Job Title: Policy & Advocacy (P&A) Coordinator
Hiring Organization: Mercy Corps
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Uganda
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 07/13/2024
About
Mercy Corps
Mercy
Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we
know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member
feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and
skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
Mercy
Corps’ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable
Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps
Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food
security and building on this experience, the MC Sudan humanitarian program
will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and
feasible to do so. Mercy Corps is scaling up to reach upwards of 200,000
conflict affected people with multi-purpose cash assistance, targeted voucher
programs, in-kind and services provision across the country. Our impact will be
delivered with a focus on needs, in partnership with local actors and civil
society, and embrace the safe, appropriate, and accountable use of digital
systems and technologies to support the response.
The
Position
The
Policy & Advocacy (P&A) Coordinator is focused on increasing the impact
of CCS programming through research, learning and advocacy. The P&A
Coordinator will work with the CCS Secretariat, CCS partner technical leads and
senior management to establish a consortium-level Policy & Advocacy Agenda.
The P&A Coordinator will also work with regional and global-level
stakeholders as relevant to advance policy & advocacy objectives related to
CCS programming. The P&A Coordinator will coordinate with the CCS Director
and Secretariat team to support strategic representation of the partnership in
key national and global coordination fora.
Essential
Job Functions
Strategy
and vision
- Identify key
policy and advocacy objectives for the CCS and lead on the development of
the CCS advocacy strategy
- Collaborate with
CCS Secretariat and partner teams to support evidence-informed policy
influence
- Support ongoing
identification of key topics for future advocacy and contribute to
effective policy influence for the wider cash sector (for example as
relates to use of Group Cash Transfers, improving commitments to
localization with cash programming, strategic development of financial
services in Sudan’s crisis setting, potential linkages to existing social
protection architecture, etc)
Representation
and coordination
- With the CCS
Director, promote awareness of CCS programming and best practice in all
relevant forums.
- Maintain good
working relationships with key global cash actors including CaLP, CCD, and
high and level partners for cash financing. Develop relationships with the
IASC and global UN agencies to influence where cash sits globally in
coordination, with key donors, and key cash implementers. Identify areas
of collaboration and cooperation.
- Develop
strategic partnerships with local/national organisations, the private
sector, academic institutions, and other international organizations, in
order to strengthen research and advocacy initiatives, to test innovative
approaches, and replicate and scale successful models and methodologies.
Advocacy
- Lead on
implementing the CCS’ advocacy strategy, targeting primarily key
humanitarian and development actors, including donors.
- Present research
results through events (study launches, workshops), and advocacy products
including success stories, briefs and reports on effectiveness of CCS
programs.
- Represent the
CCS in key external events and meetings to disseminate advocacy messages
and promote awareness and use of CCS programming and best practice in all
relevant forums.
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.
Accountabilities
- Mercy Corps team
members are expected to support all efforts towards 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.
Knowledge
and Experience
- BA/BS or
equivalent in international studies, economics, social science/research or
other relevant field; MA/S preferred
- 5-7 years of
international relief and development program management experience, in
emergency and recovery program management
- Strong policy
awareness regarding humanitarian aid and development landscape; preference
for past engagement with cash, markets and localization policy agendas
- Combination of
direct and remote management experience preferred
- Demonstrated
ability to communicate effectively across multiple stakeholders
- Strong
interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to consistently
work with
- a diverse range
of stakeholders with tact and diplomacy.
- Demonstrated
flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
- Experience
working with local authorities, national and international NGOs
- Flexible/willing
and able to adapt priorities in order to respond to changing demands,
including to shifts in organizational priorities.
- Effective verbal
and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and
prioritization skills
- Excellent oral
and written English skills required, Arabic skills preferred
- Ability to
simplify complex concepts both verbally and orally in order to influence
others.
- Experience in
media and advocacy in I/NGOs desirable.
- Ability to work
effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.