Job Description
Title: Programme Officer-Research & Knowledge development
Grade: L4 S1
Duty Station: Kigali, Rwanda
Reports To: Rwanda Programme Manager
Contract Type and Duration: 2 Years renewable (depending on donor funding)
Start Date: 1st September 2023
Background
Interpeace is an international organization for peacebuilding that supports locally led peacebuilding initiatives around the world. Interpeace tailors its approach to each society and ensures that the work is locally driven. Together with local partners and local teams, Interpeace jointly develops peacebuilding programmes and helps establish processes of change that connect local communities, civil society, government and the international community.
As a strategic partner of the United Nations, Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has offices around the world.
For more information about Interpeace, please visit www.interpeace.org
Interpeace in Rwanda
Interpeace has been working in Rwanda since 2002. During this time, Interpeace has been working in
Partnership with national institutions to strengthening durable peace, through the promotion of social cohesion, societal trauma healing and participatory governance. In this work, Interpeace has had long-term partnership with different national organisations, including government institutions such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Unity and Civic Engagement formerly (National Unity and Reconciliation Commission), Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Local Government. Non-government partners including but not limited to Prison Fellowship Rwanda, DiDE, and HAGURUKA.
We recently signed a four-year grant with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) to implement a programme entitled: ’’Reinforcing community capacity for social cohesion and reconciliation through societal trauma healing in Rwanda’’ that will be implemented in 5 Districts. This is a scale up of a similar, on-going programme funded by the European Union. These build on prior work on societal trauma healing and on participatory governance implemented in partnership with various local actors for the past several years.
Position within the Organization
The Programme Officer is a member of the Programme Management Unit which manages and implements all Interpeace’s active and ongoing programmes around the world. The Programme Management Unit is led from the Headquarters office in Geneva, although team members are based in various locations including in East and Central Africa, West Africa, Europe and the MENA region.
The Programme Officer will report to the Rwanda Senior Programme Manager and will work in close collaboration with other Programme Officers, the DMEL Advisor, the Country Representative, and the Finance and Administration Manager in Rwanda.
The Programme Officer participates in the design, day-to-day planning, and implementation of the Interpeace Rwanda programmes, particularly activities related to research and knowledge development, and s/he is also expected to contribute to the implementation of the broader Great Lakes Regional Programme.
Duties and responsibilities
Programme Management and Development
- Leads the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of research and knowledge development-related activities, including the elaboration of project related documents (such as activity plans, activity requests, activity reports, audio-visual documentation of activities in the assigned area, external events, etc.)
- Acts as the programme focal person for national and international experts and other stakeholders in all activities related to research and knowledge development; including the responsibility to develop and monitor calendars and milestones in that thematic area, in close collaboration with the Senior Programme Manager, the DMEL Advisor and other Programme Officers.
- Packages information generated from research and application of knowledge products in the field, to produce quarterly newsletters and any other agile knowledge products in close consultation with the Senior Programme Manager, the DMEL Advisor and the Country Representative.
- Actively participates in the design of new research projects/activities, in close collaboration with the Senior Programme Manager and DMEL Advisor; and collaborates with the Communications Officer to package research findings into concise, informative, and reader-friendly information notes for policy makers, donors and other relevant actors.
- Contributes to the scientific evaluation of Interpeace and partners’ protocols (Randomized Clinical Trial processes), to demonstrate their effectiveness and document required improvements.
- Takes a lead in organizing all events related to presentation of research/new knowledge products to internal and external audiences.
- Contributes to monthly, quarterly, and annual planning and reporting of the programme.
Knowledge Management and Learning
- Liaise with the Communication Team in preparing social media contents, website articles, and newsletters.
- Scheduling and maintaining the calendar of research and knowledge development activities, as guided by the Senior Programme Manager, the Country Representative and collaborate closely with DMEL and the programme team.
- Providing additional support to the Interpeace’s Rwanda team as called upon
- Contributes to the Programme and the Organisation’s learning activities/processes.
Representation
- Focus on Track 3, by supporting the Programme Team in maintaining working level relationship with local project partners and donors.
- Following up with all research and knowledge development related activities and ensure deadlines are maintained.
Relevant qualifications and experience
- Tertiary degree in peace-related studies, Project Management, social or development studies or other relevant fields.
- Demonstrated experience in peacebuilding, political and/or developmental work in Rwanda.
- Experience in conducting and analysing qualitative and quantitative research and knowledge management.
- Experience and ability to work successfully as part of a diverse and multicultural team, integrating a gender perspective into tasks and activities.
- Proven capacity to collaborate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Competencies
- Understanding of current thinking on peacebuilding issues and methods; and demonstrable ability to anticipate emerging needs and integrate them into priority programme setting.
- Organizational and planning skills.
- Advanced knowledge of project cycle management including of project planning and management tools.
- Excellent communication skills: ability to write clearly and concisely and to communicate effectively and accurately (orally and in written reports).
- Fluent in English; good working knowledge of French will be an advantage.
- Excellent knowledge of Kinyarwanda is required.
- Advanced writing and communications skills in English is required.
Interpeace Competencies
- Collaboration and Weaving
- Communication
- Drive for results
- Adaptability and Continuous Learning
- Respect for Diversity
Success factors
- Identifies with and is committed to Interpeace’s core values and working principles.
- Commitment to inclusiveness
- An innovative, critical thinker with extensive problem-solving skills
How to apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a complete curriculum vitae and a letter of interest no later than 13th August 2023, via this link: Programme Officer, Research and Knowledge Development
Interpeace values diversity among its staff and aims to achieve gender equality both through gender parity at all levels of the organisation and promoting a gender dimension in all its work. We welcome applications from women and men, and those with disabilities.
Please note that due to high volume of applications, ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
