Ukraine : Cash Working Group Programmatic Co-Chair – Kyiv

Fixed term 12 months January 2025

Acted

For the past 30 years, international NGO Acted has been going the last mile to save lives. Currently, Acted supports 20 million people across 43 countries to meet their needs in hard-to-reach areas – and pursues a triple mandate as a humanitarian, environmental and development aid actor. Acted relies on an in-depth knowledge of local territories and contexts to develop and implement relevant long-term actions, with a wide range of local and international partners, building together a “3ZERO” world: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty

Acted Ukraine

Acted started its operations in Eastern Ukraine in 2015 to provide support to vulnerable people affected by the conflict that began in 2014. In 2022, as refugees are fleeing clashes across Ukraine triggered by military operations, Acted is now extending its activities to deliver critical assistance to displaced persons in the main hosting regions and to support self-help and local organizations groups that have spontaneously formed. As the number of civilian casualties continues to grow and damage to critical infrastructure increases, Acted is scaling-up its humanitarian assistance to help ensure those in transit, internally displaced or remaining in hotspots receive the basic support they need, including cash assistance, water, food and hot meals, blankets, hygiene supplies and access to mobile heating points. Finally, Acted is also taking part in the ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees in the neighbouring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldavia where 3 humanitarian response teams have been deployed.

You will be in charge of

The goal of the Cash Working Group (CWG) Programmatic Co-Chair is to ensure a coherent and effective response to cash needs being addressed by agencies engaging in cash interventions, as required by the activation of the United Nations Cluster System. Together with OCHA, the coordination co-chair of the CWG, the CWG Programmatic Co-Chair will lead this initiative by working closely with the CWG stakeholders (communities, authorities, institutions and INGOs and UN agencies) to provide an effective, timely and strategic collective response to the current situation.

The CWG Programmatic Co-Chair will work impartially, serving the needs of all members of the CWG, and should work closely with OCHA and other country cluster coordinators.

S/He ensures a coherent and effective cash response, by mobilizing partners to respond in a strategic manner.

S/He promotes best practice and relevant standards amongst partners engaged in cash response, with particular attention placed on Do-No-Harm principles.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Leadership

· Provide leadership to the CWG in an accountable manner to its members; prepare, organize, chair and ensure follow-up on regular CWG meetings and exchanges between partners and ensure inclusiveness of the group; ensure relevant agenda topics are inclusive, transparent, adaptive and reflective of cash actors’ needs; ensure CVA is coordinated, harmonized, and in line with best practices. Support drafting of CWG work plans, in line with ICCG/HCT priorities, for the duration of applicable HPC frameworks.

· Maintain/update information management products (including 4Ws and inter-cluster CVA dashboards) and communication channels (including website management) on ongoing and planned CVA to inform coordination, harmonization and complementarity in programming.

· Lead on developing the MPC strategy under the humanitarian cycle planning framework documents and advocate for securing funds dedicated to the MPC HRP response.

· Support national task team co-chairs in the creation and operationalization of the task teams; participate, provide technical support and promote linkages with other task teams as necessary.

· Support the sub-national CWGs and ensure information sharing and harmonization of efforts.

· Develop strategies in conjunction with cluster coordinators to ensure that CVA best practices are systematically implemented and updated in humanitarian response interventions.

· Ensure that activities, data and analysis relevant to clusters are shared accordingly within the ICCG; advocate for action where inter-cluster collaboration would add value to improved CVA programming.

· Encourage promotion and harmonization of a deduplication agenda across CVA practitioners.

· Facilitate advocacy and strategic advice to the HC/RC, the HCT, clusters and donors in conformity with CWG identified key priorities.

· Engage on a regular basis with donors to understand current priorities and policies, and report information according to the CWG.

· Where appropriate, advocate with national and local government for promotion of CVA and to ensure its acceptance and understanding.

· Provide strategic insight on the conceptualization of exit strategies from humanitarian CVA wherever possible, with particular emphasis on referrals and alignment with existing shock- responsive social protection systems; and develop and maintain relationships with key governmental bodies active in the social protection space, in complementarity with social protection actors.

· Maintain regular communication with UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, donors and government active in the area of cash programming and/or social protection as relevant.

· Promote/support environmental analyses/assessment and awareness-raising activities on environmentally conscious spending decisions in relation to CVA.

2. Technical Assistance

· Coordinate the provision of direct technical advice and solutions to CWG members and clusters for efficient, effective and context appropriate CVA.

· Draft MPC and sector specific CVA guidelines, key messages and Standard Operational Procedures as needed.

· Coordinate with relevant clusters and other key actors to identify referral pathways.

· 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 NGO actors to implement CVA in line with CWG standards and best practices worldwide.

· Facilitate reviews of the financial and legal framework(s) pertaining to CVAs within the country as required and advise implementing agencies on opportunities and constraints.

· Collate, review and make available information on financial infrastructure and available delivery mechanisms and advise implementing agencies on opportunities and constraints.

· Assist the CWG in designing tools for, and the implementation of, market and needs assessment, response analyses, selection of delivery mechanisms and PDM.

· Support the establishment of standardized data management, data sharing and data sharing systems to facilitate data collection, efficiency in assessment and referral.

3. Reporting and Knowledge Management

· Report to the ICCG on a regular basis on progress against the agreed workplan and key relevant topics. Report to the HCT similarly when required.

· Collect and promote good practices and lessons learned, contributing to a collection of replicable good practices for cash transfer programming and a way forward on coordinating multi-sector responses, guidelines and guidance development.

· Establish and maintain connections with the Cash Learning Partnership (CALP) and other relevant platforms and fora for the purpose of learning and capacity building of the community of practice.

Expected skills and qualifications

• At least four years of field experience in program management and coordination
• Demonstrated communication and organizational skills
• Ability to train, mobilize, and manage experienced staff;
• Flexibility and ability to multi-task under pressure;
• Ability to work well in unstable and frequently changing security environments;
• Willingness to work and live in often remote areas under basic conditions;

Conditions

• Salary between 2650 and 2850 € monthly (before income tax), depending on the level of education, security level, etc as well as a monthly living allowance of $300
• Accommodation and food provided in Acted guesthouse
• Pension, health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance (& unemployment insurance for EU citizens)
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: up to 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract
• R&R every 3 months, flight tickets covered up to $500 and allowance of $200
• Annual leave of 25 to 43 days per year
• One week pre-departure training in Acted HQ, including a 4-days in situ security training
• Tax advice (free 30-minute call with a tax consultant)
• Psychological assistance

Please send your application (CV and letter of motivation) by email ([email protected]), including the reference: CWG/UKR

Please note that Acted will never charge a fee for the recruitment process.