Deputy Program Director - Change and Governance

About Mercy Corps

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 operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 200 people working in 5 locations. Mercy Corps is currently in the implementation phase of a large-scale 6-year DFID-funded urban WASH program. This program known as IMAGINE will reach approximately 1 million beneficiaries in Goma and Bukavu and seeks to simultaneously improve availability of, access to, management of, and proper utilization of WASH resources to ensure sustained health impacts. In support of this Mercy Corps has recently completed a number of assessments as part of the IMAGINE Inception Phase (UKAID-funded) to define key needs around WASH infrastructure, water governance, market development and hygiene practice and better understand the environmental, socio-economic and gender issues that affect WASH needs and delivery.

IMAGINE identifies critical and inter-related outputs to address these causal factors preventing sustained improvements:

• Improvements to Infrastructure to increase availability of basic WASH services from source to tap;
• Improved market-based WASH Service Delivery to engage and incentivize market actors and create more viable, efficient and sustainable WASH markets;
• Enhanced Governance and Accountability structures to ensure effective feedback loops among consumers, providers, and regulators of WASH services;
• Behavior Change interventions to improve knowledge and practice essential health practices;

Gender integration across all IMAGINE teams and activities; and Targeted gender interventions aimed at ensuring equitable access to, and control over, WASH resources

General Position Summary

The Deputy Program Director – Change Management (DPDcm) will support the Program Director in implementation of the overall program with particular accountabilities around Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change. The DPDcm will provide overall leadership with a particular emphasis on program quality and integration of all the key outputs of Infrastructure, Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance, Behavior Change, and Gender equity in the implementation of the program. The DPDcm will be accountable for the overall direction and delivery of Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Demonstrate visible leadership and adherence to Mercy Corps' core values, principles and strategy;
• Collaborative capability to ensure that all program design aspects are implemented to good standards that adhere to industry norms/regulations, while working in a challenging environment;
• Ensure program objectives for Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change and deadlines are tracked and met and support the objectives of the other outputs;
• Ensure Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change are delivered on budget and to schedule;
• Ensure that activity design and implementation addresses gender dynamics to ensure equitable participation in Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change interventions;
• Oversee the performance of the Governance and Behavior Change teams, as well as the Water Service Delivery and Sanitation sub-grantees, contractors and consultants;
• Manage collaborative partnerships, providing effective donor liaison. Identify, build partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders;
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor (UKAID) obligations are met;
• Ensure all program management minimum standards are met including risk management, issues management.

Program Management

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to IMAGINE-wide program implementation;
• Oversee sanitation start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations;
• Oversee important consultancies with direct relevance to DfID;
• 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 development of sub-grant together with Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change partners, in collaboration with Delivery Managers as well as monitor implementation, program quality, and impacts of these activities;
• Oversee integration of community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate;
• Identify, build and maintain collaboration partnerships with consumer groups, civil society, investors, donors, local governments, private sector. Maintain a view to identify and obtain future financial investments;
• Collaborate with evaluators and advise on evaluation and research questions relevant to Water Service Delivery, Sanitation, Governance and Behavior Change;
• 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.
• Develop, and monitor, partnership agreement(s) with Water Service Delivery and Sanitation partner(s), in line with the strategy of the Program.

Team Management

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews;
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary;
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives;
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

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

Direct supervision of BCC and Governance Program Managers, WSD and sanitation sub-grantees.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Director

Works Directly With: Deputy Program Director - Infrastructure and other Delivery Managers, WSD sub-grantee MD and CEO, Gender Manager, monitoring and evaluation, DRC team members, DRC external finance and procurement team and members of the Mercy Corps Technical Support Units

Knowledge and Experience

• MA/MSc or equivalent or an MSc/MBA in management with program management experience and strong technical knowledge;
• 7-10 years of management experience in progressively responsible positions – demonstrating key content experience in delivering sustainable change in development situations;
• Training and experience in WASH sector, especially WASH Governance, a strong added advantage;
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues;
• Fluency in oral/written English and French is required;
• Previous experience in Africa, DRC or other developing country is strongly desired;
• Demonstrated delivery capability, working within procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.

Success Factors

The Deputy Program Director – Change Management will combine strong collaborative working skills with an ability to implement programs successfully. S/he will demonstrate adaptability, flexibility in approach and a strong sense of equity. In meeting these challenges, S/he will be able to develop their team to be able to self-develop and grow with the program. S/he will have a have both a strong coaching and mentoring capability and be able to apply these in challenging and evolving situations within a cross cultural team. In DRC, patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination and a sense of humor are all success factors.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The post is based in Goma, North Kivu, DRC with the possibility to be accompanied (residing in Gisenyi, Rwanda). Travel to field sites (estimated up to 30%), Goma, and Kinshasa will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. Up to 40% of the time will be spent within the office of the WSD sub-grantee.

Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.

While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Goma, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There's reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of 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.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps' vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

PI103374925

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