Regional Lake Chad Programme Manager at Plan International Contract

Job Title: Regional Lake Chad Programme Manager

Location: Abuja
Type of Role: 3-year Fixed term contract
Reports to: Matrix management – Country Directors

The Opportunity

• Now in its eleventh year, the protracted crisis in the Lake Chad Basin Region remains one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in the world, affecting the North-East of Nigeria, the Far North Region of Cameroon, the Lake Region of Chad and the Diffa Region in Niger.
• As the Regional Lake Chad Programme Manager, you will provide strategic leadership to ensure the successful implementation of the revised Lake Chad Programme Strategy (2018-2023) across Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Nigeria.
• You will support programme integration across these three countries by moving from a coordinated to an integrated regional programme approach.
• Now in its eleventh year, the protracted crisis in the Lake Chad Basin Region remains one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in the world, affecting the North-East of Nigeria, the Far North Region of Cameroon, the Lake Region of Chad and the Diffa Region in Niger.  More than 17 million people are living in the affected areas across the four countries.
• In February 2020, 9.4 million people were reported as needing humanitarian assistance to survive, more than 6 million of them are children.
• These figures will also have worsened during 2020, given the impact of COVID-19 and the resulting increased food insecurity in the region.
• The crisis has unfolded in a region beset by chronic fragility, where poverty, underdevelopment, gender inequality, unemployment and a lack of prospects for young people fuel extremism and are compounded by environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change.
• In the last four years, the LCP addressed the needs of girls, boys and their communities through integrated sectorial approach addressing protection, education and livelihoods. As a result, Plan International has gained the recognition of its peers, UN agencies and government bodies at both local and national level as one of the lead agencies in the field of child protection and education
• Considering the protracted nature of the crisis, a Lake Chad Programme Strategy (2018 – 2023) was developed and endorsed, outlining Plan International’s bold ambition to transform the life of girls and their families in the Lake Chad Region. It moves beyond a humanitarian vision towards a full spectrum programme, working at the nexus of humanitarian and development efforts to promote children’s rights and gender equality.
• This approach recognizes the importance of meeting immediate humanitarian needs while tackling the developmental deficit of the region which is both a contributor to and an outcome of the crisis. The strategy has been recently revised to address new challenges and emerging issues.
• In this role you will represent Plan International at national, regional and global level in order to position Plan and its Lake Chad Programme as a regional leader for promoting gender equality and protecting girls’ rights in the Lake Chad region.
• You will ensure that new intervention ideas are in line with overall programme and donor priorities whilst also providing programme presentations to COs, NOs and donors to enhance resource mobilisation.

The Individual

• We are looking to recruit an individual who has a sound knowledge and understanding of Interagency Network on Education in Emergencies (INEE) and Child Protection in Emergency (CPiE) minimum standards, Core Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE, Red Cross/NGO Code of Conduct and other relevant international standards for humanitarian response.
• You will have demonstrable experience of organisational representation and stakeholder management with humanitarian donors and can demonstrate leadership whilst working with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.

The Post holder will among other Responsibilities:

• Should be ready to work with Lake Chad Unit country offices to identify priorities, intervention areas and opportunities for business development, supporting strategic collaborations with external organizations as appropriate.
• S/he shall coordinate with the regional team, country office staff and network partners for submission of innovative and high-quality proposals.
• Support Lake Chad Unit regional staff and country programmes to continuously manage donor networking process and liaison, ensuring that Plan International’s profile and influence is increased across the donor community at national and regional levels.
• Represent the Lake Chad Unit in the region by contributing to improved networking with other organizations on funding issues, sharing learning and jointly exploring programme opportunities.
• Lead in identification of funding opportunities and support programme, network and technical staff directly or indirectly in preparation of funding proposals.
• Coordinate the gathering and sharing of information on existing and emerging donor opportunities and liaise with Lake Chad Unit Country Offices in securing project funding.
• Creativity, with experience funding activities in ways that both cover costs and generate operating margins
• To be successful in this role you will have well developed written and oral communication skills in both French and English and effective negotiation and representation skills.
• You will be well-organised, even within a fluid working environment and you will have a capacity for initiative and decision making with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

The Postholder Will Provide

• External: Position Plan International and its Lake Chad Programme as regional leader for promoting gender equality and protecting girls’ rights in the Lake Chad region.
• Internal: Strategic leadership to ensure the implementation of the revised Lake Chad Programme Strategy (2018-2023) across Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Nigeria.

