Livelihood Coordinator - RYSE Graduation and Livelihoods Coordinator

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation

The Graduation and livelihoods Coordinator will be an integral part of the management structure of the Resilient Youth Socially and Economically Empowered (RYSE) program, headed by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The consortium aims to develop and mobilize a dynamic, powerful, multi-stakeholder initiative focusing on empowering displaced and conflict-affected youth to become positive change agents. The vision is to develop a flagship model, in which youth, governments, private sector companies as well as investors and civil organizations together educate, embolden and enable youth to fulfil their critical role in a future Syria and Jordan and to pursue their life ambitions. The key target group are Syrian youth who are displaced and living as refugees in Jordan and vulnerable young Jordanians negatively affected by the conflicts in the region.

RYSE will encompass three separate, but interrelated objectives. Objective 1 focuses on providing life skills, trainings, and pathways for youth to engage in leadership in civil society. Objective 2 provides a graduation model approach to help youth and their families become more resilient and attain improved economic outcomes. Selected households will receive customized support packages that include coaching, family guidance, cash support and individually designed career pathways geared towards obtaining sustainable and safe livelihood opportunities. Objective 3 addresses formal societal structures in Jordan that prevent youth from actively participating in civil society and the labour market. Creating an enabling environment that actively includes young people will be critical for the long-term success of the project.

In line with the project’s theory of change, Objective 2 will seek to address fundamental barriers inhibiting the most vulnerable youth and their families from effectively participating in the economy and becoming self-reliant. Using a framework built off the internationally recognized best practice for poverty alleviation known as the graduation approach, the central component of Objective 2 activities will focus on a program targeting 480 households with youth between the ages of 18 – 30 that have prematurely entered the labour market in order to provide for their families. This will be the first time that the graduation approach will be adapted and implemented in a middle income, displacement context. The model will depart from traditional applications of the approach in lower income country contexts and be adapted to primarily focus on intensive skill building for formal employment as well as provide significant investment in experiential learning.

About the job

The individual will report directly to Consortium Manager. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Team Technical Management

• Provide strong leadership and facilitation and develop the capacity of the partners’ teams and deepen understanding of their roles through constant mentorship;
• Assist consortium team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives;
• Facilitate the development of household-level coaching tools, and conduct training for project staff
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular meetings;
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Objective 2 Management

• Supervise programme designing for the Economic Empowerment objective including the Graduation model and the 21st Century skills in schools, and oversee the development of an implementation plan and evaluation, and assessments, leading to a well-implemented Graduation and Livelihoods programme.

• Lead overall coordination of the graduation model component and give the strategic directions and management of the core implementation;
• In close coordination and collaboration with the Consortium Partners facilitate and lead the development of tools, manuals, including Standard Operating Procedures, for Economic Empowerment’s  Objective, outlining clear objectives, targets, geographical locations, responsibilities and accountability for partners and the CMU ensuring efficient level of effort of consortium partner technical staff is used in the development of tool, etc.;
• Research best practices, tools, manuals, and templates for the graduation approach that can be leveraged and customized for the RYSE project;
• Provide technical and administrative support and facilitation on program activities that focus on improved household resilience and economic outcomes using the graduation approach, through coordinating programmatic, technical, logistical, financial, and administrative management components with the consortium partners, in order to ensure appropriate systems and support mechanisms are in place to track, analyze and report on results;
• Facilitate the RYSE Objective 2 working group, which will provide additional technical expertise and leadership for graduation and livelihoods activities, including sending out meeting invites, preparing the agenda, documenting minutes; and developing the Objective 2 Module that will be implemented by Consortium partners and support compliance with agreed standards among Consortium partners;
• Oversee implementation of Economic Empowerment objective activities and ensure that planned activities are delivered on time, on budget, and in compliance with donor regulations Support the consortium partners to achieve objectives by developing and communicating clear prioritized actions and providing resources that contribute to overall goal of project;
• Lead and coordinate the development and implementation of private sector engagement strategy covering: trainings curricula co-creation, creation of internship/apprenticeship and accelerating the creation of employment and livelihoods opportunities for youth
•  Manage and coordinate the implementation of related enabling environment activities such as:  Researches and studies related to the graduation approach implementation and promotion to potential  stakeholders, labor market assessments, innovative investment allocation and accelerating the creation of employment/livelihoods opportunities for youth
• Help execute RYSE Consortium’s overall vision and strategy to meet short and long-term goals, in partnership with the private sector partners;
• Capture, document and use learning and experiences to improve program activities and strategies;
• Ensure all interventions adhere to DRCs’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards;

