Position to be Filled
Interpeace is seeking to fill the position of the Programme Officer – Kenya, based in Nairobi but with frequent travel to, and within, Mandera County. The contract duration is until 31 December 2018, with the possibility of extension. The candidate must be a team player with a spirit that is both creative and flexible; have a commitment to inclusiveness and consensus building; be confident, tactful, demonstrate participatory skills and cultural sensitivity; have an ability to work effectively and adhere to deadlines with minimal supervision; show capability to solve problems, prioritize and follow up; demonstrate a solid understanding of current political, economic, social conditions and historical context of the East African region; demonstrate an ability to obtain, analyze and act on large amounts of programme information from diverse range of sources; have excellent research skills.
Period: Until 31 December 2018, with possibility of extension
Scope of the position
The Programme Officer is a member of the Kenya Programme Team and will report to the Kenya Programme Coordinator. S/he wil also collaborate directly with other Interpeace ECA Programme Officers in charge of the respective programmes. The Programme Officer shall:
lead the Kenya programme’s business development, proposal development, implementation of programmatic and administrative functions of the programme on the ground and support coordination with local Interpeace partners, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and donors.
coordinate the daily operational programme of NCIC and Interpeace peacebuilding efforts in Kenya, starting with the Mandera Peacebuilding Programme, which is jointly implemented by the NCIC and Interpeace. Overall, a strong collaborative and horizontal approach to programme coordination, delivery and reporting will be maintained between Interpeace and the NCIC and the wider Interpeace ECA programmes. Relationships will be focused on collaboration and collective engagement.
support the Kenya Programme Coordinator in shaping the direction of Interpeace’s peacebuilding work in Kenya, noting the locally-owned and locally-driven nature of Interpeace’s work guided by the peacebuilding team and local partners. The programme officer shall show or immediately develop an understanding of Interpeace’s peacebuilding values and appreciate how this culture underpins our efforts in individual and institutional development.
assist in preparing narrative reports, programmatic updates, and other project and programme-related inputs for peacebuilding programming, as required by the donor(s) and NCIC.
help institutional capacity building of NCIC as well as support NCIC in joint peacebuilding initiatives in Kenya.
be the key link between the Programme Coordinator (Nairobi) and the NCIC-Interpeace Peacebuilding Team in the field. S/he is responsible for ensuring that the Kenya Programme is run in a coherent, well-planned manner, and in line with the programme design as agreed by Interpeace, NCIC and donors.
The post of the Programme Officer is based in Nairobi and involves frequent travel to the field.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
Leadership responsibilities
In coordination with the Programme Coordinator, support the following programmatic actions for sustainable delivery of Interpeace’s peacebuilding efforts in Kenya:
Implement the NCIC/Interpeace Mandera Peacebuilding Programme. This will be achieved through:
Timely implementation of the programme
Strengthening the peacebuilding capacity of the NCIC-Interpeace peacebuilding team
Developing quality reporting and communicating programme outputs effectively
Holding regular programme and Kenyan context updates and meetings with selected donors for high level engagements
Having regular programme support group meetings
Sustain and expand NCIC/Interpeace Kenya Peacebuilding programme and expanding Interpeace’s networking in Kenya
Play a lead role in the drafting of proposals seeking funding to support the Interpeace peacebuilding programme in Kenya.
Identifying and engaging with new donors to bring them into ongoing programmes
Support existing relations with key national and international actors in the region and strategically engage these actors in the work of Interpeace and NCIC
Monitor activities and substantive contextual developments in Kenya and the neighbouring regions relevant for the Interpeace Programme and provide regular briefings to the Kenya programme coordinator.
Participate in the discussions and mitigation of peace and security issues in Kenya with key government agencies and donors
Specific responsibilities
Ensure that all technical guidance and support is provided through Interpeace’s peacebuilding lens. This includes ensuring all processes are locally- owned and driven, and that technical solutions are not considered outside of the contextual realities and capacities of the societies Interpeace is supporting;
Support the effective implementation of the programmatic, logistical and administrative functions, operations, and activities of the NCIC/Interpeace peacebuilding programme on the ground;
Develop and nurture a clear understanding of the programme of work throughout the Interpeace Kenya Programme;
Review written products including publications and donor reports of the Interpeace Kenya Programme and provide quality control, including coordination of tasks relating to content and quality as appropriate;
Monitor activities and substantive contextual developments in Kenya and the neighbouring regions relevant for the NCIC/Interpeace Programme and coordinate regular briefings to Interpeace and the NCIC; actively participate in the reflection and linking of these to NCIC capacity building and technical support in pilot implementation.
Communication and reporting
Lead development of written products including concept notes, proposals, publications and workshop reports, providing quality control, including coordination of tasks relating to content and quality as appropriate;
Maintain close liaison with Interpeace and NCIC team members to ensure that all are regularly briefed on all activities.
Learning
Identify and capture experiences, thematic competencies and process knowledge from the NCIC collaboration, including capacity building and implementation that can be shared with and incorporated into NCIC and Interpeace work in other programmes;
Ensure that reflection and learning take place regularly with regards to the capacity building process including workshops, pilot implementation, methodological adaptations and any other relevant aspects of the work.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Education
Master’s degree in Post-Conflict Studies, Peacebuilding, International Relations, Political Science or a related field from an accredited academic institution with at least five years of relevant professional experience; or
A first-level university degree in the above fields with at least seven years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience
Excellent capacity with proven knowledge and experience in proposal writing for major donor institutions like USAID, EU, DFID and other institutional donors
Experience in business development and project management concepts (project development, Logical Framework design and analysis, monitoring & evaluation, reporting);
Experience with post conflict recovery, community dialogue, peacebuilding, social reconciliation and cohesion and/or development interventions in conflict and/or post-conflict settings;
Experience in liaising and building effective partnerships with donors, government authorities, other national/international institutions;
Previous working experience in the Horn of Africa region; experience with community engagement in Kenya or Somalia would be an advantage.
Languages
Fluency in English is required.
