Iraq: Project Manager - Iraq

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

1.Terms of reference

Code: SR-29-199

Job Title: Project Manager

Duty Station: Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) with regular visits to the project locations in Erbil Governorate and ad hoc missions to other Iraqi Governorates, as necessary.

Starting date: 15/09/2017

Contract duration: 31 December 2017

Reporting to: Head of Mission and Protection coordinator for technical aspects

Supervision of: 21 national staff:

Dependents: Non-family duty station

General context of the project

Since January 2014, following a series of offensives by Armed Groups (AGs) across Iraq and the partial control of Anbar and Ninewa governorates by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS), approximately 3.3 million civilians were forced to flee due to intensified violence in their area of origin. As hostilities continue and escalate since October 2016, with the starting of the military operation for the control of Ninewa governorate, the internally displaced population mostly fleeing Mosul increased in more than 820.000 people. As further military operations are ongoing, the humanitarian crisis in Iraq continue generating further immediate and longer-term impacts.

As of July 2017, the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), establish in 335.000 the number of IDPs who have taken refuge in Erbil Governorate, which also hosts over 118.000 Syrian refugees, according to UNHCR data of June 2017.

The needs of the IDP population are related to access to basic services. In Erbil, access to food and work are top priority needs, followed by water, health and shelter. Due to the prolonged displacement and to language and cultural barriers, it is extremely difficult for IDPs to have access to the local job market. The situation is worsened due the economic impact of disagreement between central government KRG regarding central budget allocation, which results in delays in salary payments and popular discontent.

The high number of IDPs in KR-I is stretching the economic capacity of the region and often results in overloaded local services and infrastructure. Water continues to be a dire need for most people living in Erbil and Shaqlawa cities, while overcrowding of health facilities resulted in hardship in access to medical care. Hospitals and health care clinics are running short of medical supplies and for medical staffs it is difficult to cope with the new influx of displaced people. Chronic illness was shown to be IDPs largest health-related vulnerability. Moreover, many IDPs, in particular children, are highly traumatized from previous experiences in their areas of origin and are in need of psychosocial support.

Access to school remains a concern, especially for those youth willing to attend secondary schools. Limited access to school and to job opportunities makes youth one of the major groups of concern due to their exposure to protection risks including exploitation, abuse and violence.

With the present project, INTERSOS intends to strengthen its existing protection program underscoring the need to integrate community engagement into all aspects of protection through:

• the provision of multiple protection services, information and orientation for IDPs in four Community Centres and through mobile outreach teams;

• the strengthening of internal and external referral and coordination mechanisms for protection actors and community centre partner agencies to provide assistance to vulnerable IDPs;

• the promotion of community awareness and community mobilization, and the enhancement of self-responsiveness, self-help and self-management mechanisms at both individual and community level;

• the empowerment of community-based protection mechanisms through community capacity building and engagement

• The development of monitoring and complaint mechanisms to guarantee the quality and effectiveness of assistance.

In addition, services will continue to be open for refugees and vulnerable members of the host community to the greatest extent possible.

General purpose of the position

The general purpose of the position is to ensure the proper and effective implementation of all activities, planned to achieve the intervention objectives and expected results, including all related administrative and financial aspects. Moreover the position will ensure the training and capacity building of key national staff working in this project during the last two years and the development of a nationalization strategy for 2018.

Main responsibilities and tasks

The Project Manager is in charge of the coordination and supervision of the project activities ensuring qualitative and timely implementation and monitoring in compliance with relevant Standard Operating Procedures, Sphere Standards, International Principles and Guidelines, INTERSOS Fundamental Charter and Code of Ethics.

Moreover, the Project Manager identifies specific capacity building requirements, designs and conducts training sessions addressed to key national staff for later develop the 2018 nationalization strategy, which will be clearly defined in the project proposal to be presented and submitted to UNHCR at the end of 2017.

Main responsibilities:

• Planning, timely and quality implementation and monitoring of the project activities:
• • Community-based socio-recreational and self-reliance activities;

  • Community awareness raising and sensitization sessions;

  • Case management services for people with specific needs;

  • Youth empowerment and mobilization initiatives.

• Training, coordination and supervision of the project staff team, including identification of capacity building gaps and implementation of related training sessions;

• Maintaining relations pertaining to the project activities with the donor and key stakeholders at the governorate and field level;

• Design and definition of a nationalization strategy for 2018, elaboration and submission of a project proposal document.

