Location: Kathmandu, Nepal 

Position Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt 

Salary Level: M3

Current Team Member: N/A     

This role is open to a Nepali Citizen only. Expatriates are not able to be considered. 

Program / Department Summary

The Cash Coordination Group (CCG) was set up with support from OCHA immediately after the earthquake in 2015 without any pre-existing coordination structure and mechanism for emergency cash response. CCG was formed from members of UN Agencies, Red Cross movement and international and national NGOs with the support from OCHA Cash Coordinator. The response to the 2015 earthquake marked a major shift towards cash and voucher assistance with relative acceptance from the Nepal Government with opportunity for scaling-up. But in the absence of a national legislative and policy framework including enabling tools, the efficiency and effectiveness of cash assistance was limited. These limitations were again experienced during the flood response in 2017 and in the recent 2019 flood. In the period from 2017-2019, the CCG has been a loose collaborative network, but since the COVID19 pandemic began in Nepal in early 2020, the CCG has taken a central role in the humanitarian framework and is expected to both set the standards for cash, as well as support capacity development and learning across a wide range of humanitarian actors in Nepal. 

The CCG is a support platform for strengthening collaboration on cash assistance programming within the humanitarian assistance programme.  The functioning of the group is facilitated and coordinated by a Lead and Co- lead agency with the tenure of one year, served by volunteer staff in the co-chair roles. Currently, WFP is serving as the lead and Plan International as the Co-lead. The Terms of Reference (ToR) of CCG has defined the following major roles: enhance coordination amongst the humanitarian agencies including the government  knowledge management  facilitating technical support evidence-based policy advocacy.

The UK Embassy in Nepal is funding the CCG Coordinator position as an adjunct to the programme ‘Resilience Plus – Building Resilience and Ensuring Basic Needs for the most vulnerable in Nepal’, implemented by a Mercy Corps- led consortium in Provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7. The long-term goal of the programme is to serve as a demonstration, complete with capacity building, learning, and evidence, to enable the humanitarian community and Government of Nepal (GoN) to adopt digital cash transfer modalities for their own disaster response and social safety net programming. 

As of September 2021, the Resilience Plus program activities have been completed, and the knowledge management products are being finalized. The CCG Coordinator role has been filled for almost a year and has helped to play a key role in leadership and humanitarian coordination around cash. Now, as the current CCG Coordinator moves on to other opportunities, we seek a new coordinator for another year’s term, to take the CCG to a new level of advocacy, capacity development, and learning. 

General Position Summary

The Cash Coordination Group Coordinator will lead the advocacy and coordination activities of the Nepal CCG. The Coordinator will work closely with all cash stakeholders (communities, authorities, private sector service providers, relevant ministries, donors, NGOs, the Red Cross Movement, and UN agencies) to provide an effective, timely and strategic collective response to developing needs in Nepal, particularly in humanitarian contexts, help articulate the vision for unconditional digital cash transfers and/or value vouchers, and coordinate advocacy efforts with the Government of Nepal (GoN). This position must also be prepared to support unconditional cash alternatives, such as value-based vouchers and cash for work, where government restrictions require an alternative.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & vision

• Develop strategies and annual workplan, in conjunction with cash coordination group chair and co-chair, to ensure best practices are systematically implemented and updated in Nepal cash transfer interventions.
• Drive the CCG strategy within the humanitarian architecture
• Take a leadership role in efforts to map the Government’s Social Protection System and drive forward linkages with the Government’s Social Protection System.
• Work closely with CCG Sub working groups (Core Group, Digitalization and MEB).
• Work closely with HCT lead to integrate cash-based intervention in the first phase of response.

