SayPro Partnerships Coordination

Main Purpose of the Job

IRC Afghanistan’s Partnership Coordinator is responsible for the oversight and management of the partnership portfolio and relationship management of the country office. Theis position reports to the Awards, Business Development and Partnership Director, and supervises the Partnership Coordinator. This role is based in Kabul with periodic travel to the field. Key in-country and HQ relationships are with the program technical leads, Deputy Director of Finance, Awards Management Unit, and partners. The Partnership Coordinator provides strategic guidance and support to the country office on issues of strategic partnership, stakeholder management, partnership management and compliance with IRC partnership system (PEERS). S/he leads development of IRC Afghanistan partnership strategy, partner duty of care policy, partnership monitoring, partner reporting, and partner satisfaction.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership:

• With support of the director, lead and facilitate the process for the development of the IRC Afghanistan Partnership Strategy in line with IRC global Strategy 100, Strategic action plan (SAP) and program strategy.

• Lead on the development and implementation of a partner duty of care policy

• Ensure Implementation and fulfilment of the IRC partnership ambitions in the SAP – with support from the director and other key senior management members.

• Support in the development of IRC Afghanistan strategic partners

• Mainstream IRC partnership principles and provide ongoing coaching and guidance to other departments to ensure that IRC’s partnership principles, skills and approaches are applied by staff across programs and projects with partners.

• With support from the director, facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of and performance in partnerships, as well as appropriate action in response to the feedback

Promote Effective Partnerships:

• Promote and apply the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results system (PEERS). Contribute to building a strong understanding of PEERS throughout the Country Programme

• In collaboration with TCs, promote and support approaches that maximize collaboration with partners in program design and decision making, and equitable resource allocation, consistent with PEERS and Impact Standards

• Monitor for opportunities to improve IRC’s overall performance as a partner and make periodic recommendations to SMT.

• Provide a quarterly Partnership Management Report to the SMT, incorporating input from technical coordinators and operational leads as appropriate.

• Manage the Partnership Working Group (co-responsible for delivering the functions of the PWG), including referral of issues to Senior Management Team as appropriate.

Partnership Agreement Management

• With support from the Director, facilitate and coordinate partnership management processes to ensure well planned, timely, coordinated, and coherent partnership management.

• Co-facilitate and guide competitive and non-competitive partner selection processes to identify new partners, as well as new applications from existing partners.

• Manage and facilitate funding opportunities for local and national civil society organizations, making efforts to target women-led and women/girls serving organizations.

• Coordinate and co-lead Partner Identity and Background Review (Vetting) processes, including completion of the report for approval.

• Coordinate and co-lead Partner’s Project Capacity Review (PPCR) processes, including contributing to and facilitating the collaborative risk analysis and management. Promote and guide principled, collaborative risk analysis and management with partners across all organizational functions, consistent with PEERS, and advise on material risk mitigation.

• Determine appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements, liaising with HQ for review and approval (and obtaining donor approvals as necessary).

• Co-lead Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closing Meetings, together with the Technical Coordinator and facilitate partners’ involvement in IRC project cycle meetings where relevant.

• Coordinate and participate in timely and effective partner program, finance, and compliance review and reflection (monitoring), and work with the Technical Coordinator to address any project performance issues.

• Coordinate narrative and finance reporting processes, including review and feedback.

• Liaise with finance to achieve timely funds transfers and proper financial follow up and support for partners; work with finance to address any challenges in payments and raise proposed disallowed costs to SMT.

• Work collaboratively with partners and IRC staff to constructively resolve any issues that may arise.

• Where partner performance issues are identified, facilitate timely action by the IRC to address any areas of non-performance as they arise.

• Maintain complete and organized partnership files for each partner.

• Co-lead the review of the performance of the partner, of the IRC (including on the basis of partner feedback), and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, fostering ongoing partnerships beyond the sub-award project cycle.

Partner Support and Capacity Sharing

• Facilitate the collaborative development and delivery of the partner project support plan, ensuring that it appropriately addresses issues identified in the due diligence process, and coordinate with relevant departments for the timely, quality implementation of the plan

• Ensure IRC understands partner capacity strengthening priorities and identifies opportunities and plans for IRC to support partner capacity strengthening efforts.

• Support the resourcing of organizational development support where appropriate for partners; coordinate organizational development support to partners.

• Collaborate with technical coordinators to integrate technical capacity sharing approaches, including how IRC can learn from local partners.

• Promote and identify ways for continual learning between IRC staff and partners.

Partnership Resourcing, Training and Development:

• Work with director and SMT to ensure the partnerships management function is appropriately resourced and structured.

• Lead efforts to build a strong understanding and application of PEERS and partnership principles, skills and approaches among all departments.

Key Working Relationships:

Partners, Regional PEERs focal points, Grants team, Program Coordinators, Finance and operations teams.

Qualification and Requirements

Education:

• Degree in social sciences or a similar field, or an equivalent work experience

Years of Experience:

• Minimum of seven years of experience in partnership management functions in a multi-donor, multi-sector working environment.

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in an inter-departmental coordination role and the ability to communicate with and balance the priorities of a range of stakeholders.

• A clear communicator, adapt at analysis, negotiation, coaching and mentoring and reflection around learnings and ways forward

• Extensive experience in managing partners.

• A genuine commitment to collaborating with national NGOs and government partners in humanitarian response. Experience managing partnerships with and processing sub-awards to NGOs is a distinct advantage.

• Experience strengthening systems to collect, analyze, and respond to beneficiary feedback is an advantage.

• Previous experience in a conflict-affected or protracted crisis setting strongly preferred. Experience in a range of operational settings is preferred.

• Willingness to travel

• Experience of reviewing narrative and financial reports

Technical Competency:

• Highly developed leadership abilities, including the ability to coach, motivate, and support effective teams.

• Strong cross-cultural communication skills and eager to work as part of a diverse team. Sensitive to interpersonal differences and a range of viewpoints.

• Exceptional advance planning and organizational skills. Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple projects simultaneously.

• Analytical, strategic, and able to proactively develop solutions to complex challenges.

• Flexible and innovative. Able to adapt plans in response to contextual changes.

• Reliable, patient, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.

• Communication and reporting skills

• Fluency in English

• Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and internet) an advantage

• Ability to work closely, professionally, and constructively with all others regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, tribe, or cultural background

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.