Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS), Protection Manager

Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with possible relocation to Sudan as context and strategy evolve)

Position Status: Full-time, temporary (6 months with potential for extension based on availability of funds)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)

Mercy Corps’ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food security and building on this experience, the MC Sudan humanitarian program will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and feasible to do so. Assistance is delivered with a focus on needs, in partnership with local actors and civil society.

The Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) is a collaborative platform to advance a progressive vision of the potential of cash assistance to transform humanitarian response and recovery in partnership with vulnerable conflict-affected populations. CCS is led by Mercy Corps, building on its global experience and learning on leading cash consortia in multiple country contexts, as well as general expertise in cash coordination and breadth of technical resources. International partners include Acted, CARE, CORE, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), each of which bring strong cash and complementary technical competencies, as well as expansive operational coverage in Sudan. The CCS also includes nine Sudanese NGOs as partners in alignment with global aid sector commitments to enhance the prominence of local actors in driving humanitarian response and recovery. IMPACT is a non-implementing partner dedicated to Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning. IMPACT will support quality data systems and an objective evidence base that will be essential to CCS’ accountability and adaptive management to refine programming approaches to enhance impact as the Sudan crisis context evolves. The CCS will work closely with other consortia and actors in Sudan to deliver an effective CVA response for communities affected by the crisis.

The core pillars of the CCS response include: 1) basic needs through cash assistance both at the community level through Group Cash Transfers (GCTs) delivered to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), as well as at the household-level through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA); 2) strengthening market systems to ensure resilience of key market actors and supply chains as well as strengthening the availability and affordability of key commodities; 3) strengthening capacity of local partner organizations with an emphasis on accompaniment and mentorship; and 4) generation of learning and evidence to inform broader response efforts.

The Position (General Position Summary)

The CCS Protection Manager will provide overall leadership for protection mainstreaming and integration within the consortium. They will provide regular technical support and monitoring visits to consortium partners to ensure that cash programming has protection mainstreamed throughout i.e. it is safe, accessible, accountable and participatory. They will also support efforts to create greater integration between the CCS’ Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance activities and specialized protection services through referrals pathways (both between existing consortium partners as well as external actors as possible based on the specific geographic area). The Protection Manager will be expected to spend 60% of their time in the duty station and 40% of the time in field locations, managing, working with, training and mentoring field teams.

Essential Job Functions

Technical Quality

• Develop effective training materials to support protection mainstreaming and adherence to key protection principles across CCS program activities, in line with IRC technical best practice and standards. Ensure all programming is inclusive of age, gender, disability and other diversity considerations.
• Provide technical leadership for integrated cash and protection programming including development of consortium wide program implementation notes around referrals pathways, tools and monitoring processes providing direct technical support to staff engaged in the activity.
• Support refinement of standards for Individual Protection Assistance.
• Develop monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure the impact of cash on protection outcomes where appropriate. Analyze data collected to contribute to advocacy initiatives, donor reporting etc.
• Coordinate with consortium partners to design protection analysis to understand the contextual risks and the programmatic gaps to inform consortium programming
• Support the development of safe and functional referral systems, including for high-risk protection cases
• Monitor progress towards the objectives and intended outputs of projects using routine data,
• spot checks, observation, and other methodologies

Staff Support & Development

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Ensure training and ongoing capacity building opportunities for staff on technical and project management skills.
• Program Management
• Support implementation and ensure adherence to grant work plans, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Work closely and coordinate with CCS Secretariat and partner focal points to ensure compliance with grant requirements.
• Ensure high-quality reports on activities, indicators, and achievements.
• Consortium and Sector Coordination
• Support consortium to ensure strong protection mainstreaming within cash programming, foster positive relationships and identify areas for collaboration on.
• Support refinement of standards for Individual Protection Assistance.
• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Regularly attend Protection and relevant sub-cluster meetings at appropriate levels
• Engage with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning and relevant technical staff, internally and in other protection organizations to coordinate in the interpretation and validation of analysis, and exchange experience, share tools and support mutual capacities.
• Participate in relevant internal and external meetings to support with producing, updating, and sharing data and information products.
• Organize periodic experience sharing sessions with sector level protection, gender and social
• inclusion focal points, document and share learning.

Business Development

• Contribute to the development of the overall CCS strategic direction.
• In coordination with the DDP and the Integrated Protection Coordinator, Support in proposal development activities (narrative and budget) through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff, to ensure technical standards are taken into considering before submission.

Other Duties

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to CCS management and liaising with other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Dotted line to implementation leads of each partner technical lead on CCS grants.

Accountability

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: CCS Chief of Party

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: CCS Secretariat,CCS Partner Agencies, Regional and HQ Technical Protection colleagues

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree or equivalent in social work, human rights, Development Studies or Psychology or other relevant discipline preferred.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in protection in programming, preferably in an emergency context and with refugee populations.
• Proven understanding of protection and humanitarian principles in emergencies with experience in protection mainstreaming, protection analysis across emergency response
• Proven understanding of cash programming with experience of implementing cash as a part of a protection response
• Proven understanding of minimum standards for protection and protection mainstreaming
• integration and protection analysis. Knowledge in cash based protection interventions is an
• advantage.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in liaising with other organizations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of protection analysis and protection mainstreaming.
• Familiarity with available data analysis and/or management platforms including PowerBi, Tablue or Commcare
• Experience with conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis; Basic understanding of statistical analysis, data manipulation, and pattern recognition
• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organizations, UN agencies.
• Interpersonal skills: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment and able to handle pressure well.
• Flexible and innovative. Able to adapt programmes and pivot approaches in response to changes in context
• Fluent in spoken and written English. Arabic language is an advantage.

Success Factors

The successful Protection Manager will have strong direct and remote management skills with implementation in insecure and conflict contexts. S/He will have experience in building and maintaining partner and donor relationships. S/he will have an ability to approach complex challenges through a systems-thinking lens and have an ability to think creatively about solutions. S/he will possess a high level of adaptability and be able to adjust to a constantly changing working environment. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, attention to detail and strong team communication are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya and it requires up to 40% travel to support consortium programming and operations in Sudan and neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. This may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing. Staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the InteragencyMisconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

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