Partnership Coordinator Ukraine Odessa

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values dedication, innovation, inclusivity, and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Background:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been present in Ukraine since 2014, helping more than 700,000 people with food, shelter, water, sanitation, and legal assistance. Rapid change of situation in February 2022 during which whole Ukraine became affected by the conflict required significant scale-up of emergency programmes. NRC’s humanitarian interventions are based upon its programming expertise in the Core Competencies of Shelter & WASH, Information Counselling, and legal Assistance (ICLA), Camp Management (CCCM), Protection from Violence, Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS), Education; as well as a large Cash programme to vulnerable conflict-affected people. The level and intensity of the crisis in Ukraine remains high and humanitarian and protection needs are overwhelming.
NRC Ukraine works with local partners to extend its access to people in need and to build the capacity of local institutions for longer-term sustainability. To work in partnership most effectively, NRC Ukraine is strengthening its internal systems and developing standard operating procedures for partnership management as well as revising NRC’s existing partnership toolkit. Working with partners requires inputs across NRC teams, from Finance, M&E, Programmes, Logistics, and others; effective partnership management will require greater internal coordination and leadership.
This role requires a diverse set of skills including an understanding of partnership programming in emergency and protracted crisis, ability to operationalize strategies and the ability to collaboratively make use of partnership tools and guidance. The successful candidate will be a strong networker with the ability to explain and share knowledge with a wide range of stakeholders.

1. Role and responsibilities

The Partnerships Coordinator is responsible for partnership management at the Area Office level in close coordination with the Area Programme Manager, Project Managers and Finance. Partnership Coordinator will keep partners informed of relevant donor compliance regulations, reporting deadlines, NRC procedures and will support partners with compliance and facilitate capacity sharing. This role is critical in achieving quality programming through effective partnerships management and support.
The following is a brief description of the role.

Generic responsibilities

1. Ensure adherence to NRC policies, handbooks, guidelines and procedures;
2. Support overview and maintenance of projects implemented with Partners at the area level, including providing helpdesk support to partners on compliance with NRC and donor requirements.
3. Support and coordinate the development of new partnership agreements and support with management of existing partnerships at Area Office level;
4. Represent NRC as the main focal point with partners at AO level on partnerships related and general issues and ensure timely and consistent communication flow between partners and NRC;
5. Contribute to PCM activities and use of NRC PCM framework working with Partners in the Area Office, including cross-cutting programme elements and M&E structures throughout all stages of the PCM;
6. Work with programme team to support mainstreaming safe and inclusive programming and do-no-harm into projects and activities;
7. Other duties as assigned by the Line Manager;

Specific responsibilities

These responsibilities shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of operation, strategic focus, and type of intervention. This section shall be revised whenever a new employee is hired or the context changes significantly.

Partnership mapping and tracking:
 Contribute to the exercise of mapping of local potential partners in the area and maintaining relations with existing partners.
 Ensure correct and up-to-date maintenance of Partnerships Tracker for the AO;
 Maintain filing and documentation of all AO partner projects and partnership documents as per the NRC Ukraine’s filing and information management systems;

Partnership management:

 Provide input to the development and implementation of NRC Ukraine overall strategy and operational methodology for engagement with public, private, and civil society stakeholders;
 Act as focal point for contracting and sub-granting issues to NRC’s partners at Area Office level;
 Coordinate organizational assessment and vetting of potential partners as per NRC Partnership toolkit
 Coordinate the development of project implementation agreements between new partners and NRC
 Support and facilitate communication and coordination between NRC and partners at the Area Office level;
 Ensure that NRC’s partners adhere to NRC requirements and ensure smooth project implementation by by providing the necessary support from NRC to the partners;
 Participate in ensuring a structured and consistent approach to partnerships in line with the Country Strategy and Partnership Strategy;
 Coordinate with the Media and Communication team for visibility of partnership in Ukraine, and update on the profile of the programme by reflecting stories and lessons learnt as relevant to the Area Office;
 Keep track of and support Area Programme Manager to ensure Area office level PCM meetings for projects implemented with partners (Project Opening Meetings, Review Meetings, Project Closure Meetings) are arranged and take place within expected timeframes, all mandatory internal documents are in place (internal logframe, internal budget, procurement plan, work-plan and M&E matrix); and actively follow up on outstanding related partnership issues.

General Administration:

 Ensure all key project and partnership documents are filed, updated, and maintained as per the NRC Ukraine’s filing and information management systems; 

 Support the Partnership Unit to ensure correct and up-to-date maintenance of Partnerships Tracker; 

 Assist the Partnership Unit as necessary, including representation and attendance at meetings as required, and coordination with teams to follow up on agreed action points.

Partnerships Compliance and Capacity sharing: 

 Be familiar with and support partner compliance with NRC internal and donor requirements and; Support monitoring of partner’s compliance to NRC’s and where applicable to specific donor’s requirements;
 Work actively with the protection, Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP), finance and logistics units to facilitate strong mainstreaming of core NRC principles and procedures across operational partners;
 Support with the identification of capacity development needs and coordinate systematic capacity sharing process between NRC and partners and vis-versa, by coordinating with technical NRC programme staff, and ensure that partners are receiving the necessary technical support needed. This could include organizing of training, coaching and mentoring;

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:
 Area Programme Managers, Area Support Mangers, Project Managers, Grants Manager, CO Grants Coordinators, Partnership Manager, Head of Programme Support Unit, Head of Programme, Finance, Logistics, Head of Support, Security, Core Competency Specialists and focal points, SIP and Advocacy team, and M&E;
 Focal points in partner organisations.

2. Competencies

Competencies are important for the employee and the organization to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies
These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies:
 3-5 years of experience in working in a humanitarian/recovery/human rights or development contexts;
 University degree combined with relevant professional background;
 Knowledge of humanitarian principles;
 Experience in managing and implementing programs in humanitarian contexts;
 Ability to work independently and proactively;
 Ability to prioritize work given multiple competing deadlines.

Context specific skills, knowledge, and experience:
 Solid understanding of the Ukrainian civil society;
 Excellent written and communication skills, networking, coordination, and facilitation skills;
 Excellent interpersonal skills, professional Excel, and reporting skills;
 Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision;
 Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts is an asset;
 Previous work experience with partners is an asset.
 Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities;
 Fluency in English and Ukrainian, both written and verbal.

2. Behavioural competencies

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, and the following are essential for this position:
 Managing resources to optimize results;
 Managing performance and development;
 Working with people;
 Handling insecure environments;
 Empowering and building trust;
 Analysing;
 Influencing.