National Field Coordinator At United Nations Population Fund

Opening for Consultancy

Job Title: National Field Coordinator

Contract type: Individual Consultant (IC)

Closing date: 24 February 2023 (5pm-South Sudan Time)

Duration: 3 months*

Duty Station: Wau (Western Bahr el Ghazal), South Sudan

Purpose of consultancy:

South Sudan has made some progress, albeit slow, in improving the health of women, newborns, children South Sudan and its people continue to reel from the impacts of years of conflict, insecurity, frequent disease outbreaks and limited development investment. The Covid-19 experience and flooding in most parts of the country have aggravated the humanitarian situation. Some 9.4 million people need humanitarian assistance. Almost half of all counties have a convergence of high needs related to health, food insecurity and protection issues. Women and girls remain vulnerable to various forms of gender-based violence including rape and declining access to reproductive health information and services. Presently only 45% of the health facilities are functional. UNFPA is responding to the complex humanitarian situation through provision of SRH and GBV across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. To deliver these interventions effectively, UNFPA works with partners at the national and sub-national levels. UNFPA has field Hubs in Wau, Malakal, and Bentiu to coordinate UNFPA SRH and GBV interventions and engage with partners. The National Field Coordinator (NFC) based in Wau is the overall leadership and programmatic technical lead in the Hub and reports to the Emergency Coordinator at the national level.

The NFC has a dual role. S/he is plays a key role in the implementation of the Country Programme as well as playing a leadership role with the Programme team in the Wau Humanitarian Hub. The NFC substantively contributes to the management of UNFPA activities in the Greater Bahr El Ghazal (Western Bahr-El Ghazal, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap and Lakes states). S/he oversees UNFPA’s work in the areas of population and development, reproductive health, and GBV/gender. Acting as a coordinator, the NFC proactively provides the Emergency Coordinator and entire CO Senior Management information on the achievement of results in the implementation of UNFPA development and humanitarian programmes in the location. S/he also serves as GBV AoR coordinator in Wau Humanitarian Hub

Scope of work

• Disseminates substantive knowledge on population and development, reproductive health and gender issues in the location.
• Assesses technical assistance needs in the states and advises on suitability of programmes and projects to meet these needs.
• Addresses policy issues and provides substantive inputs to facilitate policy dialogue and incorporation of these policies into local plans and strategies.
• Provides substantive leadership and inputs into the design and formulation of humanitarian and development programmes and projects translating UNFPA’s mandate and strategic priorities into local interventions and responding to local Government plans and priorities.
• Introduces into the project formulation process the results of programme and project reviews and evaluations, best practices, as well as innovative strategies, approaches and policies.
• Advises and reports on achievement of programme and project results, proactively measuring substantive progress using clear monitoring and measuring mechanisms and tools.
• Leads UNFPA humanitarian and development programme and project implementation in the Greater Bahr El- Ghazal, guiding and orienting executing agencies and project personnel, and introducing effective modalities and practices of implementation.
• Creates and documents knowledge by evaluating programmes, projects and ongoing experience for lessons learned, best practices and replicable strategies and approaches and actively shares and applies this knowledge. Creates mechanisms to collect and share knowledge.
• Analyzes reproductive health and gender issues in the greater Hub area to provide substantive inputs to institutional responses and advocacy strategies, taking into account political and social sensitivities.
• Leads and ensures the functioning of the GBV AoR coordination in partnership with the MoGCSW, State level GBV AoR co-coordintor, and other GBV partners.
• Takes the opportunity to advocate and advance UNFPA’s agenda by participating in public information events.
• Ensure inclusion of RH, GBV, and gender concerns in joint missions and other rapid assessments in close collaboration with RH and GBV officers. Undertake missions and assessments as appropriate to recommend strategic approaches and to address issues, such as RH, HIV/AIDS, gender, GBV, mental health and psychosocial issues, data and young people.
• Identify areas of collaboration with humanitarian agencies and national counterparts to address RH, HIV/AIDS, youth, gender and GBV issues in their plans, and programmes.
• Liaise with community organizations, faith-based organizations, and community leaders to increase their participation in the process of planning, monitoring, and evaluating activities.
• Ensure inclusion of UNFPA mandate through participation in existing Clusters, and/or, if appropriate, assist in the establishment of working groups to address RH, GBV and gender.
• Liaise with other sectors/Clusters (such as health, protection, WASH, camp management, education, logistics, early recovery) to ensure inclusion of UNFPA’s mandate.
• Contributes to resource mobilization strategy by analyzing information on potential donors, preparing substantive briefs and project proposals in line with donor priorities, creating feedback mechanisms and providing information on the progress of donor-funded projects. Identifies opportunities for cost-sharing.

Expected Deliverables

The NFC establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with counterparts in the local government and civil society to address emerging issues and facilitate programme delivery.

• Internal contacts include the Representative, Deputy Representative, the Humanitarian Emergency Coordinator, the CO’s Programme/Technical team, and the Operations team.
• External contacts include other UN agencies in the Hub catchment area, and counterparts as well as partners in Country programme activities, including international NGOs, experts, etc.

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements.

Education:

Advanced degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management, or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of Humanitarian and development activities, preferably in field coordination, programme/ project design, appraisal, and management.
• Prior experience implementing the Minimum Initial services package for SRH is a plus.
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships.

Languages:

• Fluent in written and spoken English, knowledge of Arabic will be an asset.

Competencies

Values:

Core Competencies:

Managerial Competencies:

Functional Skill Set:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating a commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change
• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Developing and applying professional expertise/ business acumen
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/ managing ourselves and our relationships
• Communicating for impact
• Providing strategic focus
• Engaging internal/ external partners and stakeholders
• Leading, developing and empowering people/ creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment
• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering a results-based programme
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization