JISRA Kenya Country Coordinator

JISRA (Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action) is an international interfaith consortium that consists of Mensen met een Missie, Faith to Action Network, Tearfund (UK and Netherlands) and Search for Common Ground. The Arabic word Jisr’ means bridge, which perfectly symbolises what JISRA aims to do: build bridges between divided communities. The JISRA programme 2021-2025 will be implemented in 7 countries: Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali and Nigeria.

In the 7 countries, the JISRA consortium will work with a great variety of local faith-based actors, partners, networks, youth organisations and women’s organisations to support, capacitate and amplify inclusive voices and policies. The unique composition allows JISRA to work within faith communities as well as with high level decision makers.

• JISRA will work within religious communities to challenge discrimination, extremist tendencies and hate towards others.
• JISRA will facilitate and strengthen bridges between religious communities by encouraging interreligious action and addressing common grievances.
• JISRA will engage with local, national and international authorities to make state action towards religious freedom more effective and to challenge divisive policies and practices.

To coordinate this challenging programme, JISRA is looking for an enthusiastic:

Fulltime JISRA Kenya Country Coordinator

In Kenya, 8 country partner organisations and 3 consortium partners will be collaborating to implement the strategy and workplans. The partner organisations (country and consortium partners) are organised in a governance body (country strategy committee or CSC). The coordinator monitors and facilitates the adequate realisation of the JISRA goals as stated in the country programme and works closely with the CSC. The coordinator is based in Kenya and should first and foremost represent the interest of all partners equally, be gender- and faith-sensitive, and be a promotor of inclusion. The coordinator facilitates the governance of the JISRA Kenya programme, and serves as a bridge between the JISRA country level and the global level. The coordinator will be contracted by Mensen met een Missie.

Tasks and responsibilities

Be a catalyst in the Kenya programme

• Facilitate (CSC) meetings
• Forge synergies and foster collaboration between partners, particularly those working on similar topics and/or similar areas
• Stimulate a learning environment among the local partners
• Organise linking and learning events, lobby advocacy events, platforms, as well as annual reflection workshops with a wider array of stakeholders
• Stimulate and support joint lobby advocacy trajectories by partners
• Facilitate up and downward accountability and learning
• Dispute resolution and problem solving/crisis management
• Channel contacts with other Affiliated entities, like the Dutch Embassy in Nairobi and other NGOs
• Foster coherent and aligned communication at country level

Programme Management

• Motivate timely and adequately reporting by partners as well as the country (annual) reports
• Collect and collate annual plans of the local partners, as well as the (bi-)annualnarrative reports
• Compile the Kenya country reports (narrative and financial) and consolidate the results
• Monitoring joint progress: facilitate local partners to jointly reflect on their monitoring and reporting through organizing training and coaching where necessary.
• Identifying lessons learned and knowledge management
• Familiarizing with work of partners and surfacing opportunities for learning through field and office visits
• Liaise with the global PMEAL (Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Adjustment and Learning) team to translate global efforts to country level monitoring and evaluation reality (guiding of local partners, collecting and compiling information, baseline/ midterm/ end line, completing monitoring templates)
• Liaise with global lobby advocacy working group to link country and global level lobby advocacy trajectories.
• Coordinate meetings with the Dutch Embassy in Nairobi as need arises

Safe guarding

• Safeguard cross-cutting gender and youth empowerment through the programme.
• Safeguard inclusivity and the Do No Harm principles laid out in the JISRA proposal document.
• Ensure all local partners are familiar with the Anti-sexual harassment, and other safeguarding policies.
• Signal and communicate any suspicion of misconduct, fraud, etc. through the relevant organisations reporting channels and to the consortium coordination committee.

Organisational position

• Works in close collaboration with local partners and consortium partners (Mensen met een Missie, Faith to Action Network and Search for Common Ground) working in the country
• will be line-managed by the contracting agency Mensen met een Missie
• is the chair of the Executive Body of the CSC
• is a neutral entity and should endeavour to safeguard this neutrality actively

Required techniqual skills, experience and knowledge

• Personal skills: proactive, curious, multitasking, negotiating skills, team player.
• Good understanding of development issues in general, with significant knowledge and experience in project and programme management, preferably in the field of peacebuilding and/or freedom of religion and belief.
• Ability to recognise and use the social transformative power of religion and religious actors.
• Committed to freedom of religion and belief, including commitment to putting women and youth at the heart of our strategies.
• Affinity with lobby advocacy work and policy processes.
• Excellent personal management and communication skills, in written and verbal English and Swahili,
• Experience in report writing and coordinating PMEAL processes.
• Skills to translate programme activities and results into compelling stories narrating the real life impact on real people.
• Track record of coordinating teams and multi-stakeholder processes.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; ability to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans.
• Diplomatic skills and politically astute, with influencing and persuasive skills and personal gravitas to build and maintain strong, credible relationships, with internal and external stakeholders.
• Kenyan citizen and ability to travel to local project sites in the country
• Well-skilled in usage of Office 365 and online working tools

Our offer

• A challenging and inspiring position and assignment, enthusiastic and motivated local partners and a dynamic consortium.
• A country competitive salary
• Opportunities for personal development and trainings
• Supplies (laptop, internet subscription, etc) to set-up your own workplace

The application process will consist of at least two rounds of interviews, which are expected to take place in November 2023. Additional assignments might be part of the process.

For more detailed information on this position, please contact Christina Maasdam (ChristinaMaasdam@mensenmeteenmissie.nl).

Email your motivation and CV before 10^th November 2023 to: sollicitatie@mensenmeteenmissie.nl

We do not accept unsolicited head-hunter and agency resumes.