Tanzania Country Coordinator – Create Program at Mercy Corps

Tanzania Country Coordinator – Create Program 

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.

Mercy Corps has a robust portfolio in East Africa, with country offices in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia working to address structural causes of poverty and injustice and to strengthen systems that enable men, women and children to access opportunities, participate in and contribute to peaceful democratic processes, and thrive in the face of ecological and social change. To do this, we deliver integrated programmeming to strengthen market and governance systems, address the root causes of conflict, and equip vulnerable populations- in particular youth, women, adolescents and marginalized social groups- with the skills, opportunities and resources they need to be healthy, productive and to drive the development of their communities. We work closely with the private sector, civil society and governance structures at local and national levels to facilitate change and ensure that opportunities are inclusive of all citizens.

Programme / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is implementing a multi-year, 12 million GBP programme funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The Collective Resilience Against Extremism (CREATE) programme will engage local and national government, local civil society organizations and communities to mitigate the drivers, enablers and narratives of violent extremism in East Africa through support to policy initiatives, community engagement, and community level interventions in order to prevent the recruitment of vulnerable individuals by violent extremist organizations. The programme works primarily in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Uganda, through strategies adapted to the context and opportunities in each country to advance research, legislation and field implementation of activities.

General Position Summary
The Tanzania Country Coordinator will work closely with the Programme Team Lead in Nairobi, and with other technical sector leads to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to effect change in Tanzania and ensure that community-level interventions, government policies, and research are delivered in a complementary and mutually-reinforcing way to achieve maximum impact. The Country Coordinator will be responsible for leading activities within Tanzania to advance research, legislation and field implementation of interventions to mitigate and address the risk of violent extremism, and will be the primary representative with the British High Commission and the Government of Tanzania for the project. S/he will work with the research team to identify priority research questions, and will identify key stakeholders for the dissemination of the research. Working with the Director of Policy and Advocacy, s/he will identify opportunities to influence policy discussions on PVE at the local and national level, and will build relationships with policymakers to support the development of effective policy interventions to prevent or counter violent extremism. Finally, s/he will work with local civil society organizations to design and support interventions to address PVE risk factors, including the identification and design of community initiatives, coaching and capacity-building support to local CSO, and monitoring of interventions undertaken by CSOs.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND VISION

• Play a key role in developing the programme strategy and direction for Tanzania by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives.
• Contribute to shaping the project’s research and influencing agenda, working with the Research and Policy Leads to integrate and advance research, learning and advocacy in order to deepen the contextual understanding of VE drivers in Tanzania and effective strategies to prevent the recruitment of vulnerable individuals into violent extremist organizations.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.

POLICY AND REPRESENTATION WORK

• Lead the programme’s Influencing agenda in Tanzania and engage with local and national governance institutions to drive PVE policy debate, development and implementation.
• Ensure regular communication with the government, and compliance with Government of Tanzania regulations for research, implementation and reporting.
• In collaboration with the Team Lead, and Deputy Team Lead represent the programme with the British High Commission in Tanzania.
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with relevant international and local agencies active in the PVE and peacebuilding sectors, including donors, other peace-building and research organizations, local authorities and local partners.

Programme Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Mercy Corps’ PVE activities in Tanzania, in cooperation with key programme stakeholders, including local and international partner organizations, local civil society organizations, local and national government officials, research institutions and universities, other international agencies on the ground, and key donors.
• Ensure programme implementation in Tanzania is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts, and develop mechanisms for targeted research to inform programme design and implementation.
• Build a network of local organizations to engage on policy and implementation at the sub-national and County level, and provide ongoing coaching and mentoring to them.
• Engage stakeholders at the community level on action planning and developing strategies in support of PVE programming activities, ensuring that programme strategies are driven by and aligned with community priorities.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Lead in the structuring of partner roles and responsibilities for the delivery of cohesive programme interventions, oversee their activities and provide continuous technical support and capacity building as required.
• Oversee performance of consortium partners and sub-grantees, and provide team members and implementing partners with information, tools and other resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Regularly coordinate with programme staff and support departments to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of programme activities.
• 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.

MONITORING & EVALUATION (M&E) AND REPORTING

• Work closely with the programme M&E Manager to ensure that effective M&E systems and processes are embedded within the programme implementation unit and that data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform ongoing adaptation of programme strategies and delivery approaches.
• Assess and analyze impact and adaptively manage the programmeto meet results.
• Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports and work plans on all aspects of Tanzania programme delivery in a timely and efficient manner.

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.
• 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.

Supervisory Responsibility
Project Officer, Finance Officer and Operations Officer

Accountability
Reports Directly To: Team Leader

Works Directly With: Wasafiri Research Director, Director of Policy and Government Engagement, M&E Manager, Finance and Sub-Grants Manager, local and national government officials, local civil society organizations, implementing partners and communities.

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree in Peace Building and Conflict Resolution or related discipline.
• At least 5 years experience working on countering violent extremism programming, conflict mitigation and resolution, and/or violence reduction and prevention programmes.
• In-depth understanding of the Tanzanian context, including governance and policy structures, government engagement, conflict drivers, and key stakeholders working within the peacebuilding space.
• Excellent representational skills, with demonstrated experience working to influence local and national government ways of working and policies to promote peace-building and development outcomes.
• Solutions-oriented individual, with strong strategic thinking capabilities.
• Demonstrated effectiveness managing a diverse team of staff, consortium partners and local implementing partners, building a cohesive and results-oriented team to deliver on complex programming result.
• Experience working with a diverse range of community members to discuss sensitive and delicate topics in a conflict-sensitive manner.
• Excellent writing and reporting skills.
• Excellent verbal and inter-personal communications skills.
• Demonstrated sensitivity, skill, and experience working within different cultural settings and navigating public affairs and communications on sensitive issues.

Success Factors
The successful candidate will have strong leadership skills as demonstrated by the ability to lead a diverse team to work together to achieve programme objectives related to complex and sensitive issues such as security, violence prevention and vulnerable groups. S/he will have exceptional relationship building, diplomacy and communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, assume leadership, and make solid decisions while working remotely from country leadership.

• Master’s degree in Peace Building and Conflict Resolution or related discipline.
• At least 5 years experience working on countering violent extremism programming, conflict mitigation and resolution, and/or violence reduction and prevention programmes.
• In-depth understanding of the Tanzanian context, including governance and policy structures, government engagement, conflict drivers, and key stakeholders working within the peacebuilding space.
• Excellent representational skills, with demonstrated experience working to influence local and national government ways of working and policies to promote peace-building and development outcomes.
• Solutions-oriented individual, with strong strategic thinking capabilities.
• Demonstrated effectiveness managing a diverse team of staff, consortium partners and local implementing partners, building a cohesive and results-oriented team to deliver on complex programming result.
• Experience working with a diverse range of community members to discuss sensitive and delicate topics in a conflict-sensitive manner.
• Excellent writing and reporting skills.
• Excellent verbal and inter-personal communications skills.
• Demonstrated sensitivity, skill, and experience working within different cultural settings and navigating public affairs and communications on sensitive issues.

Closing date 4 Jun 2020

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