The Government Liaison Coordinator is a critical position within NRC Iran. The position will lead the relationship with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Ministries, Immigration Office, and any other formal and informal government authorities, to manage NRC access in line with humanitarian principles, donor requirements and the operation approval and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government.
The coordinator will keep NRC Country Management aware of national regulations and administrative issues that could affect NRC.
Generic responsibilities
Ensure adherence with NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines
Act as the main interface for national authorities. Support in securing government approvals, for project implementation, trainings, travel, operation approval and MoU, visa and residency permits and any other authorization that might be required for implementation of NRC activities in Iran
Plan and facilitate meetings with relevant government officials to explain, advocate and negotiate for NRC access and implementation, and reduce barriers, supporting NRC programme, advocacy and area teams.
Supervise NRC’s Government Liaison staff, organize their workload and tasks
Ensure the development and implementation of internal systems and procedures
Prepare status reports for Country Management Group (CMG) on humanitarian access
Monitor legal and policy developments relevant to NRC, internally share summaries and brief the CMG
Work closely with the NRC Advocacy and Communications and Programme teams to support effective communication of NRC objectives, messages and priorities with relevant authorities
Ensure capacity building of staff in skills related to Government Liaison purposes
Promote the rights of displacement affected populations in line with the advocacy strategy
Specific responsibilities
Lead the strategic relationship with ministries and other relevant authority
Maintain an overview of government approvals and rejections, and develop a plan to improve NRC access
Ensure proper archiving and filing of all incoming and outgoing documents and communications
Liaise with the Humanitarian Access and Safety (HAS) team to monitor trends in humanitarian access in Iran and provide recommendations on how to address access barriers
Ensure timely submission of Government required reporting, in particular quarterly and annual reporting
Ensure that communications and translations across NRC are harmonized, factually and grammatically correct. If necessary, develop a network of translators that are approved by NRC in terms of quality
Support and accompany NRC management for meetings with Government authorities and facilitate translation
Maintain a Government Liaison calendar for senior management to be able to plan meetings as much as possible
Capture lessons learned with regards to collaboration with different levels of the Government and provide recommendations of improvements to CMG
Other duties as assigned by his/ her supervisor
Generic professional competencies:
Minimum 3 years of work experience relevant for the position
Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
Minimum bachelor’s degree
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including capacity to negotiate with government and non-government stakeholders
Previous experience in an NGO is an asset
Excellent English and Farsi language skills, both written and verbal
Ability to operate and work independently
Detail oriented and strong organizational skills
Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience
Experience of liaison and/or representation with senior Iranian authorities is an asset
Knowledge of Government structures within the Islamic Republic of Iran
Knowledge of Iranian legislation and policies related to INGO work in the country
Understanding of and respect for humanitarian work, particularly relating to refugee and displacement issues.
Ability to develop a network of interlocutors in Iran
Flexibility to work outside standard working hours
Behavioral competencies
These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position:
Planning and delivering results
Communicating with impact and respect
Empowering and building trust
Analyzing
Strategic thinking
Influencing
All employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council adhere to our Code of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable
| The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world's most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people. At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Together, we save lives and rebuild futures. Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to: • treat everyone with respect and dignity • contribute to building a safe environment for all • never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) • always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH |
