Administrative and Financial Coordinator

Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical assistance. The agency provides partner countries with knowledge, skills and management expertise in:

• Democratic, economic, and financial governance,
• Stability, international security and peace,
• Sustainable development, climate and agriculture,
• Health and human development.

Expertise France designs and implements cooperation projects addressing skills transfers between professionals. The agency also develops integrated offers, assembling public and private expertise in order to respond to the partner countries' needs.

With a business volume of 148 million Euros, a portfolio of over 500 projects in 100 countries, and 63,000 days of expert missions every year, Expertise France promotes French and European development policy goals.

CONTEXT & NEEDS

The Middle East is currently experiencing a profound crisis. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq are both a reflection and a transmitter of this crisis, with growing potential to further destabilize neighboring countries and the wider region. These crises have resulted in a humanitarian disaster affecting more than 13.5 million people who were forced to flee their homes from Syria, and more than 17 million people in need of humanitarian aid (12.2 in Syria and 5.2 in Iraq).

Lebanon is now home to the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita relative to its total population, putting a severe strain on the country’s fragile infrastructures, economy, and security. The population of Lebanon was estimated at about 4.8 million (including almost half a million Palestinian refugees) in 2013. Even though Lebanon has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, up to date it has taken in about a fourth of its own population. According to UNHCR, in September 2016 about 1,017,433 persons from Syria were registered as refugees in Lebanon.  In the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017- 2020 (2018 update) (LCRP), the total number of people living in Lebanon is estimated at 5.9 million, with 3.3 million people in need. Among the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon, which today comprises over 1.5 million people. 

PROGRAMMES BACKGROUND

The “Stabilization and Resilience” unit runs 2 projects in Lebanon: QUDRA and SHABAKE.

1- QUDRA

’Qudra – Resilience for Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises’ is a regional action financed by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the Madad Fund and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), seeking to strengthen the resilience of Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises.  The programme launched in June 2016, is being jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Expertise France (EF) and Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID) in programme partner countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and North Iraq.

In Lebanon, Expertise France ensures the implementation of the Specific Objective 3 of Qudra. The project seeks to improve social stability between communities in Lebanon through a comprehensive and local approach of protection for children and adults. To do so, activities revolve around four pillars: (i) support to Social Development Centers (SDCs) of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), (ii) Child Protection activities, (iii) Protection activities and (iv) campaigns and communication activities. Expertise France works within the framework of the LCRP and MoSA National Plan for Safeguarding women and children in close partnership with Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). The programme is implemented in 10 SDCs of the MoSA. Expertise France has selected 4 local NGOs as partners to implement the activities, these NGOs have hired the necessary staff and are currently implementing the activities, following a precise programme drafted by EF with MoSa. The programme will end in August 2019 and will be followed by another 3-year programme, following the same objectives, to improve the targets and sustainability, in strong coordination with MoSa.

2- SHABAKE

The SHABAKE project aims to strengthen the capacities of local NGO’s on the long run, to enable them to become key and resilient stakeholders of the Lebanese civil society. The project is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Denmark’s development cooperation (Danida), and is implemented by Expertise France.

The global objective of SHABAKE is to help local NGOs become lasting, key players in mitigating the effects of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon by a strong capacity building and a direct link with international donors.

Shabake has a 3 years long approach, and will be implement through three main component parts:

1. Strengthening assets, capacities, and skills of the local Lebanese NGOs selected for a grant award.
2. Implementation by each NGO of a crisis-response project to reduce vulnerabilities.
3. Improving the participation of NGO partners in the development-aid ecosystem.

An ongoing call for proposal has been launched to select the beneficiary NGOs of the project.

CONTENT OF THE POSITION

Financial responsibilities of the position (40%)

• Support the effective internal control of the operational budget and in collaboration with the project’s manager, develops the annual budget; monitors, analyzes and reports on monthly expenditures. Prepares and advises on the reallocation of resources during budget reviews and up-dates.

• Provide overall financial planning support to Programmes Director, advise on spending and financial spending strategies, provide accurate financial outlook of the projects on a regular basis.

• Provide inputs to budget development and guidance on overall financial management support to the budget holders.

• Constantly check the integrity and robustness of financial procedures, possible mismanagement and suggest corrective actions to minimize losses.

• Constantly train and groom finance staff to develop capacity in the EF office.

• Management of transparent and effective interaction with banks and other financial institutions, and agreements with authorities favorable to EF and its beneficiaries.

• Monitoring and regulating the movement of cash, liquidity management, the bank transactions and transfers, and the other personnel involved, beyond the set of internal controls.

• Ensure that all necessary agreements, permits and licenses necessary for EF‘s operations (including VAT exemption when applicable) are in place and keep updated on national administrative rules and regulations pertaining to the activities of EF.   

Administrative responsibilities of the position (30%)

• Support administrative processes for the agency, in close coordination AFD, EF HQ, the French Embassy and lawyers.

• Support the induction of new team members (paperwork, preparation of work stations, setting up of IT equipment, provision of office supplies etc.)

• Ensure mandatory reporting is submitted and audit requirements are followed up

• Ensuring an honest, timely and quality delivery of administrative and financial operations and services at all levels of organization hierarchy, through sound recruitment, firm internal controls and reporting, solid coordination between projects and personnel, and internal audits.

• Contribute to the development of a HR policy and ensure a payroll management system is in place. Manage all aspects of HR leave and travel.

• Ensuring that agreed measures for safety and security are in place and adhered to by all staff, in link with the Programme Director and the Security Logistic Coordinator

Management and Coordination (30%)

• Assure the management of the administrative and financial unit.
• Maintain a network with other organizations on logistics, finance, HR and administration-related topics and ensure a proactive communication with all relevant stakeholders.

• Share and coordinate administration and finance related information with the Programmes Director and other staff and attend any relevant internal coordination meetings.

• Liaise with donors and government officials, especially as relates to issues of compliance, registration and audit.

• Ensure timely communication with HQ, Programmes Director, Project Officers concerning all issues related to finance, administration and HR.