Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS) Great Lakes Manager

Founded in 1956, The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations – refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities – in more than 40 countries around the world.

The EAGL Regional Office covers the following country operations: Burundi, Djibouti, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Overall purpose of the role:

The Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat was created in 2015 to maintain focused momentum and stakeholder engagement towards durable solutions for displacement affected communities first in East Africa and the Horn of Africa and then in the Great Lakes region as of 2020.

ReDSS comprises 14 NGOs: Action against Hunger, ACTED, CARE International, Concern Worldwide, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), INTERSOS, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Oxfam, the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK), Save the Children, World Vision and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). DRC, IRC and NRC form the ReDSS Steering Committee.

ReDSS seeks to improve joint learning and programming, inform policy processes, enhance capacity development and facilitate coordination in the collective search for durable solutions. It is a coordination hub that acts as a catalyst and agent provocateur to stimulate forward-thinking and policy development on durable solutions for displacement.

This position is an exciting opportunity to lead ReDSS’s growing engagement in the countries of the Great Lakes region (particularly Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania) as well as supporting the ReDSS Regional Manager in Nairobi on shaping overall strategy across the region. It will be ideal for someone familiar with the region, looking to have a positive impact on how the aid sector works and able to bridge the worlds of policy and practice at local, national and regional levels.

The position is open for national and international applicants. The position is Accompagnied.      

The role will have the following key responsibilities :

Leadership and Management of ReDSS in the Great Lakes region

• Developing and leading strategy for ReDSS as it plans for the next four years of work in the Great Lakes Region.
• Ensuring high quality delivery and project management of all grant funding
• Management of ReDSS staff and consultants in the Great Lakes region.
• Create/monitor work plans and budgets.
• Build stronger relations and coordinated solutions activity amongst the ReDSS coalition in the Great Lakes region through regular meetings of the core group and members and facilitating regular information sharing.
• Monitoring, reporting and evaluating progress and challenges.
• Provide timely, digestible, and relevant information and analysis through user-friendly channels and systems to increase information uptake and application.

External representation, coordination, and policy engagement

• Develop a coherent approach to policy and advocacy work in the Great Lakes region, tied to ReDSS outputs, that sets out priorities for engaging with different stakeholders, including regional and national authorities, UN agencies, donors, humanitarian and development actors, refugee associations and relevant working groups both at national and regional level;
• Initiate and support policy actions and engagement in collaboration with ReDSS members active in the Great Lakes region, based on evidence from ReDSS and external studies and analyses to improve solutions-oriented policies at the national and regional level;
• Support existing forums and members to engage with governmental and inter-governmental actors on durable solutions;
• Proactive engagement in policy development processes such as the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) and support and facilitate ReDSS member engagement;
• Work closely with the ICGLR to ensure coherence between national and regional policy processes and other relevant bodies and forums;
• Development and publication of key briefing papers and policy briefs based on evidence.

Research and knowledge management: promoting a culture of learning and reflection that leads to improvements in durable solutions programming and policies

• Define and oversee the implementation of the ReDSS research and knowledge management agenda in the Great Lakes region, through reviewing what has been done, what is useful, and then initiating studies and developing processes to monitor and update solution programming and policies of key stakeholders;
• Ensure the quality control of ReDSS publications in the Great Lakes region;
• Analysis of regional durable solutions data, strategies, policies, legislation, and production and dissemination of quality reports;
• Ensure coherence and cross-learning between the policies of the different countries of the Great Lakes region and at the regional level;
• Facilitate and organize regular consultation/technical workshops and learning events/meetings on key issues of interest to the ReDSS.

Strengthening the capacity of practitioners and policy-makers in the field of durable solutions

• Support the roll-out of technical and policy training packages;
• Support the development of learning tools and online tutorials;
• Promote active engagement with displacement affected communities in the Great Lakes region to ensure their ownership and support in order to make solutions lasting, locally relevant and feasible;
• With the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Secretariat, organize peer-learning events and capacity-building workshops to the benefit of ICGLR member states representatives and key stakeholders (refugee associations, private sector, social partners, etc.) to develop and implement a regional strategy and action plan on comprehensive durable solutions for refugees in the Great Lakes region;
• With member states of the ICGLR, and particularly the ones of the Great Lakes region, organize capacity-building workshops to the benefit of representatives of key ministries in charge of support to displacement affected communities.

Support to ReDSS’ wider strategy and engagement in the region

• Work with the ReDSS Regional Manager in Nairobi to ensure strong synergies between the work in the Great Lakes and in other parts of the region;
• Support the development of a single prioritized strategy for ReDSS with buy-in from members of the coalition;
• Provide engagement and support to ReDSS’s wider work in the region and elsewhere as required.

Reporting arrangements

• Governance: the overall strategy and outline for the work of the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat will be overseen by the ReDSS Steering Committee (DRC, NRC, IRC Regional Directors). The ReDSS Manager for the Great Lakes region will support the ReDSS Regional Manager to report on all of ReDSS’s work to the Steering Committee and work according to the annual workplans approved by the SC and other members;
• Direct supervision: the ReDSS Manager for the Great Lakes region will be supervised and supported by the ReDSS Regional Manager. The ReDSS manager for the Great Lakes region manages the ReDSS local staff, the international staff under his direct supervision and any consultants recruited to implement the activities of the Secretariat.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five 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 and Technical comptencies

• Advanced University degree in social studies, political science, international relations, or relevant field.
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector, preferably including a combination of both programming and policy work, and ideally encompassing knowledge management, research, evidence building, analysis and coordination of consortium partners.
• Strong knowledge of the Great Lakes region and the socio-economic and political dynamics affecting it, more specifically displacement trends, with demonstrated ability to manage politically sensitive contexts.
• Strong experience in working with government officials and, preferably, sub-regional organizations in Africa.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the organization
• Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high-quality research and policy briefs with the ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner.
• Strong experience in translating evidence and research into programming and policy guidance.
• Excellent coordination and networking skills.
• Inter-personal facilitation and communication skills to build trusted relationships with a wide array of humanitarian and development partners, donors, government agencies, etc.
• Flexibility, proactive engagement, ability to work under pressure, and to demonstrate a high tolerance for change, complexity, and unpredictability.
• Fluent in both French and English (Speaking, writing and reading).

What we offer

Contract: 1  Year Contract with the possibility of extension, subject to funding and performance.

Salary:  in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment Management Band/ F1.

Availability:       October 2023.

Duty station:    Bujumbura (Burundi) or Kampala (Uganda) or Nairobi (Kenya)

Reporting Line: ReDSS Regional Manager in Nairobi

Providing equal opportunities  We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other factor. At DRC we celebrate diversity and appreciate our employees for the people they are and their unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

DRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff within its programs. As such, we strongly encourage national and diaspora candidates to apply for this position. However, candidates should take into consideration that DRC cannot employ, under an international contract, a national of the country in which he or she will be working.

Promoting high standards : DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.

Application and CV

Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered.

DRC only accepts applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.ngo under JOB/ view vacancies

Please submit your application and CV in English no later than 20th September  2023