Consortium Coordinator

Position title: Consortium Coordinator - Food Security and Resilience programme Sudan

Duty station: Port Sudan, Sudan (however, currently we are working from evacuation mode, so the base is currently in Nairobi, Kenya) (please note that this is an international mobile staff position)

Time period: 1 year with possible extension

Starting Date: asap, per May 1st 2025

Status: Single posting

Purpose of the position

We are looking for an experienced Programme Consortium Coordinator for the DG INTPA funded programme in Sudan: Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural Communities in Kassala and Northern States. The Consortium Coordinator represents the Consortium consisting of the following partners: Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) as lead agent, Swedish Red Cross (SwRC), Spanish Red Cross (SPRC), Danish Red Cross (DRC) as technical partners and with the implementing partner Sudan Red Crescent Society (SRCS). The Consortium Coordinator represents the Consortium towards the focal point of the EU (DG INTPA) and other relevant stakeholders in Sudan.

Background

Sudan is one of the 12 bilateral partnership countries of the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) and since 1986 NLRC and the Sudan Red Crescent (SRCS) have been successfully cooperating on several humanitarian actions and initiatives in support of the most vulnerable in Sudan. To further strengthen and build on this existing partnership for the longer-term and with renewed perspectives, the NLRC is engaging the SRCS in a Programmatic Partnership. Via its strategic objective of Community Resilience, NLRC is offering technical support in three areas of Expertise: Water (Water management and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene); Data and Digitalization and Financial Sustainability. Since resilience means the ability of communities to recover from disasters, NLRC is also focusing on several phases of the disaster cycle, in particular Disaster Preparedness and Response through Early Warning and Anticipatory Action. NLRC strives to always include cross cutting elements in its projects, like Protection Gender and Inclusion (PGI), Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA).

Next to the 4 year Food Security and Resilience programme in Northern and Kassala States, NLRC is currently supporting a conflict response project to improve the access to WASH services for IDPs in Gedaref and Kassala States, a National Society Development (NSD) project supported through Localization funding from MOFA (with specific focus on strengthening Information Management , Community Engagement and Accountability and Financial Sustainability capacities of SRCS) and further developing a water & climate project called Water at the Heart of Climate Action programme.

The Sudan Red Crescent is currently adjusting its working modalities to the volatile context of Sudan, by establishing 5 regional hubs to support all 18 branches in Sudan. Due to the conflict, the NLRC delegation is currently working remotely from Nairobi, Kenya, with sporadic travels to Port Sudan. With the rolling out of the Regional Hubs by SRCS throughout Sudan and with the establishment of a permanent SRCS HQ in Port Sudan, and under the condition of security clearance by ICRC and NLRC, we expect that the NLRC delegation can return and work from Sudan in the course of 2024.

Food Security and Resilience programme in Northern and Kassala states

The aim of the programme is to do an intervention that will enhance food security and resilience of rural communities and IDPs in Kassala and Northern States. It has been developed by the consortium which consist of five Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners including the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC), the Danish Red Cross (DRC), the Swedish Red Cross (SRC) and the Spanish Red Cross (SPRC) with the support of the Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC). The SRCS is the largest local humanitarian organization in Sudan covering the whole country with a network of 18 State Branches and over 40,000 active volunteers. The consortium members are long-term partners of SRCS with strong expertise in areas addressed by the action and have jointly implemented the GCCA+ Support for Enhancing Communities Resilience to Climate Change project supported by the European Commission in Northern, Kassala and River Nile States in years 2017-2022. This action will continue and build on the GCCA+ project and its learnings, taking into account the recent changes in the context due to conflict

In response to the recent developments and impact of the conflict on food security, the action foresees a component dedicated to support to IDPs and host communities as part of humanitarian-development-peace nexus, which includes multipurpose cash assistance, as well as access to water and hygiene services to meet basic minimum needs of the most vulnerable target groups and enable them to utilize agriculture inputs and value chain support effectively. The peace element of the triple nexus will be contributed to through improved and more sustainable access to natural resources and livelihoods, and by working through local volunteers, which positively impacts social cohesion.

The overall objective of the action is to contribute to sustainable and resilient livelihoods and food security in rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflicts in Kassala and Northern states. Three outcomes, following the logic of the EU programme, within which this action is foreseen, are
facilitating reaching this objective:

Outcome 1: “Sustainably increase productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture and livestock
short value chains using agroecological practices” (OC1);

Outcome 2: Create sustainable and decent jobs opportunities for both genders within the youth,
including IDP, PwD, refugees and returnees, in rural and food insecure areas” (OC2); and

Outcome 3: “Increase equal and sustainable access to natural resources in order to contribute to food
security and mitigate conflicts” (OC3).

Position in the organization

In this position you report to the NLRC Country Representative based in Nairobi, who is also your Security Focal point.

Purpose of the position

1. you are working hand in hand with the Programme Coordinator of SRCS, who is in charge of the project coordination and implementation through the SRCS branches in Northern and Kassala states. Together you ensure quality implementation and set up of coordination bodies ( the Steering Committee as well as the Technical Working group). Also, the Consortium Coordinator communicates and engages on a regular basis with the Sudan focal point of the EU informing regularly on progress but also challenges encountered. To enable coordination with SRCS and depending on Security Clearance by NLRC and ICRC, you are expected to travel frequently to Port Sudan and when possible to Kassala and Northern States.

The coordination mechanism is organized in a Steering Committee (SC) and a Technical working group (TWG). The SC meets at least twice a year, is chaired by SRCS and consists of the EU focal point, Consortium Coordinator, SRCS Programme Manager, SRCS branch managers, SRCS head of DM, SRCS head of PME and all Representatives of the consortium PNS. The Technical working group consisting of all technical delegates of the consortium partners, technical SRCS staff, NLRC and PNS advisors. The TWG meets on a frequent basis. The Consortium Coordinator and SRCS Programme Coordinator ensure that the meetings take place as planned.

1. The partners in the consortium support technically SRCS to deliver the different sectorial interventions under this programme. The Consortium Coordinator as part of NLRC is expected to support technically the area of WASH and Water Management with geographical focus in Kassala state in addition to general coordination of the wider consortium. This is done in collaboration with the SRCS WASH coordinator and other partners supporting also WASH activities like Swedish Red Cross.

Summary statement and responsibilities

Main responsibilities of the Consortium Coordinator include the following:

1. Programme Coordination

• Overall programme coordination among different partners in the consortium, ensuring that SRCS remains as leading partner in implementation, while doing including quality assurance of implementation, progress monitoring, ensuring compliance of financial management, and reporting to the European Union Delegation Sudan, working closely with SRCS Programme Coordinator and SRCS
• overall organizational development and capacity building of Sudanese Red Crescent Society.
• Ensuring adherence to the EU guidelines and special conditions for the Programme by all partners.
• In terms of (EU and RC/RC) visibility, and for lobby and advocacy purposes, the Consortium Coordinator should also ensure that regular and tangible information from the ground is being collected and edited, and shared with the consortium members as well as the EU focal point
• Mainstream aspects of protection, gender and inclusion (PGI) and community engagement and accountability (CEA) across all project interventions including assessment, capacity building, M&E and reporting. (This shall be done in coordination with the DRC, but also with support of NLRC PGI advisor).
• Ensuring that the project's activities are designed and implemented in a way that promotes the safety, dignity, and equal participation of all individuals, particularly vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities.
• Day to day coordination with SRCS programme manager and SRCS departments (finance, HR, Logistics, PM&E and DRM departments).
• Safeguarding clear communication lines and regular information flow between SRCS Programme Manager (HQ), technical advisors (PNS delegates and their HQ advisors), SRCS departments, Consortium partners country representatives, as well as to the European Union Delegation in Sudan and the SRCS leadership.
• Ensure the programme has a coherent and holistic approach, to avoid working in silo’s
• Consolidate financial and narrative reports to the donor, as well as coordinating other donor requests with partners
• With the National Society provide monitoring tools to monitor the programme resources and progress;
• Provide necessary guidance and coaching for programme field personnel;
• Enable all partners to contribute to the programme and inform decisions through the coordination structure: Steering Committee and Technical Working group (see above “position in the organization”)
• With the National Society initiate a Mid Term evaluation with all partners and the EUD
• With the National Society ensures the programme works towards sustainability and has a proper exit strategy at the end of the programme
• Explore possibilities for future funding to address longer-term needs in the area

1. Technical support on WASH and Water Management

• Support SRCS to deliver WASH outcomes with quality – lease to the SRCS WASH coordinator to monitor quality of WASH and water management activities
• Ensures that emergency outcomes in WASH are well connected to developmental water management outcomes.
• Engage the national SRCS WASH Coordinator for proper supervision and quality assurance, specially around procurement of WASH construction activities for the development of water outcomes as required (preparation of designs and BoQs).
• With the SRCS programme coordinator, assist the NS branches to develop systems to ensure the rigorous monitoring and reporting of the WASH outcomes

Requirements/Qualifications

Education

• Relevant university education is required.
• Professional qualification in WASH and or Water Management is an asset
• Post graduate qualification in management is an asset.

Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in the development and/or humanitarian field, preferably in similar positions.
• At least 3 years’ experience in managing / coordinating consortia or large multisectorial programmes.
• Experience in managing WASH projects in humanitarian sector is an asset.
• Solid experience in working with RC/RC Movement partners, in particular with National Societies is a must
• Working experience in the Africa region is a must.
• Working experience in managing EU grants is an asset
• Experience in program management, including program identification, formulation, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Knowledge on the political, economic and socio-cultural climate of Sudan is preferred.
• Able to adhere to policy and procedures of the NLRC whilst effectively managing programs and people.
• Demonstrated experience in security management.
• Fluent in spoken and written English, Arabic is a big added value.
• Excellent narrative and financial reporting skills.
• Data literate
• Knowledge and experience with cross cutting PGI and CEA is preferred

Your talents

• Good social/diplomatic skills and culturally sensitive, flexible and creative
• Able to make sound judgements and decisions
• Excellent strategic leadership and management
• Able to work independently, as well in a team
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Pro-active

We offer

• A full time appointment (based on 40-hour work week) for 1 year, with a possible extension
• A flexible and human centred working environment in an international environment with a variety of international organizations.
• Well balanced employment conditions with space for initiative and development.
• Please note that this is an International mobile staff position. This means that you will need to be eligible to be dispatched to Sudan (and temporarily Kenya)
• While the Sudan team works from Kenya there is no R&R. Once the team can return to Sudan there will be an R&R cycle

Applications:

We look forward to receiving your motivation letter and your resume in English with reference to HR Advisor Shelly Jonker before 27 February 2025 through the apply button on this page. Want to know more about this role? You can contact  Meindert Korevaar, partnership and portfolio coordinator at mkorevaar@redcross.nl.

An initial assessment of candidates short-listed is part of the selection procedure.

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Acquisition for this vacancy will not be appreciated