Giving Indigenous Peoples a Greater Voice

Although Latin America has experienced strong economic growth and a reduction in poverty and inequality over the past decade, it is no stranger to social conflicts. Consequently, it is necessary to become familiar with the needs and aspirations of the most vulnerable sectors in advance to reduce potential crises and improve the quality of life of lower-income populations. To this end, Peru has taken the initiative of adopting a national law that regulates the process of prior consultation with indigenous populations. The first results of this law have been compiled in the report ¨Prior Consultation in Peru: Lessons and Challenges» (Spanish).  German Freire, a social development expert at the World Bank, explains how the prior consultation process works, why it is important for Peru and the region and what future indigenous and rural communities of Latin America can expect: Question: What is prior consultation and when does it take place?  Answer: Prior consultation is an internationally recognized right established in ILO Convention 169 and ratified by 15 Latin American countries, including Peru, where it has been a law since 2011. But more than a law, it is a dialogue tool that helps conciliate the interests of majority populations with those of the indigenous population. Prior consultation is an inclusion mechanism and a channel for giving a voice and vote to indigenous peoples with respect to the programs, projects, plans and laws that potentially affect their interests, cultures or lifestyles. Prior consultation is implemented when the collective rights of indigenous peoples are potentially affected. In Peruvian law, this process does not include the delivery of public services, such as water and sanitation or electricity, for example, unless they affect their collective rights. But, for example, when a law is proposed to establish a national park in Amazonas Region and that park overlaps traditional indigenous lands, collective rights are affected since the regulation could limit that population’s access to resources it has used for centuries and that it depends on for survival. This becomes a topic for prior consultation. This also occurs when a proposed waterway, or river “highway” project would cross through indigenous lands. Other mechanisms of citizen participation that are sensitive to the cultural differences and world views of indigenous peoples complement prior consultation processes. Q: Why is prior consultation important? A: Some public and private sectors mistakenly view prior consultation as a requirement that does not add value to their activities. They perceive it as a long, costly process that slows project development and ultimately discourages investment. However, experience has shown that on indigenous lands, “conventional development” does not always have the desired impact, and indigenous peoples may not benefit as much as the rest of the population or are adversely affected by projects that in theory should benefit them. This partly explains the persistence of gaps, for example. Indigenous peoples in the region are three times more likely to be poor than the rest of the population. Although consultation is not a mechanism for resolving conflicts, developing a project that is culturally pertinent and sensitive to local visions and expectations, where indigenous peoples have an opportunity to speak for themselves, is much less likely to create social conflict. If the reasons behind most social conflicts in Peru are analyzed, it becomes clear that regardless of whether they are related to mining projects or other activities, the local population rarely opposes the projects themselves, but rather the terms of their inclusion, or their exclusion from the benefits. Dialogue is what most communities involved in a conflict demand. Engaging in dialogue undoubtedly comes at a cost for companies and the government, but today we know that the cost of not implementing prior consultation is much greater, especially in the medium term, when conflicts or disagreements arise that delay works and development plans. Q: How did Peru become a reference for prior consultation in Latin America? A: Currently, there is considerable pro-indigenous legislation throughout Latin America and consultations are carried out in practically all the countries. However, Peru was the first country to promote a national law and to regulate the right to prior consultation. It has also been innovating the practical definition of the right to consultation, as well as the operational questions of how, what, where, when and who should be consulted about a specific measure. None of those questions has a single answer, but Peru has developed some concrete, functional strategies. The country proposes a structured form of prior consultation. This is reflected in the protocols, support materials and literature produced by the Ministry of Culture on prior consultation processes. These materials include the Ministry’s Database on Indigenous Peoples , one of the most complete I’ve seen in the region. They’ve also created a national registry of translators and facilitators on consultation issues, a key tool for both for the Peruvian government and private firms, since they use this registry and the services of the personnel that the Ministry is training. Additionally, they have just launched a consultation monitoring system, which is crucial for guaranteeing transparency and compliance with agreements.  These tools do not exist in other countries of the region. Q: How many prior consultations have taken place in Peru and what is an example of the agreements made during these processes? A: There were 24 when we carried out the study with the Ministry of Culture, but there are now several more. Although that doesn’t seem like a lot, it took considerable effort to get there, mainly because of the speculation following the passage of the law and its regulations. Critics of the law argued that consulting indigenous people would lead to more social conflicts, delay the projects consulted and halt investment. The main lesson of these initial consultation processes is that those fears were unfounded. The 24 processes completed until early 2016 all resulted in agreements that were achieved within a reasonable period. For example, some indigenous peoples asked to participate in the design of the terms of reference of the environmental impact studies since they felt that if they were not involved beginning in that phase, the questions that were important to them would not be included in the studies and they would not have the key information or data to structure their arguments. The problem is that an inflexible interpretation of the law would impede them from participating in the discussion of the results. We believe that prior consultation should be viewed as part of a broader, ongoing dialogue with indigenous peoples, not just as a moment in time or another administrative requirement. In Peru, prior consultation agreements are legally binding. This is no minor detail because other dialogue or conflict resolution mechanisms, such as dialogue roundtables, are not binding. Consequently, most of the social conflicts in Peru stem from a previous conflict since agreements are frequently forgotten once the crisis is resolved. Q: How does prior consultation benefit the future of indigenous peoples? A: The reason prior consultation exists is because conventional citizen participation mechanisms tend to fail the indigenous sector of the population. Personally, I think that Latin America should strive to integrate the intercultural dialogue mechanisms that are part of the prior consultation process into government activities to create truly inclusive states that respect the identity and dignity of indigenous peoples. Peru’s Ministry of Culture has stated that prior consultation should complement rather than replace other mechanisms of citizen participation. The challenge is to integrate the results of these consultation processes into the self-development plans of the peoples consulted so that those processes will not become one-time procedures to adopt a law or project. Instead, they should become a real window for social inclusion. The development of all regions of the country should continue down this path of intercultural dialogue so that indigenous peoples can participate and can always be heard.

