NGOs Platform Manager (local title HINGO Forum Director) – Danish Refugee Council
Development and Project Management
Danish Refugee Council
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.
Title: NGOs Platform Manager (local title HINGO Forum Director)
Location: Addis Ababa
Employment Category: Expat Contract – Band F1
Reporting To: Country Director/Steering Committee
Start of Contract & Duration: 12 Months
Posting date: April 7, 2022
INTRODUCTION
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
- The Ethiopia Humanitarian INGOs (HINGOs) include over 58 international humanitarian agencies. The HINGO Steering Committee are elected representatives of the Ethiopia HINGO Forum. The HINGO Forum exists for the purpose of strengthening principled humanitarian response through coordination, information sharing, advocacy, policy/position paper production, government/donor/UN engagement, and engagement on other vital issues regarding humanitarian relief, recovery, and development.
- The NGO Platform Manager is a senior management position and is responsible for facilitating coordination among members of the HINGO Forum, the elected Steering Committee, and external stakeholders. The coordination entails ensuring effective information exchange, as well as representing and advocating common positions and agreed interests of the HINGO Forum and wider NGO community.
- The NGO Platform Manager is responsible for building and sustaining productive relationships between NGOs on one hand and government, UN, donors, and diplomatic missions in the country on the other. The HINGO Forum Director is also responsible for the general management of the HINGO Forum, its staff, and for effective and regular communication on Forum performance to the HINGO Steering Committee.
- The NGO Platform Manager supports the work of the HINGO Forum through the following key tasks:
RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic management and oversight of the HINGO Forum
- Support the Steering Committee to develop strategic annual priorities and engage closely with them to ensure Forum functions are in line with these.
- Act as a focal point for information/experience sharing with and among HINGOs on relevant issues and work with key Forum staff to manage Strategic day-to-day management of HINGO Forum secretariat, office, budget and reporting, and relationship with the principal donor.
- Maintain a thorough understanding and develop messaging on operational constraints and policy-related issues affecting HINGOs in the country as well as broader political developments and draft common HINGO position/policy papers on key issues for Steering Committee review and sign off
- Provide a conduit for the UN, government, donor representatives, and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with HINGOs.
- Participate in key government, UN, and other policy and planning processes such as the HCT, ICCG, UN Work Plan, HRP, Humanitarian Contingency Planning
- Ensure the HINGO Forum activity costs are budgeted for. Explore sustainable funding models beyond donor funding e.g. membership fees.
- Along with the HINGO Steering Committee, represent the HINGO community at high-level fora including UN forums, multi-donor meetings, and other representative bodies as required. Issues will be agreed upon in consultation with the Steering Committee.
- Increase and enhance engagement of and input from national NGOs into the international and national aid system. This includes expanding national NGO engagement in planning processes, access to donor funding, and coordination mechanisms.
Coordination and Communication
- Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information-sharing between HINGOs and UN and government agencies and other stakeholders as relevant.
- HINGO Forum meetings and HINGO Forum Steering Committee meetings, draft agendas, invite external speakers, and follow up on relevant action points as required.
- Ensure Steering Committee and Forum representation in the external and HINGO working groups, as relevant.
- Along with the HINGO Steering Committee, represent the HINGO Forum at key meetings with donors, UN and GOE and ensure the dissemination of written feedback
- Encourage an active and open dialogue between the HINGO Forum, HINGO Steering Committee, and HINGO Forum
- Coordinate visits of advocacy groups, researchers, donors, and partners working on Ethiopia
- Ensure the research, documentation, and sharing of lessons learned/best practices on strategic or operational issues and actively share information with the Civil Society Forum, CCRDA, and other coordination platforms
- Identify gaps in research and analysis that, if addressed, would be useful to large numbers of the membership and hire and manage consultants as needed.
- Together with other Forum staff, liaise with the Health Forum, Sector Working
- Groups, and Clusters, ensuring key messages are shared and activities and advocacy messages are coordinated and consistent
Partnership Relations
- Support roll-out of localization agenda by coordinating with the Civil Society Forum and CCRDA to build national NGO engagement in planning and coordination
- Provide an accessible first point of contact for general inquiries regarding the work of HINGOs in Ethiopia
- Provide orientation briefings to new Country Directors for all HINGO members
- Liaise with HINGO coordination platforms in neighboring countries in the region
- Provide information, briefings, presentations on the function and structure of the HINGO Forum, best practices, and lessons learned to other global consortiums or national coordination platforms on request
- Maintain strong partner relations and engage in the identification of new potential NNGO partners
- Maintain and/or develop productive relationships with key individuals in relevant government ministries, civil society, foreign and local NGO community, UN Missions, Diplomatic Corps, other donors, etc.
- Work to ensure a smooth working relationship between the forum and the host organization, updating the Steering Committee on issues affecting the host organization
Human Resource Management
- Oversee recruitment, provide supervision, leadership, and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage HINGO secretariat in and out of Addis
- Lead regular internal coordination meetings and ensure staff support as required
- Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; follow-up, and maintain updated job descriptions as required.
- Recruit Forum staff in compliance with host agency recruitment procedures, including the development of JDs, shortlisting, and interviewing
DRC’s core competencies:
- Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
- Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
- Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
- Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.
Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Ability
- Minimum seven years of progressive international experience working with UN, NGOs, and/or Donor agencies preferably with experience in fragile and post-conflict contexts at the senior leadership/management level
- Demonstrable political awareness and strong analytical skills
- Postgraduate qualifications in international relations, political science, development, or other relevant fields
- Demonstrated coordination experience in multi-agency forums
- Demonstrated leadership and management skills
- Documented skills in developing proposals, budgets, and reports
- Significant experience in the development of advocacy, policy, and key messaging documents
- Strong understanding of the UN system, integrated missions, Humanitarian Reform, and principles of the Transformative Agenda
- Significant understanding of complex emergencies and crisis contexts
- Proven communication, public speaking, interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Previous work experience in East Africa is preferred
- Fluency in written and spoken English is required
EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)
- Postgraduate qualifications in international relations, political science, development, or other relevant fields
LANGUAGE: (indicate fluency level)
- Excellent verbal and written proficiency in English
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