Conflict Analysis and Policy Advisor for Somalia
JOB DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an independent, non-profit organization (NGO), founded on the basis of humanitarian principles, and human rights-based approach, to secure the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to promoting long term solutions to the problems of forced displacement. Danish Demining Group (DDG) is a specialized unit within DRC which implements mine action and armed violence reduction (AVR) programmes in fragile states throughout the developing world. The East Africa and Yemen region consists of programmes in seven countries including Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Tanzania
DDG has operated in Somalia since 1999 with a focus on community-driven approaches to Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) as well as humanitarian mine action. DDG has established itself as one of the main international actors engaged in bottom-up community safety, conflict management and security and justice reform in the country. DDG has worked in over two hundred communities and has over the past five years had an annual turnover around ten million dollars funded by most of the key institutional donors in Somalia. DDG is currently joining DFID’s Security and Justice Programme for Somalia as the partner ensuring community and district level engagement with security providers and traditional and modern justice providers initially in 10 urban and semi-urban centres across four states of southern Somalia. Given the complex and challenging operational environment that characterises much of Somalia, DDG recognises that understanding the changing context and ensuring the programme is conflict sensitive is essential to guarantee effective programme delivery in conflict-affected areas and avoid exacerbating conflict. Furthermore, it is a key priority of DDG and DFID to ensure a strong focus on learning and policy influencing in relation to security and justice reform in Somalia and other complex and insecure contexts.
PURPOSE
DDG is looking for a dynamic Conflict Analysis and Policy Advisor (CAPA) for Somalia. The CAPA for Somalia will lead DDG’s efforts to strengthen its organizational capacity to systematically conduct and make use of conflict analysis to inform and shape conflict sensitive programming and advocacy. S/he will ensure ongoing monitoring and analysis of local conflict and security dynamics with special focus on DDG’s areas of operation and ensure learning and policy influencing based on the impact of DDG’s and other actors conflict management, security and justice engagement in Somalia. The CAPA will play a key role in developing a security and justice knowledge management system, which shall enable DDG and partners to base programme decisions on strong contextual understanding. In collaboration with other DDG advisors and partners the CAPA will ensure close monitoring and analysis of the impact of interventions on key indicators related to issues such as police accountability, justice actors, popular legitimacy and the conflict sensitivity of aid agencies. The CAPA will support DDG’s and DFID’s efforts to build a community of practice focussed on security and justice related issues in Somalia.
From the outset, the role will involve coordinating and carrying out conflict analyses in 10 target areas and working with programme staff to review programme design in order to ensure conflict sensitive programming. The CAPA will also work with programme staff to develop training materials for communities, security providers and traditional authorities on use of conflict analysis tools.
The CAPA will be expected to identify conflict analysis needs, develop appropriate conflict analysis tools and guidelines, developing training materials for staff, supporting the Somalia country programme in planning and managing the implementation of conflict analysis and making use of conflict analysis for programme strategy development, project design, advocacy and fundraising.
The role involves regular field visits to monitor quality of conflict sensitive programming and outcome oriented conflict management programming to include conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution and always looking to build upon indigenous systems of conflict management. Further the position will engage with key technical counterparts in other agencies, donor focal points and the technical disciplines within the broader DRC/DDG organisation at both country and regional levels.
This position will work closely with DDG’s Global Conflict Analysis Advisor and the Regional Conflict Analysis Coordinator, as well as the DDG Global AVR Team to technically support the development and implementation of high quality programming in Somalia and strengthen the organisations capacity for conflict analysis globally.
Main task and responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
Conflict Assessments, Analysis and Advisory
- Design, lead and coordinate conflict assessments in 10+ target hubs across four states in Somalia, managing field research teams, with overall responsibility to produce high-quality conflict analyses reports that can inform conflict sensitive policy and programming, and support learning and adaptation of the programme.
- Work with programme staff to develop training materials on use of conflict analysis tools.
- Further develop and expand on the current systems and tools for conflict analysis within DDG together with the Global AVR team.
- Share with and learn from other DRC/DDG global and regional teams practices and opportunities for quality conflict analysis.
Conflict Sensitive Programming
- Enable that DRC/DDG interventions in Somalia take a conflict sensitive approach that begins with a strong conflict analysis and regular assessments of how project activities and operations interact with local conflict dynamics.
