Turkey: National Project Manager (Turkish Nationals only)

Program duration: 36 months
Contract duration: 12-month renewable – consultancy based contract

Context of the position:

CFI (Canal France International) is a French media cooperation agency mainly funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, and is responsible for coordinating and implementing public aid policy for promoting and enhancing the media in developing countries. CFI works alongside players operating in the media industry (TV, radio, written press, social media), whether state-owned or private owned as well civil society organizations. CFI is currently involved in around thirty projects that fall within four major programmes: media and pluralism, media and enterprise, media and development, and media and human resources.
Three years ago, CFI started to get European Union (EU) grants to contribute to media capacity-building in the Arab world. With the worsening of the conflict in Syria, a complex political, security, and social crisis directly affecting Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey is now lasting over time. In order to help Syria’s neighboring countries to cope with this enormous challenge, the EU decided to launch a Trust Fund that will finance a multisectoral program implemented by a German, Spanish, and French consortium. The French public agency Expertise France (EF) designated CFI as its implementing partner to improve a direct access to information for both Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. This component of the program aims to ease the information flow from the service providers directly to the Syrian beneficiaries in the 3 countries, particularly regarding protection and legal aid. This will imply to design, set-up, and run a services-oriented information collection system across the 3 countries, and disseminate information through different channels.
In the frame of this project, CFI is recruiting a national Project manager, whose roles and responsibilities are detailed below.

Objectives of the position:

1) To ensure on behalf of CFI the project implementation in Turkey, in accordance with the project proposal and annexes, and with EF and CFI procedures;
2) To supervise CFI local partners in Turkey and work in link with CFI National Project Managers in Lebanon and Jordan;
3) To represent CFI and ensure the project’s activities are implemented in coordination with consortium members representatives (EF, GIZ, and AECID), Turkish authorities, international and local organizations in Turkey;
4) To ensure the project’s reporting and communication in Turkey;
5) To comply with security rules and ensure CFI team and project’s security in Turkey (Gaziantep).

Line Management:
The National Project Manager works under the direct responsibility of the Regional Coordinator of the program, based in Turkey (Istanbul).
The National Project Manager coordinates and manages CFI local partners in Turkey, who will support services-oriented information collection and centralization, and who are in charge of updating them all along the project.

Functional links:

• The National Project Manager works closely with the program’s consortium members’ representatives and with local stakeholders (international organizations based in Turkey, authorities, Turkish organizations, service providers)
• The National Project Manager works closely with the 2 other National Project Managers based in Jordan and Lebanon.
• The National Project Manager works with CFI HQ, through HQ dedicated projects’ manager (based in Paris), who is the contact person in CFI HQ.

Tasks and responsibilities:

1) To ensure on behalf of CFI the project implementation in Turkey, in accordance with the project proposal and annexes, and with EF and CFI procedures:

• In close coordination with the Regional Coordinator, to implement the activities in Turkey in accordance with the project proposal, the validated budget, the workplan, and CFI contractual commitments with EF.
  This mainly implies:
  • Supporting the collection follow-up of existing information from the service providers in Turkey, and the information needs of the refugees fine-tuning. Supporting the delivery of appropriated communication channels, conveying vital service-based information for the Syrian refugees in Turkey: getting the formal approval from the authorities, help to identify, contract, and constantly liaise with service providers.
  • Support the Regional Coordinator (and/or appropriate stakeholders) in the narrating of service-based information into clear and understandable messages to the Syrian refugees.
  • Under the Regional Coordinator guidance, work with local partners and appropriate stakeholder(s) to constantly update service-based information disseminated to the refugees.
  • Support capacity building and assistance given to the project’s partners (CSO professionals, NGOs…) in identifying services-based information needs of refugees and guide them to access it. This can imply organizing/supporting daily sessions/trainings in community centers for example, identifying and contracting the appropriate experts according to the needs, supporting or leading focus-group discussions with refugees and stakeholders implied in the information centralization and dissemination.
  • Under the Regional Coordinator guidance, organize the outreach campaign in Turkey promoting the production of local information services to Syrian refugees and host communities, and liaise with the appropriate stakeholders (UN agencies, NGOs, consortium members, service providers…).
  • Response to any ad-hoc request from the Regional Coordinator and/or the HQ-based dedicated projects’ manager, depending on the project’s progression.

• To ensure human, financial, logistic resources in Turkey are well managed in the frame of activities in Turkey.

• In link with the Regional coordinator, to update project’s monitoring tools corresponding to the Turkish part of the program (schedule, detailed action plan, logical framework, procurement plan, budget…) in accordance with the project’s development.

• Keeping the Regional Coordinator updated with a weekly short recap’ dealing with activities implemented; ensure a good communication flow regarding the project’s progress on the ground;

• Filling and sending a monthly report to the Regional Coordinator regarding project’s activities in Turkey;

• To regularly conduct field visits in Turkey to make sure the activities are being implemented properly;

• Budget and financial management: The National Project Manager is responsible of local expenses in Turkey which he will monthly send to CFI HQ along with corresponding receipts.
The National Project Manager’s expenses need to comply with the project’s budget and expenses’ approval grid.

2) To supervise CFI local partners in Turkey and work in link with CFI National Project Managers in Lebanon and Jordan:

• As CFI project is spread over 3 countries (Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan), it is crucial that National Project Managers work in coordination, more particularly regarding:
  • Information collection methods
  • Information centralization system that will probably be common among the 3 countries
  • Information dissemination methods.
• The National Project Manager supervises the local partners’ network in Turkey. They will contribute to the centralization and dissemination of services-related information and to their update all along the project.

3) In close link with the Regional Coordinator, to represent CFI and ensure the project’s activities are implemented in Turkey in coordination with consortium members, Turkish authorities, international and local organizations in Turkey:

• To represent CFI and ensure good relations with the project’s partners, organizations, and authorities in Turkey (Gaziantep).
• To take part to all meetings organized by the authorities, project’s consortium members, and partners in Turkey (mainly Gaziantep).
• In link with the Regional Coordinator, to guarantee the respect of the country’s legislation and administrative regulation, i.e. ensuring to get the approval from the appropriate Turkish authorities before activities’ implementation if need be; draft agreements and responsible for getting them signed as appropriate after the Regional Coordinator’s validation.

4) To ensure the project’s reporting and communication in Turkey:
The National Project Manager is responsible of:

• collecting information and data related to activities in Turkey (and thus liaise with appropriate stakeholders) from quantitative and qualitative perspectives.
• consolidating these information and data into reports, that comply with CFI procedures, templates, and deadlines.
• ensuring there is a good communication around the project and the donor in Turkey, in accordance with CFI standards and guidelines.
• Writing a final report at the end of the mission;

5) To comply with security rules and ensure CFI team and project’s security in Turkey (Gaziantep):
The National Project Manager:

• supports the Regional Coordinator in analyzing potential risks on the team members’ security and on CFI activities in Turkey (information collection and analysis, networking with local actors);

• contribute to update CFI security plan upon the Regional Coordinator’s request.

• informs team members and the Regional Coordinator of potential issues related to security;

• does not implement activities or take decisions which may cause risks on CFI staff and activities without having any feedback and/or approval from the Regional Coordinator.

Language proficiency:
Turkish: Native
English: Full working proficiency
Arabic: Highly desirable

Skills and experiences:
This position requires experience in:

information dissemination projects and community-based information methods
refugees’ and/or community-based information flow management on multisectoral issues

The National Project Manager has to be experienced in carrying out international humanitarian/development projects preferably EU-funded, or at least having worked in the humanitarian/development field on refugees and/or information access matters for minimum 5 years.

The position also requires:
Experience/knowledge of the Arab countries
Analytical and practical problem-solving skills
Good inter-personal and writing skills
Skills in coordination with the relevant actors (communication and representation).
Proficient in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, Word, Excel) and interest for online platforms/applications
Sense of integrity, responsibility, and adaptability
Valid international driving license preferred.

Education:
Relevant educational background in communication, journalism, media-related project/media platform management; international relations, international law, political sciences.

Starting date: November, 2016
Status: Self-employed / Consultant – full time mission.

Interested candidates should submit their CV in English, with a covering letter (max. 2 pages) to art@cfi.fr