Head of programs
Mercy corps
Total years of experience :8 years, 10 Months
- September 2020: Acting Deputy Country Director - Programs (DCD).
- Provide leadership and guidance to the Education & Youth program team in implementing activities in accordance with Mercy Corps' program management standards (PM@MC), on time, scope and within budget.
- Manage and lead the partnership with BPRM (main programmatic donor).
- Build and manage collaborative partnerships with the Parliament Committee, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, local Directorate of Education, community leaders and actors.
- Create and sustain a positive work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence, by ensuring that Mercy Corps’ People with possibility principles are implemented.
- Coordinate closely with the Security department to ensure that programs maintain a high degree of risk awareness and impartiality and that all team members are following security protocols.
- Coordinate closely with Operations (incl. Procurement) and Finance departments to ensure that programs’ procurement plan and all related financial activities are being monitored according to the original plan.
- Provide leadership for three programs funded by USAID, AFD and ECHO to ensure consistent implementation and closeout quality, including the incorporation of cross-cutting themes, quality data analysis, lessons learned and best practices.
- Sustain the strategic refinement and institutionalisation of the Program and MEL departments, working with Program Managers, MEL team, Grants & Program Support Officer and other advisory positions and the broader senior management team in Tunis to troubleshoot coordination issues and create a strong, efficient, and durable departmental close out strategy.
- In close coordination with the MEL teams and Program Managers, ensure clear programs’ monitoring systems are in place; and maintain quality, transparency, and accountability throughout the close-out phase.
- Ensure that contractual obligations (including visibility requirements) and reporting deadlines are known and met by Program, MEL, and Support teams (Finance, Operations, HR).
- Establish close and productive relationships with donors, national government authorities, and cluster members (UN and NGO) in Tunisia, in close coordination with the Team Leader.
- Represent Mercy Corps at relevant coordination meetings (Clusters, Humanitarian Advocacy Group, etc), and play a lead role in other advocacy and coordination bodies.
- Pitched and built new programming strategies and one-off feature show to boost program participants’ interests and diversify programmatic intervention.
- Met with project stakeholders on a regular basis to assess progress and adjust as needed.
- Evaluated and provided cases for pilot of new Life Skills and PSS interventions.
- Implemented and led coordination meetings, opening dialog with camp management actors and the Cluster system to discuss refugees’ needs.
- Maintained tactical control of project budgets and timelines to keep teams on task and achieved scheduled targets.
- Created and maintained quarterly reports to make project progress, annual strategy and upcoming projects information available to stakeholders throughout the organization.
Programming:
- Support the planning and implementation of all Mercy Corps Jordan’s Child Protection program activities by: preparing and compiling work plans for the Psychosocial Support (PSS), Informal Education (IFE), Life skills and Outreach components; facilitating and integrating the aforementioned components at the camps level.
- Supervise and orient three Field Coordinators, five Program Officers and 250 Incentive-Based Volunteers who are running eight Adolescent Friendly Spaces (AFSs) and nine Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) in both Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps.
- Manage and coordinate the CFW component.
- Managing the referral pathway in both camps in coordination with Other INGOs.
Information, reporting and data collection:
- Ensure weekly, monthly and quarterly data collection.
- Support the Program Manager in preparing monthly and donor reports.
- Facilitate and lead team meetings with the Program Manager.
- Ensure documentation and regular internal communication.
Representation and coordination:
- Represent Mercy Corps Jordan and its Child Protection program in various meetings (camp coordination, inter-agency, partnership review) and events.
- Receive diplomats and VIPs visitors in Mercy Corps’ Child Protection sites in both camps.
Programming:
- Supported the Program Manager in the planning and the implementation of all Corps Jordan’s Child Protection program activities in Za’atari refugee camp.
- Responsible of the implementation of the program’s work plans for all program components.
- Managed one AFS, one CFS and six playgrounds.
Procurement:
- Developed and managed procurement and maintenance plans by working closely with the Logistic Coordinator and the Program Coordinators.
- Supported the identification, development and acquisition of projects.
- Ensured successful and qualitative implementation of projects.
- Liaised with partner organizations and institutions and supported the Emergency Team Leader and the Protection Advisor in identifying relevant stakeholders for the emergency program and protection trends.
Protection:
- Worked closely with the Protection Advisor in exploring, developing, organizing, designing and facilitating protection trainings and protection mainstreaming for other service provider and volunteers.
Mobilization:
- Facilitated safe passage to refugee arrivals transiting on the island of Lesvos, by providing essential assistance including food, small scale NFIs, information dissemination, as well as protection referrals to specialized service provider agencies.
Cash Transfer:
- Assisted in designing the cash transfer project and help in mainstreaming protection in the activities that target beneficiaries to distribute pre-paid debit cards to financially vulnerable refugee families and individuals arriving in Greece.
Information, reporting and data collection:
- Ensured weekly and monthly data collection.
- Prepared monthly reports and worked closely with the M&E to insure and establish a proper data flow system.
Representation and coordination:
- Represented Mercy Corps in Lesvos Island's coordination meetings.
* Mitigate the risk of gender-based violence by implementing youth activities targeting mainly adolescent boys in the Zaatari refugee camp
* Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of youth activities and serve as a head liaison for the IRC in the area of youth development in the camp
* Supervise and act as a focal point for the community volunteers, monitoring their activities and their quality and supporting trainings and capacity building initiatives.
* Build relations with community members and leaders and, with the support of the Technical officer identify entry points and opportunities to integrate and strengthen prevention activitives in the community
2008-2012 Jordan - Yarmuk University (YU) Majoring in Business Administration (B.A)