ISAR Ednannia (Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Program)

Kyiv, Ukraine

About ISAR Ednannia and USAID Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Program

ISAR Ednannia is a Ukrainian non-profit organization founded in 1997 and officially registered in 1999. Our mission is to inspire and invest in agents of changes. To accomplish this mission, we develop communities and philanthropy; provide financial support to CSOs; strengthen the capacity of civil society; strengthen the role and promote civil society sector; build a platform for interpectoral dialogue and cooperation.

The purpose of Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Activity (or “Activity” hereafter) is to improve the operating environment for civil society and strengthen the institutional capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs) in order to advance the self-reliance of the civic sector in Ukraine. The Activity is implemented by “EDNANNIA” (JOINING FORCES) – Initiative Center to Support Social Action” (ISAR Ednannia hereafter) as a prime implementing partner in a consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM).

ISAR Ednannia is seeking highly qualified candidates for full-time Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) position to join USAID Ukraine Civil Society Sectoral Support Program (Activity) team in Kyiv.

Applications will be accepted until January 1, 2024. Due to a high volume of applications received, we are unable to contact each applicant individually regarding the status of their application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted in response to this job advertisement.

Project Background

Ukrainian civil society has served as a critical driver for democratic reform in the country for the past twenty-five years. Civil society has functioned as a short-term mobilizing force, capable of rallying millions of citizens to the street in protest of corrupt government practices, thereby bolstering Government of Ukraine (GOU) commitment to advancing more inclusive, accountable, equitable policies.  At the same time, civil society has also functioned as a long-term institutional counterweight to the government, with the capacity to move reform processes forward, deliver effective services, and provide professional input into policy solutions. This ability to serve as a force for advancing both country commitment and country capacity makes civil society in Ukraine unique when compared to other post-Soviet countries. In the context of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the Program provides flexible, demand based organizational and technical support to a wide range of civil society entities. This includes civil society groups continuing to operate inside of Ukraine as well as CSOs in exile but carrying out activities which benefit Ukrainians. The Activity has three primary objectives:

• Objective 1: Strengthen institutional capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs);
• Objective 2: Improve legal enabling environment (LEE) for civil society; and
• Objective 3: Enhance research and learning of civil society sectoral challenges, opportunities, and best practices 

To support these initiatives, ISAR Ednannia seeks qualified candidates to fulfill Activity’s goals.

Position Overview:

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will work with the Chief of Party (COP) to manage the program's implementation and oversee its performance, management, and operations. The DCOP will assist with high-quality, timely and complete submission of work plans, financial reports, performance reports, etc. S/he will maintain communication and momentum among teams, closely monitor progress of interventions, and work with Ops Director to ensure that the proper operational support is in place for successful implementation. The person in this position is expected to communicate clearly and courteously; to develop and maintain positive relationships with consultants, collaborators, co-workers, and other donors.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Serve as a senior representative for the project with external stakeholders (ministries, GoU institutions, other projects, and donors) as required by implementation requirements and agreed upon with COP.
• Support the COP in preparation of annual and activity work plans as set forth in the project design, contract, and deliverables schedule.
• Facilitate the achievement of program objectives and targets with management and technical support.
• Coordinate the work of the program components and ensure appropriate collaboration across all teams.
• Directly supervise and be responsible for the performance of senior staff as assigned by the approved organizational chart.
• Support program learning and adaptive management.
• Ensure that project deliverables are technically sound, of highest quality, delivered on time, and meet specifications as set forth by the donor or the COP.
• Contribute data and analysis to monthly, quarterly, annual, MEL, and ad hoc communications and reports.
• Design, develop and implement MEL systems for the Program in ISAR Ednannia and Consortium Partners, including developing key performance indicators, targets, and Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS), planning data collection methods, tools, and reporting formats; and lead MEL revisions as needed.
• Oversee project operations, financial management, grants management, monitoring and evaluation, and communications.
• Demonstrate diplomacy and leadership to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation, and support for diversity.
• Support the COP in all management aspects of the project.
• Serve as acting COP in the absence of the COP, with all technical, administrative, and operational responsibilities.
• Other activities, as required and/or assigned by the COP.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An advanced degree (master’s, PhD, JD) and minimum of ten years of relevant experience.
• Experience in the successful implementation of international development activities in local governance, decentralization, community development, civic engagement, and service delivery/infrastructure improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to establish strong working relationships with governance sector professionals, including elected representatives and staff at all levels of government, local governance experts, public administration and public finance professionals, engineers, local economic development and service provision experts, civil society, journalists, and other donors.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.
• Fluency in Ukrainian
• Strong training design, training delivery, and facilitation skills;
• Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills;
• Strong knowledge of reporting procedures, including USAID, best practices, guidelines, and tools for monitoring, evaluation and learning, including impact evaluation.

• Demonstrated ability to produce and edit reports and technical documents is required.

To apply for the position, please send your CV in English and your motivation letter to office@ednannia.ua. Please, indicate “DCOP USAID Activity” in the subject line of the e-mail. After the pre-selection process, the best candidates will be invited for an interview. Only candidates invited to the interview will be informed about the results of the selection in writing.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for over 55 years. In Ukraine, USAID’s assistance focuses on three areas: Health and Social Transition, Economic Growth, and Democracy and Governance. USAID has provided 1.8 bln. technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since 1992.