Oxford Policy Management
Oxford Policy Management Limited (OPM) is one of the world’s leading international policy development and management consultancies. We enable strategic decision-makers in the public and private sector to identify and implement sustainable solutions for reducing social and economic disadvantage in low and middle-income countries. We seek to bring about lasting positive change using analytical and practical policy expertise.
Building Resilience in Ethiopia
The Building Resilience in Ethiopia (BRE) programme is co-funded by UKAID and USAID and is intended to assist Ethiopia ‘become more resilient to climate and humanitarian shocks.’ Under the BRE programme, OPM is the Managing Agent for the delivery of technical assistance (TA) across four work streams: disaster risk management (DRM), health, finance, and shock response safety net (SRSN).
The DRM Work stream
The 2013 National Policy and Strategy for Disaster Risk Management Policy (DRM Policy) will shortly be updated. The new policy will outline the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) plan to prepare for, manage and mitigate crises and climate change. The Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) will continue to bear primary responsibility for the formulation of implementing the policy and for the development of associated regulations and coordination of DRM programming. It will embed DRM principles and practice in other government departments, civil society, private sector, and international partners. As part of its work, the EDRMC is overhauling the national Early Warning System (EWS).
The DRM work stream provides strategy and technical support to the EDRMC that targets the following high-level goal: ‘Government has fully functional DRM system and capacity to manage humanitarian and climate shocks.’ To reach this high-level goal, the DRM work stream is organised around three ‘building blocks’:
1. DRM Coordination and Leadership,
2. DRM Mainstreaming, and
3. DRM Information and Knowledge.
The Role and Responsibilities
BRE-TA is seeking to recruit a senior and experienced Ethiopian professional with EWS expertise. Responsible to the DRM Work stream Lead and reporting day-to-day to the Senior Coordinator the DRM Coordinator, the EWS Coordinator will be responsible for the delivery of Tasking Order #16: EWS Reform and Tasking Order #19 EWS Strengthening at Regional and Federal Level for Improved La Niña Response and Recovery. The EWS Coordinator will also be responsible for all other EWS technical staff at federal and regional levels, the latter through the RTA Coordinator and DRM Advisor.
Specifically, the DRM Coordinator and team will be responsible for the delivery of the following:
1. Support to the EDRMC and relevant EWS reform committees to deliver the EWS reform as guided by the EWS reform road-map and to roll-out approved EWS reform products to key ministries and the regions,
2. Support to BRE-TA’s EWS regional technical advisors (RTAs) to prioritise engagement and support to the regions and to produce quality EWS up-dates and associated technical assistance reports.
3. On-going EWS reform support to the EDRMC and other key ministries and institutions,
4. Support to the EDRMC to engage in international EWS learning processes,
The role includes maintaining and deepening BRE-TA’s excellent working relations with EDRMC counterparts; networking with other EWS actors; channeling and sequencing EWS technical assistance in the most appropriate and effective way; and providing technical and managerial oversight for successful programme development and achievement of project milestones.
The EWS Coordinator will also play a support the overall aim of the programme, work well across work streams, contribute to cross-cutting work streams - such as gender, equality and inclusion - support adherence to policies and standards, and maintaining safety and security.
Qualifications and Experience
- A minimum of Master’s degree in EWS/DRM, Social Protection, Humanitarian Affairs, Economics, or in related discipline,
- Significant work experience in EWS, DRM, safety nets/social protection, food security and/or livelihoods, with at least 10 years in senior managerial or advisory roles,
- Experience of working in (or closely with) government, international organizations or NGOs engaged in humanitarian or development practice,
- Experience in policy dialogue and processes ideally at a senior level,
- Good track record of supervising teams, managing workflows and strong performance management skills,
- Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with an understanding of local and international working cultures,
- A team-player, capable of seeing the ‘bigger picture’, and working strategically towards programme-wide objectives,
- Ability to adapt or change priorities according to the changing situation within a mission or the organization itself,
- Ability to take initiative where appropriate to deal with difficulties encountered in daily work,
- Knowledge and experience of a range of capacity-building techniques and practices,
- Able to support the development of plans and budgets, to track progress and make necessary adjustments,
- Written and spoken fluency in English and Amharic.