Technical oversight

• Drive quality, standardization, and coordination of cash transfer modalities including, but not limited to, the transfer value, frequency, targeting, M&E framework, and communication and transition plan.
• Ensure technical standards are agreed upon, communicated, and implemented
• Facilitate technical training depending on needs, with a Y2 priority to focus on local government actors and Nepali language capacity development tools, as well as INGOS and LNGOs new to implementing cash programming. 
• Facilitate efforts to share technical lessons learned between members.
• Ensure efficient and effective communication between cash actors to enable coordination.
• Collaborate with CCG partners to conduct relevant assessments, present evidence on the effectiveness of cash transfers and advise on best practices.
• Ensure monitoring mechanisms are in place to review the impact of cash interventions and measure progress against implementation plans.
• Develop and strengthen the capacity of national NGOs to implement cash transfer programming in line with international standards.
• Provide insight on the most appropriate exit strategies for cash interventions, including linkages with government social protection, referrals to other sectors, etc.

Administrative coordination

• Organize and update key CCG foundational documents and upload on CCG Google Site for easy access for all members.
• Maintain and build the CCG Google Site as a key online knowledge management resource
• Plan and manage consistent and regular working group meetings
• Maintain an updated CCG membership list- of active members and wider ancillary members, those just needing to be included in key developments
• Ensure CCG meetings are well planned in advance, and notes taken, shared and archived.
• Manage an inventory library of key tools and resources for anyone in Nepal interested in cash
• Manage the contracting and translation of key documents as appropriate

Influence & representation

• Build linkages and enhance relationships between humanitarian actors/interventions and recovery/durable solutions programming, through participation and representation in working groups and forums already present in the country (such as the Social Protection Forum, Forecast Base Action-Community of Practice).
• Build and manage collaborative partnerships with CCG partners, including on issues of data sharing and harmonization of programming.
• Work in close relation with NDRRMA and MoFGA within the humanitarian architecture and advocate for resources/support for the CCG and the CCG members.  
• Provide strong representation for CCG members within the humanitarian architecture and advocate for resources/support.
• Develop relationships with key governmental bodies to advocate for the promotion and scale up of cash transfer programming and establish linkages with social protection schemes.
• Maintain regular communication with other INGOs, local NGOs, Red Cross Movement, donors, and government working on cash transfer interventions.
• Nurture key relationships with donors, especially those with a focus and an interest in cash programming.
• Work with the Mercy Corps Regional and HQ Program teams in identifying additional opportunities for medium-term and longer-term cash programming.
• Be accountable to the donor, UK Embassy/FCDO, to report progress on the CCG and CCG Coordinator role. 

Accountability to beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability: Position Description, National staff policy handbook; Code of conduct and Mercy Corps policy and procedures.

Reports Directly to: Mercy Corps Nepal Country Director

Works Directly with:

Internal: Emergency Response Senior Manager and other response and DRR team members, MEL Team, and relevant Mercy Corps Technical Support Unit staff (i.e. HQ Cash Advisor)  in Regional office and Headquarters.

External: CCG chair and co-chair, CCG partners, private sector service providers, government ministries, donors, NGOs and UN agencies.

Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills

• Bachelor's degree in economic development, public policy, international relations, social science, or other relevant degree; Master’s degree preferred.
• 8-10 years of work experience, at least 3-5 years of experience in emergency and cash programming, preferably across multiple sectors
• Ability to effectively represent both Mercy Corps and the CCG’s interests to key stakeholders
• Experience in, and demonstrated, effective success with cluster coordination or another working group leadership strongly preferred
• Experience in identifying and developing partnerships, including with the private sector and the government
• Strong administrative and technology skills required, such as technology platforms of Google, MS365 and other, to manage working group lists, schedule meetings, build the online KM platform, draft, and share minutes, etc. 
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
• Excellent oral and written English skills required, in addition to Nepali language fluency
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management
• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will combine exceptional management skills, knowledge management and training skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. They will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, as well as negotiation and diplomacy skills across a wide variety of stakeholders. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, attention to detail, a deliverable and results-orientation, as well as strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Organizational learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity.  We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Shortlisting will be done on the basis of your answers while applying, please answer the questions carefully. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.