What we are looking for The Durable Solutions Specialist will be responsible for supporting NRC to identify, design and implement activities that contribute to durable solutions for people displaced by conflict in South Sudan, including refugees, returnees, internal displaced persons, and host communities. This role will actively engage with other organisations to explore ways to promote durable solutions through programming and advocacy, providing guidance and support as useful.
Key objectives for this role include:
- Responsible for ensuring compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance, and procedures in relation to durable solutions and self-reliance while contributing to the development of policies, strategies, tools, and new approaches with a focus on innovation and piloting.
- Ensuring Country and Area programmes have a clear understanding of durable solutions for displaced populations, relevant to South Sudan context.
- Working with the country programme to develop/update a strategy and detailed plan for advocacy and programming goals around durable solutions.
- Ensure NRC is well-represented in key durable solutions platforms and that information is shared with relevant regional, country and area programme colleagues.
- Responsible for ensuring that best practices related to durable solutions and self-reliance programmes or initiatives are identified, documented, and disseminated both within the country and region.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Map current programming that has the potential to contribute to durable solutions for IDPs, returnees, and refugees.
- Work collaboratively with NRC Technical Units to map relevant theories of change against pathways to durable solutions.
- Develop a measurement framework to track and analyse success.
- Provide training and guidance to NRC and relevant partner staff on how programming and advocacy can mutually support beneficiaries’ preparedness for durable solutions.
- Train staff and act as a resource for country programmes and partners about durable solutions programming, including providing advice on programme design and integration of global standards outlined in the IASC Durable Solutions Framework and UNHCR Refugee and Protection Mixed Migration: A 10 Point Plan of Action.
- Support the project design/planning processes for South Sudan to ensure programming addresses and is responsive to the changing needs of displaced populations, especially related to livelihood and protection programming that builds greater resilience.
- Lead NRC efforts to integrate programming across borders and facilitate the provision of services across NRC locations and sectors.
- Serve as NRC liaison to durable solutions forums/platforms in the Country Office.
- Ensure that NRC is represented consistently and effectively in the various durable solutions working groups and fora at various levels.
- Support country programmes in developing implementation plans which include focused considerations for durable solution in each context. This includes working to prepare
contingency plans for responding to population movements.
- Engage with other local partner organisations to understand operational and contextual realities, challenges, and opportunities, as well as their perceptions of and ideas about durable solutions.
- Collaborate with partner organisations as appropriate in the development of strategies and approaches to inform programme design and advocacy messaging that promotes durable solutions.
- Collaborate closely with the advocacy and communications staff to shape messaging and activities related to durable solutions.
- Support the NRC area offices and country programmes to identify funding opportunities to support durable solutions work and, in coordination with country programs, develop strategic donor relationships.
- Ensure proposals incorporate a durable solutions lens where appropriate.
Generic professional competencies:
- At least five years in humanitarian settings, including three years’ experience in a senior level project or programme management position.
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (law, social sciences, or related disciplines). An advanced academic qualification will be an added advantage.
- Clear understanding of durable solutions issues, legal frameworks and professional standards in humanitarian and displacement contexts. Knowledge of relevant legal and policy frameworks, international and domestic laws, with focus on International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights.
- Previous experience working in protracted emergencies including in complex and volatile contexts.
- Ability to coordinate tasks and work processes and work with short deadlines.
- Fluency in English, both written and verbal.
Context/ Specific skills, knowledge, and experience:
- Demonstrated expertise in durable solutions.
- Experience in South Sudan and similar contexts desirable.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian programming and aid system architecture.
- Proven success with programme design, proposal development and funding acquisition.
- Demonstrated capacity to effectively engage and collaborate with local government and civil society actors toward common objectives.
- Self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to develop. positive relationships with local and remote team members at multiple levels in the organization.
- Ability to work successfully independently and with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to apply analytical thinking to evidenced, justified recommendations.