Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible in disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future

The Program / Department / Team

Sudan INGO Forum

Sudan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, marked by widespread displacement, disease outbreaks, and confirmations of famine in several ‘hunger hotspots.’ In an effort to coordinate INGO efforts and establish a common voice for INGOs operating in Sudan, the INGO forum was established in 2009 as a key representation platform. To date, the forum is made up of 51 members and 17 observers operating across the country, including in some of the most difficult-to-reach parts of Sudan.

The INGO Forum is a permanent member of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG). It co-leads the Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG), alongside OCHA and spearheads collective engagement with the Government and other Authorities as well as with donors. The forum also leads collective advocacy nationally, regionally and internationally through its Advocacy Working Group (AWG) and in close coordination with the regional Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) and Member liaison offices in key donor/diplomatic capitals around the world.

Since 2023, the situation in Sudan has dramatically shifted as state and non-state actors wage a brutal conflict. The situation in non-Sudanese Armed Forces-controlled areas is particularly dire, with humanitarian access severely restricted and the absence of a United Nations (UN) presence exacerbating the challenges. As humanitarian needs continue to escalate, there is an urgent need for an interim solution to address critical gaps in coordination, common services and aid delivery.

To this end, the three core tenants of the INGO Forum’s work include:

Coordinated aid delivery – Enhancing operational alignment across organizations to maximize humanitarian impact.
This includes establishing an NGO-led coordination mechanism under the Sudan INGO Forum to provide immediate, effective, and well-managed humanitarian responses in these areas to ensure that urgent needs are met and operations are not disrupted.
Common service provision – Offering essential support, analysis, and shared resources to facilitate NGO operations.
This includes common negotiation support, i.e., for access or against BAI, collective advocacy efforts, information sharing, donor and stakeholder engagement, security and admin SOPs, and collective position papers, etc.
Stakeholder coordination and representation – Engaging with donors, UN agencies, authorities, and the broader humanitarian system to advocate for improved response conditions.
There is of course a convening and facilitation role included in this representation function
The Position

Access to people in need remains one of the greatest challenges for INGOs operating in Sudan. Deteriorating security, limited physical access and significant bureaucratic and administrative impediments have left many of those most in need with limited to no access to assistance. Given the highly dynamic security, political and conflict situation, humanitarians are preparing for increasing complexity in reaching the most vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas.

The INGO-F Deputy Director will have specific responsibilities for collating information to provide analysis and advice to members on matter of common concern related to access impediments including bureaucratic and administrative impediments in close coordination with the area coordination leads and with the INGO-F Director. This position will also focus on analyzing, facilitating, and coordinating collective humanitarian access to negotiations, products, and initiatives.

This position will have specific responsibilities for coordinating INGO access fora and co-chairing the HAWG together with OCHA. He/she will also serve as the secretariat’s representative in SLT discussions and meetings. This position reports to the Forum Director who will lead the overall Forum strategy and representation. The incumbent will deputize the Forum Director and may be required to provide ad hoc surge support to other roles within the Forum. S/he will also work closely with the Advocacy Manager to ensure that access related advocacy messages are evidence-based and aligned.

Essential Responsibilities

Coordination and representation:

Coordinate field level access meetings amongst INGO forum members in collaboration with the Forum’s Area Coordinators, the ABC coordinators in Darfur and, as appropriate, with UN colleagues
Represent the INGO forum in field level access and CMCoord related conversations/platforms
Represent the INGO forum and its members externally and with local authorities
Collaborate closely with OCHA, INSO and other data analysis units
Ensure linkages between access and advocacy platforms are closely maintained through collaboration with the Advocacy Manager
Expand the Forum’s network of relevant contacts in Sudan
Contribute access trends and analysis to the Forum’s monthly bulletin
As requested, provide advice on operational responses to identified access concerns to members
Provide recommendations to the Forum Director and Steering Committee for high-level access negotiations and engagements
Deputize for the Forum Director as necessary and rove to ensure continuity of coverage based on other senior secretariat member movements and priorities
Data collection, analysis and reporting

Active outreach to Members to ensure comprehensive representation and systematic input from NGO actors into various reporting mechanisms including around visa tracking and other access-related trackers in collaboration with the Information Management & Membership Services Officer
Regularly liaise with regional actors to provide analysis to Members and input into inter-agency mechanisms in Sudan of broader trends around access and geo-political influence
Provide recommendations to the AWG, in collaboration with the advocacy manager, for collective messages and targets
Produce timely reports on access trends in Sudan
Assist with special information requests from the Forum’s members, in coordination with the information management officer
Ensure attention to special protection issues that arise in Members’ areas of operations, particularly those involving vulnerable groups, sensitive topics, protection of sources and confidential data
Identify emerging issues or concerns and ensure fluid communication of these to relevant stakeholders
Representation, administration and other tasks:

When required, represent the Forum in key coordination groups and external meetings with Members, donors, the UN system or other stakeholders
Maintain up to date contact lists and ensure consistent and smooth information sharing
Ensure access products and tools are stored on an internal sharepoint with external permissions as agreed per Forum governance protocols to facilitate knowledge preservation and transfer
Supervisory Responsibility

Area Coordinators (Port Sudan and Darfur in the immediate and 1-3 additional ones as funding evolves)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: INGO Forum Director

Works Directly With: Advocacy Manager, Steering Committee, HAWG members

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

A graduate degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
10+ years of relevant experience with NGOs, the UN system or other humanitarian/development actors
Experience living and working in complex humanitarian or fragile contexts with strong understanding of humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law (IHL) operations and coordination mechanisms
Proven experience managing humanitarian access analysis, negotiation and strategy work and a demonstrable understanding of current humanitarian trends and issues
Experience representing organizations in humanitarian coordination platforms (inter-agency platforms, NGO forums, etc.)
Strong data analysis and interpretation skills
Proven network and relationship building skills
A demonstrable ability to manage a diverse workload and prioritize tasks in a complex and fluid environment
Fluency in English (written and spoken)
Desirable Requirements

Previous humanitarian experience in Sudan, Chad or South Sudan
Existing relationships with relevant stakeholders including NGOs, UN agencies, donors, national authorities and regional counterparts
Working knowledge of Arabic and French a plus

Please send your resume/CV