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  • Colombia: Deputy Director for Programs

    Organization: International Rescue Committee
    Country: Colombia
    Closing date: 01 Apr 2019

    BACKGROUND:

    The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

    IRC COLOMBIA

    A combined two decades of economic mismanagement, a drop in oil prices, and the deterioration of democratic institutions has resulted in a humanitarian crisis inside Venezuela. Insecurity has manifested following protests in April 2017 against the president and his government, particularly for failing to address the growing inflation rate which lead to large-scale food insecurity. The demonstrations were initially peaceful but grew in severity of violence as time passed. Venezuela’s economic devastation worsened in the last half of 2017. This caused a massive migration of Venezuelans into neighboring Colombia in search of affordable food, medicine and work. The number of Venezuelans living in Colombia has increased to more than one million people.

    In response, the IRC has launched emergency programming in Colombia, focusing on an integrated response involving child protection, women’s protection and empowerment activities, primary and reproductive healthcare, and cash transfer programming. The IRC is in the process of delivering these and future activities directly in Colombia, and in partnership with local civil society organizations in Venezuela. In Colombia, IRC currently has operations in Cucuta, and Medellin, and is soon to expand to Bogota and Barranquilla.

    Length of Assignment: 2 years

    PLEASE SUBMIT AN ENGLISH CV.

    JOB OVERVIEW/SUMMARY:

    The position of Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) is a member of the Senior Management Team and is integral to the successful implementation of IRC’s programs in Colombia. Working under the direction of the Country Director (CD), the DDP is responsible for overall program direction and implementation within the program framework, government policies and strategies, and in compliance with donor regulations, specifically in the areas of a) grant management b) program development, quality and implementation c) day-to-day representation with donor agencies and local and international stakeholders, and d) Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning.

    The DDP will spearhead the development and execution of the Country Strategic Plan and also be responsible for supervising the Health, Child Protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Economic Recovery and Development and Grants Coordinator. This position will work closely and collaboratively with the different departments within the country program, the IRC technical advisors and the IRC Emergency Unit.

    The DDP will be based in Bogota, Colombia, with frequent travel to Cucuta, Medellin, Barranquilla, and any other national sites in Colombia where IRC designs and develops programming.

    MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

    Program Strategy, Design and Fundraising

    • Lead the operationalization of the current IRC Colombia response strategy and actively engage in strategic planning processes for the longer term.
    • Ensure, with Coordinators, and HQ-based Technical Unit staff, that project design reflects IRC program quality standards and industry best practices.
    • Lead efforts for sustainable program growth, proactively identifying opportunities for new programming initiatives and emphasizing multi-year funding to support them.
    • Provide leadership support to the program and grants teams to develop competitive, evidence-based and cost-effective funding applications.
    • Provide guidance, strategies and tools to ensure that program choices are based on needs assessment findings (primary & secondary data) and analysis, input from communities, a thorough understanding of context, technical best practices, and operational viability.
    • Formulate integrated program initiatives so that technical sectors complement each other and promote mainstreaming of protection principles and gender-responsive approaches.

    Program Management – Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

    • Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Colombia program portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
    • Continually seek out ways to build the capacities of the program team members, individually and collectively.
    • Ensure that detailed, realistic and feasible project implementation plans are developed, and modified as needed, in collaboration with the Program Coordinators and Operations team.
    • Coordinate with other members of the Senior Management Team on appropriate management, compliance and performance standards, as well as effective systems for budget management, knowledge management and risk management.
    • Support programming staff to collect, document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices, incorporating these into new project designs.
    • With program staff, develop effective and appropriate M&E plans, including methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis and reporting.
    • Review M&E and accountability data with program staff to identify and address areas for operational improvement.

    Grants Management

    • Provide strategic direction in terms of development of a funding strategy, widening and strengthening donor base, ensuring quality grants management, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, ensuring quality information management related to programs/ grants, and supporting directly in all aspects of the proposal development and reporting processes.
    • Supervise all internal, external and reporting with programs and finance, ensuring high-quality, well-written and timely reports meeting donor and IRC and partner requirements; conduct thorough reviews and/or revisions of all external reports compiled by the Grants Coordinator.
    • Ensure that Program Coordinators and Grants Senior Manager conduct routine monitoring visits to implementation sites to ensure donor compliance and quality program implementation.
    • Coordinate with the Program Coordinators and Grants and Finance teams to ensure sound budget management, expense control and timely contractual documentation.
    • Support the Grants Senior Manager to lead Grant Opening and Grant Closing Meetings with all relevant department and units and to ensure they take place on time. Also ensure that programming staff are well trained to properly manage project budgets.
    • Ensure that the program coordinators review BvAs on a regular basis; provide leadership and management support to ensure effective monthly grant review meetings.
    • Mitigate any potential risk by collaborating with the Finance Department to ensure that programming staff fully understand financial and administrative processes involved in project budget cycles.

    External Representation and Advocacy

    • Develop a sound understanding of the IRC’s programs to be able to professionally represent the IRC to implementing partners, the government and donors;
    • Assist the Country Director developing strong relationships with donors, assisting with visits and in the development of appropriate advocacy actions;
    • Forge and maintain solid cooperation with partner organizations through regular communication, cooperation and, where appropriate, joint decision-making.
    • Act as the focal point for program-related communication between IRC country programs in the region and worldwide offices.
    • Identify funding opportunities and track them in collaboration with the technical teams.
    • Oversee programmatic inputs to advocacy efforts both in-country and globally.

    Staff Management and Development

    • Provide guidance and supervision to the technical coordinators, M&E Manager, the grants senior manager, information officers; to discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management system.
    • Create a supervisory environment focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of learning, productivity, accountability and openness
    • Adhere to IRC’s performance management system, providing regular, timely and thoughtful coaching, feedback, performance assessment, and professional development for all direct reports, while making sure that they do the same for their direct reports.
    • Build capacities of programming staff in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are utilized on the job.
    • Manage recruitment, hiring and development of high-performing national staff to assume greater levels of responsibility.
    • Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

    PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

    The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

    As a leader you will be placed in a position of trust. To maintain that trust, you are expected to always:

    • Lead by example and be a positive role model to others.
    • Promote awareness of the IRC’s standards and make sure those you supervise are equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to comply with them.
    • Monitor conduct of those you supervise and take responsibility for activities that occur under your supervision.
    • Be responsive to anyone who raises an ethics or compliance concern and make sure matters are resolved in a fair and appropriate manner.

    KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

    • Country Director, Colombia and Venezuela
    • Other Colombia-based staff, including operations, finance, and grants
    • Technical Advisors (based globally) and any roster staff required to support program staff inside Venezuela
    • Awards Management Unit to support all compliance and reporting for partners, as well as proposals
    • Global Supply Chain to procure goods and support partners to procure
    • Communications and Advocacy units to support any key messages at external meetings
    • Global Security to support any risk analysis and mitigation
    • Emergency Unit

    REQUIREMENTS

    Master’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences or a similar field;

    Minimum eight years of management experience working in a humanitarian or development setting with a minimum of five years of INGO program management experience.

    Experience in managing protection, ERD and/or health, and experience working in partnership with local organizations, is strongly desired.

    Proven ability to develop winning proposals to public and private-sector donors;

    Familiarity and experience with US and European, donors;

    Previous experience managing programs financed by US government agencies, DFID, EU, foundations and private donors a must, with previous experience in competitive environments a plus.

    Proven ability to manage projects to completion on time, within budget, and with the anticipated results.

    Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.

    Demonstrated successful leadership experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching. Strong leadership, motivational and team-building skills;

    Proven fluency in English and Spanish a must

    How to apply:

    https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/jobdetails.aspx?site=1&c=rescue&id=3988

  • Colombia: Oficial Grants

    Organization: Save the Children
    Country: Colombia
    Closing date: 10 Mar 2019
    TITULO DEL PUESTO: Oficial Grants

    EQUIPO/PROGRAMA: Desarrollo de programas y Calidad

    UBICACION: Bogotá

    GRADO: 4 – oficiales

    Tipo de Contrato: Término Definido a 31 de dic…

  • Brazil: Corporate Alliances Acquisition Associate, GS-6, Brasília, Brazil post# 109567

    Organization: UN Children’s Fund
    Country: Brazil
    Closing date: 07 Mar 2019

    UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

    Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

    And we never give up.

