Background
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. The Horn of Africa and Yemen regional office is based in Nairobi with country programmes in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen. Non-operational regional initiatives, focusing on advocacy and capacity building are supported from the Nairobi regional office. Using a rights-based approach, DRC has mainly focused on Somalis who are displaced by conflict.
The Somalia programme currently has over 300 staff working in five main offices across Somalia in Hargeisa, Bossaso, Galkacyo, Mogadishu, Dollow and Beletweyne, as well as eleven smaller offices. DRC Somalia implements broad emergency and recovery programming, which include protection, livelihoods, and food security, water and sanitation, local governance. Durable Solutions are at the core of DRC programmes in Somalia. As part of the UNHCR-led Somali Return Consortium (SRC), DRC supports the voluntary return of IDPs across the country. Similarly, DRC is actively engaged in the management of a Way Station in Luuq to assist voluntary refugee-returnees from Kenya. As part of its Durable Solutions strategies, DRC is also implementing coexistence and local integration projects, and an Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration pilot (AVRR) in Mogadishu. In addition, DRC is actively involving in research and advocacy on Durable Solutions at the regional level, through the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS) and other stakeholders groups.
Purpose
The position of Durable Solutions Coordinator will mainly focus on supporting the sustainable reintegration of Somali IDPs and refugee through voluntary return and local integration. In synergy with the Protection Manager, the Coordinator will provide technical support to field offices throughout the country and, as needed, to relevant Somali authorities.
Key Responsibilities
Coordination and advisory
- Ensure harmonization of DRC durable solution activities internally within the DRC Somalia program areas, and externally with other agencies and in line with international norms and standards.
- Support the development of policies, position papers, SOPs and toolkits on issues related to durable solutions in coordination with the Protection Manager, the DRC regional office and the regional durable solutions secretariat (ReDSS).
- Work closely with the Somali Return Consortium to identify areas of synergy and complementarity.
- Coordinate and plan with other DRC teams and government authorities in Somalia to implement local integration and return activities (for IDPS and refugees) in line with agreed procedures and standards, in coordination with the Protection Manager.
- Coordinate with sending teams in asylum countries to provide information on reintegration opportunities for voluntary returnees.
- Screen and select AVRR candidates from asylum countries.
- Support advocacy activities with local authorities and other agencies to facilitate the attainment of durable solutions for IDPs and returnees from abroad.
- In coordination with the Protection Manager, support the DRC technical team and ReDSS to mainstream durable solutions in other programmatic areas.
Capacity Building and Partnerships
- Enhance early and effective partnerships and promote improved understanding of reintegration and other durable solutions among local authorities and other relevant stakeholders.
- Provide capacity building and assistance in developing plans and policies for organized return movements.
- Provide technical assistance and trainings to internal and external stakeholders on reintegration, return processes, livelihood and coexistence, rights and principles on voluntary return, international law, good practice on sustainable return and local integration.
- Support other team members through information and coordination with other durable solutions stakeholders including NGOs, UN and governments.
Program Management
- Guide the implementation of relevant projects in coordination with the field staff and Area Managers.
- Follow up with Finance staff to ensure that financial transactions are properly recorded
- Provide technical support to relevant field staff livelihoods, and durable solutions.
- Supervise relevant project staff as indicated by the Protection Manager.
- Support beneficiaries’ reintegration through employment and self-employment.
- Prepare and follow-up work plans, implementation strategies and monitoring plans for local integration and return programmes.
- Prepare multiple donor reports on relevant durable solutions grants.
- Carry out periodic assessments and analysis on the economic and social recovery situations for returnees to support innovative approaches for durable solutions in Somalia.
- Develop proposals on durable solutions programmes in coordination with the Protection Manager (including voluntary returns, local integration, coexistence-oriented livelihoods support for returnees, “transitional solutions”).
Reporting Arrangements:
The Durable Solutions Coordinator reports to the Protection Manager.
Terms & Conditions
Contract: 5 months Contract salary and other conditions would be in accordance with in Terms of Employment for Expatriates, which can be found on our website www.drc.dk under Vacancies (Terms of employment; Appendix 3: Employment categories and salary). This position is placed at Level A13.
For national staff, employment conditions would be in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National staff in Somalia.
Location: The position is based in Somalia (Mogadishu) with visits to program areas in Somaliland,Puntland and South & Central Somalia and possible participation to relevant meetings at the regional level.
Personal Specifications
Essential:
- Academic training in Human Rights Law, Development Economics, Social Sciences or other relevant fields.
- Minimum of three years’ significant work experience with INGOs or UN agencies in assisting IDPs, refugees, returnees and asylum seekers with a focus on durable solutions.
- Experience in protection programmes with in-depth knowledge of the main protection and humanitarian standards and manuals, and solid grasp of the applicable legal frameworks.
- Experience in livelihoods interventions including reintegration assistance and Technical and Vocational training.
- Experience with international donors, particularly UNHCR and CHF.
- Ability to represent the organization in key meetings, including relevant clusters and working groups.
- Excellent proposal and report writing skills.
- Excellent training and communication skills.
- Excellent organizational and management skills.
- Experience in conflict and post-conflict contexts.
- Good IT skills (Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook).
- Fluent in spoken and written English.
Preferable:
- Significant work experience in Somalia (especially South-Central Somalia).
- Knowledge of issues related to Housing, Land and Property rights.
- Good conflict resolutions skills.
- Fluency in Somali language is an asset.
About DRC
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than twenty five countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
The protection and assistance to conflict affected population is provided within a long-term, regional and rights-based approach in order to constitute a coherent and effective response to the challenges posed by today’s conflicts. Assistance consists of relief and other humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, support to return and repatriation as well as promotion of long-term solutions to displacement and its causes. In addition, support and capacity building of local and national authorities and NGOs form an integral part of DRC’s work.
The protection and assistance to conflict affected population is provided within a long-term, regional and rights-based approach in order to constitute a coherent and effective response to the challenges posed by today’s conflicts. Assistance consists of relief and other humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, support to return and repatriation as well as promotion of long-term solutions to displacement and its causes. In addition, support and capacity building of local and national authorities and NGOs form an integral part of DRC’s work.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.
We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.
Please forward the application and CV, in English through the online application on www.drc.dk under vacancies no later than 27 July, 2015
If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contactjob@drc.dk.
For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk
