Programme & Funding Advisor Sahel Region

Role title:                   Programme and Funding Advisor – Sahel Region

Organisation:            ActionAid in partnership with Alianza Por la Solidaridad

Availability:               Immediately – until September 30^th 2019 approx.

Location:                   Bamako, Mali – with frequent travel in the region and Italy/Spain

Reports to:                ActionAid Italy’s International Expansion Coordinator

Salary:                       Competitive salary

Background:

ActionAid (www.actionaid.org) is an international organisation, working with over 25 million people in more than 40 countries for a world free from poverty and injustice. Alianza Por la Solidaridad has recently become a member of the ActionAid International Federation, so representing the network in Spain. Under the leadership of two of the Mediterranean countries that are being most affected by the Migrants Crisis (and in co-ordination with a number of other countries also affected), the Federation has vocally decided to focus on this crisis and challenge Governments to take on their own responsibilities. Through ActionAid Italia and Alianza Por la Solidaridad (Spain), the Federation is considering the possibility of strengthening its range of action in the geographical area of Sahel (West and North Africa), affected by the massive flow of migrants trying to reach the European continent.

With a view to start-up successfully an organized Sahel presence focusing on the Migration Crisis, ActionAid is willing to develop and adopt an effective funding strategy based on the priority programmatic lines already identified so to build up its presence in the area. A feasibility study has been already conducted by an independent consultant suggesting us to focus our energy on a partnership-based presence in Mali, as well as consolidating our presences and programmes in The Gambia and Nigeria.

Purpose of this position:

ActionAid is currently seeking for a Programme and Funding Advisor in Sahel to aide in the development of a funding strategy, secure new funding opportunities, strengthen our co-ordinated programmatic presence in the area and, ultimately, recommending an operational structure for consolidating the work in the region.

In a first phase, the Programme and Funding Advisor will support the Federation in developing successful project proposals, screening the international donors, identifying and recommending the grant opportunities and defining a funding strategy for the region (Mali, The Gambia & Senegal, Nigeria, extended to Morocco and Tunisia). The purpose will be to tackle the migration causes and ensure the respect of the human rights, through advocating the Governments of the Sahel and the Mediterranean areas and focussing on ActionAid’s strategic priorities: especially, women’s empowerment, women’s rights and fight against VAW, sustainable livelihoods and rural-agricultural development, youth employment, development and mobilization.

Main tasks:

The Programme & Funding Advisor for Sahel Region will:

• Collaborate with and facilitate ActionAid members in Nigeria, The Gambia and Senegal and respective donor owners (e.g. AA Italy and Alianza in Spain) to identify key donors and opportunities aligned with the AA Migration crises approach and programming;
• Work with relevant ActionAid members, donor owners and the Programme Funding Advisors at the Global Secretariat to develop and submit proposals;
• Ensure compliance to relevant internal policies such as the EU legal entity framework, corporate engagement framework, cross border policy, EU programmatic matrix etc, and assess opportunities by risk and alignment with AAI strategy and priorities;
• Ensure sign off of funding bids by the Funding Advisory Board where required by AAI policy.

More in detail, the postholder is expected to fulfill the following objectives and activities, divided into 3 phases of implementation.

Phase I (Q4-2018):

• Identifies and establishes effective partnerships with local organizations in Mali and in the area in adherence with ActionAid policies and procedures, capitalizing previous/existing collaborations.
• Identification, preparation and writing of project proposals to submit to international donors related to Development or Humanitarian Action in the Sahel Region (with a special focus on Mali, The Gambia & Senegal, Nigeria, plus Tunisia and Morocco) and focusing on ActionAid’s programmatic priorities (Women’s empowerment, women’s rights and fight against VAW; Sustainable livelihoods and rural-agricultural development; Youth employment, development and mobilization).
• Actively identifies, qualifies and tracks funding opportunities in the area in a systematic manner based on ActionAid programmatic priorities.
• Develops a calendar of proposal submissions based on the donors in the area and of course prioritizes imminent calls for proposals, ensures that opportunities are correctly and timely sized, helps finalizing sound project proposals, liaises with the donor locally.
• Conducts context and situational analysis on development and humanitarian issues affecting the potential migrant population and the returnees and ensures regular updates on the situation in the area, participates into ActionAid’s internal Taskforce on Migration Crisis in the Mediterranean.
• Sets up the structure (legal registration, logistics, etc.) needed to develop programmatic work in Mali and to apply to calls for proposals.

Phase II (Q1-2 2019):

• Liaises with donors locally, identifies and writes new project proposals, develops a calendar of submission opportunities for new grants, recommends and supports on the development of grant applications in the region.
• Actively engages at regional level with ActionAid presences in the area and with international/regional/local stakeholders in the region with a specific focus on the Migrants Crisis or migration-related issues.
• Develops a structured Funding Strategy for the region taking into account the programmatic work of all the ActionAid country presences in the area, the donors’ priorities and all the concerned stakeholders. The Funding Strategy is developed in co-ordination with all the relevant AA countries so to ensure full alignment and agreement around it.
• Identifies options for AA presence in the area, including the co-ordination among the countries and the most effective operational structure in view of pursuing the Funding Strategy goals and effectively address the migration issues in the area.

Phase III (Q3-2019):

• Continues the work of the previous phase.
• Liaises with all the AA concerned countries and the Global Secretariat in order to finalize a sound proposal for ActionAid’s future presence in the area.

All along the assignment, the postholder will:

• Collaborate with and facilitate ActionAid members in Nigeria, The Gambia and Senegal and respective donor owners to identify key donors and opportunities aligned with the AA Migration crises approach and programming;
• Work with relevant ActionAid members, donor owners and the Programme Funding Advisors at the Global Secretariat to develop and submit proposals;
• Ensure compliance to relevant internal policies such as the EU legal entity framework, corporate engagement framework, cross border policy, EU programmatic matrix etc, and assess opportunities by risk and alignment with AAI strategy and priorities;
• Ensure sign off of funding bids by the Funding Advisory Board where required by AAI policy.

Required Skills and Experience:

• An advanced degree in Development, Humanitarian Action, Gender Studies, Human Rights or other related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in Development and Humanitarian contexts in international NGOs.
• Demonstrated experience in project identification and design and donor engagement, especially UN donors, EU, ECHO and other.
• Proven knowledge of the Sahel area and Northern Africa.
• Deep understanding of the Migrants Crisis in the Mediterranean and experience of migration-related issues, especially women’s empowerment, GBV, livelihoods and rural development, youth employment and poverty reduction, human rights and advocacy.
• Previous experience in crisis-security risks contexts is an asset.
• Availability to travel, frequent travels along Mali and to Nigeria and The Gambia are required.
• Process facilitation skills, negotiation, influencing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in teams.
• Ability to work independently.

Languages

• Both English and French are required for the post. Knowledge of Spanish is an asset.