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Program / Department Summary
The war in Syria continues; more than 11 million people have been displaced from their homes and the number relying on humanitarian assistance continues to grow. In response, a large number of NGOs and other humanitarian actors are providing assistance inside Syria from Damascus or cross-border/remotely from Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. As needs continue to outpace response, the UN and its humanitarian partners embarked on a Whole of Syria (WOS) approach in September 2014 in order to improve overall capacity and expand operational reach. Mercy Corps is at the forefront of the Syria Response and the WoS approach, and is working to strengthen our approach to immediate as well as longer term programming for Syrians, including those who have been displaced across the region. It is imperative that Mercy Corps present itself as a key and reliable partner with various donors, INGOs, government authorities and civil society actors, to be part of the process of positive change. The cornerstone of the Whole of Syria (WOS) approach is a commitment by all humanitarian partners to a coordinated response through the IASC sector / cluster approach to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their response through (1) developing a principled, predictable and systematic operational planning process; (2) ensuring greater coherence across the different operational modalities (ie. cross-line, cross-border or regular programs) through improved coordination; and (3) strengthening information-sharing and monitoring of response. To better coordinate food security and livelihood interventions for Syria, Mercy Corps is looking to recruit a person on STA bases to fill the role of Syria FSS NGO Co-coordinator.
General Position Summary
The objective of a country-level Food Security Cluster is to ensure a timely, coherent and effective food security response by mobilizing stakeholders to respond in a strategic manner to a humanitarian crisis. The role of the Food Security Sector Coordinator, as set out in the IASC Generic Terms of Reference for Sector Leads at Country Level, is to lead and facilitate this process by fulfilling efficiently the Cluster’s/sector’s six core functions: 1) Effective Service Delivery; (2) Inform strategic decision making; (3) Plan and develop strategy; (4) Monitor and evaluate performance; (5) Develop contingency plan/preparedness; (6) Advocacy.
The purpose of this position is to lead the Food Security Cluster and support Whole of Syria related coordination issues including a comprehensive Needs, Response and Gaps analysis. The successful candidate will work closely with key humanitarian partners in the sector to ensure that participants work collectively and actions are coordinated.
The Food Security Sector Coordinator will work impartially with all members of the Food Security Clusters/Working Groups and serve and represent the group as a whole. They will work closely with the UN OCHA Regional Humanitarian Coordinator’s (RHC) office/ UN OCHA Syria Humanitarian Coordinator’s (HC) office and WFP Regional Deputy Emergency Coordinator or their designated official as required.
Essential Job Functions:
COORDINATION & REPORTING
Identify key humanitarian partners for the sector, respecting their existing mandates and program priorities.
Liaise and follow up with new humanitarian partners on a bilateral basis in order to be as inclusive as possible while supporting them in establishing their FSL-related programming.
Provide appropriate coordination with all humanitarian partners (including national and international NGOs, the Red Crescent Movement, and other international organizations active in the sector) as well as with national authorities and local structures.
Be in charge of Inter-Agency Convoy Planning with the three formal hubs (and two informal hubs) on a monthly basis to support OCHA on submitting plans to the Syrian MOFA and ensuring IA Convoys are including necessary food assistance in specific besieged and hard-to-reach locations.
Ensure that participants within each sector work collectively, ensuring the complementarity of the various stakeholder’s actions, by strongly promoting inter-sectoral work and synchronizing assessments, response plan and analysis – especially in emergency situations.
Promote integrated and collaborative work with the Nutrition Sector at strategic and operational levels to ensure integrated and more synchronized approach by further joining both sectors in terms of assessments, program implementation and capacity building.
Convene and facilitate sector meetings and ensure that they are well-managed and action and results- oriented, with decisions clearly communicated to relevant cluster partners and stakeholders.
Establish/maintain appropriate sectoral and intersectoral coordination mechanisms, including working groups at the regional and national level.
Ensuring effective information sharing (with OCHA support), both within the sector and with other clusters/working group hubs through inter-cluster coordination mechanisms.
Ensuring adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place to review impact of the sector and progress against implementation plans to include an analytical interpretation of best available information in order to benchmark progress of the emergency response over time; i.e. use of monitoring indicators (quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost) of interventions, which are derived from working towards meeting standards.
Ensuring regular and adequate reporting against sector indicators of intervention progress and impact (quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost), to include a sector gaps analysis.
In collaboration with food security sector partners through the sector/cluster hubs based on the information collected develop a comprehensive gaps analysis for Syria.
