Partnerships Manager - Tripoli

BACKGROUND: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. Leading the way from harm to home, the IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and collaborative partnerships. The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in Libya was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with health, protection, and governance programs aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of crisis affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures.

Across its multisector program portfolio, IRC Libya works directly and in partnership, striving to increase and enhance its work in partnership through various modalities as appropriate, e.g., sub-granting, technical and organizational capacity sharing and support, program co-design, and/or joint advocacy. The IRC works with a diverse range of partners including e.g., other NGOs, civil society and community-based organizations, government ministries. The Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) is a robust system encompassing the IRC’s policies, processes, guidance, and tools for working in and managing partnerships. Aligned with PEERS and the IRC’s Strategic Action Plan, IRC Libya is working to build on its existing collaborations to further identify and develop strategic partnerships in the design and delivery of interventions most responsive to the needs of crisis-affected and other vulnerable people in Libya.

SCOPE OF WORK: IRC Libya seeks an experienced, dynamic individual for the position of Partnerships Manager (PM). The PM will report to the Grants & Partnerships Coordinator (GPC) and will be responsible for 1) the management and tracking of IRC Libya sub-granting processes across the portfolio, and 2) supporting the identification and development of strategic partnerships with a focus on local entities (civil society, public, and private sectors). The PM, working closely with the GPC, will support program coordinators and country leadership to ensure that IRC Libya lives up to the partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approaches, equality, transparency, and complementary. This includes playing a role in awareness and capacity building among IRC Libya staff and as a key contributor to program cycle management. The PM will also contribute to the key risk control elements of the IRC’s partnerships toward ensuring high-level risk management and compliance in strong, high-quality partnerships that deliver timely and effective assistance. The PM will actively help identify and assess new partners aligned with IRC partnership strategies and priorities and co-lead partner capacity-building endeavors. The position is based in Libya and open to only national candidates.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Partnership strategy and new opportunities

·Take a lead role in the identification and mapping of potential partners on a continual basis, with a particular emphasis on local organizations.

·Support the GPC and program teams with desk research and help facilitate periodic stakeholder analysis and/or social network analysis processes.

·Contribute to IRC Libya country and partnership strategy development as needed/requested. 

·Lead potential partner vetting and due diligence processes adhering to PEERS guidelines, including collecting and verifying information on potential partners, sharing with the GPC and other relevant staff to validate the analysis and process approvals.

·Liaise between IRC focal points and potential partners for the administration of risk assessments and capacity reviews (i.e., pre-award assessments (PAA)), including collecting supporting documents from partners, preparing files with essential partner information for the PAA panel members, making logistical arrangements, etc.

·Liaise with and support local partners in pre-teaming/teaming negotiations and for effective engagement in and collaboration on program design and proposal development; this may include helping to edit or format partner project documents if needed, communicating/documenting decisions, etc.

·With guidance/support from the GPC, draft sub-award agreements, populating standard input such as partner information, reporting frequency, and annexes.

Partnership and sub-grant management

·With support from the GPC and in close collaboration with program managers, take the lead on managing relationships with local partners on post-award requirements and processes, maintaining open and effective communication.

·Support the GPC and coordinate with Grants Managers as required in organizing sub-award opening, review, and close-out meetings, including collecting materials and compiling inputs from partner participants before the meeting.

·Track and follow up on partner inputs to proposals, modifications, and sub-award requirements (including e.g., budgets/spending plans, M&E plans, log frames, reports).

·As needed support the translation of solicitation summaries, templates, project learning documents, etc. from English to Arabic to ensure partners are well informed in their collaboration and contributions to decision-making.

·Summarize in English partner organizational policies and other partner documents that are in Arabic.

·Set up/maintain the Partnership Tracker and centralized files for all new partnerships, ensuring audit-readiness.

·Organize and track partner monitoring activities, including periodic compliance reviews; arrange logistics and administration of quarterly program, finance, and compliance monitoring visits at the partners’ and/or project premises to ensure that partners operate in compliance with IRC and donor regulations.  

·Facilitate timely action by the IRC to respond to and address any partner performance issues identified as they arise.

·Liaise with sub-grantees for, and monitor, timely submission of accurate financial and activity reports. Conduct initial review of partners’ reports to determine if they meet the minimum requirements, then facilitate IRC internal review, compilation of internal feedback, and completion of related checklists.

·Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of the partnership relationship, including the documentation of and response to partner feedback.

Capacity Sharing and Development

·Coordinate and contribute to the development of capacity building strategies based on partner appraisals/assessments, particularly for local partners.  

·Following the PAA, work with the partner and relevant IRC staff in developing a Project Support Plan (PSP). Support the GPC to liaise within IRC to identify practical project support actions (e.g., formal training, mentoring, experience sharing visits) in response to issues identified through the due diligence process (collating inputs from technical, finance, supply chain, grants and HR units).

·Support the resourcing of and help coordinate organizational development support where appropriate for partners.

·Work with program coordinators and managers to establish linkages with other organizations that have capacity building programs, with the aim of experience sharing. 

·Explore and facilitate opportunities for cross-learning with partners; support program coordinators/managers to integrate technical capacity sharing approaches, including how IRC can learn from local partners.

·Take forward initiatives to enhance local partnerships; in consultation with the GPC, senior management, and program staff, identify and advise on needs and opportunities to further develop local partner capacity development approaches and processes. 

·With the GPC organize PEERS training and sensitization for relevant IRC staff.