Deadline: 08 March, 2022,

Location: Yaounde, Cameroon

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is seeking to fill the role of Forum Coordinator.

NRC provides assistance, protection and durable solutions to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide.

Responsibilities

• With the support of the chairman of the steering committee, enable INGOs to coordinate at strategic and operational level by facilitating high quality, regular meetings of country directors, area managers, and thematic working groups
• Ensure drafting of relevant agenda, timely minutes of meetings and follow-up on action points
• Support field coordination of INGOs through facilitation of regular meetings between area managers in the different regions affected by humanitarian crisis
• Facilitate effective information flow between field-level realities and capital-level coordination in Yaounde
• Participate in important policy and planning processes underway at the UN level that requires field-level operational inputs from INGOs
• Provide a regular and reliable conduit for the UN, government, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with NGOs
• Meet regularly with governmental stakeholders, organise workshop on key thematic areas to inform and promote INGOs operations and humanitarian principles
• Increase and enhance INGO engagement with national NGOs and civil society organisations to identify potential joint actions
• Actively represent INGO forum members in senior humanitarian and development platforms, and ensure the dissemination of high quality written feedback
• Regularly network and represent the INGO community at high-level forums and bilateral meetings, including with UN, donors, member states, government, stakeholders and civil society organisations
• Work effectively with delegated representatives of the INGO forum (steering committee and INGO representatives in the HCT) and ensure accountability to members
• Represent INGO forum members at national, regional, global meetings and raise members’ advocacy messages and key priorities by participating in high level panel discussions, round tables, etc
• Convene, draft agenda and meetings of advocacy working group
• Lead in drafting humanitarian updates, policy briefs, and talking points on the humanitarian situation, seeking inputs from CHINGO members in line with collective views of INGO forum members on topics of concern
• Collect, analyse and share information from members to develop evidence-based advocacy
• Stay informed and engaged on opportunities to further advocacy objectives
• Liaise with other INGO forum to share information and develop joint positions on common critical issues
• Lead in drafting newsletters to inform partners and wider audience on INGOs operations in Cameroon
• Act as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among NGOs on relevant issues, including forum membership, contact lists and mailing lists
• Identify strategies to support INGOs to work collaboratively and in a principled manner that places the needs and interests of affected populations at the centre
• Stay informed about political, humanitarian and security contexts while providing structured updates to CHINGO members
• Ensure timely response to requests for help and information from member organisations, non-member organisations and other stakeholders such as donors, governments and UN agencies
• Share quality minutes of a wide range of meetings on humanitarian and development issues pertaining to INGOs mandate and operations in Cameroon
• Support analysis and research work into prevailing humanitarian and development issues in Cameroon
• Organise and deliver trainings for INGOs staff and their partners on relevant identified topics
• Ensure high quality INGO forum donor reporting and proposal development, as well as donor liaison on key areas of progress in collaboration with the chairman and host agency
• Report back to steering committee on project activity progress, expenditure and plans
• Build and maintain a productive relationship with the host agency
• Manage CHINGO programme officer including regular performance appraisals
• Conduct annual satisfaction surveys about the activities of the forum secretariat
• Organise annual forum retreat and update forum strategy accordingly
• Ensure smooth running of the governance model of the INGO forum and, where required, make recommendations for changes

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Social Sciences, International Development or a related technical field; or undergraduate degree with significant field experience in complex humanitarian contexts
• Five years, minimum, of demonstrated experience in managing humanitarian emergency responses in conflict contexts
• Demonstrated experience of coordination in complex emergencies and/or active engagement in high level humanitarian coordination structures
• Knowledge and understanding of key thematic priority areas
• Proven relationship-building skills and ability to facilitate common space between disparate views and agendas
• Experience in developing advocacy strategies and stakeholder maps
• Excellent writing, editing and analytical skills and ability to formulate well-targeted strategic documents
• Written and spoken fluency in both French and English
• Experience in managing INGO consortia/forums (desirable)

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: NRC