Inclusive Markets Coordinator (BORESHA NABAD)

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an independent international non-governmental organization, working in 40+ countries throughout the world, and our primary mandate is to promote durable solutions for refugees and displaced populations. The DRC office in Nairobi is a Regional Office providing management support and strategic direction to DRC programs operating in East Africa & Great Lake region.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is leading a consortium of partners in implementation of the EU-funded programme BORESHA NABAD across Mandera, Kenya, Dollo Ado, Ethiopia and Gedo, Somalia. Building upon BORESHA I, II and III, BORESHA NABAD is centered on enhancing the effectiveness of conflict prevention and mitigation, disaster risk reduction and management, and resilience-building in cross-border communities. DRC is partnering with Rural Agency for Community Development (RACIDA), Voice for Peace for All in the Horn of Africa (VOPA) and Mandera Women for Peace and Development (WFPD) to deliver BORESHA NABAD.

Overall purpose of the role

The BORESHA-NABAD Programme is looking for an experienced Inclusive Market Systems Coordinator who will provide targeted and high-quality strategic guidance, capacity strengthening and technical leadership to the Program’s consortium team with the aim of promoting and reinforcing the program’s and its local partners’ leadership and expertise in building self-reliance and resilience for conflict-, climate- and displacement-affected populations in the Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia Border areas. In particular, s/he will be working in environments where interventions may need to continue to address immediate needs whilst working towards and/or protecting development gains.

Due to the complexity of cross-border programming, the Coordinator will need to be able to adapt to working creatively within thin, nascent and distorted markets systems. They will seek to promote the use of holistic intervention strategies utilizing a combination of market-based programming and market systems development interventions in parallel to navigate the nexus challenges of working in such fragile contexts.

This role will be on the frontier of driving MSA within BORESHA-NABAD Consortium in all the program target locations and the candidate must be comfortable with working through this transition and adapting, as required, to navigate organizational constraints whilst attempting to showcase the potential of new ways of working

Responsibilities:

Technical Design, Strategy and partnership

• Provide technical advice and quality assurance to the BORESHA-NABAD Consortium team on application of Market Systems Approaches methodology and principles across the programme lifecycle including activity design, sector selection, market systems analysis, intervention design and planning (sequencing, layering, integrating), partner identification and engagement strategy, facilitation, MEAL using theories of change and results chains, and adaptive management techniques.
• Collaborate closely with other technical leads within DRC offices as well as counterparts across the EAGL region (notably Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding, Protection, Climate Change / Environment, etc.) to explore options and maximise opportunities for integrated programming.
• Provide technical knowledge / expertise in at least some of the following thematic domain areas:
  • System vulnerability analysis or PCMA and system resilience (particularly being able to respond to displacement needs or mitigate risk of displacement due to climatic events and/or conflict)
  • Use of CVA in emergency response and preparedness (as crisis modifier)
  • People-centred or human-centred design to systems
  • Self-reliance programming for the forcibly displaced
  • Financial inclusion: expansion of access to savings, loans and insurance beyond VSLAs to include banks, insurance companies and other FSPs who can spread and deepen financial inclusion beyond the scope of donor funded interventions.
  • Agro-pastoral livelihoods: improvement and diversification of agro-pastoral livelihoods in the context of adaptation to climate change and the need to build long term resilience.
  • Livestock value chain development: support to pastoralists to improve long term productivity and income from livestock through adaptation and switching to alternative livestock value chains.
  • Business development and SME start up / expansion: growth of grassroot businesses through access to financial services and linkages to private sector companies and investors.
  • Youth and women’s economic empowerment: supporting youth and women to acquire new skills and opportunities to generate independent income, particularly in displacement contexts and with an urban focus.
• Advise on opportunities and risks with respect to achieving programme outcomes through local actors engagement strategies e.g. direct delivery vs. partnership vs. facilitation in line with DRC and donor regulations.
• ToR development and line management of technical consultancies and service providers for delivery of livelihoods and financial access project components for the Programme, in compliance with DRC  and donor regulations.
• Exploration and development of new partnerships with local NGOs, private sector service providers and research organizations that can add value to the programme’s portfolio of existing and planned activities in the inclusive markets sector.

Capacity Strengthening of DRC staff and local partners

• Identify technical and/or programmatic gaps and provide training, mentoring and capacity building as required, and specifically for the programme staff on the front line of programme delivery.
• Build capacity of partners and relevant programme staff (including DRC Country Office support services staff) on their role in facilitating the application of MSA in programming to design advanced and modern marked-based program models for livelihoods, financial inclusion and food security interventions. This will include providing support / capacity building on:
  • appropriate proposal design,
  • sector selection and participatory market systems analysis (appropriately selected for Response Framework e.g. EMMA for emergency response vs in-depth market systems analysis for durable solutions vs PCMA for crisis preparedness and resilience building / informing EPRPs)
  • modality due diligence and selection, intervention co-design and planning (sequencing, layering, integrating) 
  • local actor identification and engagement strategy,
  • partnership and facilitation tactics
  • MEAL using theories of change and results chains, and
  • adaptive management techniques

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Design and monitor economic recovery and livelihoods interventions for BORESHA-NABAD, particularly including indicators for MSD and ways of measuring and tracking system level changes that are relevant for progarmme’s target communities.
• Technical monitoring of BORESHA-NABAD and partner project implementation and hands on guidance about how to adapt their programming to the changing context and emerging risks and opportunities.
• Ensure learning is captured and disseminated effectively across the programme teams, both successes and failures and feedback from beneficiaries and other key stakeholders
• Quality assurance & compliance: follow up and report on the implementation of project level M&E commitments as well as compliance with BORESHA-NABAD minimum standards for Economic Recovery programming.
• Support organisational risk management related to MSA and for core Economic Recovery activities.

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 competencies:

Professional technical experience evidencing and demonstrating ability to deliver against the above-mentioned responsibilities:

• Minimum of 8 years international or regional field experience with well recognized humanitarian and/or development organisations, and demonstrable experience working on Economic Recovery programming in contexts of complex and nascent market systems.
• Previous experience in non-humanitarian or development role using similar technical expertise welcomed to support innovation in DRC.
• Experience and demonstrated expertise in market systems programming in fragile contexts with evidence of conducting market systems analysis
• Strong knowledge of livelihoods programming (including urban livelihoods, SME start-up and scale-up, and modern agriculture/livestock-based livelihoods) and/or proven ability to apply MSA methodology from other sectors e.g. WASH, Shelter, Energy to livelihoods programming using a market systems approach
• Relevant practitioner knowledge of and experience with financial inclusion and at least three of the other specific areas of focus listed above.
• Familiarity applying facilitation techniques and innovative business/financing models to local actor engagement
• Experience of working in Kenya and the wider Horn of Africa, and strong knowledge of livelihoods zones across the region.
• Experience delivering targeted and high-quality technical training and capacity building, including in remote management settings.
• Substantial experience in both a technical advisory role and with hands-on programme management and implementation across the project/programme cycle.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to determine priorities and attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal and coordination skills, including working with different groups, partners and nationalities.

Education

Bachelors in Social Sciences, Economics, Development Studies or other relevant field

Language

English (fluent)

Swahili or Somali (desirable)

What we offer

Contract:   1yr. Salary and other conditions are offered in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment for Employment band F- Non Management.

Availability:   April 15, 2024.

Duty station:  Nairobi with frequent travel to the field

Reporting Line:  Chief of Party

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.

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 March 29th, 2024