More specifically:

Project activities planning, implementation and monitoring

• Prepare, manage and regularly update the project activities work plan and related financial plan, ensuring timely and quality implementation in compliance with the defined project strategy, as well as INTERSOS and donor guidelines;

• Coordinate with the logistic, administration and finance departments to procure all equipment, supplies and materials required to implement the project activities, ensuring cost efficiency and accountability in compliance with INTERSOS and donor regulations and procedures;

• Supervise the use and keep updated records of the project material resources;

• Undertake field visits to the project locations as needed to continuously monitor the progress and the project activities quality;

• Report to the Head of Mission in a timely manner any eventual challenges or delays, loss or damage of assets, faced in the daily implementation of the project activities;

• Continuously assess, analyze and evaluate the impact of the project activities, the evolution of the crisis and related evolving needs of the target populations in the project areas;

• Work closely with the Protection Coordinator to ensure the quality implementation of the project activities from the technical point of view;

• Work closely with other PMs to ensure the integration of the project activities with other mission’s projects and sectors of intervention;

• Support the development, implementation and evaluation of the mission strategy and Programme, providing updated information, inputs and recommendations for new and ongoing interventions in the country, with special focus on the protection response to the Iraq IDP crisis.

Project staff training, coordination and supervision

• Identify capacity gaps in key national staff, design a training program and conduct specific sessions related to identify gaps;

• Train, coordinate and supervise the project national staffs, and evaluate their performance;

• Ensure that the project national staffs respect INTERSOS rules and regulations, and adheres to INTERSOS Fundamental Charter Values and Code of Ethics.

Project reporting

• Prepare the project narrative and financial reports, according to INTERSOS and donor requirements;

• Ensure that all supporting documents (means of verification) and general project documents are properly filled in and filed.

Strategy 2018

• Design a nationalization strategy, based on the capacities, skills and experience of key national staff, in order to be able to manage next 2018 project’s face;

• Elaborate and submit a project proposal according to the new nationalization strategy and based in a detailed analysis of the evolution of the IDP situation and general crisis as well as the evolving needs in the areas of operation.

Coordination and representation

• Establish and maintain collaborative relations with relevant donor officers, local authorities, local institutions, partners, project stakeholders and other organizations working in the project areas;

• Present the 2018 nationalization strategy to the donor and the findings of the IDPs situation and needs assessment, and facilitate donor’s missions to the areas of operation;

• Participate in meetings with relevant donor’s programme and financial officers at both the central office and at field level, following HoM guidelines;

• Proactively participate in relevant coordination meetings at national, regional, governorate and field level, as required.

Education

Advanced university degree in social science related fields such as Political Science, International Relations, International Development Cooperation, Sociology or similar subjects. A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Professional experience

• At least 3 years of professional work experience in management of large-scale projects in humanitarian and/or development contexts, including at least 1 year in emergency settings;
• At least 2 years of professional experience working in strengthening national staff’s capacities and managerial skills;
• Previous experience in managing UNHCR funds (desirable);
• Previous experience in managing protection projects with large national staff teams (desirable);
• Previous experience working in IDP camp and non-camp settings, including knowledge of the cluster system (desirable);
• Previous experience in working in Middle East and specifically in Iraq (desirable);
• Previous experience in developing and implementing M&E activities (desirable).

Professional requirements

• Ability to administrate funds, logistics and human resources;
• Ability to collect, analyze and integrate quantitative and qualitative information from a wide range of sources and elaborate action plans based on findings;
• Good communication and training skills, both oral and written;
• Ability to develop training tools and conduct ad hoc training sessions to national staff according to identified gaps;
• Mastery of IT tools (MS Office package, internet, e-mail, etc.).

Personal requirements

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with analytic approach;
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously;
• Ability to achieve results effectively, considering the need for speed, scale and quality;
• Ability to integrate and work well within multiethnic and multicultural teams and maintain collaborative relationships;
• Ability to work in austere and hostile environments;
• Availability to share accommodation facilities when required;
• Holder of an International driving license.

Qualified applicants are requested to submit their CV, motivation letter and 2 references to recruitment@intersos.org with subject line: "SR-29-199 Project Manager – Iraq”**

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.