Vacancy
Regional Consultant, Arab Region Programme
Programme Department
Location: Home based in the Arab region
(Full-Time)
ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING
KAICIID aims to create a more peaceful world by promoting dialogue and supporting religious leaders and communities in tackling our most pressing problems. We do this through education and training, convening religious leaders and policymakers, and carrying out research to encourage and enhance interreligious and intercultural dialogue. We work with our partners to build their capacities, connections and confidence.
Our work focuses on four pressing and linked issues that challenge humanity: violent conflict; migration; the climate emergency, and social cohesion. We bring together religious leaders with policymakers to find constructive ways to address these issues through dialogue. Our work respects and values the differences between faiths and cultures but promotes the idea that we share a common humanity and a collective need to address these problems. Through all our work run three threads: youth engagement, gender and policy development.
For more information on KAICIID, please click on the following link: https://www.kaiciid.org
THE PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT
The primary objective of the Programme Department is to create the conditions, platforms and environment through which religious leaders and other actors, in particular policy makers, can engage in constructive dialogue, thus strengthening mutual understanding and respect with the ultimate aim to encourage them to initiate action to bring about change in the policies of religious institutions and governments, at various levels, build mechanisms to facilitate on-going dialogue and action as well as strengthen networks of committed and experienced religious leaders, and other actors in the use of inter-religious dialogue (IRD) for peace and reconciliation in conflict situations in particular.
The Arab Region Programme aims at instilling the culture of interreligious and intercultural dialogue amongst its diverse partners in the region to promote social cohesion, common citizenship, and peacebuilding efforts and to counter hate speech. The programme engages and empowers religious leaders and communities, youth, women, media practitioners, dialogue experts and policymakers to form solid foundations for peace and recovery from crisis in the region. A regional Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation (IPDF) in the Arab region has been launched in 2018 to serve as an umbrella organization to coordinate dialogue efforts and initiatives and KAICIID’s work in the region. Several sub-networks and projects have been also established under the platform to promote dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and mutual understanding between followers of different faith traditions and cultures, such as Dialogue 360 Project, She for Dialogue, Dialogue Journalism Fellowship, and Social Media as a Space for Dialogue.
ROLE
Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, Arab Region, the regional consultant assumes responsibility for assigned projects during 2023 in the Arab Region Programme providing specific expertise. In addition to providing technical and administrative support to the Arab Region Programme for 2023, the consultant will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of IRD/ICD projects as well as assess opportunities for programme expansion and further partnership building. In doing so, the consultant will:
- Support the team in identifying and researching policy issues in the field of interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding.
- Update the team in the headquarters regularly on any social, political, economic changes, trends or new developments in the context of the programme implementation.
- Collaborate with staff from other KAICIID departments and field experts for exchange of experiences and best practices.
- Serve as a focal point for the planning, implementation and reporting of activities and initiatives assigned by the supervisors in relation to specific projects taking place in 2023.
- Identify opportunities for programme expansion in the region and potential partnerships for network building, optimising the use of existing and successful initiatives such as the interreligious platform and the diverse projects under its umbrella.
- Support the team in establishing and maintaining partnerships with key stakeholders as well as advise supervisors on who to pursue partnerships with. Monitor progress with partnerships in the region.
- Design and implement programmes targeting skills building in dialogue processes.
- Support the implementation of the work plan for 2023, and support with the preparation of the budget and work plan for 2024 as needed.
- Undertake all administrative tasks related to the assigned projects, including development of concept notes, agendas, evaluation forms, reports etc.
- Provide substantive inputs to programme documents (concept notes, thematic papers) and, where applicable, coordinate with other team members the consolidation of such inputs.
- Support the meetings of the steering committees of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation (IDFP) in the Arab region.
- Represent KAICIID in strategic meetings and events with partner organizations as delegated by supervisors.
- Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including key performance indicators (KPIs), and support the team in monitoring and evaluating the activities.
- Prepare draft progress reports against set targets and indicators, with an analysis of progress towards planned outputs according to schedules, budgets, and inputs.
- Advise the team in case of any deviations or potential risks and initiate corrective actions when necessary.
- Identify best practice examples and extract lessons learned to support programme improvement and contribution to knowledge building and sharing.
- Ensure the timeliness and quality of the outputs as well as the timely preparation and submission of reports, documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Monitor KAICIID visibility in the region (through media) and inform supervisors accordingly.
- Assess, where relevant and feasible, project impact and report accordingly through briefings in the department and regular reporting.
- Adopt and sustain a sound team working approach.
- Perform any other tasks as required.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Advanced university degree in interreligious studies, peace and conflict resolution, sociology, or similar disciplines.
- A minimum of three years’ experience in the field of religious, interreligious or inter-cultural dialogue. Alternatively, a similar experience in developing and supporting civil society networks is required.
- Experience in intergovernmental or international organizations desirable.
- Good conceptual and analytical capability, ability to rapidly learn and apply new concepts.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural, and interreligious context.
- Ability to interact independently with religious leaders as well as with senior government officials.
- Knowledge and understanding of religious and interreligious educational institutions and seminaries.
- Programme management skills, including the ability to contribute to strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting.
- Ability to support formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects.
- Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and transactions, conduct financial analysis, and draft quality reports.
- Strong networking and communication skills.
- Excellent writing skills, with analytical capacity and ability to draw statistics, synthesize and interpret data in preparation of quality reports.
- Commitment to continuous learning and sharing knowledge.
- Commitment to KAICIID values, as well as to highest ethical standards and human rights.
LANGUAGES
English and Arabic proficiency (written and spoken) and knowledge of a third language applicable to the region (French) would be a distinct advantage.
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
This is a full-time assignment, the consultant will be expected to work 37,5 hours per week with a flexible schedule to be determined in consultation with the supervisor. The selected candidate is expected to start on 15 April 2023 and will be offered a consultancy contract until 31 December 2023.
LOCATION
The consultant will work remotely from their current residence in the Arab Region.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
21 March 2023
HOW TO APPLY
Please attach a Curriculum Vitae together with a cover letter indicating the expected monthly consultancy fee.
KAICIID is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.