Programme Officer Migration and Protection 100%

Embassy of Switzerland in Kenya

International Cooperation Division, Embassy of Switzerland in Nairobi

The Swiss Government-supported Regional Cooperation Programme Horn of Africa 2022-2025 (RPHoA) focuses on Somalia and the arid and semi-arid lands of South-Eastern Ethiopia and North-Eastern Kenya. In the frame of its Cooperation Programme, Switzerland supports programmes and projects in the four sectors food security, health, governance and migration/protection. The overall aim of the Swiss Cooperation Programme is to contribute to the reduction of poverty, improve human security and stability, while also addressing migration challenges. The programme is designed as a whole of government approach, in which different departments of the Swiss Government are closely collaborating. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), being a directorate of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, has International Cooperation (IC) teams based at the Swiss Embassies in Nairobi and Addis Ababa in charge of managing the development-, humanitarian- and peace-related programmes and projects of the RPHoA (triple nexus). These are implemented through a variety of partners (i.e. UN agencies, IGAD, international and national NGOs, government institutions, etc.), using different instruments (humanitarian aid, development cooperation, policy dialogue) and intervention modalities (bilateral and multilateral mandates or contributions, pooled funds, deployments of experts etc.). Policy dialogue at national and regional level, donor coordination, aid effectiveness principles in fragile and conflict-affected contexts (New Deal and OECD principles on engagement in fragile contexts), as well as humanitarian principles and protection of civilians are systematically promoted.

The Migration/Protection National Programme Officer (NPO) supports the International Cooperation Office (IC office) in ensuring the quality and result orientation of its Migration and Protection programme portfolio with a particular focus on protection and assistance of displaced persons (internally displaced persons, refugees and migrants) and host communities and search for durable and /or localized solutions in the region with a focus on Kenya and Somalia.

Job Purpose

The IC team is looking for someone who will be responsible for the management (incl. finances) of SDC-supported migration and protection programmes, which includes a close collaboration with the SDC’s bilateral and multilateral implementing partners in the planning, implementation and monitoring processes of projects and programmes in the Horn of Africa (HoA). A dynamic and adaptive professional who thrives in an agile environment, embracing collaborative learning, and who is passionate about leveraging technology for effective project management. The incumbent will be a champion of a data-driven approach and be instrumental in fostering accountability through the seamless integration of advanced tools into PCM. As a SDC representative, s/he will play an active role in representing Switzerland in the dialogue with and coordination of international donors, government authorities, and other relevant stakeholders in the migration and protection sector at national (Kenya) and regional level.

Main Tasks

Project and Programme

• Ensure, in accordance with SDC principles and quality standards, a sound operational and financial management of SDC-supported migration and protection programmes, including planning, risk assessments, preparation of required documentation for approval (EP/CP etc.), contractual compliance (incl. negotiation of contracts), implementation, M&E, financial/operational audits (PCM), and contribute to internal annual reporting and planning;

• Support the IC team in ensuring the quality and result orientation of the migration and protection portfolio with a particular focus on durable solutions in Kenya (i.e. GoK Shirika Plan), Somalia and Ethiopia;

• Organize periodical field visits (incl. joint visits with IC team HoA / SDC Global Programme Migration and Development) to plan, monitor and evaluate SDC supported projects and programmes;

• Continuously analyse and document information about the humanitarian, development, social and security relevant context and translate it into conclusions for the Swiss programming in the HoA, including identification and analysis of potentially new and innovative migration and protection engagements in the region (i.e. inclusive financial products, impact-linked finance, private sector involvement), jointly with the migration and protection team in the Horn (Addis/Nairobi).

• In a volatile and fragile context, ensure an effective conflict-, risk- and gender-sensitive programming approach of implementing partners, including effective reporting, and promote the integration of climate, environment and disaster risk reduction as crosscutting themes;

  Support to Dialogue

• Support Deputy/Head of International Cooperation in their dialogues with migration and protection partners.

• Represent SDC in donor coordination fora relevant to the RPHoA.

• Help defining and shaping programmatic and policy dialogue with relevant government authorities at county, national and regional level, as well as multilateral partner agencies including the UN, World Bank and ICRC/IFRC/Red Cross-Crescent Movement.

  Support to Knowledge Management

• Maintain a network of relevant migration and protection stakeholders (government, civil society, UN, WB, private sector etc.) to inform context analysis, policy dialogue and program planning, etc.;

• Convene, organize and facilitate dialogue, knowledge sharing and joint learning with implementing partners, within the Embassy, and as an active member of the SDC Migration and Protection Network.

• Filing (K-drive and hard copies) of all documents related to the portfolio including meeting reports, documents and relevant correspondence.

Other tasks

• Active engagement with and substitution of colleagues in the larger (migration and protection) team.
• Actively support organizing periodic high-level field visits.
• Any further tasks upon request and in consultation with the direct superior.

Required Education, Experience and Competencies

• Master’s Degree in a field relevant to development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid.
• A minimum of 10 years work experience in development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid in the field of Migration and Protection in the HoA (incl. Somalia), preferably with an international NGO, UN agency, embassy or similar organizations.
• Experience in collaborating with national/local government authorities, multilateral agencies and other development relevant stakeholders (UN, IFI’s, IGAD, etc.) and the private sector and good understanding of and previous exposure to development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid in the HoA, especially in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL).
• Proven experience with Project Cycle Management (operational and financial planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects), CSPM, gender sensitive and adaptive programming.
• Excellent understanding of the social, economic, and political context of Somalia, northern Kenya and the wider HoA, and ability to capture political and social dimensions of displacement.
• Entrepreneurial thinking and experience in dealing with the Private Sector is an asset.
• Good understanding of national and international policy agendas in the HoA in the fields of development cooperation and humanitarian aid, as formulated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), national governments, the UN and other relevant national or regional organizations.
• Proficiency in full Microsoft office suite.
• Fluency in English language, written and spoken and knowledge of local languages (particularly Somali and/or Borana) is an asset.
• Knowledge of a Swiss national language (German, French or Italian) is an asset.

Required Skills

• Highly motivated, committed and team minded.
• Good networking skills and the ability to deal effectively and in a diplomatic manner at all levels.
• Ability to multitask, capable of learning fast, adaptive.
• Ability to work in a team/or independently and to deliver quality work results on time and under pressure.
• Ability to establish trusted partnerships with Swiss partners.
• Good diplomatic communication skills and team player.
• Excellent organizational-, communication-, presentation and writing skills.
• Precise, dynamic, high level of integrity and loyalty.
• Strong analytical capacity.
• Strong service and customer orientation