Youth For Tomorrow - Center Coordinator in Bussma Saida

“Youth for Tomorrow” Project, implemented by Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA) with support from Mercy Corps (MC), focuses on helping host and refugee community adolescents, in targeted areas in Saida to cope with numerous stresses. The decisions they make now will have a profound long-term impact on their lives; thus it is essential to equip adolescents with the tools to make sound judgment in order to have a healthy and productive future. “Youth for tomorrow” aims to achieve the following:

• Adolescents and youth have improved psychosocial and emotional wellbeing.
• Adolescents and youth are better prepared to enter the workforce with enhanced technical skills and improved awareness of labour market realities
• Diverse groups build positive inter-community relationships by working together to promote protection and interests of adolescents and youth.
• Civil Society has increased capacity to serve the needs of youth. 

The role of the DPNA Youth for Tomorrow Center Coordinator is mainly to:

• Management responsibilities
  • Oversee and evaluate coaches’ performance alongside with education assistant in relation to their Youth for Tomorrow Project responsibilities.
  • Ensure proper implementation of the program focusing on program quality and innovative approach.
  • Follow up on alongside with the assistant center coordinator Community Based Protection Network meetings and reporting on achievements in relation to their plans.
  • Ensure Adolescent friendly space minimum standards criteria are met.
  • Maintain furniture and equipment intact from damage and adhere to the Asset Management Plan policies and procedures.
  • Hold regular meetings with Youth for Tomorrow coaches and other center staff for follow up and planning.
  • Contribute to developing M&E forms and templates and any other templates needed for proper coordination of Youth for Tomorrow’s activities.
  • Lead the Drafting and to submit weekly, monthly and other reports as necessary to DPNA.
  • Maintain alongside with admin staff well organized filing system with student and coach files, as well as pertinent documents for the coordination and management of the center, such as procurement, bidding forms, etc.
  • Hold meetings alongside with the psychologist with the coaches to discuss reported cases that require specialized intervention or referral including cases related to Child Protection and Gender Based Violence.
  • Ensure that Center operation adheres to Standard Operating procedures agreed between DPNA and MC.
  • Ensure implementation and validate center, coaches, buses, reception schedules.
  • Contribute to capacity development of Youth for Tomorrow coaches in relation to social cohesion.
  • Participate in training workshops organized by Youth for Tomorrow in coordination with MC.
  • Manage alongside with staff and coaches the outreach to recruit youth and ensure registration required for center sessions, CBPN members, Community project & advocacy projects, etc.
  • Ensure that all database is filled properly by the relevant staff.
  • Any other related tasks as needed.

Center Coordinator will receive support and mentorship on a continuous basis from Mercy Corps and DPNA for all activities concerning the program.

• Financial responsibilities
  • Manage Sub-grant agreement budget with the support of DPNA Finance Department.
  • Ensure proper application of financial internal control procedures related to receipt and disbursement of funds.
  • Supervise and coordinate coach timesheets and payments.
  • Ensure proper organization of financial records and monitor financial transactions in accordance with the set procedure related to managing revenues and spending and other transactions.
  • Ensure procurement and spending is within donor policies and procedures.
  • Oversee preparation of financial report together with the finance coach and make sure of compliance with MC, DPNA and donor requirements.

• Communication responsibilities
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with local community members, government and private institutions, and other organization in the target area.
  • Plan and supervise implementation of community awareness activities and effective communication with community members and dignitaries.
  • Network with agencies that provide specialized child and adolescent protection services that work actively in the Saida area and introduce them to Youth for Tomorrow’s objectives and work on establishing coordination mechanisms.
  • Build specialized referral network for Youth for tomorrow that includes services and agencies related to its objectives.
  • Ensure the Establishment of a data base and update periodically to include all services and agencies related to Youth for tomorrow’s objectives.
  • Report to MC and DPNA representatives on any cases (Incident report & note of concerns) that requires specialized intervention or referral to specialized services for the best interest of young people also ensure proper filling of the case tracker.
  • Oversee community needs assessment and community projects planning.

• Qualifications & Experience
  • Holds a minimum of a University degree.
  • Has experience working in child protection, youth programs and/or education programs.
  • Has managerial experience of a team of people.
  • Possesses strong organizational skills.
  • Has a strong understanding of the community and has established working relations with local CBOs, community leaders, and municipality preferable.
  • Has at minimum 3-5 years of experience working with an NGO and in the protection field (preferred).
  • Fair, honest, has strong communication skills, and results-oriented.
  • Responsible, mature, and diplomatic.
  • Likes to coach and demonstrates full-time commitment.
  • Is self-initiated and a team player.
  • Has good skills in planning and management and is able to work under pressure.
  • Is able to manage time and handle multiple tasks concurrently within the deadlines.
  • Has good communication skills in Arabic and strong working knowledge in English (both orally and written).
  • Has good documentation and writing skills.
  • Is familiar with computers and using social networking sites and websites.
  • Is skilled in mediation or has the willingness to learn such skills and in dealing with allied agencies for referrals and negotiating with members of the community.
  • Has the ability to build strong professional relationships.
  • Must be trusted and respected by others.

Mercy Corps (MC) is a leading global humanitarian agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places. With a presence in more than 40 countries, we partner with local communities to put bold ideas into action to help people recover, overcome hardship and build better lives—now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps is helping vulnerable adolescents between the ages of 12-19 years at a pivotal point in their lives between hope or hopelessness, positive change or negative influence, and possibility or despair. Programming will target Syrian refugees, as well as the host community and Palestinians communities by implementing adolescent projects that improve psychosocial well-being, enhance youth’s ability to identify and develop plans to pursue and achieve short-term goals, and provide life-skill development training to help increase their chances to pursue careers in a specific field and obtain employment.
Mercy Corps has joined the No Lost Generation campaign to mitigate the devastating impact of the Syria crisis on children and young people for Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian in host and refugee communities. In order to prevent alarming long-term consequences of an entire generation, Mercy Corps’ programming aims to nurture the intellectual and emotional growth of adolescents during this pivotal time in their life to become resilient to the deteriorating economic and political conditions around them. 

Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA) is a nongovernmental, secular association that works through a wide range of networks of civil society organizations (CSOs) to meet the needs of the local community on the basis of sustainable development. DPNA was established in 2003 and now has 32 full- and part-time staff members as well as 500 volunteers supporting DPNA to accomplish its vision and mission.
Vision: A non-violent democratic society where individuals enjoy all their rights and freedoms without discrimination.
Mission: To empower, mobilize, and enable citizens to change and meet the needs of the communities, as individuals and/or groups, specifically the marginalized communities in rural, bordered, and poverty areas, through human rights based approach.