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Program / Department Summary Mercy Corpsโ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food security and building on this experience, the MC Sudan humanitarian program will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and feasible to do so. Mercy Corps is scaling up to reach upwards of 200,000 conflict affected people with multi-purpose cash assistance, targeted voucher programs, in-kind and services provision across the country. Our impact will be delivered with a focus on needs, in partnership with local actors and civil society, and embrace the safe, appropriate, and accountable use of digital systems and technologies to support the response.
The Position The Cash and Voucher Technical Assistance (CVA) Advisor will provide technical assistance to the Sudan program and operations teams supporting access basic needs assistance, with an emphasis on Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), and agricultural and food security programming, with a focus on vouchers and cash grants. They will be responsible for understanding shifting contextual dynamics vis-a-vis CVA implementation inside Sudan, while helping define and represent the vision for CVA programming writ large. Given the complexities of the financial sector within the context, the position will have a strong focus on assessing, advising on, and supporting procurement process for financial service provider (FSP) contracting and developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to support the use of different FSPs and cash delivery mechanisms. This person will be the programmatic focal point working with senior counterparts in Procurement and Finance Teams to streamline cross-functional coordination between Programs and Operations Teams with a focus on cash and vouchers. In coordination with cash program management personnel, this person will represent Mercy Corps within the Cash Working Group Forum (with a potential to act as co-lead for the cash working group) and other external spaces. This person will also be the technical focal point for CVA proposal development and help manage donor and partner relations at response level, alongside program management. The Advisor will create structures that support local implementing partners involved in cash and voucher distributions, will input into working modalities of the overall cash consortium, facilitate a focus on data protection and safe programming in CVA, and ensure that the Response is able to utilize multiple delivery mechanisms.
Essential Job Responsibilities
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
โ Lead end-to-end proposal development process on CVA programs, working closely with cross-functional teams to gather information, develop compelling content, and produce high-quality proposals.
โ Lead on technical support to operations, program managers and directors involved in CVA program delivery.
โSynthesize and harmonize cross-functional technical support across CVA Technology Advisor, Operations, PaQ/MEL to ensure coherence and singular vision for CVA.
โ Support in developing a coherent flexible strategy for the use of CVA as a tool to support basic needs, with priority on MPCA, agricultural, food security, and market systems.
โ Define and promote operational solutions for MPCA and other cash modalities in collaboration with Digital CVA Senior Advisor and other relevant stakeholders
โ Develop strategies to integrate and influence the harmonization of CVA within Sudan
โ Contribute to proposals for major donors, as needed. Support development of an approach to partnerships and CVA in the response, where appropriate.
MANAGEMENT
โ Contribute to drafting scope of work/hiring CVA-focused team members and technical consultantsโ Support evidence based advocacy for cash staffing and capacity strengthening at the country level where relevant. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION โ Provide support to CVA cash implementation, while ensuring coordination with various response-level departments including Operations and PaQ/MELโ Identify and nurture relevant partnerships, including private sector vis-a-vis evidenced needs from fieldโ Support the determination and adaptation of the most appropriate cash delivery modality/modalities for the contextโ Develop and lead the harmonization of SOPs, tools, and approaches (where appropriate)โ Ensure that program implementation is centered around communities, responsive to communities and partners, and consistent with Mercy Corpsโ Cash Minimum Standards and other relevant program guidelines, principles, values, qualityโ Support general and sector focused needs assessments (including population movements, needs assessment, market price surveys, market assessments & vendor assessments, shelter needs rehabilitation); ensure methodologies and analyses employ best practicesโ Support local associationsโ capacity assessments and/or performance reviews, ensuring methodologies and documentation employ best practices vis-a-vis partnerships PROGRAM LEARNINGโ Track key development in regulatory environment as well as donor policies / funding trends to adapt CVA programming accordingly to ensure relevancyโ Build evidence base on โgood CVA practicesโ for the Sudan Response, via consortium partners and otherwise STRATEGIC INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATIONโ Develop strategic partnerships, in collaboration with Program and Technology leads, to bring viable external resources and innovations into the programโ Participate in cash coordination efforts, strengthening Mercy Corps program approach and influencing the response via these mechanismsโ Represent Mercy Corps at donor meetings for general partnership development, proposal development and presentation and status presentation of existing grants.
- SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
- Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work
- Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
- Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g. Integrity Hotline and other options Organizational LearningAs part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. AccountabilitiesMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are accountable to Mercy Corps Procurement Policy and Procedures. Maintains accurate electronic and hardcopy files of procurement file and other relevant files. Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Supervisory Responsibility: CVA Specialist Reports Directly To: Deputy Director of Programs - Emergencies Works Directly With: Program Departments, Operations / Security, Finance & Compliance, PaQ / MELAccountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
โ 5+ years of experience in CVA required (i.e. writing and analysis on proposal development; humanitarian assessments; CVA implementation; CVA capacity building); โ at least one response assignment that demonstrates the ability to successfully adapt support and assistance methodologies to real-world complexities (slow onset, rapid onset, protracted/complex crises) - requiredโ BA/BS or equivalent in Humanitarian Affairs, International Development, Economics or other relevant field; MA/S preferred.โ Excellent oral and written English skills requiredโ Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).โ Mercy Corps Core Humanitarian Competencies (as defined in the Humanitarian Capacity Framework) preferred.
Technical competencies:
โ Possesses strong understanding of theoretical and applied knowledge about CVAโ Knows and applies Mercy Corpsโ CVA minimum standardsโ Understanding of digital cash delivery mechanismsโ Experience in FSP scoping, mapping, and contract managementโ