Field Coordinator – Darfur Region, Sudan

TGH background

« Actor in a sustainable and shared solidarity »

Founded in 1994, TGH is a French association for international solidarity based in Lyon. It designs and implements emergency, rehabilitation and development programmes in the fields of water, hygiene and sanitation, food security and rural development, socio-education and psychosocial support. TGH is currently active in 10 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Presentation of the mission

TGH has a long-standing presence in Sudan: first implementing a multi-sectoral program targeting displaced people and host communities in Geneina (West Darfur) in 2004, it extended its presence to Central Darfur (Bindizi and Um Dukhun) in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Since then, TGH has maintained a continuous presence in both states, despite an increasingly complex context, and has also intervened in Khartoum, Gedaref State, Al-Jazeera State, and South Kordofan.

Since the outbreak of the current Sudan conflict in April 2023, creating the largest displacement population in the world at current time, TGH has developed multi-sectoral projects in consortium with other international NGOs to meet the needs of crisis-affected populations in Darfur, Khartoum and Jazeera states. TGH  has more than 50 national staff in the field, and is recruiting more, based in Golo, Um Dukhun, Bendasi, Zalingei (Central Darfur), Geneina & Foro Baranga (West Darfur), Wad Medani, (Jazeera), and its coordination office in Port Sudan. It has approximately 10 expats (based in Chad & Sudan depending on Sudan visa availability).

TGH’s extensive and long-standing presence in Sudan, in particular in West and Central Darfur, enables us to understand the context and the evolution of humanitarian needs and to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance where it is needed the most.

Job description

Under the Supervision of the Country Director, the Field Coordinator – Darfur Region will support the effective coordination of TGH’s emergency response and recovery programming in all Darfur states where TGH works (currently West Darfur and Central Darfur, with plans to expand into South Darfur and North Darfur). The Field Coordinator will line manage the (national staff) Field Coordinators in the Darfur, providing managerial and technical support to them to manage the field bases efficiently as well as capacity building to enhance their skills. The Field Coordinator – Darfur will represent TGH locally, engaging with authorities, UN, INGOs and local partners to ensure effective coordination and collaboration. Internally, the Field Coordinator – Darfur shall contribute to the maintenance of good communication and cooperation between program and support teams in the field, and serve as a communication channel between the field and the country office.

The main responsibilities of the position are:

Staff management & capacity building:

• Line manage the Field Coordinators (national staff) in West Darfur and Central Darfur (and any other Darfur state where TGH may open bases in the future) and provide technical support and guidance for them to efficiently manage the field teams to implement activities in a quality and timely manner.
• Identify capacity-building needs of the Field Coordinators and the other field staff and, in cooperation with the coordination team (support and program coordinators/managers), develop a capacity-building plan for them.
• Provide training and day-to-day coaching to the Field Coordinators and other key personnel at field level.
• Contribute to the development and dissemination of procedures, guidelines and tools, including the design of new techniques or methodologies, to improve the skills and quality of the field program and support teams.
• Ensure and support the Field Coordinators’ application of HR policies and the maintenance of a professional work environment within the field teams.
• Evaluate and assess the performance of colleagues under his/her direct supervision.
• Participate in the recruitment of field level positions when requested.