Innovative programme development
- Support the DDG Global Conflict Analysis Advisor and Regional Conflict Analysis Coordinator with developing a strategy, process plan and relevant tools of conflict analysis management with a view to institutionalising conflict analysis and conflict sensitive programming in Somalia and the wider East Africa region.
- Inform discussions on broader justice and security policy and programme and support the establishment of a Justice and Security Knowledge Hub for Somalia.
- Support programme strategy development and project design.
- Ensure that all conflict management-related activities are coordinated with and complementary to each other and well-coordinated with DRC and external partners.
- Carry out regular field visits to monitor and advise field staff in programme delivery.
Knowledge Management and learning
- In collaboration with colleagues establish a Justice and Security Knowledge Hub for Somalia, which shall support programme learning and adaptation, as well as work as a resource facility for conflict sensitivity in Somalia, collecting and organising relevant research and analysis reports, policy briefs, academic literature, grey literature, etc.
Staff capacity development
- Support the DDG Somalia Programme Manager in ensuring that DDG field staff are well trained and have the relevant skills and capacity to deliver programmes efficiently and effectively in conflict sensitivity and conflict management related programming.
- Develop and implement coaching and training for the staff in coordination with the Global AVR Adviser to ensure each and every activity is based on a strong evidence-based Theory of Change, and teams have all necessary manuals, guidelines and training to achieve project objectives.
Fundraising and communications
- Support the Somalia team in resource mobilisation efforts including through technical liaison and engagement with donors, stakeholders and technical working groups, forums etc.
- Coordinate with other actors and stakeholders to ensure that DDG programmes and approaches are well linked into other related initiatives.
- Provide technical and hand-on support to programme staff during development of funding proposals particularly Theories of Change, Logical Frameworks and M&E frameworks and plans.
- Disseminate results in varied ways to enhance use in reports and in decision making.
- Provide technical support to ensure that DDG is able to articulate and document relevant best practices.
- Ensure documentation and consolidation of success stories, which can be communicated externally.
About you
To be successful in this role, we expect you to have extensive knowledge of the Somalia context, excellent conflict analysis capacity and a proven track record of developing effective conflict analysis and conflict sensitive programming. You should have strong communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people from different cultural and professional backgrounds. You thrive in managing the challenges of working in the field under pressure and often in austere and restricted environments. You are a strong networker and enjoy working with teams of committed staff to build collaboration and capacity. You are a creative self-starter that is not afraid to think outside the box. You are passionate about ensuring high quality support to the security and justice sector in Somalia and conflict sensitivity of aid interventions in Somalia.
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’ five core competencies:
- Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
- Collaborating: You are a strong networker and enjoy working with many different types of stakeholders, you involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
- Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while balancing the role of advisor and leadership
- Communicating: You write and speak effectively and honestly and display political and cultural sensitivity, including ability to adapt well to local cultures
- Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.
Moreover, we also expect the following:
Qualifications
- Minimum a Master’s Degree (PhD is preferred) in Peace and Conflict/Security issues, Social Anthropology, International Development, International Relations or other relevant subject.
- Programming experience in the areas of conflict management, social cohesion, peacebuilding, justice and rule of law.
- Experience working with international NGOs or operational UN agencies in highly complex and insecure contexts
- Solid prior knowledge of and experience in Somalia.
- Proven experience in leading research teams in challenging environments.
- Proven experience in researching, analysing and communicating the causes and drivers of conflict.
- Experience in staff mentoring, coaching and/or training.
- Proven experience in research and analysis in relevant fields as well as experience in linking strong analytical evidence with operational implementation.
- Experience in research and policy report-writing, with previous published work an advantage.
- Experience in the areas of justice and accountability, conflict resolution, security governance and/or community based programming;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Fluency in English essential; ability to speak Somali is an advantage;
- High degree of computer literacy
GENERAL
Commitments:
DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework into the work of DRC
Conditions
Availability: As Soon as possible
Duty station: Hargeisa with frequent travel within Somaliland & Somalia and regular travel to Nairobi, Kenya.
Reporting: Reports to DDG Somalia Programme Manager
Contract: 1-year contract dependent on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A13.
For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff
