The Netherlands Red Cross recruits 01 Reforestation Programme Manager

The Netherlands Red Cross recruits 01 Reforestation Programme Manager

We help to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience by responding to disasters and crises and by supporting community and institutional risk reduction and preparedness. In the Netherlands with more than thirty thousand volunteers and internationally with the aid of specialists or by sending relief supplies or money. Together we act before, during and after disasters to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.

We do this without regards to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. Our seven principles guide our humanitarian work: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The International Assistance Department is looking for a Reforestation Programme Manager who will be based in La Vallée de Jacmel Haiti with frequent travels to Port au Prince and the other programme sites.

Position title:                    Reforestation Programme Manager

Duty station:                    La Vallée de Jacmel, Haiti

Time period:                     12 months, 40 hrs/week with possibility of extension

Starting Date:                   1 March 2018

Status:                                Single posting

About the Programme, Green Pearls Initiative

In Haiti, the ecosystem degradation is so extreme that it is becoming the symbol of human dysfunctional relationship with nature and of the terrible consequences that this has on communities’ livelihood and socio-economic systems. The evidence of the scale of such catastrophic degradation can be seen on satellite imagery when confronted with the lush land of its neighbouring country, the Dominican Republic. In Haiti the link between ecosystem degradation and poverty is undeniable. The Netherlands Red Cross, as part of one of the biggest humanitarian network in the world, is trying to face this challenge by applying disaster risk reduction measures that target not only vulnerable communities but also their degraded ecosystems (Resilience Framework).

However, especially in heavily degraded areas, a major paradigm shift is needed to reach scale and real lasting impact on the ground. It is all the more clear that in order to really restore and re-green our planet it is essential to also “empower communities, optimize land use and nurturing nature, based on innovative approaches”. Land degradation is a problem that almost every country in the world is currently experiencing, and which cannot be solved by individuals alone.

By supporting innovative organizations which share this belief, COmON Foundation is becoming the catalytic force behind the frontrunners who are trying to accelerate and scale the restoration of degraded ecosystems, for the sake of people and planet.  COmON Foundation agreed to be the fuse of this paradigm shift in the humanitarian sector and will support the Netherlands Red Cross in kick starting a landscape restoration programme in Haiti to test and showcase a new approach, being the 4 Returns Approach by Commonland Foundation, integrated in the Resilience Framework by IFRC. This new combination will be called: 4 Returns 4 Resilience approach (4R4R approach) and will aim to serve as the new operating model within the Red Cross Movement. The Netherlands Red Cross will do this in partnership with the Haitian Red Cross and 4 Returns Partners, daughter company of Commonland Foundation.

In the 4R4R approach landscape restoration will be supported by business cases and will aim to create the conditions for vulnerable communities living in disaster prone areas to become more resilient to the negative effects of climate change such as extreme weather events. We will make sure that the 4R4R Approach is institutionalized by developing a showcase programme in Haiti (The Green Pearls Masterplan Programme) (seeing is believing), and through intensive lobbying of its effectiveness within the Red Cross Movement.

By supporting this shift, NLRC will pave the path for:

• The Red Cross in showcasing that landscape restoration using the 4R4R Approach is an effective strategy for disaster risk reduction and community development;
• Development and showcasing of a replicable, sustainable solution in Haiti for rural development and ecosystem restoration that similar organizations can learn from using the 4R4R Approach;
• Unlocking private capital from other investors through active support from Princess Margriet Fund that in turn will unlock additional donor money for larger implementations of landscape restoration activities all over Haiti, thus causing a financial flywheel effect;
• Upscale and replication of the 4R4R Approach by local people and the stimulation of its adoption within the Red Cross movement, enabling wider application in other degraded areas worldwide;
• Execute the Memorandum of Understanding between the Haitian Red Cross and the Ministry of Environment of Haiti in which the 4R4 Approach is specifically mentioned.

The Netherlands Red Cross in Haiti

In 2015, the Princess Margriet Fund, the Netherlands and the Haitian Red Cross started the implementation of the Resilience Framework through a series of disaster risk reduction interventions in the Sud-Est Department of Haiti. These included the building of check dams and tree/vegetable nurseries and natural restoration by replanting of indigenous plants via seedling distribution programs. Together these measures have immediately proven their value during the Hurricane Matthew of October 2016 when the communities living downstream the check dams built by the Netherland Red Cross recorded for the first time in many years the lack of flooding and no victims. However, various obstacles prevented scale. It is these obstacles that we would like to overcome with the 4R4R Approach.

The Netherlands Red Cross has a long history in providing humanitarian aid in Haiti and dates back to the end of 1990s. The NLRC responded immediately to the January 2010 Earthquake: Assistance in cash, staff deployment and distribution of food and non-food items. In September 2010 an emergency-early recovery program started consisting of providing water and sanitation reducing the spread of water-borne disease in Jacmel and Leogane. Cholera response programme after the outbreak of October 2011 and three long-term programmes were implemented: DRR  and Livelihoods, Capacity development of the Haitian Red Cross and HIV/Aids.

NLRC has opened a new sub-delegation in Sud Department in Les Cayes few days after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Serious needs were identified in food security, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, early recovery, shelter and non-food items distribution. Access to drinking water was limited and hygiene options and practices at lowest level, making the population vulnerable to diseases. Cholera cases increased and became of a serious concern. The NLRC focused its relief interventions in the Disaster Risk Response, WASH sector – water and hygiene promotion and livelihoods recovery.

Over more than two decades, the National Societies have collaborated in addressing acute needs of vulnerable people of Haiti through implementation of a wide-range programmes in the areas of primary health care, water and sanitation, food security and livelihoods support, climate change and community resilience, and local capacity building. The organizations, guided by the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement Fundamental Principles and in line with their strategies and mandates, work hand-in-hand to alleviate sufferings and strengthen capacities of the most vulnerable groups of the population in Haiti.

The Haitian Red Cross was founded May 29, 1932 and currently has 200 staff with 10,000 volunteers throughout the country. The HRC is recognized as an auxiliary body, well linked, for coordinating and collaborating purposes, to the government. HRCS and NLRC are currently implementing a number of programmes in the Southern Department.

Place in the organisation

The Programme Manager (PM), Green Pearls Initiative will be a member of the Netherlands Red Cross Haiti delegation and reports to the Country Representative who is based in Port au Prince. The PM will manage a team of national staff working in the programme geographical area (Sud and Sud-Est Departments)

Purpose of the position

The key purpose of this position is to ensure adequate operational capacity to provide high quality resilience building to the target communities in Sud and Sud-Est Haiti. This is done in close coordination with his/her team and the colleagues in Port au Prince. The aim of NLRC is to build longer term Resilience programming in Haiti. The Programme Manager will be instrumental in the design and implementation of Green Pearls Initiative initiative and enhancement of relationships with partners and (potential) donors.

Responsibilities

• Be the programme manager of the Green Pearls initiative and manage programme teams of predominantly national staff;
• Ensure that the programme activities are well planned and meet the requirements of the community and take into account sustainability and community ownership;
• Be in regular contact with other humanitarian actors, Red Cross colleagues and the donor community and look for opportunities to cooperate and funding;
• Maintains regular communication from distance (per skype and mail) with NLRC HQ and with 4R4R partners;
• Lead the resilience programme development in close consultation and collaboration with HRC, NLRC HQ, 4R4R partners, other Red Cross partners and non-Red Cross partners;
• As the foremen work together with the team in the implementation of all activities as laid out in the plan of action and build on the positive lessons.
• Ensure synergies among the different elements of the programme to ensure cross-sectoral complementarity towards holistic resilience building;
• Be the budget holder of the programme and ensure proper monthly reporting to the Port au Prince Office;
• Manage the effective and proper use of assets, financial resources and facilities according to standard procedures in order to comply with auditing requirements;
• Support monitoring, and after action reviews/rapid impact evaluations of livelihood, WASH and DRR/CCA programmes undertaken in order to identify lessons learned – and with a view to potential scale up;
• Identification, documentation and sharing of success stories/evidences and lessons for program improvement and scaling up;
• Strengthen the Haitian Red Cross (HRC) Resilience unit by providing guidance on operational structure and member’s roles and responsibilities, together with other Movement partners;
• Establish and ensure effective working relationships with the other colleagues, especially from IFRC and PNSs (including Spanish Red Cross that are also operating in the South East Department)
• Ensure effective working relationships with direct HRC counterparts and leadership.
• Update indicator progress in SPACE on quarterly basis
• Monitor booking of expenses in WINPACCS for the programme and be end responsible for financial reporting to the Country Representative and NLRC HQ

Candidate profile:

• Masters’ Degree in in agronomy, forestry or have the equivalent hands-on field experience;
• 7 years proven international track-record of programme management and/or coordination, close to rural communities, demonstrating tangible achievements in landscape restoration, monitoring and evaluation, private sector development, project acquisition, project development, food security
• Track-record of work in developing countries with rural communities, field NGOs, private sector, academics.
• Demonstrable commitment to community resilience strengthening with strong experience of programming preferably in developing countries;
• Strong knowledge in landscape restoration, fair food systems, sustainable farming and value chain development, and permaculture.
• Experience with community based interventions;
• Experience in programme identification, formulation, planning, management and implementation, reporting and monitoring and evaluation;
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, and cost control procedures;
• Demonstrated orientation on results, process, and people.
• Excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal and coaching skills
• High level of patience as well as cultural sensitivity;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French; Speaking Creole would be considered an asset.
• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is highly preferred.

We offer:

• A full time appointment (based on 40-hour work week) for one year, with the possibility of extension depending on performance;
• A flexible and human centred working environment in an international environment with a variety of international organizations;
• Well balanced employment conditions with space for initiative and development.

Applications:

Please upload your resume in English and letter of motivation with reference to Annemieke van Teeffelen using our online application system via: https://werkenbij.rodekruis.nl/nl/Vacancy/Postulate/130587

Please note the vacancy will remain open for applications until a suitable candidate has been found. The selection procedure will start as soon as applications are coming in.

For more information about the context of the position, you can contact Yvan Trapet by e-mail: Ytrapet@redcross.nl.

For more general information about the position, you can contact Wassim Beaineh by e-mail: WBeaineh@redcross.nl.

An initial assessment of candidates short-listed is part of the selection procedure.

For more information of the work of the Netherlands Red Cross, please visit www.rodekruis.nl and www.rodekruis.tv.  NLRC on Facebook: Facebook.com/rodekruis  and Twitter: Twitter.com/rodekruis.