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 operational in the Central African Republic (CAR) since September 2007. With offices in Bangui, Bouar, and Bambari, Mercy Corps works to integrate short-term humanitarian assistance with programs to strengthen community resilience and support market-led economic development, with a cross-cutting accent on governance and gender. Mercy Corps takes a sustainable approach to its programming, seeking to change behaviors and create institutions to foster long-term development in the sectors of protection and gender based violence, governance, civil society capacity building, social cohesion and socioeconomic activities. Funding comes from a range of donors including USAID, the European Commission, OFDA, UNHCR and private foundations. By addressing a number of overlapping and associated needs within a wide range of activities, Mercy Corps in CAR takes an integrated approach to ensure the greatest possible impact.
Mercy Corps plays a key role in coordinating with other NGOs and United Nations bodies, including being a member of the executive committee of the CCO (Coordinating Committee of INGOs), the NGO coordination platform for international NGOs in the CAR, composed of 52 organizations.
General Position Summary
The Protection and GBV Program Manager (PM) will be responsible for coordinating and supervising implementation of all Protection and Gender Based Violence (GBV) program activities in Bouar as well as other sub-offices in Nana-Mambéré and Mambéré Kadei préfectures. S/he will provide programmatic and operational oversight for the program, including overseeing the smooth functioning of all Listening Centers for GBV victims. S/he will manage and train staff, develop educational campaigns and materials to promote protection of human rights (particularly women’s rights), collect comprehensive data regarding protection incidents and population movements (protection monitoring) and work with local authorities and communities to improve the protection context.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
- Contribute to the development of a GBV and Protection-specific strategic program plan for Mercy Corps in CAR.
- Contribute to the reinforcement of an effective strategy for protection monitoring activities and build strong community monitoring networks
- Play an advocacy role for responses to needs identified via protection monitoring through humanitarian coordination mechanisms
Program Management
- Ensure the delivery of quality GBV services within Mercy Corps and ensure smooth administrative and operation functioning of Listening Centers, including oversight for case management and the development and strengthening of referral pathways
- Design and develop community training and Information, Education, and Communications materials to promote awareness-raising about GBV and women/children’s rights, as well as basic psychosocial support at the community level
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
- Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria
- Oversee implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) for the project sites
- Lead and assist with development, design, and proposal writing for related programming
- Develop partners’ MoUs and contracts & oversee a training program for program partners.
- Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
- Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
- Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
Team Management
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
- Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.
Finance & Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
- Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
Influence & Representation
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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 Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
Assistant Program Manager
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Programs Director
Works Directly With: Bouar Head of Base, Support Departments in Bouar, Technical Units in HQ
Knowledge and Experience
- BA/S or equivalent in relevant field; Master’s preferred.
- Minimum 2-3 years’ NGO experience successfully managing programs in the field, preferably in Africa.
- Experience training and supervising national staff, remote management experience a plus
- Experience managing a gender-based violence program including case management
- Experience with livelihoods programming as a protection risk prevention and women’s empowerment tool
- Experience developing and conducting culturally appropriate advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns, related to human rights and women’s rights
- Experience overseeing protection monitoring
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have proven experience working in difficult environments and emergency contexts. S/he will have effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills with an attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members. Essential qualities for this position are an ability to train and facilitate dialogue among a diverse group of individuals with various skill sets and working styles and a commitment to working with community members and within humanitarian coordination mechanisms. The successful candidate must have an ability to assure the respect of humanitarian principles when dealing with sensitive protection-related issues.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in (city, country) and it requires up to (insert %) travel to (insert locations).
This is an unaccompanied post and eligible for Hardship and R&R (one week every 10 weeks). The Central African Republic is a nation of 4.6 million people, ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world, with an average life expectancy of only 49 years. Hospitals and access to medicines is very limited. Malaria is prevalent and it is estimated that 7-8% of the population may be HIV positive. The location is unaccompanied however if security improves this could be revisited. Housing is in-group housing with freedom of movement beyond the house/office. Staff will have access to electricity, water, and internet, though they should expect occasional outages. Access to health care is limited. This position requires 25% of time of travel by to field offices some of which are in insecure environments. As an unaccompanied position, this role qualifies for hardship allowance.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY 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.