Dimensions of the Role

• The post-holder will head the Lake Chad Unit including line management responsibility (direct and matrix) for the Lake Chad Unit staff (6 people)
• The post-holder will support the extension of the Lake Chad Programme into Chad
• The post-holder will have budget responsibility for the regional ‘Fad Open To All’, any regional projects as part of the programme portfolio as well as for the specific budget lines across the 3 countries related to the Lake Chad Programme Unit
• The post-holder will represent Plan International in external fora at national, regional and global level
• The post-holder will be part of the Regional Lake Chad Steering Committee and the Regional Lake Chad Oversight Group

Accountabilities
Programming:

• Support Country Offices in the operationalisation of the Lake Chad Programme Strategy by working in close cooperation with the Emergency Response Managers (ERMs) and Head of Programmes to ensure that all projects are following the overall programme outline and logic.
  Support programme integration across the three countries by moving from a coordinated to an integrated regional programme approach
• Coordinate the interphase with Country Offices on the management of the Nexus between humanitarian and development programme
• Project oversight for regional projects which are part of the Lake Chad Programme including implementation of regional activities
• Provide guidance and in-country support to the Emergency Response Managers, Head of Programmes and Project Implementing teams in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria
• Provide input for the preparation of narrative reports in line with donor’s and Plan’s requirements and rules and regulations
• Participate in regular monitoring and if required programme/action plans revisions and modifications and facilitate that relevant stakeholders (COs as well as NOs) are informed in due time on progress and related delays and/or modifications.
• Resource Mobilisation
• Engage and build relations with key actors/stakeholders and donors of the programme
• Support resource mobilization for Country Offices and National Organizations at concept note and full proposal level by providing project design support and cross border information related to the Lake Chad Programme.
• Support CO resource mobilization teams and related NOs on securing funds for continuous programme scale up through providing lessons learnt and project related contextual information.
• Lead proposal development for regional projects which form part of the Lake Chad Programme
• Ensure that new intervention ideas are in line with overall programme and donor priorities.
• Provide programme presentations to COs, NOs and donors to enhance resource mobilization

Learning and Capacity Building:

• Develop and implement a dedicated Lake Chad Learning agenda, outlining the scope, the objectives, the expected outcomes and the processes of learning within the programme.
• Ensure learning across the 3 Country Offices with a specific focus on gender-transformative programming, regional programming as well as full spectrum programming
• Orient/guide the respective project teams of Plan International in Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, on key international humanitarian standards like Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), Sphere Standard, CPMS and INEE.
• Provide orientation and guidance on key processes in developing and implementing emergency response projects and proposals to the project teams
• Ensure that project designs are informed by needs assessments and contextual analysis
• Linking project teams to DRM related training opportunities within and out of the region

Research, Policy and Advocacy:

• Develop a regional influencing strategy for the Lake Chad Programme
• Lead on regional research and advocacy initiativesto position Plan International and its Lake Chad Programme as regional leader for promoting gender equality and protecting girls’ rights in the Lake Chad region
• Drive learning, knowledge managemet and policy impact by authoring, commissioning and contributing to publications, policy documents, briefing notes and other resource materials ensuring that Plan International has distinct knowledge and evidence on gender transformative programming in emergencies and full spectrum programming

Representation and Partnership:

• Represent Plan International and the Lake Chad Programme at relevant clusters, working groups, and other fora, especially at regional and global level.
• Identify opportunities and establish dialogue towards partnerships with other agencies, especially at regional level to support consortia building, joint advocacy activities, etc
• Support the development of Plan International’s profile in gender equality programming in emergencies, particularly in regards to girls
• Engaging and building relations with key actors/stakeholders of the programme with a specific focus on regional actors like ECOWAS, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, etc.
• Organize and attend regular meetings with donor and other key stakeholders (i.e. UNHCR, UNICEF, UN OCHA) representatives to update and exchange information on overall programme’ s implementation status/progress thus ensuring external exchange and networking

Key Relationships
Internal:

• Country Directors of Plan Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon
• Regional Head of DRM of Plan WARO
• Sub-Regional Director Sahel, WACAH
• Project Managers of each CO considered to be part of the Lake Chad Programme
• DRM/ERMs and Head of Programmes of Plan International in Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon, other members of the Emergency Response country teams where required, EiE and CPIE Specialists in WACAH and International Headquarters (IH) and the Country Education and Protection teams as appropriate
• Representatives of the NOs who collaborate with the COs under the programme
• Line management (direct and matrix) of Regional GFFO Project manager, Lake Chad MER Specialist, Lake Chad Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Lake Chad Finance and Grants coordinator, Lake Chad Gender Specialist, Lake Chad CPIE Specialist

External:

• Other agencies and stakeholders related to the programme (i.e. UNHCR, UNICEF, Clusters) or decision makers (i.e. national governments).

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge

• Networking and representation: demonstrable experience of organizational representation and engagement with humanitarian donors
• Communication: Well developed written and oral communication skills. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills.
• People management: Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to guide local and international staff and also able to work with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.
• Integrity: Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to Plan’s core values and humanitarian principles.
• Adaptability & flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under a stressful working environment.
• Work style: well organized even within a fluid working environment and has a capacity for initiative and decision making with competent analytical and problem solving skills.
• Knowledge & skills: General knowledge and understanding of INEE and CPIE minimum standards, Core Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE, Red Cross/NGO Code of Conduct and other relevant international standards for humanitarian response. General CPiE, EiE and TVET/IGA related experience is considered as an advantage.
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in IT/computer skills (including sound MS excel and word proficiency)
• Previous work experience in the Lake Chad region (desirable) & emergency context (mandatory)
• Experience as a coordinator for a multi-donor programme /project preferred
• Fluency in French and English (mandatory)

Application Closing Date
On-going until a suitable candidate has been identified.