Programme Officer - Peacebuilding and Governance

Location: Abuja, Nigeria 

Starting Salary: N15,241,952  

Contract: Fixed Term (12 Months)

Job Profile

This role contributes to CAFOD’s commitment to empowering local partners and communities to be at the forefront of peacebuilding and governance response. The purpose of the Peacebuilding and Governance Programme Officer’s role is to support selected national and local NGOs to strengthen their ability to prepare for, influence and implement quality peacebuilding and governance programmes. This includes supporting the delivery of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dutch MFA) funded project in Nigeria. This includes strengthening and accompanying local organisation’s across the following areas:

• Development of MEAL tools
• Community participation and engagement
• Managing relationships with partners involved in the project (leadership and governance)
• Systems updating and safekeeping
• External engagement (including fundraising, collaboration, advocacy and communications)
• Management of resources (tracking of partner budgets and reporting)

The Programme Officer - Peacebuilding and Governance is responsible for developing, implementing and representing CAFOD’s peacebuilding, governance, gender and climate change Programme in Nigeria. As part of this, the post-holder is responsible for managing the implementation JISRA project. The PO - Peacebuilding and Governance will work directly with CAFOD partners mainly in plateau and Kaduna states. These partners include DIWA/ DIN, JPRM and WIC. He/ she will also work with selected Caritas agencies and other partners. He/she will support partners to lead and coordinate their peacebuilding, governance, gender, and resilience work with CAFOD and other donors. The PO will provide ongoing mentoring, advice, and technical support to partners to strengthen their capacity. The post-holder will design, coordinate, and facilitate dialogue sessions, develop MEAL tools, and source specialist technical support as required. They will support partners to roll out intra-religious and inter-religious training with faith leaders, women and youths. They will seek and act upon opportunities for collaboration on peacebuilding, governance, gender, and climate change within CAFOD, with Caritas Internationalis member organisations (CIMOs) and other key stakeholders (INGOs, FBOs and CSOs). As partners are currently implementing JISRA programmes in Nigeria the post-holder will also be responsible for providing field level operational support and accompaniment to partners using a ‘learning by doing’ approach to coordination, monitoring and capacity strengthening.

The post-holder will be managed by the programme manager and based in Abuja and will travel frequently within the country. The post holder has no budget or line management responsibilities. Within CAFOD the post holder will work closely with programme staff in Nigeria and the International Programme Group. The post-holder will work closely with selected local partners, Caritas organisations and other humanitarian actors. The post-holder is required to demonstrate experience and expertise in working with partners and knowledge of above-mentioned thematic programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Provide Accompaniment and Capacity Strengthening Support to Partners (50%)

• Manage and coordinate the JISRA partners to develop, implement, review and report on their annual workplan and budget for Nigeria.
• Encourage partners to take on the leadership of FORB work within Kaduna and Plateau states.
• Identify opportunities for exchange and knowledge sharing.
• Support selected partners to improve organisational MEAL systems, procedures and practice and incorporate these within their JISRA programme.
• Develop and use monitoring frameworks and tools, including records of change, to review, adapt and share learning and support learning reviews as required.
• Work with CAFOD’s SADI focal points to support partners on safeguarding, including complaints handling.
• Facilitate JISRA project planning workshops and support overall implementation of project in Nigeria.
• Work with CAFOD’s programme staff to integrate key thematic initiatives including environmental stewardship, livelihoods, peacebuilding and governance, protection mainstreaming, gender and inclusion.
• Lead and support partners on the development of peacebuilding, gender and climate change funding proposals.

Lead and support effective relationships with partners (20%)

• Develop, nurture and manage relationships with CAFOD’s partner organisations in line with the principles and standards set in our Partnership Policy, guidance and tools, and in agreement with the Programme Manager; This includes partnerships arising from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded project.
• Work with partners to regularly assess the quality of the relationship, ensuring that effective communication channels are in place, and that any shortcomings are addressed;
• Invest in partners’ capacities, by jointly identifying needs, developing plans to strengthen capacities, identifying sources of support, and allocating resources.
• Support partners in accessing the tools and support required to successfully implement JISRA project;
• Organize (and where relevant accompany) partners’ visits.

Internal and external representation (15%)

• In co-ordination with the Country Representative develop, nurture and sustain relationships and effective communications with relevant stakeholders, partners, local government, state and national networks and other agencies working in Nigeria on peace-building, governance and climate change, as well as other sectors to ensure multisector integration and collaborative complementarity.
• Represent CAFOD in JISRA governance structures, and other coordination meetings where applicable;
• Communicate with other teams within CAFOD to ensure that the programme, including the JISRA and other projects is well understood, and that information is available for fundraising and other communication, including publications, media briefings, education, etc. This may involve participation in sessions/events with Supporters, communities of practice, working groups, etc., as agreed with the relevant manager.

Support to International Programmes (IP) and systems upkeeping (15%)

• Work closely with IP staff in Nigeria and globally to share programmatic expertise and learning, coordinate support to partners and identify opportunities for partners to put learning into practice.
• Provide technical support to partners and CAFOD staff in Nigeria and globally in peacebuilding, governance and any other area of expertise, such as gender and resilience.
• Actively participate in relevant team and thematic meetings
• Effectively use CAFOD’s programmatic management information systems to ensure programme and project information is up to date.

This job involves frequent travel within Nigeria and to undertake the above tasks in locations worldwide, sometimes in insecure environments and at short notice. This may include blocks of up to 4 weeks travel (and in exceptional circumstances and in agreement occasionally for longer periods).

Safeguarding

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Your role is responsible for ensuring that the programming work you are accountable for is safe, accessible, dignified and inclusive, providing ongoing support and follow-up to our partners in this area.

Job-specific competencies

1. Proven successes in working with local organisations in capacity strengthening, particularly in advocacy on peacebuilding related matters.
2. Proven experience in designing and facilitating participatory learning processes.
3. Proven experience of successfully implementing peacebuilding, governance, gender, and resilience programmes.
4. Sound understanding of peacebuilding and governance programme quality and ability to skill up rapidly in new areas.
5. Proven experience in financial management.
6. Understanding of and ability to influence others to incorporate programme quality in their work, including: accountability, safeguarding, environmental sustainability, gender, inclusion and protection mainstreaming.
7. Strong communication and negotiation skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Understanding of the local context and ability to speak local languages.
• Able and willing to travel for up to 4 months annually within Nigeria and overseas (usually 1-to-2-week trips). This may involve occasional travel at short notice and to potentially insecure and difficult environments. 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues. 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits