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OCHA-Cash Coordinator-P4-Mogadishu, Somalia
Mogadishu, SomaliaPosition Title: Cash Coordinator
Receiving Agency: OCHA
P Level: P4
Location: Mogadishu, Somalia
Duration: 12 months
Language: Fluency in English
DESCRIPTION OF EMERGENCY
Language(s) Required:
English
Specific Required Skills:
PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrated understanding and experience coordinating cash working groups, clusters or other working groups Demonstrated technical understanding of operational cash and identity management issues, challenges, and concerns. Knowledge of a wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues, including specific knowledge of cash-based programming and cash coordination Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a culturally diverse team in a sensitive environment Experience in the management of cash-based programmes is required. Demonstrated problem- solving skills and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of complex issues/problems. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates an appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Proven professional experience in the related fields with the ability to work independently on technical matters with minimum supervision. TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda. Ability to negotiate and to influence others to reach an agreement. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures governing administration.
Receiving Agency: OCHA
P Level: P4
Location: Mogadishu, Somalia
Duration: 12 months
Language: Fluency in English
DESCRIPTION OF EMERGENCY
Brief Description of Emergency Outbreak/Upsurge and the Consequences for OCHA: |
The humanitarian emergency in Somalia remains severe and deeply protracted, driven by recurrent drought, conflict, disease outbreaks, high food prices, and declining humanitarian resources. Although the number of people in need has decreased to 4.8 million in 2026, this 20 per cent reduction from 2025 reflects stricter needs definitions rather than an actual improvement in conditions. Humanitarian needs remain acute, particularly as drought conditions are expected to intensify during the Jilaal season, with further deterioration anticipated throughout 2026. Food insecurity remains widespread. The latest analysis indicates that 4.4 million people are in IPC Phase 3 or worse, reflecting persistent crisis‑level hunger across the country. Disease outbreaks—including AWD/cholera, measles, and malaria—continue to compound vulnerabilities, while conflict and climatic shocks drive repeated displacement. Humanitarian assistance continues to prevent more catastrophic outcomes in many areas, but the response is increasingly constrained by severe funding shortfalls. The 2026 HNRP requires USD 852 million, a 40 per cent reduction from 2025 due to hyper-prioritisation under limited resources. As a result, partners will target only 2.4 million people, less than half of those in need, prioritising 1.6 million people facing extreme Severity 4 conditions in 21 districts. Ultimately, humanitarian action alone cannot address the scale of needs. Durable reduction of vulnerability will require medium‑ and long‑term investments, including strengthened social protection systems, resilience programming, and integrated humanitarian‑development‑peace approaches. |
Brief Surge Need Justification: |
The scale and centrality of cash assistance in Somalia’s response architecture demonstrate the continued need for dedicated, high‑level cash coordination in 2026. MPCA remains one of the most widely used modalities for rapid‑onset emergencies and protracted displacement, with millions reached annually and partners relying on harmonised vulnerability criteria, common transfer values, and market‑based response analysis to ensure principled, efficient delivery. At the same time, the system faces persistent risks, including aid diversion, inconsistent targeting, market volatility, and the need to align humanitarian CVA with expanding government social protection systems. As cash becomes increasingly integrated across clusters and central to first‑line response, a non-programmatic Cash Coordinator is essential in 2026 to maintain coherence, uphold standards, lead technical harmonization, support MPCA integration into strategic planning, and ensure that cash assistance remains accountable, evidence‑driven, and well‑coordinated across the humanitarian-development–social protection nexus |
OCHA’s Role and Key Challenges: |
OCHA’s role is to ensure adequate, predictable, and timely coordination of humanitarian response. Humanitarian coordination continues to be challenged by the restrictive security environment that limits the ability of humanitarian actors to access people in need. Other than a lack of adequate resources to meet needs, the Somalia operation is challenged by chronic issues such as a political economy of aid, aid diversion and lack of development and effective governance. |
Main Partners and Stakeholders in the Field: |
Humanitarian partners: UN agencies, clusters, Reform and Reset Task Team (R2T2), national and international NGOs, Red Crescent Movement, donors, national and local authorities, and line ministers. The surge will work closely with Cluster Coordinators. |
Long-Term Plan After SBP Deployment Ends: |
Once the various initiatives and the reform agenda shape up (led by the SBP), a national officer will be capacitated to take over.
Will Other Surge Resources Be Requested?
