Back Head of Kakuma Operations , Support to Refugees and Host communities project

A. Background

The GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) is a German Federal enterprise that provides services worldwide in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and conflict management. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party. With funding from BMZ, GIZ in close collaboration with the Government of Kenya is supporting the implementation of two projects:

· Support to Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya which is part of the BMZ Special Initiative on Forced Displacement. The project has a duration of eight years (2015 to 2022).

· Life Skills and Training for Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya which has a duration of three years (2019 to 2021).

Both projects aim at providing support to refugees and their host communities. This includes providing them with relevant technical and life skills to be self-reliant and support their (re-) integration into the labor market in Kenya (or their country of origin should the refugees opt for a voluntary return).

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 471,000 refugees are currently living in Kenya, hosted mainly in two camps – Kakuma in northern Kenya and Dadaab in north-eastern Kenya. Kakuma is home to the country’s second largest refugee camp with a population of around 187,000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan and Somalia. It has been in existence since 1992 and many of the children and young people in the camp grew up here. Due to the continuous influx of refugees over the years, there was need to expand Kakuma refugee camp to decongest it. In 2015, UNHCR and the Government of Kenya agreed to pilot a new approach by developing the Kalobeyei Settlement to promote, in an integrated manner, self-reliance of the refugees and host population by enhancing livelihood opportunities and promoting inclusive service delivery. These developments are put into question with the recently announced intention of the Government of Kenya to close the camps in the country by June 2022.

The two projects ‘Support to Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya’ and ‘Life Skills and Training for Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya’ focus on supporting refugees and host communities in Turkana West Sub-County. Activities of the project focus on strengthening the linkages of potential employers to labour markets, support for businesses opportunities, ensuring food and nutrition security, provision of portable water through improved storage facilities and water conveyer system as well as strengthening peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms among the refugees themselves and between refugees and the host community. Our development activities adhere to a strict do no harm-approach, building local capacities and involving national and county governments for sustainability and ownership.

B. Summary of responsibilities

The Head of Kakuma Operations will be part of the project team based in Kakuma and responsible for:

· Steering, coordinating, and implementing project activities on the ground in Kakuma, Kalobeyei and Turkana West Sub-County.

· Supporting the project management in coordination, planning, reporting, timely implementation and steering of the project (including contracts, procurement, financial management, impact monitoring).

· Leading a team of national staff, coordinating all activities with different government offices, UNHCR and other UN agencies, as well as the (inter)national NGOs present in Kakuma.

· Coordinating the project's security and risk management measures incl. updating of contingency plans

Key tasks and duties

· Coordinates the activities of the programmes, ensuring a timely and high-quality delivery of activities and progress towards intended results.

· Steers the implementation of all activities including of financing partners, procurements, contractors, and consultancies

· Maintains close contact with the relevant Government institutions, UNHCR and other partners as well on all aspects pertaining to the implementation of activities

· Ensures the integration of cross-cutting issues (e.g. peace building, gender, capacity building etc.) into the programme activities.

· Responsible for the project’s monitoring and evaluation system.

· Participates in the formulation and adaptation of operational plans and budgets.

· Ensures smooth and pro-active collaboration within the cluster refugees and displacement

· Checks invoice, delivery receipts and other papers and signs them/submits them to Nairobi/Kenya for payment

· Leads the team of national staff based in Kakuma and takes over staff responsibility for technical officers

· Reporting

· Represents GIZ and the programme director in inter-agency meetings

· Any other task as directed by the supervisor

General duties

· Participate in office work with colleagues as a good team player

· Be an active role model towards refugee and host communities as well as all partners, by adhering to a healthy personal behaviour and lifestyle

· Maintain a non-judgmental and supportive attitude towards colleagues, beneficiaries and partners regardless of their background

· Adhere to and respect GIZ guidelines on integrity as contained in the Code of Conduct and all other related documents

Qualifications

· University degree in development studies, project management or related field

Professional Experience

· At least ten years of relevant work experience with proven track record in project management in refugee settings, at least five of which in senior management positions

· At least five years experiences in managing and steering teams

· Profound experience in working with vulnerable groups and sound knowledge of the Do No Harm Approach, as well as with the (inter)national political setup of refugee affairs

· Good command of English and Kiswahili, knowledge of Turkana is a strong asset

· Willingness to work in a remote duty station with limited access to amenities

· Previous experiences with GIZ and knowledge of GIZ processes and instruments (especially financing) is a strong asset

Duty station: Kakuma, Turkana County, Kenya

Assignment period: August 2021 – December 2022