Ensure predictable responses within the sector, including the identification of gaps and the updating of sector response plans and integration of the IASC’s agreed priority cross-cutting issues, including strongly promoting Protection mainstreaming in FSL activities across Syria and in various hubs (advocacy, capacity building)
Establish, disseminate and apply technical standards and best practices, through consultative approach with all partners within and across hubs whenever possible.
Lead emergency preparedness and contingency planning within and across hubs.
Represent the Food Security Sector and act as an ad-hoc sector coordinator for Iraq Cross-Border and Lebanon partnership programming through the WOS approach.
Work closely with North East Syria Food Security Sector Coordinator and on a daily basis with partners across three hubs, coordinating and activate response delivery at the field level in an extremely timely basis (within 72h of the onset), preparing monthly and micro plans, liaising with other sectors, hubs, local authorities and OCHA daily.
Support the Agriculture/Livelihoods Sub-Working Group in order to map out partners’ activities to ensure consistency and kits harmonization, prevent overlaps, and align partners’ implementation with seasonality.
Support the Cash-Based Working Group in North East Syria and link closely with Food Security, Livelihoods and Emergency Response across the region.
Facilitate with all hubs harmonized Food Security Sector tools/guidance, for example Food Basket toolkits and rapid assessment checklists.
Initiate and lead on studies/assessments pertaining to Food Security and cross-cutting issues, including: Whole of Syria FSL Assessments; FSLA, Cash-Based Response Feasibility Study; Bakeries Mapping, Damage and Rehabilitation Assessments; Piloting and rolling-out Integrated Food Insecurity Phase Classification (IPC), ideally on a bi-yearly basis to ensure updated needs overview twice a year.
REPRESENTATION & ADVOCACY
Act as focal point for inquiries on the sector’s response plans and operations.
Represent the Food Security Sector and the Whole of Syria (WoS) Inter-Sector/Cluster Coordination Group (ISCCG), to create greater coherence across sectors/clusters
Identify core advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the RHC, HC in Damascus and other actors.
Advocate to fund sector partners to carry out priority activities, while at the same time encouraging sector partners to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
Represent the interests of the sector in discussions with the RHC and HC in Damascus on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy.
Provision of assistance or services as a last resort subject to access, security and availability of funding.
Lead on advocacy issues related to FSS, inter-sector and protection concerns across Syria to relevant stakeholders at ISG and other high level fora.
Support – whenever no conflict of interest is at risk – for any/all INGOs upon request to support on guiding strategic and programmatic orientations in Syria, based on the evolution of the dynamics on the ground.
PREPAREDNESS AND CAPACITY BUILDING
Establishing and coordinating sector-wide emergency preparedness, including multi-hub preparedness plans and area-based micro plans – both strategic and operational plans
Undertaking planning and strategy development, including longer-term vision of the Humanitarian Syrian Response Plan through strengthening of the resilience approach at the community level and potential multi- year planning.
Ensuring the application of appropriate standards;
Promote and support training of humanitarian personnel and capacity building of humanitarian partners.
Supporting efforts to strengthen the capacity of the national/local partners and civil society.
Supervisory Responsibility: NA
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Syria Country Director
Works Directly With: The global Food Security Cluster (gFSC), UN WOS FSS Coordinator, NES FSS Coordinator and Cross Border FSS Coordinator.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject; food security, agriculture, economics or related field preferred. Master’s degree preferred.
7 years of experience in humanitarian response including in the food security sector.
Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
Understanding of the international humanitarian response architecture, including coordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action, and funding mechanisms (e.g. Consolidated Appeals Process, Central Emergency Response Fund and Flash Appeals).
Experience of high level coordination and chairing of meetings.
Previous experience and formal training in Cluster Coordination preferred.
Ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
Ability to work productively in a pressurized environment and to maintain visibly high levels of morale in difficult circumstances.
Fluently spoken and written English is required. Good command of Arabic is a plus.
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have the ability to network effectively and influence and inspire others including authorities, other agencies, peers, staff, and partners. They will also have the ability to undertake strategic analysis and translate thinking into practice. The successful candidate will work with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural environment and with virtual or/and dispersed teams and will have the ability to inspire, to build confidence and to find creative and constructive solutions to difficult issues. They will have the ability to build trust and alliances and will empower others.
Living /Environmental Conditions
This role is based in Amman, Jordan and requires about 30% of travel in the region, including traveling on weekends. Housing is individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. Team members will have a high degree of access to medical and other services.
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 Interagency Misconduct 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.