
Ability to gain consensus and cooperation from individuals or groups– over
whom there is no direct authority–to accomplish collective objectives and program
goals.
Demonstrated ability to foster commitment and “one team” culture.
Strong roots and networks in South West State and intimate understanding of the
political economy.
Strong communication skills in English and Somali.
Success Factors
A successful Resilience Partnership and Influence Coordinator will need demonstrate
effective influencing and solidifying relationship with partners as well as build and
manage relationships with different stakeholders, and lead collaborative design
processes. S/he takes initiative for coordinating and planning tasks and work plans and
is equally comfortable and capable of working independently and as part of a team. The
candidate will have the ability to easily forge and maintain professional relationships
with team members, communities and partners. S/he is deeply curious, with an appetite
for learning and takes responsibility for keeping him/herself up-to-date on research and
promising practices, and for engaging with key networks in the resilience field.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in (Baidoa) and it requires up to 10% travel to Mogadishu.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours
when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/STA 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.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision.
Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are
committed to creating an inclusive environment.
Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit online applications
Through: https://www.mercycorps.org/careers/national
(https://www.mercycorps.org/careers/national)
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.