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, local governments and other stakeholders;
• Support consortium partners in the identification and development of private sector partners;
• In coordination with consortium partners, develop appropriate and effective communication pathways to ensure collaboration and understanding between the consortium partners as well as the consortium partners and CMU;
• Represent RYSE Consortium at relevant events and meetings with donor, potential partners, and stakeholders, including corporations, organizations, foundations and government entities;
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure;
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity;
• Exhibit an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs;
• In coordination with RYSE Consortium Program Management team, promote program achievements, challenges, and lessons learned domestically and internationally to foster greater connections and information sharing.

Financial Management

• Lead budgeting process for Economic Empowerment Objective  consortium budget, and provide ongoing oversight, management, and status reporting of the program budgets to the Consortium Manager.
• Lead on cost-effective financial management of Objective 2, including development, approval, and regular monthly expenditure tracking, accounting, and reporting.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Collaborate with the MEAL Technical Working Group to develop monitoring mechanisms to ensure high-quality levels of implementation for Objective 2;
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to partner’s activities to ensure programme quality and adherence to agreed standards. Prepared monitoring visit reports and share key findings with all partners to contribute to overall standardization.
• Monitor program progress against both programmatic and budgetary targets, making adjustments to program design;
• Coordinate with external consultant(s) to conduct a thorough assessment of opportunities and un-met needs in the labor market which are applicable for the youth participating in the program;
• Prepare, review, and/or approve timely, accurate and high-quality program and donor reports on project activities in compliance with donor requirements with partners as necessary ensuring a high quality of program implementation, reflecting achievements made, challenges and solutions;
• Establish and maintain effective reporting, evaluation, and communication systems for Objective 2;
• Actively, track program data submitted by Consortium Partners and overall impact to youth participants;
• Identify opportunities for growth, improvement and innovation, including scaling and deepening the impact of the program.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by RYSE Consortium.
• 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 DRCs as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• DRCs 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.

About you

• Master’s degree in relevant discipline (international studies/development, research methods, social sciences, etc.)

Required / Desirable

• BA or BS or equivalent in business administration, management, psychology, international development, international relations, social science, or other relevant field; MBA and/or MA preferred;
• A minimum of six years of experience in international relief and development program management, experience in social work, psychosocial support, livelihoods, financial inclusion, or other related technical areas;
• Experience overseeing the implementation of graduation approach or other holistic programs that integrate protection and livelihoods interventions
• Experience bringing different parties together to create a strong, effective partnership;
• Significant expertise in the design and implementation of programs that aim to improve the lives of refugees and host communities;
• Understanding of the prevailing business climate and cultural differences with the governorates of Jordan;
• Established ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles;
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving;
• Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a program to achieve stated results and objectives;
• Expertise in capacity building and training; familiarity with curriculum design for training program implementation staff
• Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of (donors) & (corporate/private) funded programs;
• Ability to effectively represent DRCs, the RYSE Consortium, and its interests to key stakeholders;
• Experience working with host governments, national and international NGOs;
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills;
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment;
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work;
• Excellent oral and written English skills required; proficiency in Arabic is required.

 In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ 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: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

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Designation of Duty Station: Amman

Start date: 15 June 2021

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Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 12 May 2021

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/jobsupport.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.