Oxfam recrute pour ces 2 postes (03 Novembre 2021)

JOB PURPOSE :

The Research, Policy and Innovation Advisor will support the better practice of the programme by Oxfam in Senegal and other actors through undertaking and supporting research that generates evidence, knowledge and innovation that is taken up and used by practitioners (programme and influencing staff).

The post holder will get information from the research and innovative practices that is taking place across the region and that has a link with Senegal. S/he will undertak new research and ensure coherence, quality control and responsiveness to MEAL and uptake into practice and facilitating flow of research between external actors and Oxfam.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management) :

• Build capacities of programme and policy teams on research and policy analysis skills and methodologies, and to provide dedicated support to national-level policy work ;
• To provide support to country programmes to develop effective policy and research papers that meet high standards ;
• Coordinate with country teams on the delivery of agreed annual research priorities and supporting country teams or provide support in managing commissioned research ;
• Coordinate research work with external consultants to be aligned with Oxfam ;
• Support campaign leads on the development of policy positions for Senegal country and the West Africa region on key poverty and inequality issues and help produce research and policy materials in support of existing campaigns, as well as to help scope future work ;
• Ensure that key Oxfam priorities, especially issues relating to gender, are supported by rigorous research at all levels ;
• Develop and deliver a research strategy that supports the national and regional strategies, as well as wider organisational programme, campaigning and policy priorities ;
• Monitor major external economic, poverty, social development and vulnerability trends in the West Africa region, and provide regular updates and written briefings on relevant issues to programme staff and senior management in order to support programme and policy advocacy work, and promote strategic and innovative thinking ;
• To monitor influential research produced by others (e.g. Governments, UN agencies, IFIs, research institutes etc) relevant to Oxfam’s interest and provide timely written critiques and responses where appropriate ;
• To develope strategic partnership for Oxfam Senegal to be able to deliver research/studies with key partners when it makes sense as well as to establish and maintain relationships with key policy think tanks, academic and research institutions in the country and the region and draw external expertise or develop partnership for Oxfam’s policy and research work ;
• To engage in high level lobbying and represent Oxfam in Senegal at critical policy and research forums when appropriate ;
• To ensure high standards are met in Oxfam public research and policy briefs in Senegal ;
• To work and collaborate effectively with other key staff in the Country, notably the campaigns and policy team and regional research and policy team. To collaboration with other internal research/policy colleagues within the confederation at OI and affiliates levels ;
• To serve as the primary focal point for in terms of country policy and research in order to maximise synergies between country research priorities and regional capacity, as well as linking with Oxfam International colleagues regionally and internationally as relevant ;
• Set up the framework conditions so that innovation is encouraged in the organization and can take place successfully. Specifically, this involves an analysis of the opportunities, risks, strengths and weaknesses, as well as the derivation of important issues of the future and the purpose and vision of what we want to achieve with innovation. All this leads to the innovation strategy ;
• To develop and implement a fundraising strategy to attract sustainable resources for research work in Senegal.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES :

ESSENTIAL :

• Self-awareness : We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes ;
• Influencing. Ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization. Spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities, we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner ;
• Relationship Building. Understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. Ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation ;
• Listening. Good listener who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Clear messages to others, and consider different preferences.

In addition :

• A strong thinker on development, humanitarian and poverty issues, with a proven track record of producing high quality research ;
• Skilled in isolating viable research questions from highly complex situations; can quickly assemble a comprehensive overview of secondary data and present an insightful synthesis ;
• Ability to rapidly and accurately assess the comparative quality of quantitative research and triangulate between findings. Able to design robust quantitative data collection processes, including sampling strategies. Familiar with main statistical software packages and their use in analysis ;
• Expert and confident facilitator of group processes, even on sensitive issues. Able to train others and lead research teams. Can apply a range of established methods of qualitative data analysis ;
• Understands the major ethical issues in research, including the legal framework and process around research in Senegal ;
• Proven experience in policy analysis and production of policy briefing papers based on evidence and research ;
• Experience in communicate and exchange with other researchers and be part of research projects, ensuring high standards of delivery ;
• Strong understanding of and proven commitment to gender and diversity issues ;
• Demonstrates ability to identify and implement opportunities for innovation ;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French ;
• A sound grasp of issues relating to economic justice and social justice as they relate to poverty and development ;
• Experience in lobbying and playing representational roles ;
• A well-developed network of relevant academic and applied research contacts.

Desirable : Experience of work in an international organization like Oxfam is an asset.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE :

The ONE Programme approach will be ensured by this department building coherence of the influencing work across the country and the subregion. Leading on support to the delivery and learning on the core, shared and emerging thematic priorities under the strategic thematic goals of the Oxfam in Senegal horizon plan. The Programmes and Influencing department will look at the transformative partnerships, as well as programme quality, learning and accountability.

TEAM PURPOSE :

The programmes and influence team will ensure the programmes make the proper shift, with the quality needed and taking into account all the technologies advantages to ensure the achievement of the Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) that will build the Influencing Hub in the region.

JOB PURPOSE :

The Social Justice Programme Manager role will have as a main purpose to lead the planning, coordination, follow up and implementation of the country strategy focus on the Social Justice sector and aligning in concrete action with the Economic Justice, gender and influencing strategies; respecting the Oxfam quality standards and building strategic relationships with partners and other stakeholders, facilitating the management of knowledge and assuring the financial sustainability and quality of the projects and programme. The use of technologies will be an opportunity that will make the programme grow and improve its impact.

