Project Officer-Local governance based in Baidoa -SWS, National Position (1 Position)

Position Title: Project Officer-Local governance

Reporting to: Local governance Manager

Duty Station: Baidoa-SWS

Position Status: locally hired position

Area of Operation: Somalia

Employment period

Starting in March 2023, 1 Year with the possibility of extension

Background:

FCA works to enable people to break the circle of poverty and violence. We are a rights-based actor, a Finnish organization with 70 years of experience, with operations in 15 countries. FCA is Finland’s largest NGO in development cooperation and second largest provider of disaster relief. Our action is guided by international human rights standards and principles. We realize our mission and vision through development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and advocacy work. We contribute to positive change by supporting people in the most vulnerable situations within fragile and disaster-affected areas. We consider three thematic areas as central to sustainable change: the right to peace (R2P), livelihood (R2L) and quality education (R2QE). In Somalia and Somaliland FCA has been working under a right to peace thematic areas since 2008 including governance and reconciliation projects and later has expanded in quality education (R2QE) thematic area.

Primary purpose of the position:

Support the coordination, implementation and monitoring of programmatic areas on local governance and national reconciliation in Southwest State, under the purview of the MIDEEYE project..

Responsibilities

• Support the the planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and reporting (internal and external) of the local governance programmatic areas and those pertaining to national reconciliation in the federal member state of Southwest State, under the purview of the MIDEEYE project, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
• Support and coordinate closely with the MIDEEYE project manager and other project staff, in the implementation of project activities.
• Serve as the point of liaison with government authorities at the state and district level regarding the implementation of project activities.
• Plan and participate in the monitoring of field activities, inclusive of travel within the state, together with the MEAL team.
• Work in close collaboration with FCA’s finance, procurement, and other support staff in facilitating the implementation of project activities.
• Support the Baywomen Network in their implementation and management of project activities in compliance with FCA’s contractual rules and regulations; provide them with programmatic and administrative capacity building for this purpose.
• Support the planning of project activities in close coordination with the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Local Governance, Regional Administrations and Local Government Councils and Administrations.
• Support the preparation of project reports both internally and for the donor.
• Promote identification of best practices, coordination, and complementarity between FCA’s different projects supporting local governance in Somalia.
• Support with other tasks as necessary.

Competence, experience, skills, knowledge needed

• Bachelor’s degree (holder) in Human Rights, Law, International Relations/Development, social sciences, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in project administration, most preferably related to local governance and peacebuilding.
• In-depth understanding of the Somali political and social dynamics in relation peace and conflict, in Southwest; solid understanding of reconciliation and local governance.
• Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain good collaboration among project staff, partners, other stakeholders, and beneficiaries such as women, youth, religious and community leaders
• Experience in working with civil society actors and district peace committees
• Ability to work independently
• High analytical and solution-oriented thinking
• Ability to travel and work in a high-risk security area
• Leadership and teamwork skills
• Knowledge and working experience in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion is an asset
• Proficiency in English and Somali, including the May dialect, (oral and written)

FCA practices zero tolerance against concerning aid diversion and illegal actions and may screen [contractor/external party name] (i.e. applicants, contracts, suppliers, consultants, etc.) against international lists to ensure due diligence and compliance with Anti-money laundering and Combating the Financing of terrorism requirements). FCA’s Child Safeguarding Policy applies to all FCA staff. Conversing will lead to automatic disqualification.