Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) (www.refugeecouncil.fi) is an international non-governmental organization with Head Office in Helsinki. FRC advocates for the rights of refugees, displaced populations and migrants, and supports their new beginnings. By reinforcing equality and creating opportunities for everyone to lead a good life, FRC promotes the establishment of stable and peaceful societies.

Position Summary:

The main responsibility of this position is to carry out all aspects of program delivery with respect to multipurpose cash transfers response to conflict-affected communities in the region. The position is responsible for identifying priority needs; targeting communities affected by the conflict (mainly IDPs, returnees and host communities); conducting verification assessments; designing and conducting market assessments; designing and conducting post-distribution monitoring (PDM). The post holder is expected to work closely and in strong engagement with the community, local implementing partners, local government leaders and be an active participant and contributor to the Cash Working Group or related coordination and learning mechanisms

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• implement operational elements of cash transfer program activities, with the support of the line manager and program teams ensuring there is a strong link of cash in humanitarian intervention and leading to recovery and development. The post holder is therefore expected to build a strong case in cash transfer and livelihood recovery.
• Leads the process of identifying beneficiary communities/targeting based on robust and participatory criteria, and implements cash transfer project at grass root level following FRC SOP for cash
• Maintain master beneficiaries’ list/ database with detailed information.
• Responsible for establishing and supervising cash delivery mechanisms for FRC in the designated project area.
• Assess the most feasible cash transfer system for the target community and inform the leadership for implementation.
• Conduct market assessments on a regular basis for the most consumable pre-identified products on a regular basis and produce reports to inform decisions.
• Ensure that narratives and financial reporting are delivered in accordance with FRC as well as donor contractual requirements, and within the agreed timescale and budget.

Project Implementation

• Lead community-based targeting and verification of the beneficiary’s program participants
• Maintains and adapts as required a Master database for all beneficiaries of the programs in the project location.
• Conduct community awareness on financial payment system, the rate the purpose of cash-based support
• Conduct social awareness among the target beneficiaries and support the latter make best decision and choices on the use of the received cash.
• Maintain individual databases for individual transfer programs including Issues verification and payment lists.
• Maintains records of payments and follow-up for all beneficiary lists but also for individual beneficiaries
• Develop a cash distribution plan, supervise and evaluate the on-the-spot cash distribution process.
• Set up and strengthen beneficiaries’ compliant feedback mechanisms with relevant internal staff, protection specialists, and GBV officers.
• Provide cash transfer sensitization sessions for targeted households and other partners
• Manage field-level staff such as cash transfer assistants, if any.

External Coordination

• Participate and contribute to zonal cash coordination and other humanitarian coordination platforms at the field, regional and national level.
• Work with Safety and Security colleagues to develop and implement effective safety and security procedures for specific cash transfer programming activities, ensuring that these are updated and revised at regular intervals and that new programs are built around security considerations.
• Work with and provide timely technical support to the FRC’s implementing partners; maintain respectful and constructive relations with partner staff.
• Comply with FRC’s Global policies such as Whistleblowing, Fraud, and Safety and other relevant policies.
  In information exchange with the field teams, s/he guides the team with regard to data collection and analysis.
  Identify, map and work very closely with Financial Service
• Providers (FSP) for efficient cash transfer services.

Internal Coordination

• Maintains adequate communication and coordination within the team (Field office coordinator and other team members) and with other Assistance departments as well as the Protection team when required, when planning data collection activities,
• Take part in the set-up and conduct of needs assessments involving/focusing on data collection for cash transfer programs in the project location.
• Updates his/her direct superior on data collection activities in relation to planned and ongoing cash activities of other humanitarian actors in Ethiopia.
• Ensure and put in place the vital compliant management and response mechanisms in collaboration with MEAL and Protection staff.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

• Assist in the collection of data, the conduct of assessments (needs, market, risks, and security), and provide input for concept note/ proposal development for cash transfer project in collaboration with the local community structures and community members.
• Supervise progress against the grant work plan; promptly identify any current or potential delays.
• Assist his/her supervisor to ensure all monitoring activities are fully documented, including detailed and timely data collection as required under the grant and for FRC M&E purposes.

Capacity Building and Coaching:

• Create awareness to communities, government partners, and local stakeholders on merits of cash response as one modality in humanitarian interventions.
• Capacity building for staff and others on cash Transfer Programming (CTP).
• Support and mentor the FSP to meet the humanitarian principles during the Cash Response program/facilitating the payment to the beneficiaries.
• Participate in grassroot level meetings representing FRC and in coordination with the Field Office Manager
• Perform other duties given by the immediate supervisor.

Accountability

• Participate in the planning and implementation of a community-based accountability system establishment.
• Ensure all volunteer facilitators adhere to FRC’s code of conduct and core humanitarian standards.
• Support target beneficiaries and the community in communicating their requests, feedback and complaints through dedicated channels.
• Ensure that timely response is provided to the any emerging requests, feedback, and complaints from community members.
• Monitor the overall effectiveness of the Community Based
• Feedback and Complaints Response Mechanisms and provide inputs for continual improvement.

Location: Dessie with frequent with support to other project locations in Ethiopia

Duration: Up to March 31, 2024 – with possibility of extension

Job Requirements

Professional Standards

FRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the FRC Code of Conduct.

Education & Qualifications: Bachelor or degree in Agri-economics, Economics, Marketing, Rural Development, Banking and finance, Project Management.

Experience:

• Proven abilities on cash-based program (specific abilities and skills required)
• At least 3 years of work experience in cash/voucher distribution, protection and inclusion is a clear advantage.
• Strong experience and ability linking cash transfer to livelihood recovery.
• NGOs work experience is required.

Essential Skills:

• Should be flexible, and innovative, with good record keeping, report compilation, communication, and interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• A self-starter, and able to work with minimum supervision.
• Able to work under pressure with competing deadlines.
• Able to work with a multi-cultural environment.
• Interpersonal qualities
• Proactive and takes initiative