Organization: IRC – International Rescue Committee
Location: Dakar | London | Nairobi
Grade: Senior level – Senior
Occupational Groups:
Operations and Administrations
External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
Managerial positions
Social Entrepreneurship
Closing Date:
Description:
Responding to the most severe humanitarian crises in the world, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) assists those ravaged by conflict and disaster in regaining their health, safety, education, economic well-being, and power. One of the biggest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO) in the world, the IRC was established in 1933 at Albert Einstein’s request. It works in over 40 countries and 29 American cities, assisting people in surviving, taking back control of their future, and fortifying their communities. IRC workers are a force for humanity, giving millions of people their safety, dignity, and hope again, leaving a lasting impression. Join us in improving the lives of millions of people worldwide for a better future if you’re a solutions-focused, fervent change-maker.
Collaborating with the local government and civic society,and players from the private sector is essential to the International Rescue Committee’s objective. Our goal to increase effect at scale for individuals affected by conflict in every environment we engage in is based on our Strategy100 pledge to “Partner first and as equals” with local actors. Each Central Africa country team’s Strategy Action Plan and the regional leadership’s top goals both demonstrate this dedication and aspiration. This goal acknowledges that those who are most impacted by a crisis and those closest to them are in the best position, have the right, and ought to have the authority and resources to act and promote long-lasting change. We can increase effect and scalability and achieve more sustainable results when we collaborate with local players.We are committed to being a feminist and anti-racist organization that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. That requires that we champion and resource leadership and action that comes from the communities in which we work. Sector standards, host governments, donors, and our global staff all also require partner-led approaches. The Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) comprises IRC’s strategy, principles, policy, guidance, process, and tools for how we define our role and work in partnership in each context. PEERS promotes principled, collaborative partnerships that expand the impact and scale of each response, to reach the best outcomes for people affected by crises, consistent with Strategy100.
Work scope
In accordance with the Strategy100 partnership ambition and regional strategic priorities, the Senior Regional Partnerships Specialist (SRPS) will assist Country Program (CP) Senior Management Teams (SMTs) in defining and implementing their Strategy Action Plan partnership ambitions to “partner first and as equals.” The main goal of the SRPS position is to help nation SMTs achieve their goals by offering vital partnership change management support. In addition to evolving management and people structures and skills, roles and responsibilities across all departments, systems and business processes, and culture, this will involve helping SMTs set up the fundamental building blocks for the success of their partnerships.
Additionally, the SRPS will: assist technical coordinators and advisors in using PEERS to apply a “partner first” approach to strategy, program, and project design, as well as to establish and develop strategic partnerships with local actors; assist regional functions in learning and putting their critical roles in partnership into practice; and contribute to the global partnership roadmap, which is intended to address the limitations faced by country teams and facilitate the global organizational evolution necessary to fulfill the Strategy100 partnership ambition, making sure that work is guided by partner priorities and CP.
Responsibilities
The SRPS has four core areas of responsibility; the primary focus is the first area of responsibility, to support country SMTs to play their critical role leading the evolution to a ‘partner first’ approach.
1.Critical change management support to CP SMTs to evolve strategy, management and personnel structures, roles and competencies across all program and operations departments, systems and business processes, and culture, in accordance with action plans developed together with each CP SMT. This includes remote and in-person support to DDPs, DDOs, DDFs, CDs and the broader SMT to:
•Partner first: define our role in strategy, program and project design, based on our added value to local actors and systems, including in SAP, design and GNG processes
•Partner as equals: identify, establish and foster strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, government entities and private sector actors, as well as with networks
•Building blocks: establish the six core building blocks of partnership success in each country office:
oCo-facilitate a partnership self-assessment to identify priority areas for change, reflected in an action plan, updated annually
oDesign and develop management structures to facilitate a coherent, one-IRC approach to partnership, for example through a partnership working group and standing SMT agenda
oDesign, budget and plan for appropriate personnel structures across all departments, based on the current partnership portfolio and ambition; define clear roles and responsibilities across all departments, based on global frameworks tailored for context, integrated into recruitment competencies, job descriptions, and accountability for those roles through performance objectives.
oAddress the critical partnership training needs in each country office in the region, including a specific focus on the country SMTs
oEnsure adequate stakeholder analysis is in place across geographical and outcome areas to inform analysis of IRC’s value add, using a systems thinking approach
oFoster collaborative design with local partners at the strategy, program and project levels, including collaborative project budget development that maximizes impact at scale including by prioritizing resource allocation to the actors leading delivery
•Set Strategy100 Phase 2 Strategy Action Plans that reflect IRC’s true added value to local actors and systems in each CA country context
•Design and develop models for meaningful partner participation in key strategic decision-making processes, including strategy action plan development
•Establish effective feedback mechanisms for understanding partner perspectives, and ensuring accountability to that feedback
•Identify and address any program, operational or finance business processes that constrain the CP’s partnership ambitions, and work with relevant departments to identify solutions
•Co-facilitate ‘townhall discussions’ and other dialogue platforms for staff to explore opportunities, challenges, enablers and barriers associated with this organizational evolution, including any perceptions or concerns that staff may have, for example relating to implications for their jobs
•Develop the team culture required to partner as equals, including through the direction and tone the SMT set, their modeling of partnership principles, the language they use, the competencies they value, and the successes they celebrate
•Identify and implement approaches and mechanisms through which the SMT can effectively incentivize, celebrate, and establish accountability for progress towards the SAP partnership spending and strategic partnerships targets
•Advocate to influence donor policies and practices that enable equitable partnerships and systems strengthening
•Gather and analyze data on partnership performance and system engagement to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
•Identify and test innovative approaches to systems change in collaboration with partners, with a focus on sustainability and scalability
2.Partnership support to technical coordinators and advisors and partnership leads in the use of PEERS to apply a ‘partner first’ approach to strategy, program and project design and to establish and develop strategic partnerships. This is guided by the SAP partnership ambitions, features building collaboration on strategy, program design and delivery and capacity sharing, and includes remote and in-person support to:
•Technical coordinators and advisors to analyze the roles, capacities and strategies of local civil society, government and private sector actors, to define IRC’s role based on its added value to local actors and systems in strategy and program design, as well as in Go-No Go processes
•Technical and partnership leads to identify and establish strategic partnership relationships with civil society organizations, government entities and private sector actors, as well as with networks, based on the stakeholder analysis
•Technical coordinators and advisors to identify, support and promote impact at scale priorities as defined in the country Strategic Action Plans
•CP business development strategies, approaches and planning, including the development of effective donor submissions, on major opportunities
•Partnership and technical leads to promote approaches that maximize collaboration with partners in the design and management of programs
•Promote and guide principled, collaborative, effective risk analysis and management with partners across all organizational functions, consistent with PEERS
•Promote Project Cycle Management that maximizes the participation of partners
•Foster and promote effective capacity sharing approaches across CPs, including effective project support across all organizational functions, and ensuring that we are understanding and leveraging opportunities to learn from partners
•Continuing to build the principles, skills, approaches and knowledge required for effective partnerships in CPs, including through in-person and remote training in PEERS and partnership principles, skills and approaches, and building training capacities in the country offices
•Guidance, coaching and mentoring of partnership leads in each country office
•Facilitating regional partnership communities of practice to facilitate peer learning and networking, including with partners where appropriate
•Strengthen the capacity of senior IRC staff to understand and apply systems thinking to their roles, ensuring alignment with Strategy100 objectives
3.Partnership support to regional functions to develop and apply their roles in partnership, in particular technical advisors, RPSTs, DRDs and RVPs as well as RFDs, RSCDs, REDs, RMACs and RSSDs. This also includes serving as a partnership resource for the DRD and the RVP in the performance of their partnership roles, including by bringing challenges and successes to their attention, and identifying and implementing approaches and mechanisms through which the RVP and DRD can effectively incentivize, celebrate, and establish accountability for progress towards the SAP partnership spending and strategic partnerships targets
4.The SRPS will also contribute to the global partnership roadmap designed to address constraints faced by country teams and enable the global organizational evolution required to deliver the Strategy100 partnership ambition, ensuring that work is driven by CP and partner priorities
Key Working Relationships
•Reports to: Deputy Regional Director, management in partnership with the Global Partnerships Director
•Primary CP & regional interlocutors: Country SMT (with DDPs as primary interlocutor) and DRD, and Partnership Coordinators
•Significant engagement with: Regional Leadership Team, TAs, Technical Coordinators, DAMs and RVPs
•Serves as a partnership resource for: all CP and regional functions
Qualifications
•Significant demonstrable progressive managerial and/or advisory experience, with five years’ experience in partnership, capacity sharing, organizational learning and/or related work, required. Experience in and demonstrated knowledge of Africa essential, and Central Africa in particular preferred.
•Thorough knowledge of best practices in partnership and capacity sharing, with demonstrated experience in integrating this theme into programming.
•Fluency in French, and competency in English, essential.
•Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking and systems development.
•Familiarity with key institutions and donor agencies in capacity sharing.
•Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through participatory adult training, mentoring, distance learning, and other formal and non-formal methods. Strong workshop design and facilitation skills.
•Collaborative, team management style; ability to work well in diverse, multi-cultural team settings.
•Exceptional interpersonal and communications skills.
•Skilled at persuading and leading through influence, negotiation and coaching.
•Must be willing to travel throughout the region approximately one-third of the time, occasionally at short notice and sometimes under strenuous conditions
Compensation:
Posted pay ranges apply to UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.
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Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
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