Senior Programme Officer � Content (Somali Programme)

Interpeace Interpeace, a Swiss non-profit organisation, works in close partnership with national partner organizations and the UN, with the aim of building lasting peace. Interpeace has a two-fold mandate: (i) to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion; and (ii) to assist the international community (and in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social and political cohesion.
Job title: Senior Programme Officer – Content (Somali Programme)
Date of Issuance: January 2011
Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya
Closing: This position will remain open until filled.

Interpeace, a Swiss non-profit organisation, works in close partnership with national partner organizations and the UN, with the aim of building lasting peace. Interpeace has a two-fold mandate: (i) to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion; and (ii) to assist the international community (and in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social and political cohesion.

Chaired by former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, and headquartered in Geneva, Interpeace is supported by bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private funding. The organization is currently active in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The Interpeace Somali programme is Interpeace’s largest programme in the world. The complex nature of the Somali region, which Interpeace has been engaged in for almost 15 years, requires engaged, connected thinking outside the box. There are significant opportunities for impact in the field of peacebuilding in the Somali region and Interpeace is well-positioned to continue to be a leading voice, with its three local partners, in how to deepen the roots of peace and stability in this deeply fractured state.

General Position Summary:

The Senior Programme Officer – Content (SPO-N), joins the Regional Director for Eastern and Central Africa (RD-ECA) and the Senior Programme Officer – Context (SPO-X) as a member of the senior management team for the Somali Programme. The SPO-N and the SPO-X will provide co-leadership for the programme, recognizing the strategic need to be guided contextually by the SPO-X. Furthermore, a strong collaborative and horizontal approach to programme delivery and reporting will be maintained between the RD-ECA, the SPO-N, the SPO-X the Programme Officer-Gender (POG), the Programme Officer (PO) and the Reports and Information Officer (RIO) in the programme delivery and reporting. The SPO-N’s emphasis in this co-leadership position will be on Interpeace’s programmatic content. In this capacity, he/she will also be the key conduit for shaping and disseminating Interpeace’s reconciliation and peacebuilding work to key stakeholders.
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The SPO-N is co-responsible for ensuring that the work of the Interpeace Somali programme is coherent, well planned, and in line with the direction and commitments of the Interpeace Somali partners. Together with the SPO-X, the SPO-N will continually monitor and assess the Somali programme to ensure its effectiveness and its adherence to agreed programme deliverables and budgets. The strategic capturing and sharing of content with stakeholders and funding partners, to optimize impact, will be a key aspect of this position, guided in context by the SPO-X and supported in reporting by the PO-G, the PO and the RIO. The SPO-N will collaborate with the SPO-X in the supervision of the PO-G, the PO and the RIO, who all play key roles in working closely with the Somali partners to delivery effective, impacting programming and to capture and disseminate the processes and results of the programme.
As indicated above, the Interpeace Somali Programme operates on a horizontal rather than a hierarchical vertical approach within the senior management team of the programme. The SPO-N serves as the key Somali programme focal point between the senior management team and all external actors. The SPO-N reports to the Regional Director. The post of SPO-N is based in Nairobi, and involves extensive travel to the field.

Duties and responsibilities:
1. Provide methodological and programmatic guidance and operational support for field activities by Interpeace and its Somali partner organisations , specifically with respect to the content of the work. This includes, but is not limited to, developing and nurturing a clear understanding throughout the Interpeace Somali programme of the programme of work.
2. Review written products of the Interpeace Somali Programme and provide quality control, delegating tasks relating to content and quality as appropriate
3. In conjunction with the senior management team and in support of the partner organisations, develop programme proposals including log frames and budgets (with support from the Interpeace Finance Manager) according to the specific donor requirements.
4. Monitor Somali partner activities in collaboration with the SPO-X and with support from the rest of the Somali programme team, to ensure the progress is being made in line with programme design and expectations.
5. Lead and support technical initiatives aimed at strengthening the Somali partners’ capacities to better research, capture and disseminate the content of the programme.
6. Monitor Somali partner activities and budgets in collaboration with the SPO-X and with support from the rest of the Somali programme team (and the Interpeace Finance Manager), to ensure the progress is being made in line with programme design and expectations and is within the budgets of the programme.
7. Co- authorize (along with the SPO-X) the Somali partners activity requests to ensure that they are substantively in line with the programme, and financially in line with approved budgets and available donor funding.
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8. Oversee the collection, compilation and dissemination of both contractual and strategic reporting.
9. In conjunction with the senior management team, ensure the development of work plans/change matrixes for all field components of the programme and play a strong supporting role towards the partner’s efforts in this regard.
10. Ensure that reflection and learning takes place regularly with regard to programme process and development, methodological adaptations and generally on the topics under study
11. Utilize substantive relations vis-?-vis key Somali stakeholders throughout Somalia, Kenya and the Somali diaspora, in both informing and disseminating Interpeace Somali’s programme of work.
12. Establish new and maintain existing relations with key international actors in Nairobi and strategically engage these actors in the work of Interpeace
13. Ensure the timely meetings of the Programme Support Group (donor stakeholder group)
14. Develop emerging thematic competences, programme and process knowledge that can be used not only for the Interpeace Somali programme but could also be shared with and incorporated into the work of Interpeace in its other programmes of work.
15. Maintain close liaison with team members in the Regional Office to ensure that all Interpeace staff in the Nairobi office are regularly briefed on Somali programme activities.

Knowledge and Experience:
• Graduate or post-graduate university degree in social or political science.
• At least ten years of field experience in political, developmental and/or humanitarian work.
• Knowledge of and experience in Somalia / Somaliland.
• Understanding of how to integrate research and political analysis into actionable peace building initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution, external relations, proposal writing, and training.
• Strong writing and communications skills in English; with Somali and French considered a plus.
• Strong commitment to supporting local peace building initiatives and to the strategic position of Interpeace.
• Strong sense of responsibility, professionalism and thoroughness.
• A willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed (up to 33% of the time).
Success Factors:
• Creative team player with an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible
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