Country Coordinator

Country Coordinator South Sudan

Mensen met een Missie is an organisation for international cooperation and solidarity dedicated to changing beliefs that lead to hatred and violence. To do this, we’ve joined forces with hundreds of partner organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America. With courageous individuals who stand up for justice, inclusion, and equality, often going against the grain.

Together, we facilitate dialogue between people on each side of a conflict. We inspire reflection and discussion of harmful beliefs to reduce mutual hatred and mistrust. Our dedicated team of about 30 people in The Hague, Netherlands, works daily with passion and commitment to build a world without violence.

In January 2024, Mensen met een Missie launched “The Peace Project”’. This 8-year programme aims to transform harmful convictions, foster cohesive connections, and promote conducive conditions for peace in the DRC, Burundi, Uganda, and South Sudan. Key components of the programme include promoting alternative narratives, fostering trauma healing, and igniting (interfaith) dialogue. We are also actively advocating for fair and inclusive policies and practices at local, national and international levels.

We will collaborate with various stakeholders, including religious actors, at both national and international levels. The programme is conducted in partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and features an adaptive approach. It includes an intensive learning agenda designed to enable evidence-based policy influencing. This approach allows for continuous adaptation to the ever-changing and complex regions of implementation, ensuring ongoing learning and improvement.

For The Peace Project we are looking for a Country Coordinator South Sudan

Starting: 1 of September 2024

In South Sudan, different partner organisations will collaborate to implement the strategy and workplans of the Peace Project. These partner organisations are organised as a network, chaired by the country coordinator. The coordinator facilitates and initiates the adequate realisation of the goals outlined in the country programme, is responsible for reporting and works closely with the Peace Project management team and other country coordinators. Based in South Sudan, the coordinator must represent the interest of all partners equally, be gender- and faith-sensitive, and be a promotor of inclusion. Serving as a bridge between the country level and the international level, the coordinator plays a crucial role in the success of the Peace Project

The coordinator will be contracted by Mensen met een Missie.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Be a catalyst in the South Sudan programme, including the advocacy agenda.
• Forge synergies and foster collaboration among partners and between partners and external stakeholders.
• Establish and nurture a learning environment among the partners.
• Organise linking and learning events, platforms, and reflection workshops with a diverse array of stakeholders.
• Facilitate both upward and downward accountability and learning.
• Resolve disputes and problems effectively
• Maintain and channel contact with other affiliated entities, such as the Dutch Embassy in South Sudan, governmental stakeholders, and other NGOs
• Foster coherent and aligned communication at country level

Programme management

• Motivate timely and adequate reporting by partners.
• Compile the South Sudan country reports (narrative) and consolidate the results.
• Organise annual planning workshops, and compile and consolidate the country annual plan.
• Monitor progress by facilitating partners in their monitoring and reporting through organizing training and coaching where necessary.
• Identify lessons learned and ensure knowledge management.
• Monitor progress and identify learning opportunities through field and office visits.
• Collaborate closely with the PMEAL (Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Adjustment and Learning) team.
• Facilitate baseline, midterm and endline evaluations together with the PMEAL team.

Safeguarding

• Safeguard cross-cutting gender empowerment throughout the programme.
• Safeguard inclusivity and the Do No Harm principles outlined in the Mensen met een Missie proposal document.
• Ensure all partners are familiar with the SEAH and other safeguarding policies.
• Signal and communicate any suspicion of misconduct, fraud, etc. through the relevant organisation’s reporting channels and to the programme manager.

Organisational position

The country coordinator works closely with national partners and international partners like Human Security Collective working in the country, and with Mensen met een Missie Peace Project management team.

Required Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• Personal skills: Proactive, curious, multitasking, negotiating skills, team player.
• Strong grasp of development issues,, with significant knowledge and experience in project and programme management. Experience working with religious actors is preferable.
• Proven experience in peacebuilding advocacy and a track record of coordinating teams and multi-stakeholder processes.
• Ability to recognise and leverage the social transformative power of religion and religious actors.
• Dedication to enhancing peace, with a commitment to placing women and youth at the heart of our strategies.
• Excellent personal management and communication skills in written and verbal English. Knowledge of local language(s) is desirable.
• Experience in report writing and coordinating PMEAL processes.
• Ability to translate programme activities and results into compelling stories that narrate the real-life impact on real people.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; ability to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans.
• South Sudan citizen with the ability to travel to project sites within the country.
• Well-skilled in using Office 365 and online working tools.

Our offer

• An inspiring and challenging position and assignment within an enthusiastic and motivated partner network.
• A competitive country-specific salary.
• Opportunities for personal development and training.
• Essential supplies (laptop, internet subscription, etc) to set-up your own workplace.