United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: CDAC Network Director

Job Title: CDAC Network Director

Reporting to: CDAC Network Chair

Responsible for: CDAC Network Secretariat Staff and consultants, as required

Budget Responsibility: Overall responsibility for the CDAC Network budget

Terms of Employment: Permanent

Start Date: May/June 2016

Location: Internews Europe, Old Street, London

Note on Location: Internews Europe currently hosts the CDAC Network Secretariat, and is one of the Network’s founding Members

OVERVIEW

The CDAC Network envisages a world in which people affected by crisis are equal partners in, and agents of, their own recovery.

To achieve this the CDAC Network convenes over 30 grassroots and global actors to prioritise communities’ ability to connect, access information and be heard. The CDAC Network believes that communication in crises can save lives, help communities to rebuild their networks and support structures, and make humanitarian response more effective and accountable by bringing the voices of affected people to decision makers.

Good communication undertaken in a spirit of equality has the potential to be transformational.

This need to connect, engage and communicate with people is at the heart of the humanitarian reform debate and has featured prominently in the consultations ahead of next year’s World Humanitarian Summit.

In the wider development context it is also implicit in the Sustainable Development Goals and the new aid strategy announced this year in the UK.

The CDAC Network is unique in terms of who it convenes: humanitarian and media development organisations, technology providers, audience survey and research initiatives, and translators. This extended network comes with connections to the private sector, civil society groups, communities and national governments.

By collaborating across these traditional boundaries, CDAC Network Members and their partners increase mutual understanding of the challenges they face and identify opportunities for partnership in order to bring about innovative and effective field practice. Those working on communicating with communities (CwC) advocate for systematic change and for the importance of CwC to be reflected in everything from standard operating procedures, coordination and humanitarian architecture to staffing, project design and funding.

Communicating with communities is an approach and a philosophy that is integral to every stage of the disaster cycle, from preparedness to longer-term response. It underpins effective community engagement.

The CDAC Network delivers through four pillars identified in its strategy. Through convening, Members seek to build capacity together, share learning and research, and advocate to ensure that communication with communities becomes a predictable, consistent and resourced element of preparedness, response and recovery.

This is an exciting time for the CDAC Network, and in the wider global context demand for the Network to support thought-leader events, facilitate Member initiatives, strengthen capacity at the local level, and collaborate on multiple programmes is growing.

JOB PURPOSE

To lead the CDAC Network, managing a highly competent Member-focussed Secretariat; to build partnerships between Members and with the wider sector; to be the public face of the Network representing Member interests and being key in the Network’s advocacy.

KEY DUTIES

Leadership

• · Deliver a strengthened and effective Member-focussed Network


• · Support the CDAC Network Board and Members’ Council to define and adapt a clear strategic direction for the Network


• · Lead Network Members and the Secretariat in the realisation of the CDAC Network strategy


• · Deliver a sustainable business model with a mix of funding from Members and donors


• Provide strategic leadership to ensure a Member-led programme of work including programme design, funding proposals, and review and evaluation, in order to realise the Network’s strategy. Work with Board members to realise financial stability for the Network, including engaging new Members, institutional donors, foundations and corporates. With the Board and Members, devise the Network’s annual Members’ Council and Forum.

Management

• · Monitor and deliver the CDAC Network’s strategy and provide timely updates to the Network Board


• · Performance manage Secretariat staff in line with a clear work-plan


• · Ensure effective budgeting and financial management


• Take primary responsibility for recruitment to the Secretariat team. Be accountable to ensure that Network projects and programmes meet project management best practice. Act as Secretary to the CDAC Network


• Board and ensure that effective governance is delivered through timely chair-approved Board agendas, papers and minutes. And ensure regular contact with Members and that prospective Members receive support in their applications and a thorough induction once approved by the Board.

Partnership

• · Lead by example in the development of a collaborative environment


• · Engage with CDAC Network Members to ensure their skills and commitment are brought to bear to deliver a well-resourced programme of work in line with the Network’s strategy


• · Leverage appropriate external expertise in the delivery of the Network’s strategy


• With support of the CDAC Network Board, build the capacity of Network Members to collaborate with each other; manage and report on joint programmes; broker and convene expertise to support Members and the


• Network to deliver key collaborative actions.

Representation

• · Ensure effective advocacy and representation towards realising the mainstreaming of communication with communities into the humanitarian sector


• Ensure that the CDAC Network is represented at key sector events and meetings. Be the public face of the Network, representing the vision of the Network and the individual and combined expertise of the membership.

Programme Learning and Communication

• · Drive a learning-focussed and reflective Network which uses its experiences to improve future collaborative and Member work


• Oversee the development of the Network’s learning agenda, and ensure effective use is made of this learning.


• Ensure consolidation of monitoring data from all CDAC Network programmes in order to track and report on progress against a set of Network-wide outcome statements.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• · Demonstrated leadership in humanitarian programme management, preferably with CwC, community engagement, and / or accountability experience


• · Proven skills in partnership building, influencing and negotiation with a range of humanitarian actors, from high-level policy forums to local and / or national government agencies


• · Demonstrated capacity to design, plan, manage and report on multi-agency projects


• · Ability to generate and effectively use programme learning to improve practice and support advocacy and communication


• · Solid financial management skills and the ability to oversee a large multi-stakeholder budget


• · Strong skills in inter-personal communication, able to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a complex, multi-actor environment


• · Masters’ degree in international development or related field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience


• · Understanding of the concepts and practical application of humanitarian codes and standards such as SPHERE, CHS, etc


• · Flexible, creative and solution-oriented in an innovative environment


• · Must be fluent in written and spoken English

Desired

• · Training in facilitaton / negotiation / influencing skills


• · Experience of working with the private sector


• · Skills in business developpment and in generating funding for projects


• · Extensive existing network of contacts in the development / humanitarian community


• · Substantive experience with one or more of the CDAC Network Member agencies


• · Second language an advantage

Current Full Members of the CDAC Network: ActionAid; BBC Media Action; Development and Humanitarian Learning in Action (DAHLIA); GroundTruth Solutions; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); International Organization for Migration (IOM); International Media Support (IMS); Internews; Norwegian Refugee Council (NORCAP); UMCOM (United Methodist Communications); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA); Plan International; Save the Children; Social Impact Lab; Thomson Reuters Foundation; Translators without Borders; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); World Food Programme (WFP); World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Vision International.

Affiliate Members: FdL Development; FilmAid; First Response Radio; Freeplay Energy; InsightShare; Lifeline Energy; Pecojon; and HFCC-International Broadcasting Delivery.