Recruitment Notice: Partnerships Specialist at International Rescue Committee

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers life-saving and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and 22 cities across the United States, we restore safety, dignity and hope for millions of uprooted people struggling to survive. IRC shows the way from harm to getting a home.

 

 

 

The IRC has been present in West Africa since the 1990s and currently operates in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Chad. (Note that Cameroon and Chad will be integrated into a new region from April 2023). The IRC in West Africa implements programs across the arc of crisis, emergency, humanitarian and development contexts.

Working in partnership with local civil society, government and private sector actors is fundamental to the mission of the International Rescue Committee. Effective local partnerships are at the heart of the IRC’s strategic partnership ambitions under the Strategy 100 and Strategic Action Plans, “SAPs” of West African countries, which translates through more effective, responsive and locally owned response and development efforts that reach more people and produce better outcomes for those served. Investing in local civil society organizations (CSOs), community organizations (CBOs) and government entities, it is to recognize that these organizations are essential players in obtaining results, permanent catalysts and drivers of change. In this context, the DRI should also be used to influence the partnership ambitions of broader regional/sub-regional organizations and networks (such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the NEAR Network, etc.), as well as the approaches donor partnership to support the achievement of Grand Bargain commitments.

 

 

 

Strategy 100’s partnership ambition recognizes that people affected by crisis and the actors closest to them are best placed, have the right, and should have the power and resources to respond and drive lasting change. . As part of the partnership ambition of Strategy 100, we commit to asking ourselves “Why not a partnership? This ambition recognizes that those closest to the crisis are the primary agents of response and recovery. When we partner with local actors, we contribute to greater impact and scale and more sustainable results. We are committed to being a feminist and anti-racist organization that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. For that,

The Partnering for Excellence for Equality and Results (PEERS) system comprises the IRC’s strategy, principles, policy, guidance, process and tools for defining our role and working in partnership in each context . PEERS promotes principled partnerships and collaboration that expand the impact and scale of every response, to achieve the best results for people affected by crises, in line with Strategy100.

 

 

 

Job Overview
The Regional Partnerships Specialist will be a key member of the West Africa regional team responsible for promoting effective and efficient programming in national programs in the region, to ensure positive results for clients, in emphasizing partnership approaches. He/she will support the West African national programs to define and implement the partnership components of their strategic action plans, in line with the partnership ambition of Strategy 100. The specialist will help the West African country programs to build internal capacity to build effective partnerships and use PEERS to promote principled partnerships and collaboration, including through country support. He/she will encourage transnational learning and seek cross-regional exchange opportunities. The Regional Partnerships Specialist will also contribute to efforts to foster the institutional change needed to achieve the partnership ambition of Strategy 100.

Main Responsibilities

The Regional Partnerships Specialist has three main areas of responsibility:

Support to country programs.
• Support West Africa country programs in developing strategies to strengthen existing and emerging partnership relationships with civil society organizations, government entities and private sector actors, as well as with regional/sub-regional networks.
• Support national programs in applying proven principles and approaches that will achieve their partnership ambitions, including through the application of organizational guidance provided through the PEERS process.
• Support West Africa Country Offices to establish meaningful partner participation in key decision-making, particularly in the context of strategy development and project design and management. programmes, as well as accountability to partner perspectives and feedback.
• Support West Africa country teams to maximize collaboration in program design, defining our role based on our added value for local actors, and maximizing resources for local actors who lead execution.
• Work with national programs, IRC’s partnerships and client responsiveness teams, as well as regional fundraising teams, regional program and grant support teams (RPAS), to improve the influence of clients and partners on program design and delivery.
• Support West African country programs to conduct partnership capacity self-assessments, and to address priority strengthening opportunities identified by these self-assessments, including through in-country support.
• Based on the results of the self-assessment and the priorities identified by the national teams, support national programs in West Africa to establish and adapt approaches aimed at guaranteeing the six fundamental elements of the partnership success:

