IOM National Program Officer Hargeisa, Somaliland

VN Reference No: OIM/SOM/100/2010

Duty Station: Hargeisa, Somaliland

Title of Position: National Program Officer

Grade/Classification: Ungraded Equivalent to NO/A (Based on the UN Salary Scale for Employees in Somalia)

Duration: 3 months special all inclusive contract (with a possibility of extension)

General Functions:

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Manager of the Transition Initiatives for Somalia (TIS), and the direct supervision of the Hargeisa HOSO, and under the technical guidance of the Field Coordinator in Nairobi,  the successful candidate will be responsible for implementation of IOM activities in his/her area of responsibility.

The National Program Officer (NPO) will work closely with the Government of Somaliland, including co-locating with the relevant government entity at the regional and/or district levels toward representing and implementing the overall objectives of the TIS.

S/He will represent the interests of the program in his/her area of responsibility and will work in an integrated manner with the Government at the Somaliland regional and district levels with a particular focus on, outreach to, and coordination with local communities.

S/He will be the principle monitor of the TIS program at the designated regional and district levels, and will be the main interlocutor between government and community interests in the designated area of responsibility.  S/he will be expected to play an active and constructive role in providing consistent information, analysis and strategic recommendations to the TIS program management, including best practices and programme and political challenges.  The NPO will convey to programme counterparts in Government and at the Community level the key methodologies and objectives of the TIS.

The NPO will forge good relationships across government and community interlocutors, and across a broad range of local, regional and national interests toward joint implementation of grant initiatives.  S/he will be responsive to, and interpretive of, current events in the designated area of responsibility.  As the main TIS counterpart to government and communities in the designated area of responsibility, the SPA will be capable of rapid, coordinated action to capture opportunities for positive change and confidence-building with all programme counterparts.

Essential Functions:

• Advise program management on programmatic strategy including where to focus program resources, how to develop operational relationships with government entities and operational challenges as they arise.
• Develop, coordinate and implement methodologies for engaging government entities and local communities in consultative processes for project identification and implementation.
• Together with partner institutions and the Program/MIDA Advisors, identify potential grantees for the design and development of grants.
• Write-up and recommend projects from those identified through consultative processes using the Programme’s Activity Database.
• Develop, implement and share with other TIS program staff methodologies for small grant project implementation that incorporates a consultative approach between the government entities and communities.
• Develop, implement and share with other TIS program staff monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Responsible for overall grant implementation process in the area of responsibility, including the supervision of the Field Engineer/Grant Assistants; Project/MIDA Assistants; MIDA Assistant; Procurement/Logistics Assistant; and Impact and Info Specialist  as well as other general operations within the field office.
• Ensure that relevant local government authority or authorities and communities are brought together for transparent consultative processes throughout a grant cycle.   It is particularly important that the NPO proactively identify potential grantees and grants that are appropriate to respond to overall program goals.
• Provide technical assistance to grantees as required, or arrange technical assistance from the relevant government authority.  The SPA is responsible for evaluating grants throughout implementation and once the grant activities are complete.
• Report as necessary to program management in Nairobi on all aspects of program implementation.
• Undertake regular travel to the districts in order to identify, develop and/or support programming opportunities.
• Provide TIS program management with ongoing assessment and anticipation of political events, including potential impacts and outcomes of TIS community grants.

Desirable Qualifications

• University degree in law, international relations, governance, development or a related field, or related field such as economics. Master’s Degree in related field an advantage.
• Minimum of seven years of professional experience in humanitarian and /or development organization
• Minimum of five years specific experience in the field of development with project design, implementation and management.
• Experience in community participation and consensus-building projects.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of government structures and current development planning in Somaliland, and especially Hargeisa.
• Demonstrated capacity to understand and analyze the national, regional, and local political context in Somaliland, and especially Hargeisa.
• A drive for results in a high-volume, quick-paced programme environment; creativity and analytical capability required to respond to evolving programme demands and current events.
• Excellent computer skills, including MS Office suite.
• Written and spoken fluency in English and Somali is required.

Female Candidates encouraged to apply

Interested candidates should provide the following in English: a covering letter with a statement of interest, and current Curriculum Vitae to hrnairobi@iom.int

Deadline for applications:  08 February 2011