Accountability Coordinator

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships. 

Background

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for conflict affected persons. NRC advocates for the rights of conflict affected populations and offers assistance with shelter, education, emergency food security, information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA) GBV and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). In Lebanon, NRC has operations in the Bekaa valley, South, and North providing WASH, Shelter, ICLA, Education and CMC activities to conflict affected populations.

1. Role and responsibilities

As a humanitarian organization, NRC must remain accountable to the affected population it serves. In particular, NRC seeks to regularly engage with affected communities and to ensure all feedback and complaints received are addressed, followed up, and utilized to enhance the office’s understanding of the consequences of its programming. To increase accountability and impact, NRC is strengthening existing mechanisms through establishing a centralized, transparent and widely communicated complaints and feedback mechanism (CFM).  The purpose of the Accountability and Feedback Coordinator is to oversee the operationalization of a centralized CFM mechanism within the NRC Lebanon office and to build on it to create a culture of accountability to affected populations. He/she will act as a focal point for all CRM related issues within the office and coordinate with programs and support functions. The Coordinator will ensure that clear and transparent rules for raising and processing complaints are established and that complaints are recorded and addressed by relevant parts of NRC Country Office within a reasonable timeframe. The Coordinator will ensure quality in responses through capacity building and support of staff involved in responding to complaints and utilize the information received through complaints and feedback channels to produce periodic reports and analysis that can strengthen programming and increase overall organizational accountability to beneficiaries and the wider affected population.

Generic responsibilities

1. Implement NRC’s systems and procedures at area level
2. Ensure adherence to NRC policies, handbooks, guidelines and donor requirements
3. Prepare and submit reports and analysis
4. Ensure proper filing of all relevant documents
5. Coordinate with relevant partners
6. Design and support dissemination of relevant information to beneficiary, host communities, and relevant partners
7. Ensure that NRC’s related activities are implemented within NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and report any breaches/concerns to the line manager and/or focal point for proper action.
8. Ensure that all protection related detected cases are referred to the concerned referral focal point and to the related Protection Coordinator

Specific responsibilities

• Coordinate the operationalization of NRC’s Accountability framework and CFM system and develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for CFM within the country office;
• Serve as primary contact for all CFM related issues within the office and with the Regional Office;
• Communicate and disseminate NRC CFM standards and guidelines within NRC and conduct training, capacity building and mentoring of all staff involved;
• Manage the triage of complaints received by NRC, transfer to relevant parts of NRC, and ensure that complaints are responded to in a timely manner by the Country Office;
• Coordinate the processing and provision of responses, specifically in relation to confidential complaints mechanisms (e.g., complaints boxes);
• Ensure procedures are embedded that that promote responses are generated within a reasonable timeframe;
• Line manage a small team of Accountability Officers across NRC’s field locations. Support the recruitment of additional CFRM staff where needed;
• Manage data analysis and information presentation related to CFM;
• Produce/oversee production of regular internal (and external) reports on trends in complaints, response procedures, and any other relevant issues;
• Work with HR and the protection team to ensure that NRC has in place procedures to ensure response to sensitive complaints received (e.g., Code of Conduct, sexual exploitation);
• Hold trainings and refresher sessions for Accountability and program staff to ensure they have the capacity and skills to deal with complaints at the field level;
• Support programme staff in identifying and addressing all CRF related needs and formalising feedback loops within programmes;
• Further develop existing guidance and frameworks for Country Office procedures, policies and processes that assist in institutionalizing and supporting CRFM in the country;
• Provide support to Core Competency Specialists and Project Managers in reviewing information across projects, to ensure that feedback and complaints are taken into account in programme management decisions;
• Build and maintain good working relations with staff from programmes and projects;
• Report on any security incidents to the Country Security Advisor or designated focal point.
• Perform other related activities agreed and discussed with the Country and Programme Director

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Accountability Steering Committee (Head of Program, Head of Support, Area Managers, Head of Programme Support Unit)
• Protection team (Manager/Advisor and Coordinators)
• Project Coordinators and Project Managers in all Core Competencies
• M&E team
• CFM Focal points in all Core Competencies
• Referral focal points
• HR Manager and HR Coordinator

1. Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

A. Professional competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies for this position:

• At least 3 years of experience in an international NGO preferably in an emergency or post-conflict setting in HR, beneficiary reception and/or counselling, CRFM, or related field.
• Solid experience in handling sensitive feedback
• Ability to present data and convey information clearly and concisely and identifying trends
• Fluency in both English and Arabic (speaking, reading, writing)
• Computer skills, including MS Office (Word, Excel)

Context related skills, knowledge and experience (shall be adapted to the specific position):

• Strong analytical and communications skills
• Ability to receive and handle confidential and sensitive information (highly approachable, trustworthy and confidential)
• Strong management skills (ability to demand results and be empathetic, non-defensive but decisive, firm and resilient)
• Experience and ability to train others and transfer knowledge
• Knowledge of the context in Lebanon / Middle East and NRC activities in the country / region, as well as knowledge of Arabic considered an asset.
• Familiarity with NRC’s core competencies is an asset

B. Behavioral competencies

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. The following are essential for this position:

• Working with people
• Influencing
• Analyzing
• Planning and delivering results
• Managing performance and development
• Handling insecure environments