    For every child, make a difference

    The Corporate Partnerships team has ambitious fundraising targets and outcomes to be reached based on market potential and building on successful results of 2018. Our aim and vision are to develop, manage and enhance the fundraising potential of working with businesses in Brazil and a core part of achieving this vision is the Corporate Alliances (CA) acquisition team (new business).

    After review, additional resource is being created to support the Acquisition (new business team) to embrace the new fundraising challenges and to reach the extra income success. The Corporate Alliances Acquisition Associate will support the CA Acquisition (new business) team with a strategic focus on customer engagement and cause related marketing (CRM) alliance models. The role will have the objective to support the leverage of the flexible or non-fixed income fundraising potential to support both, the local and global UNICEF Programme.

    For further information, please visit www.unicef.org.br

    How can you make a difference?

    Under the supervision of the Corporate Fundraising Officer (Acquisition), the Acquisition Associate will undertake supporting tasks for new business such as:

  • Assist in specifying the pipeline and building corporate alliances focused on customer engagement and cause related marketing (CRM) models, but not exclusively in those formats.
  • Support in the initial preparation of proposals with the new business team.
  • Assist on the implementation of the alliances and on reaching planned results.
  • Join our team to be responsible for:

    1) Implementation of corporate alliances focused on customer engagement and cause related marketing (CRM) models and other acquisition campaigns:

  • Continuously map new corporate partnership opportunities, initiate contact with the companies’ focal points, and participate in the alliances’ prospecting processes;
  • Proceed with the Geneva clearance process on potential and current donor companies on a weekly basis;
  • Prepare and internally/externally approve the partnership contract; and keep corporate prospection planning documents update;
  • Follow up the delivering of annual reports to the partners and support in the negotiation of renewal focusing on the best results for UNICEF;
  • Support the planning and implementation processes of the corporate alliances campaigns by following up the milestones and results of it in collaboration with Market Services team;
  • Approach partners during emergency campaigns to explore additional fundraising opportunities;
  • Continuously research and test new and innovative ways of work to improve quality in results and to simplify procedures of processing the donations;
  • Monthly searching about competitors’ corporate alliances mechanisms and good practices, evaluating replicability;
  • Fortnightly, support plan and project pitches and campaigns with Marketing Services support and other related areas, including outsourced agencies.
  • 2) Suppliers relationship:

  • Assist and support in developing, drafting and maintaining contract information, monitoring reports and relationships with current and new providers involved in the corporate alliances through UNICEF;
  • Assist the development of new providers and follow up biding processes with Operations Sector / RM&P Associate as required;
  • Ensure that the providers’ payments are due and delivered on time.

  • 3) Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Monitor and support the implementation of the corporate alliances campaigns to target audiences and participate in the evaluation of their impact. Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of each campaign materials/channels;
  • Support and monitor the level of fulfilment and success in donations processing, by analyzing and studying the best way to improve it;
  • Conduct the target and results analysis and control. Continuously monitoring campaign goals and marketing metrics related to customer engagement;
  • Compile lessons learned and support the review of successful and unsuccessful campaigns.

  • 4) Assignments of additional administrative duties and responsibilities:

  • Map potential companies from different segments and support on organizing the list of priority companies to be reached and prospected on a monthly basis;
  • Research about the prospected companies and support the evaluation of fundraising opportunities;
  • Assist the preparation of periodical corporate alliances fundraising reports, monitor and maintain control of records and results;
  • Develop, organize and maintain up-to-date data, information, record documents and control plans for the monitoring of project implementation; maintains library of corporate alliances reference materials.

  • To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • Completion of secondary education preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization. A University degree is desirable (Business Administration, International Relations, Economics or Marketing);
  • At least six years of professional experience related to corporate fundraising, clients’ engagement, partnership development, or marketing;
  • Experience in retail sales is an asset
  • Fluency in Portuguese and English. Knowledge of Spanish will be considered as an asset
  • For every Child, you demonstrate

    UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

    The technical competencies required for this post are Relating and networking (I), Persuading and influencing (II), Planning and organizing (I) and Following Instructions and Procedures (II)

    View our competency framework at

    http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

    UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

    UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

    Remarks:

    Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

    Candidates must be Brazilian citizens or have a valid work permit.

    All candidates who wish to apply to this Vacancy Announcement are requested to prepare and submit their application in English.

    How to apply:

    UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=520028