I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our  4 000 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

Our teams in the field implement some 380 projects in 34 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.

1. Country Profile

Capital Office : Bagdad

National Staff : 125 (July 2012)

International Staff : 6 (July 2012)

Areas : 2 (Erbil, Kut)

On-going programmes: 2

Bugdet : about 3 M€ (2011)

ACTED began work in Iraq in 2003. ACTED has one base in southern Iraq in Kut and in 2007 opened a base in Erbil to better respond to IDP needs in the Kurdistan region. ACTED originally focused on improving the health, water and sanitation conditions of vulnerable populations in southern Iraq, but the deteriorating security situation and drastic increase in the number of displaced people have resulted in a new focus on meeting IDP and host community needs, based on the experience in IDP camps in Lebanon. The ACTED Iraq national team includes around 100 people who implement multi-sector emergency relief projects including WATSAN activities, gender based violence awareness, health promotion, economic rehabilitation, food security, and distribution of basic relief commodities.

Supporting long-term impacts through sustainable livelihoods and support to local civil society – For ACTED Iraq, 2011 was a year of transition from emergency relief and rehabilitation to development. To support the slow march towards peace and stability, ACTED implemented a dynamic range of programming from the distribution of basic necessities to internally displaced families to apprenticeship programs, gender-based violence awareness and capacity building of local authorities and Iraqi civil society.

In 2011, ACTED partnered with an Iraqi NGO for the first time in order to jointly implement a project providing assistance to Iraq’s displaced populations. Moving forward, ACTED will prioritise partnership with local Iraqi NGOs to better deliver assistance through their detailed knowledge of and experience with target communities, build the capacity of Iraq’s civil society and move toward increasingly sustainable and longer-term interventions.

III. Position Profile

Under the supervision of the ACTED Country Director and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the REACH Country Coordinator is responsible for the management and implementation of all REACH assessments across South Sudan , including their preparation, implementation and follow-up. He/she will also be responsible for advising on the assessment methodology, approaches, data collection tools, data analysis, reporting, and related documentation.  Technical guidance and support for the assessment teams across the region as well as supporting the coordination will be expected.

Summary

The REACH Country Coordinator shall be responsible for:

• In coordination with Country Director and REACH Regional Managers), design and implement REACH assessment strategy and methodology within the refugee camps;
• Management of REACH assessment field staff to ensure a smooth and timely implementation of activities;
• Ensuring that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
• Coordinate and ensure timely data collection, analysis and, in partnership with GIS/DB team, mapping of datasets, ensure that all collected data are geo-referenced;
• Works closely with GIS/SB team in country.
• Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets;
• Keep track of all projects and programmes assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures;
• Supporting the development/revision of assessment / programme strategies, reports or new proposals;
• Liaising with programme staff of other ACTED departments to ensure close coordination and information sharing is maintained;
• In coordination with REACH Regional Managers, external representation of REACH with Donors, Partners and the wider Aid Community through clusters and sectoral working groups;
• Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT Headquarter.

1. REACH Assessment Management and Coordination

–       Objective 2.1: Management of assessments process

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for designing the methodology and tools associated with each assessment, according to REACH requirements and principles. He/she will manage the planning, implementation, and follow-up of all REACH and projects specific assessment activities conducted in country. In operations in which REACH is a project component of a wider ACTED intervention, the REACH Assessment Officer is required to contribute to the preparation and follow up of the Project Management Framework and ensure that activities are properly coordinated and implemented as per the Project Cycle Management.

The REACH Assessment Officer shall manage logistics, financial, administration and HR processes directly related to REACH and liaise accordingly with the relevant ACTED counterpart. He/she is directly responsible for the implementation of proper ACTED FLAT procedures in all REACH interventions.

–       Objective 2.2: Implementation

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for contributing to the implementation of assessment projects, providing support to the development of assessment, database and GIS tools with the REACH team. This will specifically include, with the GIS/DB team, designing of data collection tools (household surveys, focus groups, and more); development or review of databases; contributing to GIS data collection procedures and mapping thereof through ARC GIS and other ESRI products in particular; and analysis of spatial and other information to contribute to reports and the like.

–       Objective 2.3: Coordination

The REACH Assessment Officer shall provide technical support to the relevant ACTED department in terms of the preparation of new project proposals, development of programme strategies, implementation of project activities, and any other required REACH input to ACTED projects for added-value.

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the timely and accurate preparation of narrative and financial reports related to REACH activities in country through close liaison with the Project Development and Finance departments.

The REACH Assessment Officer shall liaise with other REACH Officers in the region and throughout IMPACT Initiatives’ and ACTED’s networks to provide and receive support in the expansion of REACH globally.

2. REACH Reporting

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for consolidating all analyses and conclusions from each assessment into REACH products such as factsheets, reports and briefs using standard formats. He/she will liaise with Geneva and Regional GIS/DB Specialists in order to represent data in interactive web map or static map format, as relevant.

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. He/she must ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information. He/she will ensure that assessment reports contribute to aid coordination and planning and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the areas.

He/she will also manage the drafting of narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow-up.

The REACH Assessment Officer will also store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among ACTED and IPs. He/she will coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT Headquarter.

3. REACH HR Management

Staff Management

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for day-to-day management of project and field staff both directly and remotely. He/she is expected to guide and direct REACH staff and prepare and follow up workplans with each staff member that directly reports to him/her. The REACH Assessment Officer will be required to take the lead in the recruitment of REACH assessment staff in coordination with the ACTED HR Officer. This will include the preparation of ToRs, observation of recruitment procedures by planning recruitment needs in advance, and undertake interviews.

The REACH Assessment Officer will ensure that all field teams are comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. He/she will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by REACH.

4. Representation

Representation of ACTED/REACH in cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings in other parts of the country. This specifically will include liaising with external partners to identify potential for data sets to be integrated into existing databases and mapped to support the coordination of the broader humanitarian community.

The REACH Assessment Officer will further represent ACTED/REACH vis-a-vis current and potential donors and communicate relevant information to the ACTED Project Development Manager and Country Director. He/she will participate in inter-NGO meetings and those of UN agencies and any other relevant inter-governmental institutions at the national or provincial level.

More generally, the REACH Assessment Officer is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner.  Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about ACTED programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies.  This is the responsibility of every ACTED staff member.

1. Qualifications:

–       Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline;

• Excellent analytical skills of qualitative, quantitative and geo-spatial data
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Excellent team management skills;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
• Prior knowledge of the region an asset
• Fluency in English required, Arabic an advantage
• Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software.
• Ability to operate SPSS or related statistical programming
• Ability to operate qualitative data analysis programming

Ability to work independently.

1. Conditions:

• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

1. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references details to [email protected]

Ref : RCC/IRQ/SA