Anticipatory Action Project Coordinator

Project Background

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an international humanitarian organization with operations in over 40 countries, committed to assisting, protecting, and finding solutions for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other conflict-affected communities. As part of our continuous effort to improve humanitarian responses, we are increasingly focusing on anticipatory action (AA) to mitigate the impacts of disasters, both climate-related and conflict-induced, before they unfold. Following a gradual scale-up strategy, DRC has piloted this approach in nine countries to date, driving innovation in displacement forecasting and anticipatory action for human mobility. In Uganda, DRC has been present since 1997, implementing projects across the country in Protection, Economic Recovery, and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding with a current focus on the refugee situation in the West Nile and southwest regions.

Overall, Purpose of the Role:  

DRC is seeking a highly motivated and experienced National Anticipatory Action (AA) Coordinator based in Arua to lead and coordinate anticipatory action programming at the national level. In particular, the National AA Coordinator will be the national lead for the global Anticipatory Humanitarian Action for Displacement (AHEAD) project implemented across seven countries globally, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The four-year project will develop anticipatory action (AA) data models and approaches using local and global data for local-level analysis to help inform humanitarian actors’ decisions when deploying humanitarian assistance and to enable timelier, more dignified, efficient, and sustainable assistance.

Further, this position will report to the Project Manager ( Direct Supervisor) and will be pivotal in expanding DRC’s anticipatory action initiatives beyond the AHEAD project, ensuring timely, coordinated, and efficient responses to displacement risks from both conflict and climate hazards. You will work closely with country teams, local government bodies, and stakeholders to design, implement, and scale anticipatory action projects that enhance preparedness and improve the resilience of communities at risk of displacement

Responsibilities:

Management and Coordination

• Serve as the national technical focal point for all AA activities, ensuring alignment with DRC’s global strategy and the country’s specific needs.
• Coordinate with regional and global teams to ensure effective integration of AA activities into overall program strategies.
• Facilitate awareness-raising and collaboration across sectors and with key stakeholders, including government agencies, local partners, and UN agencies, to ensure that anticipatory actions are well understood, integrated, and prioritized as effective response options.
• Engaging in existing AA coordination platforms, such as technical working groups, or supporting the establishment of new coordination structures, prioritizing the adoption of harmonized AA approaches and implementation across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Ensure the visibility of DRC’s AA portfolio in humanitarian coordination platforms, such as the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) or relevant humanitarian clusters.

Implementation and Technical Support

• Lead the development and implementation of anticipatory action plans, including leading the co-design of readiness and anticipatory actions, trigger mechanisms, and evidence-generation frameworks, following a participatory, bottom-up design process.
• Lead the anticipatory action systems building, including strengthening of early warning systems, trigger development, and development of anticipatory action plans in close collaboration with duty bearers and in-country partners, ensuring they meet DRC’s standards and principles.
• Provide technical assistance within DRC’s country office to build awareness and capacity for anticipatory action programming, including policy advocacy, data-driven and forecast-based planning, anticipatory finance, and anticipatory action implementation.
• Coordinate with emergency response teams to ensure that anticipatory actions are well-integrated into broader emergency preparedness and response strategies.
• In case of a trigger activation, provide operational oversight of anticipatory action plan implementations, ensuring timely delivery of anticipatory actions and robust evidence generation.

Data, Analysis, and Learning

• Work with the Evidence, Knowledge, and Learning team to ensure that data and displacement forecasting models are effectively used for anticipatory action.
• Support DRC’s global and regional analysts to monitor and analyze data related to disaster risks and displacement, ensuring that forecasts and triggers are aligned with the evolving needs on the ground.
• Capture and disseminate lessons learned from anticipatory action projects, contributing to global, regional, and national knowledge-sharing and advocacy efforts.

Business Development and Advocacy

• Contribute to the development of proposals to secure funding for anticipatory action initiatives, in collaboration with country teams and donor engagement.
• Represent DRC at national and, as per need, regional forums, advocating for the adoption of anticipatory action approaches within the humanitarian sector.
• Work closely with DRC’s advocacy teams to influence national policies and promote the integration of anticipatory action into government and humanitarian sector planning.

Reporting and Communication

• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting on AA activities, in line with donor and organizational requirements.
• Maintain strong communication with country focal points to track progress, share updates, and resolve challenges in implementation.
• Provide regular technical support and guidance to local staff and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and commitment to AA objectives

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• At least 5 years of international experience in disaster risk management or anticipatory action programming, preferably in conflict-affected regions.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing anticipatory action projects, including the development of triggers and anticipatory action planning.
• Strong understanding of data-driven decision-making, with experience with displacement forecasting models and early warning systems being a strong asset.
• Excellent stakeholder coordination skills, with an ability to navigate diverse stakeholder groups and drive joint progress to achieve common goals.
• Familiarity with conflict-sensitive programming and the impacts of displacement on vulnerable populations.
• Ability and willingness to travel, including to remote or conflict-affected areas, up to 35% of the time.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and coordination skills, with the ability to work across multiple teams and with diverse stakeholders.

Other Requirements:

• Able and willing to be based in Arua West Nile, Uganda with occasional travel. Travel to remote and isolated rural communities will be required within this role.
• The position requires a high degree of collaboration with program staff and all relevant stakeholders to ensure effective communication and priority setting.
• Experience with programming related to climate resilience, preparedness, and conflict sensitivity.
• Demonstrated ability to innovate and take a flexible, problem-solving approach in complex humanitarian environments.
• Strong project management skills and experience with donor reporting and proposal writing.
• Familiarity with humanitarian coordination mechanisms and key international standards

Education:

A master’s degree in development studies, social sciences, international development, or relevant degree qualifications.