Area Based Coordination (ABC) Coordinator in Danish Refugee Council / Danska Rada u spravah bizhenciv v Ukrayini

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international humanitarian organization whose main objective is which is the protection, support and promotion of long-term solutions for the displaced population.

DRB exists in Ukraine since 2014. At the moment, more than 800 employees work in the DRB in total on the territory of Ukraine. In 2024, the DRB will continue to significantly expand to implement emergency response in the social and legal protection, livelihoods, housing reconstruction and humanitarian disarmament and peacebuilding (humanitarian demining) sectors, providing direct support to responsible individuals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and as well as their partners.

DRB is currently looking for an Regional Coordinator (Area Based Coordination (ABC) Coordinator). This unique role is your chance to contribute to improving operational inter-agency and inter-cluster coordination, complementing the existing humanitarian coordination architecture at the community level.

About the position:

In reply on the recommendations of the Operational Expert Assessment mission (OPR) of 2023, the Ukrainian humanitarian group agreed to create a territorial coordination working group to strengthen the operational coordination of humanitarian response in a very large country with an extensive localized response system supported by local actors. The working group is co-chaired by OCHA and DRB with the participation of cluster coordinators, the NGO Platform, the Alliance of Ukrainian CSOs, UN agencies and other partners in Kyiv and humanitarian hubs will lead the process of defining a more decentralized coordination mechanism, adapted to the local context, for ensuring greater flexibility and better involvement of all involved, ultimately leading to improved access to services for people in need. The Working Group reports to the HCT and collaborates with the  ICCG and ICWGs. To support the efforts of the working group, a consultant was engaged in May last year through the DRB and with the financial support of the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund (UHF), who helped develop a model of coordination at the local level adapted to Ukrainian realities.

Extensive data analysis and consultations with the working group and partners in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Sumy and Kherson regions identified six principles and a roadmap for the implementation of ABC as a means of addressing gaps in the coordination of humanitarian response to emergencies by filling gaps in the operational coredination between local organizations working at the community level in hard-to-reach areas or in places where existing coordination mechanisms are limited or absent.

The main purpose of this role is to lead and direct the process of implementation and implementation of pilot models of coordination of humanitarian assistance on the ground under the leadership of a working group on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team in Ukraine. The ABC model was developed in order to increase the timeliness and efficiency of response, as well as to establish effective inter-departmental and inter-sectoral operational coordination and connections at the sub-national level.

The pilot phase of this model was deployed in the Kherson and Sumy regions of Ukraine in accordance with the recommendations of the ABC strategy. This role involves establishing clear leadership and governance structures in addition to existing humanitarian coordination mechanisms and initiatives implemented at the local level. This role will also facilitate cross-regional learning, ensuring that the system is replicable and can be further localized if necessary in full beyond the ABC model in Ukraine.

The employee, who will work under the contract with the DRB, will report to the ABC Task Force, and it will be jointly managed OCHA and DRB.

The main duties will be:

To lead and direct the process of implementing ABC pilot models in the Kherson and Sumy regions:

• Develop roles, responsibilities and processes.
• Clarify/liaise with existing coordination mechanisms and local authorities together with existing NGOs on the ground.
• Coordinate work with relevant stakeholders to ensure deployment and implementation of the framework in inclusive and transparent way.
• Ensure coordination of ABC model with local subjects, structures and initiatives.
• Integrate ABC model to local structures and get their approval.
• Develop inclusive methodologies, processes and tools for monitoring the results and institutionalizing the ABC model.

Oversee the results and impact of the territorial coordination in hard-to-reach places:

• To propose an inclusive methodology for measuring the impact of the ABC model on coordinated response and accountability to the victim population.
• Conduct an assessment together with the members of the coordination mechanism.
• Share the results with the Intercluster Working Group at the subnational level and the ABC Task Force, the Intercluster Coordination Group (ICCG) at the national level.
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• Propose further improvements to improve the quality of coordination and response at the local level.

Support scaling and institutionalization of the ABC model:

• Support the ABC working group in expanding the scale of the pilot model.
• Contribute to the implementation of the model in other regions based on the experience of Sumy and Kherson and the ABC road map.

Communication, coordination and reporting:

• Identify and resolve issues as they arise.
• Regularly update the roadmap to reflect progress and changes in the ABC model.
• Communicate updates to the UKGS and working group members ABC Group.
• Provide regular updates to ABC Working Group, ICWG, ICCG and HCT.
• Present methodology, results and reports to various stakeholders, including ABC Task Force, ICWG, ICCG, OCHA, HCT etc.

About you

For successful implementation this role we we expect you to have experience both in the implementation of humanitarian programs to understand the complexities of implantation at the local level, and experience in coordination work in a cluster, in a senior management position in an NGO or the UN.

In addition, we also expect to the following:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in the humanitarian sector with a proven track record in coordination and managing humanitarian programs in multiple humanitarian crises;
• Demonstrated experience operationalizing and scaling pilot approaches and models is a strong plus
• Past experience implementing/coordinating humanitarian response in hard-to-reach regions is a strong plus advantage
• Experience of working with territorial coordination models is a significant additional advantage.
• Experience of working in Ukraine is a significant advantage
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Fluency in Ukrainian (written and spoken) is a significant advantage

All DRB positions require their incumbents to possess key competencies defined by the DRB:

• Strive for excellence: Focus on achieving results while ensuring the efficiency of processes.
• Collaboration : Engaging relevant parties and encouraging them to provide feedback.
• Initiative: Personal control of the situation and taking initiative, with a simultaneous drive to innovate.
• Communication: Ability to listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Integrity: Adhering to and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRB's values ​​and Code of Conduct, including protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer:

Contract duration: 12 months
Group: Non-managerial category F
Place of work: Kyiv,  (70% business trips)
Start date: February 1, 2025

Wages and conditions will be in accordance with the terms of employmentplacement of the Danish Refugee Council for national and international staff in the DRC; please familiarize yourself with them on our website. 

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated resume (no more than four pages in English).

Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 20 December 2024

Candidates are advised to apply early, as the selection of candidates will be on a rolling list basis. We reserve the right to end the selection process once a suitable candidate has been identified.

If you have any questions or problems with the online application process, please please visitdrc.ngo/about-us/job- and-career/support-for-job-seekers.

The Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants for employment are considered without regard to race, age, ability, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or any other factor. At DRB, we celebrate diversity and value our employees for who they are and their unique skills, experience and perspectives. We invite all interested candidates to apply!