Programme Officer (PO)
Interpeace Somali Programme
The Programme Officer (PO) is a member of the Somali Programme Team in the Eastern and Central Africa Regional Office.
The PO will collaborate directly with other Somali Programme Officers, the Reports and Information Officers (RIO) and the Interpeace Regional Office Team.
S/he will report to the Somali Programme Director (SPD) and will be contextually and strategically guided by the Senior Strategic Advisor (SSA).
Overall, a strong collaborative and horizontal approach to programme delivery and reporting will be maintained.
The PO’s emphasis will be on Interpeace’s programmatic content.
The PO is co-responsible for ensuring that activities under the Interpeace Somali Programme are run in a coherent, well-planned manner, and in line with the direction and commitments of the Interpeace Somali partners.
In the day-to-day operations, the PO serves as a key interlocutor between the Somali Programme senior management and the Somali Programme partners.
Together with the other POs and the SPD, s/he will continually monitor and assess the Somali Programme to ensure its effectiveness and its adherence to agreed programme deliverables and budgets.
The capturing and sharing of content with stakeholders and funding partners, to optimize impact, will be an important aspect of this position, guided in context by the SPD and the SSA and supported in reporting by the RIOs.
The PO will collaborate with the SPD in his supervision of the RIOs.
The post of PO is based in Nairobi and involves extensive travel to the field.
Specific Responsibilities
- Provide methodological and programmatic guidance and operational support for field activities by Interpeace and its Somali partner organisations, specifically with respect to the content of the work. This involves elements from across the topical spectrum of work in the Pillars of Peace Programme and all related components including democratization, decentralization, conflict resolution/reconciliation, youth, women’s rights, media, etc.
- Develop and nurture a clear understanding of the programme of work throughout the Interpeace Somali Programme.
- Review written products including publications and donor reports of the Interpeace Somali Programme and provide quality control, including coordination of tasks relating to content and quality as appropriate.
- Collect, compile and disseminate both contractual and strategic reporting with the support from the RIOs.
- In conjunction with the senior management and in support of the partner organizations, develop programme proposals including log frames and budgets (with support from the Interpeace Finance Manager) according to the specific donor requirements.
- In conjunction with the senior management, ensure the development of work plans/change matrixes for all field components of the programme and play a strong supporting role towards the partners’ efforts in this regard.
- Support and follow Somali partners’ activity requests to ensure that they are substantively in line with the programme, and financially in line with approved budgets and available donor funding.
- Monitor Somali partner activities and budgets in coordination with other members of the Somali Programme team (and the Interpeace Finance Manager), to ensure progress is being made in line with programme design and expectations.
- Lead and support initiatives aimed at furthering the Somali partners’ institutional development and strengthening technical capacities including abilities to conduct better research, capture and disseminate the content of the programme.
- Lead on one or several spin-off project/s in the Interpeace Somali Programme, ensuring implementation and reporting in line with partner commitments and donor requirements.
- Ensure that reflection and learning takes place regularly with regard to programme process and development, methodological adaptations and generally on the topics under study.
- Utilize substantive relations vis-à-vis key Somali stakeholders throughout Somalia, Kenya and the Somali diaspora, in both informing and disseminating Interpeace Somali’s programme of work.
- Support existing relations with key international actors in Nairobi and strategically engage these actors in the work of Interpeace
- Ensure the timely and well-prepared meetings of the Pillar Support Group, the Democratization Programme Steering Committee and other donor stakeholder groups.
- Develop emerging thematic competences, programme and process knowledge that can be used not only for the Interpeace Somali Programme but could also be shared with and incorporated into the work of Interpeace in its other programmes of work.
- Maintain close liaison with team members in the Regional Office to ensure that all Interpeace staff in the Nairobi office are regularly briefed on Somali Programme activities.
Qualifications
- Graduate or post-graduate university degree in social or political science.
- At least three years of relevant field experience in political, developmental and/or humanitarian work.
- Understanding of how to integrate research and political analysis into actionable peacebuilding initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution, external relations, proposal writing, and training.
- Knowledge of and experience with the nurturing of institutional capacity is considered a plus.
- Knowledge of and experience in the Somali region is considered a strong plus.
- Strong writing and communications skills in English; with Somali and/or Arabic considered a plus.
- Strong commitment to supporting local peacebuilding initiatives and to the strategic position of Interpeace.
How to apply
Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest detailing relevant experience and a curriculum vitae to the Administration Officer at: recruitment@interpeace.org.
Please indicate “Programme Officer – Somali Programme” in the subject line.
Please note that due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
We accept applications until the position is filled with a suitable candidate.