The Compliance Advisor is responsible for supporting a current USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)-funded program that includes health and nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and shelter activities to support conflict-affected populations. Entitled Amal (“hope” in Arabic), the consortium will include international and Syrian partners with humanitarian response capacity.
The Amal consortium requires a highly specialized compliance expert with deep knowledge of U.S. Government rules and regulations applicable to USAID assistance agreements for Syria. This includes, at a minimum, a strong understanding of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)’s specific rules that the IRC and potential partners will be subject to when implementing in Syria, in addition to USAID-specific vetting processes and OFDA proposal guidelines.
Pending donor approval of an award modification, the Compliance Advisor will collaborate with the Chief of Party (CoP) to lead the start-up and implementation of compliance processes in programming, and facilitate necessary compliance oversight for IRC and partners.
Major Responsibilities
Compliance Oversight
•Informed by the Cooperative Agreement, provide technical guidance and advice to the Amal consortium staff on donor compliance, regularly review Syria-specific regulations to identify compliance requirements and risks associated with the program. Engage IRC Syria’s Grants and Partnership Teams to ensure comprehension and necessary follow-up. Conduct trainings, orientations, and answer questions to allow for adequate planning, ensuring it aligns with IRC’s established training packages.
•Understand IRC-specific sub-award agreement templates and policies on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), child protection, and other key policies that are flowed-down to IRC partners to identify mechanisms to confirm adherence and promote early reporting of issues. Institute controls where existing procedures are inadequate or unclear in the Syria context and ensure staff and partners understand the purpose and means to adhere to prescribed controls.
•Maintain frequent communication with staff on new regulations (general or Syria-specific) and relevant information with respect to compliance matters. Initiate resolutions to anticipated regulatory challenges.
•Review IRC’s current mode of operation and advise on key operational, financial, programmatic risks that IRC should consider when operating in Syria and establish plans to mitigate risks with relevant Jordan and HQ teams.
•Support the Chief of Party and Finance Controller with USAID auditing visits to ensure information is provided and sufficiently describes established compliance measures. Attend OFDA meetings to stay abreast of implementation conditions, and share meeting notes with senior management and other relevant staff. Establish relationships and situational awareness with other Prime awardees conducting work in Syria.
•In coordination with respective IRC teams, ensure proper filing of reports, documents, license applications, and waiver requests. Draft correspondence with various U.S. Government agencies including OFDA, Treasury, and Commerce; coordinate with the USAID counterparts as needed.
•Collaborate with the Middle East regional team’s NY-based members to negotiate terms and conditions of Prime Award modifications with OFDA/W, and ensure proper documentation of agreed upon approaches for prior approvals and compliance with award terms.
•In coordination with IRC’s Supply Chain team, compile and prepare information on partners, suppliers, vendors, and beneficiaries for screening and vetting. Regularly review USAID vetting requirements including OFDA Proposal Guidelines for Syria Risk Mitigation and USAID’s Syria Vetting Standard Operating Procedures. Coordinate timelines with program leadership including anticipating delays. Initiate alternative approaches for implementation.
Capacity Strengthening
•Develop materials, train, and provide ongoing support (interpretation, application, and sharing of updated regulations) of U.S. Government compliance matters related to procurement, finance, risk, ethics, OFAC, BIS and other regulations to IRC and partner staff with relevant Award Management Unit staff. Adapt support to a diversity of partners with no prior or limited USAID experience.
•Conduct quarterly reviews with finance and technical staff to identify areas of risk and opportunities for partner growth.
•Monitor partner procurement to ensure compliance to internal controls and donor requirements with relevant Supply Chain staff
•Collaborate with partners and appropriate IRC team to develop comprehensive monitoring plan informed by Partner Award Assessments (PAAs).
Partnership Engagement
•Review IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) manual, supported by IRC Partnership staff, to develop a working understanding of how IRC manages sub-award partnerships, in accordance with IRC’s partnership principles.
•Support partnership engagement and communication to implement sub-grant agreements and complete program deliverables, while adhering the U.S. Government rules and regulation.
•Review PAAs to identify areas of weakness or risk; recommend and draft special award conditions. Create pathway for partner success and specify indicators that measure progress, as relates to compliance.
•In coordination with IRC’s Supply Chain team, oversee and approve procurement and distribution of materials by IRC and partner staff. Contribute to the review of partner procurement policies, implement IRC’s minimum standards in the absence of adequate policy or capacity at the partner level.
•Review and provide approval for partner activities related to construction, participant training, inventory management, and the hire of partner compliance personnel, if applicable.
•Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC's management of and performance in partnerships, as well as taking appropriate action in response to the feedback to ensure the smooth operation of the consortium.
Key Working Relationships
Position Reports to: Amal Chief of Party
Position directly Supervises: N/A
Key Internal Contacts:
Country Program: Country Director, Deputy Chief of Party, Deputy Director for Programs, Deputy Director for Operations, Finance Controller, Grants Coordinator, Partnership Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Deputy Chief of Party
Region/Global: Regional Program Officer, Regional Grants Director, Regional Partnership Director, Regional Finance Controller, Regional Supply Chain Director, Awards Management Unit – Compliance and Policy, Office of General Counsel.
Key External Contacts: Amal partner organizations (sub-recipients)
