Networking Officer, Arab Region Programme

Vacancy Notice

Networking Officer, Arab Region Programme

Interreligious Dialogue Hub

Programme Department

Location: Home based in Arab region*

Full-time

(* It is planned to open a regional office in 2020 and the role holder will be expected to move and work in that office)

ORGANISATIONAL SETTING

The primary objective of KAICIID’s Programme Department is to create the conditions, platforms and environment through which religious leaders and other actors, in particular policy makers, can engage in constructive dialogue, thus strengthening mutual understanding and respect with the ultimate aim to encourage them to initiate action to bring about change in the policies of religious institutions and governments, at various levels, build mechanisms to facilitate on-going dialogue and action as well as strengthen networks of committed and experienced religious leaders, and other actors in the use of interreligious dialogue (IRD) for peace and reconciliation in conflict situations in particular.

As one of the two Hubs in the Programme Department, IRD Hub focuses on applying IRD for peace and reconciliation in three regions, Arab region, Africa and Asia.

The Arab Region Programme is mainly focused on promoting the culture of dialogue, peace, coexistence and reconciliation in the Region. The Programme supports common citizenship, religious and cultural diversity, inter-community understanding and respect through strengthening the IRD capacity of religious leaders, dialogue practitioners and community actors.

A Regional Interfaith Dialogue Platform has been launched in 2018 in the Arab world as an umbrella organization to coordinate dialogue efforts and initiatives. Several sub-networks have also been established under the Platform, including a Network for Religious Muslim and Christian Faculties and Institutes (NRFI), an Iraqi team for citizenship and, possibly, a similar team for Syria, as well as an intra-Muslim dialogue team. All these national and thematic networks are supposed to work under the Regional Interfaith Dialogue Platform to promote dialogue, peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding between followers of different faith traditions and denominations.

ROLE

Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, Arab Region Programme, the Networking Officer is directly responsible for the implementation and coordination of the capacity building and institutional support provided to the Regional Interfaith Dialogue Platform and its thematic and national sub-networks.  The role holder will be the focal point for coordinating activities with the members of the Platform and the sub-networks.

FUNCTIONS

• Initiate and coordinate all Platform’s and Network’s coordination meetings;
• Support the meetings of the steering committees of the Platform and the networks;
• Support the implementation of the action plans of the Platform and the network;
• Provide technical support to the steering committees, task forces and working groups of the Platform and its sub-networks;
• Develop proposals and concept notes for the Platform and sub-networks initiatives;
• Prepare drafts progress reports against set targets and indicators, with an analysis of progress towards planned outputs according to schedules, budgets, and inputs;
• Maintain contact and regular interaction with the members of the Platforms and its sub-networks;
• Follow up on the implementation of the Platform’s and the networks’ work plans, activities and deliverables;
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including key performance indicators (KPIs), and support the SPM in monitoring and evaluating the activities;
• Ensure the timeliness and quality of the outputs as well as the timely preparation and submission of reports, documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned;
• Support the SPM in establishing and maintaining partnerships with key stakeholders;  
• Contribute to the expansion of the Platform’s and Networks’ membership and help them to network and partner with similar entities;
• Extract lessons learned to support programme improvement and contribution to knowledge building and sharing;
• Represent KAICIID in strategic meetings/events with partner organisations - as delegated by supervisors;
• Ensure regular communications with all Platform’s and network’s Members by managing their inboxes and drafting email correspondence;
• Coordinate the Platform’s and network’s Members involvement in internal (KAICIID) and external (non-KAICIID) events;
• Maintain and update files and archives related to the activities of the Platform and the networks;
• Advise SPM in case of any deviations or potential risks and initiate corrective actions when necessary.
• Ensure the development of linkages between the Platform and sub-networks and other relevant projects within the programme for mutually reinforcing impact;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning;
• Work closely with the other team members and provide the necessary support to prepare the quarterly and annual reports;
• Support the Centre’s Knowledge Hub in data collection and mapping exercises;
• Perform any other tasks as required by the Centre in connection with the Arab region programme.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced university degree in interreligious studies, peace and conflict resolution, sociology, or similar disciplines;
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in the field of religious, inter-religious or inter-cultural dialogue. Alternatively, a similar experience in developing and supporting civil society networks is required;
• Experience in intergovernmental or international organizations desirable;
• Good conceptual and analytical capability, ability to rapidly learn and apply new concepts;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural/religious context;
• Ability to interact independently with religious leaders as well as with senior government officials;
• Knowledge and understanding of religious and interreligious educational institutions and seminaries;
• Programme management skills, including the ability to contribute to strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to support formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects;
• Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and transactions, conduct financial analysis, and draft quality reports;
• Strong networking and communication skills;
• Excellent writing skills, with analytical capacity and ability to draw statistics, synthesize and interpret data in preparation of quality reports;
• Commitment to continuous learning and sharing knowledge;
• Commitment to KAICIID values, as well as to highest ethical standards and human rights.

LANGUAGES

English and Arabic proficiency (written and spoken). Knowledge of any other major languages desirable.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

The selected candidate will be offered a consultancy contract for a period of 6 months with a possibility of extension. KAICIID will offer a monthly fee based on the United Nations salary scale for the National Professionals (75% of NOB scale) applicable in the country of the selected candidate. The candidate is expected to work full-time for KAICIID.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

16 June 2019