JOB REPORTS TO :

Line management : Head of Programmes and Influencing

Matrix management. NA

ROLES REPORTING TO THIS JOB : Social Justice Officer

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY :

GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE : Whole country

IMPACT : The impact of this post is significant, mainly within Senegal country i.e. less than 5% of the overall Oxfam. The post is mainly providing complex specialist knowledge.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management) :

Programme Strategy, planning and monitoring :

• Develop a strategic planning that has real impact on the lives of vulnerable communities based on a good political context analysis ;
• Lead and coordinate the design of the framework for the Social Justice pillar assuring the relevance of the interventions at the strategic and operational level aligning them to the country and regional strategic priorities ;
• Work closely with the Economic Justice Programme Managers and Advocacy and Campaigns Manager to ensure the delivery of the programmes with the standards required according to the OCS ;
• Advocate towards the local and national governments in terms of putting proper systems in place to support and align with the programme ;
• Promote innovations and influence (evidence-based influencing) on-going government programmes ;
• Assure the quality and relevance of the interventions to the global country strategy ;
• Support Oxfam partners and allies on the influence with national and regional government responsible to give adequate responses to the situation in country ;
• Analyse and foresee the initiation or evolving of disasters and or/conflicts analysing and communicating effectively the information and the elements of early warning in order to give accurate inputs to the programme plan to prepare the answers to the needs of the affected population ;
• Be the focal point and internal responsible for the analysis and for the proposals related to the Social Justice programme ;
• In terms of critical thinking and analysis, engage with data, challenge biases and assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed programmatic decisions ;
• Assure that women rights are in the core of the programme strategy and to assure the implementation of the gender approach in the programme ;
• Working together with the Advocacy and Campaign Manager, design, coordinate and implement the influencing strategy toward the national and international spaces ;
• Lead and coordinate with the influencing team, the influence plan for the programme as well as the knowledge management, systematisation of learning’s and the share of the information to the relevant actors, partners, Oxfam team and to campaign or advocacy actions when possible ;
• Supervise the quality of the partner’s proposals and to follow up the management of the programme and Project cycle established by Oxfam under the standards and performance indicators assuring the development and achievement of the programme ;
• Represent Oxfam in different spaces and to develop good relations with the government and the private sector at different levels, with donors and other actors ;
• Assure relevant and up to date information about essential services, resilience, adaptation, food security, and humanitarian response to the other Oxfam teams ;
• Manage and to supervise the strategic investment of the area and the assigned budget ;
• Assure the correct implementation of the partnership policy.

Funding :

• Design quality proposals in coordination with the Grants team ;
• Coordinate and to follow up the funding plan for the programme according to the country funding plan ;
• Develop relationship with donors.

Active participation in regional and global forum :

• Contribute and to influence in the regional and global spaces of intervention ;
• Participate in meetings and to maintain regular communication with responsible of the OI Regional Platform in order to articulate efforts in common issues and to contribute to the OI global agenda ;
• Participate in the relevant activities of the relevant knowledge hubs to disseminate in the country the framework and policies of OI.

People development and management :

• Ensures that team members have access to staff development opportunities, identifies and addresses capacity gaps and provides ongoing counselling and support team members ;
• Manage and support the direct team to deliver on the OCS, providing leadership, inspiration and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures ;
• With support from Human Resources unit, manages the life cycle of individuals within the team from pre-recruitment to exit, including performance management processes, people’s development and working with HR on issues such as disciplinary matters among others.

CORE DIMENSIONS (see Standard Role Profiles) :

Scale of responsibilities & programme :

• Overall management of programme and staff (1) ;
• Partnership management (partners and donors) ;
• Programme budget – restricted and unrestricted.

Scope & complexity of programme :

• Programme development including advocacy and campaigning elements ;
• Range of programme components – development of long-term strategy, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, policy advocacy ;
• More than 1 donor; and various partners.

Degree of risk/impact :

• Strategically important to Oxfam – level of caution required in dealing with government officials and Donors.
• Impact on other programmes and on Oxfam Profile.
• Impact of programme direction in Senegal and on the region and on Oxfam.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES :

ESSENTIAL :

• Influencing. Ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization. Spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner ;
• Self-awareness : Able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes ;
• Relationship Building. Understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. Ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation ;
• Enabling. Work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. Passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  Provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support ;
• Strategic Thinking and Judgement: Ability to think strategically, work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner. 

In addition :

• Master from a recognized university / college in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, and Development   or other areas that bring an added value to the related job ;
• Relevant experience on projects and programmes management with an approach of resilience in livelihood, particularly focusing on climate change, in an international NGO and with supervisory/managerial experience ;
• A proven record of designing, managing and reporting on complex programmes across dispersed locations and various implementing partners ;
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of development programmes, humanitarian response and advocacy and campaigning ;
• Proven experience of working with women organisations and youth movements ;
• Commitment to and knowledge of creating and influencing a partner-led operational environment, with an ability to create an internal Oxfam approach that is focussed on developing and supporting partner organisations to achieve direct impact and results relating to Oxfam’s objectives ;
• A proven ability to manage complex partner relationships respecting partners’ autonomy while ensuring project delivery ;
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans ;
• Proven analytical and conceptual thinking, high level research, project management knowledge and skills and experience using participatory tools and methodologies for assessment, programme identification, implementation, monitoring and evaluation ;
• Knowledge of, and experience in working with donors. Financial and donor contract management skills ;
• Demonstrated collaborative approach including working with Government officials with good negotiation skills, diplomacy and tact ;
• Strong knowledge of the political, social and economical context of the country and the key actors at national/regional level ;
• Strong organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through ;
• Influencing experience and ability to develop organisational networks and associations ;
• Ability to represent the programme externally professionally.

Desirable : Knowledge of other Senegalese languages would be an asset.

SAFER RECRUITMENT :

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.