Vacancy Announcement for the post of Programme Office for the ECHO Office (in Yangon)

1. Job summary:

The jobholder carries out activities to ensure that effective humanitarian response is delivered. The jobholder conducts assessments, develops strategies and represents DG ECHO at technical level when appropriate. The programme officer may be asked to run an antenna/office and supervise staff in the absence of a TA (Technical Assistant) or, when in a RO (Regional Office), be in charge of regional overview tasks.

The jobholder commits to strict confidentiality.

2. Responsibilities & Tasks:

Within delegated authority, the Programme Officer (Group I) is responsible for the following duties:

Programme work

• Contributes to designing DG ECHO overall strategy, policies and thematic working groups.
• Appraises and evaluates partners’ financing requests, and monitors projects in the light of the intervention strategy adopted and advises, as appropriate.
• Prepares fiche-ops (e-documents completed by DG ECHO staff for assessing and monitoring projects), as appropriate and submits to the responsible HoO/TA.
• Reviews policy compliance in cooperation with policy experts in the RO/HQ (headquarters).
• Liaises with partners to finalise and review proposals, once the appraisal is agreed with DG ECHO headquarters. 
• Assesses requests for contract modifications submitted by partners and advises DG ECHO as appropriate.
• Evaluates interim and final reports submitted by partners and advises DG ECHO as appropriate.
• Critically studies and comments upon partners’ reports and field operations.
• Assists with, participates in, and reports on meetings, as appropriate.
• Pro-actively follows local or regional events that may impact the humanitarian situation in the country/region. Drafts reports on the humanitarian situation, including any political, economic and security events relevant to the analysis of the humanitarian situation in the country/region.
• Supports the HoO/TA in the event of an emergency response.
• Provides backstopping capacity and surge support in case of need.

Specific duties for senior Programme Officer

• Assesses policy compliance of proposals in cooperation with policy experts in the RO/HQ.

• Conducts field trips and consultations to monitor the implementation of DG ECHO-funded operations, as specified in the work programme provided by DG ECHO HQ, in the light of partners’ contractual obligations, including in the field of information and communication, and to monitor the situation on the ground, and in liaison with the Regional Information Officer (RIO) reports to DG ECHO as appropriate.

• Assists with increasing the visibility and communication of DG ECHO’s overall assistance.

• Works closely with the Delegation to ensure that the activities funded by DG ECHO are, wherever possible, consistent and integrated with other Commission programmes.

Working with partners

• Advises on the operational capacity of implementing partners.

• Maintains contacts with DG ECHO’s partners, advising the relevant interlocutors of any major issues arising.

• Ensures the monitoring of DG ECHO visibility and pro-active communication with partners in operational contracts in line with the guidelines.

• Ensures regular communications with DG ECHO’s partners, including establishing and maintaining a database of relevant organisations and personnel. 

• Manages/supervises the contracts/grants database.

• Assesses partners’ long-term planning, particularly with regard to their exit or handover strategy and, if appropriate, the provisions for their programmes to be integrated into and/or taken over by local structures or organisations, with the support of DG INTPA (Directorate-General for International Partnerships), the EEAS(European External Action Service) or other development donors.

Coordination

• Conducts field trips with other EU officials during field visits, as requested and appropriate.

• Participates in meetings of operational co-ordination forums organised by the international humanitarian community or the local or national authorities as appropriate.

• Liaises, in coordination with the HoO/TA, with local authorities and institutions.

• Develops and maintains regular consultations with the field representatives of other humanitarian donors, especially those of EU Member States.

General Administration

• Daily management of the office in the absence of a TA.
• Performs financial and administrative tasks linked to the posting, under the guidance of the AC (Administrative Co-ordinator) and in respect of the field authorisation for expenditure.
• Provides weekly reports and other ad-hoc documents. 
• Responds to requests for information. 
• Establishes mission programmes.

Office specific responsibilities/tasks

• Undertakes any additional tasks as assigned by the Head of Office and/or Headquarters.
• Acts as liaison for the Country Office with the authorities in Nay Pyi Taw and with other relevant stakeholders for the purpose of humanitarian diplomacy.

• Working and communicating effectively with people: ability to communicate, support and work effectively with colleagues and teams to achieve collective goals. Building and maintaining excellent relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Achieving impactful results and quality: ability and commitment to organise and perform the job to the highest standards, delivering consistent results and striving for quality assurance.
• Understanding of the humanitarian and DG ECHO way of working: ability to support DG ECHO's mandate, strategies and operations, to ensure policy compliance and in particular the correct use of the Key Results Indicators (KRIs), and to ensure DG ECHO's visibility. Ability to ensure the correct application of DG ECHO guidelines and procedures in all the decisions taken.
• Demonstrating exemplary attitudes and behaviours: commitment to act in line with DG ECHO and humanitarian values, demonstrating the required and exemplary attitudes necessary for the Field Network.