Programme leader, sustainable livelihoods

Description of the unit / department:

Trócaire's 10-year Strategic Plan: Mobilising for Justice 2006-16 is driven by five organisational programmes:

- Building Sustainable Livelihoods (including Environmental Justice)
- Promoting Governance and Human Rights
- Preparing for and Responding to Emergencies
- Addressing the HIV and AIDS crisis
- Promoting Gender Equality

The Sustainable Livelihoods team is one of four thematic programme teams that oversee and support the delivery of the organisational programmes. The team is situated within the International Division, but has a cross-organisational function.

Background to the Role: Building Sustainable Livelihoods for some of the poorest people in the world is a core area of Trócaire's work. We support the rights of poor and vulnerable people to an adequate and regular supply of food, and to make a basic living through access to and management of resources such as land, water and finance, with a particular emphasis on environmental justice for the poor and the sustainable use of natural resources by all people.

When the current strategic plan was introduced in 2006, Sustainable Livelihoods and Environmental Justice were initially developed as two separate programmes supported by one team. Following a review of the strategic plan, they are now being merged into one programme, supported by the same team. An organisational policy and strategy on sustainable Livelihoods is already in place, and specific work in relation to Environmental Justice is well developed.

The Programme Leader will be a member of the Trócaire Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) and will also participate in the wider Leadership Forum and the Programme Leadership Group (PLG)

Scope of the Role: As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team, the Programme Leader will actively contribute towards the overall leadership and management of the organisation. S/he will have specific responsibility for overseeing the implementation of organisational strategy in relation to the Sustainable Livelihoods programme, and updating that strategy as appropriate. S/he will be responsible for developing new and creative approaches towards our livelihoods work, including the measurement of impact and documentation of learning. S/he will also lead on the development of advocacy and policy positions in relation to Livelihoods work. S/he will be responsible for ensuring that Livelihoods work at home and abroad is implemented in line with the priorities and objectives of the strategic plan, and with best practice in the sector.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

- Actively participate in the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) in providing direction to all programmes and to the organisation as a whole, in the implementation of the Trócaire Strategic Plan 2006-16
- Lead and manage the Sustainable Livelihoods team in the development of policies, strategic framework and action plans for the organisational programme.
- Manage and support individual members of the Sustainable Livelihoods team on a day-to-day basis, including regular performance reviews
- Work with managers in the International Division to ensure that the Sustainable Livelihoods field programmes are delivered in line with best practice in the sector.
- Work with managers in the Ireland Division to ensure that fundraising, communications, policy, campaigns and development education work in relation to Sustainable Livelihoods is delivered to a high standard
- In collaboration with the Evaluation and Impact Unit, to develop cross-organisational systems to monitor, evaluate, learn from and measure impact of Trócaire's Sustainable Livelihoods work at all levels.
- Participate in the Programme Leadership Group (PLG) and work closely with other programme leaders and programme teams on common programming agendas. In particular, to ensure that HIV & AIDS and Gender Equality are fully mainstreamed in Trócaire's livelihoods work.
- Work with the Institutional Funding Unit to ensure that high-quality proposals and reports on the Sustainable Livelihoods programme are produced in a timely manner for external donors and internal use.
- Ensure that the programme team is providing guidelines and technical support on Livelihoods issues to Trócaire staff at home and abroad as required, and that high quality briefing papers and learning documents are produced for internal use and external publication on a systematic basis.
- Oversee the measurement and monitoring of Trócaire's environmental footprint on an ongoing basis.
- Represent Trócaire on external networks, and at high-level technical conferences and events, as appropriate

Person Specification - Essential Requirements (E)

(E) Qualification

- A primary degree in a relevant academic discipline

(E) Experience

- At least six years experience of working in international development
- At least three years overseas experience in the management of development programmes, including specific experience of managing large-scale Sustainable Livelihoods programmes
- Specific experience in building the capacity of civil society organisations to mobilise and advocate on Livelihoods issues

(E) Skills

- A thorough knowledge and understanding of sustainable livelihoods issues in developing countries, including best practice approaches within the sector.
- A demonstrated ability to contribute to the strategic leadership of a high-performing organisation
- A demonstrated ability to develop and oversee a coherent and innovative policy / strategy on Sustainable Livelihoods work
- Ability to work with and influence colleagues and other managers at a senior level in driving the agenda of the Sustainable Livelihoods programme throughout the organisation.
- Ability to manage and support a technical team to achieve high performance standards
- Excellent English-language written, verbal and IT communications skills

(E) Qualities

- A strong commitment to a social justice agenda
- Empathy with the work of Trócaire as a Catholic organisation

(E) Other

- Ability and willingness to travel to developing countries and elsewhere on a regular basis

Person Specification - Desirable Requirements (D)

(D) Qualification

- A Masters degree in international development or a livelihoods related area

(D) Experience

- Specific experience of working in an NGO environment
- Specific experience of research policy / advocacy and / or campaigning work
- Specific experience of gender and / or HIV & AIDS mainstreaming
- Specific experience of working on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies in a livelihoods context

(D) Skills

- Specific understanding of conflict sensitive approaches to development
- Specific understanding of impact measurement systems, including the establishment of baselines and indicators