Coordination of TGH operations at field level

• Contribute to the defining of TGH’s emergency response strategy in Darfur region, in collaboration with the Country Director, Senior Head of Programs, and Project Managers.
• Organize and contribute to the conducting of needs assessments in the field, in liaison with the MEAL and program teams; in particular, take the lead on scoping missions and assessments of potential new areas of intervention for TGH in the region.
• Provide input into project design and strategy, including feeding into concept notes/proposals and actively proposing ways in which TGH programming can be strengthened and expanded.
• Support the Field Coordinators (national staff) to coordinate the implementation of program activities efficiently, in compliance with work plans developed by the Project Managers, procurement and recruitment plans, technical standards and donor rules.
• Contribute to the monitoring of expenses and adherence to program and support budgets in compliance with donor and internal TGH rules; promptly flag to the Country Director and/or the Senior Head of Programs any significant issues identified.
• Actively monitor project implementation in order to identify blockages and obstacles which might delay or lessen the impact of TGH programming; propose solutions to mitigate them and work with program and support teams to implement them.
• Support the national staff Field Coordinators to serve as conduits between program and support department staff (finance, logistics, and HR) at field level, ensuring good communication and collaboration and addressing any issues or obstacles to this.
• Ensure effective communication/information flow from field level to the country level on operational issues which may negatively impact the field activities or staff morale and performance; make recommendations on how work processes can be improved.
• Support and facilitate the cross-bordering activities (staff movement, procurement and transportation of supplies) from TGH Adre base (Chad) for Sudan programming, including liaison as necessary with Chadian and Sudanese authorities and local and international partners.
• Evaluate the relevance and impact of program activities and their appropriateness with respect to contextual developments and the population’s needs; provide feedback, and propose adjustments to the programs as necessary, to the Country Director, Senior Head of Programs, Project Managers and others at coordination level.
• Provide gap-filling coverage when any local Field Coordinator is on leave, or if there is a gap for any reason, in West Darfur, Central Darfur or any other state of Darfur region.

Representation & external coordination

• Under the delegation of the Country Director, represent TGH with local and regional authorities; support the national staff Field Coordinators to coordinate with HAC, line ministries, and other civil or security authorities as necessary.
• Participate in field-level coordination structures, in cooperation with program team and the Field Coordinators, and engage with international and local partners to ensure effective collaboration and avoid duplication.
• Support the local Field Coordinators to develop and expand a local network of contacts (institutional actors, community leaders, and other stakeholders), and maintain an up-to-date contact list of them.
• Promote and facilitate effective community engagement and the communication of TGH’s programs to local communities and other stakeholders.

Access & Security

• Take overall operational responsibility for access and staff safety in the Darfurs, in collaboration with the local Field Coordinators, under the coordination of the Access & Safety Coordinator and the Country Director.
• Provide support to the local Field Coordinators to manage staff safety in their areas of intervention on a daily basis, and in particular provide backstopping on the management of any incidents.
• Report promptly any serious incidents or violations of TGH SOPs to the Access & Safety Coordinator and the Country Director, and participate in crisis management.
• Promote awareness of and adherence to TGH SOPs relevant to staff safety; contribute to the dissemination of contextual or other information which may impact on the safety of TGH’s staff or security of its assets.
• Monitor the operating context at field level, in coordination with the Field Coordinators and the Access & Safety Coordinator, for changes which may impact access or staff safety and the implementation of activities; analyze and report on risks to TGH staff and operations, proposing mitigation measures, to the Country Director and Access & Safety Coordinator.

General Mission Support

• Participate in the identification of new funding opportunities to build on current programming in Darfur.
• Promote awareness and respect among the field teams for the core humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence and humanity, as well as the Do No Harm principle of humanitarian action.
• Support the implementation of all TGH internal procedures.
• Contribute to internal improvement processes, including through knowledge and information sharing within the TGH Sudan team.
• Support the work of the MEAL and program teams to propose and implement quality criteria and monitoring indicators for projects.
• In coordination with the Country Director, MEAL Manager and Accountability focal points on the mission, support the sensitization of program staff as well as affected populations and local communities on TGH accountability standards (including with regard PSEA policy) and TGH feedback and reporting mechanisms.

Security, working and living conditions

Working conditions in Geneina and other TGH areas of intervention in the Darfur region present risks that are known and controlled by TGH and other international NGOs operating there. The incumbent will be accommodated by TGH (guesthouse with basic standards, cold water, electricity). Telephone network and internet coverage are limited. Social life is limited for security reasons. The position involves travel to other locations within Darfur.

#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-k5gsndxp-07b63d36aec9d99348061f1c7cdf9b77{height:30px}