No.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Main Tasks and Duties to be Executed:
Serve as the non-programmatic co-chair of the Cash Working Group (CWG), ensuring continuity and strategic leadership during the consolidation phase of the IASC cash coordination model. Lead the 2026 CWG workplan revision, integrating lessons from 2025 achievements (harmonised transfer values, market monitoring framework, MPCA–cluster integration). Facilitate CWG meetings, ensuring inclusive participation, clear documentation of decisions, and systematic follow-up on action points. Strengthen the national–subnational cash coordination architecture, supporting field-level CWGs to operationalise harmonised tools, SOPs, and monitoring systems. Oversee the implementation and refinement of the harmonised transfer value framework, ensuring alignment with market trends, IPC analysis, and cluster-specific needs Coordinate the national market monitoring system, ensuring regular analysis, partner compliance with reporting, and use of market data for decision making. Deepen linkages with the Somali Humanitarian Fund (SHF), ensuring MPCA and CVA considerations are systematically integrated into allocation strategies and technical review processes. Strengthen collaboration with clusters to ensure coherent CVA–sectoral approaches, including joint analysis, harmonised tools, and avoidance of duplication. Enhance engagement with MoLSA and social protection actors, supporting alignment between humanitarian CVA and government social safety nets, including shock-responsive mechanisms Lead technical discussions on risk mitigation, accountability, and evidence generation, including post distribution monitoring, community feedback, and diversion risk analysis Provide strategic advice to OCHA senior management and the HC on cash-related issues, including advocacy messages, risk trends, and opportunities for system strengthening. Liaise with donors, IFIs, FSPs, and development actors to promote coherence across humanitarian, development, and social protection cash systems Lead the HCT efforts on humanitarian reset, with cash assistance modality taking centre stage in humanitarian programming in Somalia. Undertake any other cash-related tasks assigned by the supervisor
Expected Outcome of the Deployment:
Implementation of MPCA scale-up framework, in line with the humanitarian reset in Somalia Consolidation of the harmonised transfer value system, ensuring predictable, evidence-based CVA across sectors and locations. Fitting MPCA into the HCT common policy on registration, targeting, data sharing and referrals. Strengthened national market monitoring architecture, with regular reporting, analysis, and use of data for operational and strategic decision making. Effective implementation of the 2026 CWG workplan, with measurable progress against priority areas. Improved integration of CVA into cluster strategies, ICCG discussions, and HCT decision making. Enhanced alignment between humanitarian CVA and government social protection systems, reducing duplication and improving complementarity. Strengthened risk mitigation and accountability mechanisms, including aid diversion risk analysis, community feedback integration, and improved monitoring systems. Increased coherence between humanitarian and development cash actors, including IFIs and large-scale safety net programmes. Clear, timely, and actionable strategic advice to OCHA leadership and the HC on cash-related issues, risks, and opportunities
Will Other Surge Resources Be Requested?
No.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Main Tasks and Duties to be Executed:
Serve as the non-programmatic co-chair of the Cash Working Group (CWG), ensuring continuity and strategic leadership during the consolidation phase of the IASC cash coordination model. Lead the 2026 CWG workplan revision, integrating lessons from 2025 achievements (harmonised transfer values, market monitoring framework, MPCA–cluster integration). Facilitate CWG meetings, ensuring inclusive participation, clear documentation of decisions, and systematic follow-up on action points. Strengthen the national–subnational cash coordination architecture, supporting field-level CWGs to operationalise harmonised tools, SOPs, and monitoring systems. Oversee the implementation and refinement of the harmonised transfer value framework, ensuring alignment with market trends, IPC analysis, and cluster-specific needs Coordinate the national market monitoring system, ensuring regular analysis, partner compliance with reporting, and use of market data for decision making. Deepen linkages with the Somali Humanitarian Fund (SHF), ensuring MPCA and CVA considerations are systematically integrated into allocation strategies and technical review processes. Strengthen collaboration with clusters to ensure coherent CVA–sectoral approaches, including joint analysis, harmonised tools, and avoidance of duplication. Enhance engagement with MoLSA and social protection actors, supporting alignment between humanitarian CVA and government social safety nets, including shock-responsive mechanisms Lead technical discussions on risk mitigation, accountability, and evidence generation, including post distribution monitoring, community feedback, and diversion risk analysis Provide strategic advice to OCHA senior management and the HC on cash-related issues, including advocacy messages, risk trends, and opportunities for system strengthening. Liaise with donors, IFIs, FSPs, and development actors to promote coherence across humanitarian, development, and social protection cash systems Lead the HCT efforts on humanitarian reset, with cash assistance modality taking centre stage in humanitarian programming in Somalia. Undertake any other cash-related tasks assigned by the supervisor
Expected Outcome of the Deployment:
Implementation of MPCA scale-up framework, in line with the humanitarian reset in Somalia Consolidation of the harmonised transfer value system, ensuring predictable, evidence-based CVA across sectors and locations. Fitting MPCA into the HCT common policy on registration, targeting, data sharing and referrals. Strengthened national market monitoring architecture, with regular reporting, analysis, and use of data for operational and strategic decision making. Effective implementation of the 2026 CWG workplan, with measurable progress against priority areas. Improved integration of CVA into cluster strategies, ICCG discussions, and HCT decision making. Enhanced alignment between humanitarian CVA and government social protection systems, reducing duplication and improving complementarity. Strengthened risk mitigation and accountability mechanisms, including aid diversion risk analysis, community feedback integration, and improved monitoring systems. Increased coherence between humanitarian and development cash actors, including IFIs and large-scale safety net programmes. Clear, timely, and actionable strategic advice to OCHA leadership and the HC on cash-related issues, risks, and opportunities
Language(s) Required:
English
Specific Required Skills:
PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrated understanding and experience coordinating cash working groups, clusters or other working groups Demonstrated technical understanding of operational cash and identity management issues, challenges, and concerns. Knowledge of a wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues, including specific knowledge of cash-based programming and cash coordination Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a culturally diverse team in a sensitive environment Experience in the management of cash-based programmes is required. Demonstrated problem- solving skills and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of complex issues/problems. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates an appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Proven professional experience in the related fields with the ability to work independently on technical matters with minimum supervision. TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda. Ability to negotiate and to influence others to reach an agreement. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures governing administration.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.