o Clearly defined and resourced partnership roles across departments, with accountability (including for partnership functions/departments).
o Partnership Working Group or other similar forums to promote a consistent and unique approach to IRC.
o Effective training and support for SMTs and extended team on partnership, PEERS and change management.
o Deepening of the
o Maximize collaboration in the design of strategies, programs and projects
• Collaborate with Technical Advisors, Regional and Program Managers and Operations Managers, including Regional Program and Grant Support Teams (RPAS), to to help national programs in West Africa to analyze the roles of local actors, to define the IRC approach according to how it can best “add value”, giving the prioritizing opportunities to support and strengthen local capacities and systems (asking “why not work in partnership”).
• Provide support and guidance to development and fundraising efforts to strengthen the partnership, working closely with the Senior Program Development Advisor (SPDA), Capture Advisor or other project teams. business development support identified.
• Promote and guide principle-based, collaborative and contextualized risk analysis and management with partners across all organizational functions, in line with IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), working closely working with Regional Program and Grants Support Teams (RPAS) to identify risk mitigation measures and strategies, as appropriate.
• Guide, mentor and advise partnership managers in each country program. Support Country Program management in the recruitment and onboarding of staff with key partnership responsibilities, in collaboration with RPAS as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the global partnerships team and RPAS on compliance issues, continue to develop the principles, skills and approaches necessary for effective partnerships within our East Africa teams West, including through face-to-face and distance training on PEERS and partnership principles, skills and approaches, and building training capacity in country offices.
• Support country programs to ensure accountability to partners, including, but not limited to, conducting regular exercises to measure partners’ perception of the partnership, relationship, communication, identify issues and propose solutions. corrective actions.

Sub-Regional Learning and Engagement
• Foster and promote effective capacity sharing and systems strengthening approaches in West Africa national programs, as well as broader organizational development and systems strengthening approaches, and ensure that the IRC understands and exploits the opportunities to learn from its partners.
• Coordinate the West Africa regional partnership working group, ensuring cross-functional engagement at the regional level.
• Lead or facilitate structured interactions with West African partners to promote accountability and solicit feedback regarding IRC’s role and partnership practices.
• Engage with counterparts in other regions and colleagues in the partnership unit to ensure cross-regional experience sharing.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and strengthening of PEERS policies, processes and tools.
• Contribute to the proactive building of our reputation with key funders and potential leaders as a leading organization for the partnership.

Regional Strategy Support
• Lead IRC West Africa’s engagement in strategic partnerships and networks with key local/national/regional organizations to support program quality, research, advocacy, communications and capacity building that are complementary to IRC expertise and humanitarian and development objectives.
• Keep abreast of key partnership trends and debates in the international development sector and support the regional leadership team to monitor and engage in these initiatives as appropriate.
• Provide regional oversight for the development of regional analyzes and engagement with regional/sub-regional organisations/networks and the programming of regional partnerships with relevant donors, given the cross-border dynamics within the region and the regional ambition to increase our partnerships across the region.
• Promote a space for dialogue between West Africa country programs and across regions to share learning, leverage opportunities and manage risks associated with organizational transformation related to the partnership.
• Contribute to partnership components of multi-country/regional projects, from design to implementation.
• Track and analyze key performance indicators of IRC’s partnership ambition for learning and decision-making.

Key Working Relationships
• Reports to: Deputy Regional Director West Africa and Partnership Unit Director
• Coordination: Works closely with Country Program SMT, Country Program Partnership staff, Regional SMT, RPAS and other relevant HQ functions as required.
• External contacts: national, regional/sub-regional networks/organisations

Qualifications and professional requirements

Education:
Bachelor’s degree required, a Master’s degree would be a plus; degree in nonprofit management, business management, organizational development, international development, or other related field. An advantage ; experience in humanitarian aid and development.

Professional experience:
Minimum of six years of relevant experience, including field experience in relevant contexts, in partnership, capacity sharing, organizational change and learning and/or related work.

Proven Skills and Competencies:

• Experience in various thematic sectors, in humanitarian and development contexts, including proven partnership-focused results, experience building a principled partnership rooted in feminist values in various contexts.
• Proven experience in coordinating complex projects and driving change, both in terms of work culture and operational processes.
• Experience promoting and working with local community-led organizations, including building the capacity of community-based organizations, governments and private sector organizations.
• Team player, flexible and able to work within a small group of decision makers to diagnose and provide support to country teams in a timely, efficient and effective manner.
• Demonstrated capacity for strategic and systemic thinking and development.
• Ability to persuade and lead through influence, negotiation and coaching.
• Self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to develop positive relationships with local and remote team members at different levels of the organization.
• Experience working in the West Africa region to understand the partnership landscape and cultural context.
• Ability to work successfully independently and with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, particularly oral and written, in French and English
• Ability to apply analytical reasoning to formulate well-founded and justified recommendations.

Language skills:
Professional fluency in French and English required, knowledge of the local language of the region an asset.
The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is an equal opportunity employer.

 

Apply ONLY online via the form available at:

 https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/3958