Youth Peacebuilding Project Coordinator

Introduction

Corrymeela is a community that draws people together to engage with difference, heal division and support peace reconciliation in Northern Ireland and beyond. Every year, we welcome thousands of people to our Centre at Ballycastle and into our community-based programmes to explore difference together and discover new ways to live well together. We particularly welcome people who have been marginalised by injustice and inequality, and who have experienced trauma. Our staff, volunteers and community members are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and faith traditions working together to contribute towards building a more cohesive and hope-filled society for everyone.

For more information visit www.corrymeela.org

Overall Purpose

Shared Agenda for Peace is a regional youth work project operating in communities across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Through this project, the post-holder will support local youth groups to develop partnerships and work together in non-formal shared education partnerships.

This project will bring young people together for purposeful contact programmes, build capacity with local youth work staff, and develop partnership working across the relevant organisations.

The Shared Agenda for Peace project will make up 80% of this post’s workplan. The remaining 20% of the workplan will support Corrymeela’s other youth and young adult programming.

Key Tasks

Promotion and Recruitment

• Promote, recruit and retain target numbers of young people and youth organisations.

Delivery

• To co-ordinate the implementation of ‘Shared Agenda for Peace’ in line with agreed objectives and work plans.
• Identity and assess needs of individual youth organisations to ensure programme activities meet the needs of young people, youth work staff/volunteers, and committee members.
• Work with each Shared Learning Partnership to develop a partnership agreement/MOU and monitor progress towards achievement of goals.
• Ensure cross-community and, where relevant, cross-border nature of programme activities.
• Organise support workshops and activities to enhance shared learning and personal development of youth workers, volunteers and young people.
• Organise residentials and youth led interactive contact days for young people on a regular basis.
• Provide support to and develop relationships with youth organisations at committee/board level to promote inclusive and welcoming organisations that value diversity.
• Provide post programme support to each Shared Learning Partnership to identify plans for continued collaboration, with check-in reviews.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Utilise the evaluation form adopted by all partners through the project.
• Develop organisational development plans and reviews, accounting for progress made by each local youth organisation and Shared Learning Partnership.
• Record, monitor and update project activities to meet the data requirements of project partnership and funders.
• Provide monthly progress reports against targets to line manager and project manager.

Finance and Administration

• To work within and manage project budgets in line with Corrymeela’s financial processes and policies and the requirements of the SEUPB.
• Report on the financial and programme activities quarterly through the JEMS system.
• Maintain administrative systems required to support the work of the project.

General

• Complete other duties as directed by line manager or Head of Programme at Corrymeela.
• To participate in ongoing professional development opportunities as required by the post.
• To engage with and develop relationships with a diverse group of key stakeholders.

Essential Criteria:

The Project Coordinator – Shared Agenda for Peace must have demonstrable evidence of the following:

1. Relevant third level educational qualification and two years’ paid experience working with young people in youth work settings or other learning environments

OR

Four years’ paid experience working with young people in youth work settings or other learning environments, a minimum of 2 A-Levels or equivalent and, GCSEs in Maths and English.

2. Proven capability in project coordination, managing budgets, evaluation, delivering against agreed targets and reporting to funders and other stakeholders.
3. Demonstrable experience delivering cross-community or shared education youth programmes related to good relations or peacebuilding.
4. Demonstrable awareness of the current youth work policy environment, including on those areas impacting partnership working and good relations.
5. Demonstrable skills and abilities to develop and facilitate cultures of partnerships with a range of diverse stakeholders.
6. Demonstrable ability to work, both independently and as part of a team, with high level organisational skills to successfully prioritise work without compromising quality.
7. Proven ability to write up work to a high standard.
8. Experience and competence with IT including Microsoft packages.
9. Ability and willingness to work flexibly including evenings, weekends and residentially.
10. Ability and willingness to travel across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
11. Current full driving licence (Valid for use in the UK) and access to a car on appointment.*
12. Legal status to work.

Satisfactory pre-employment check which will be conducted via Access NI by Corrymeela prior to appointment.

*This criterion will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport which will permit the applicant to meet the requirements of the post.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience of developing and delivering formal or accredited training for those working with young people.
2. Previous experience within the charity sector.

Description of Project

The post holder will deliver on the ‘Shared Agenda for Peace’ project funded through SEUPB PEACEPLUS 3.1 Shared Learning Together. Corrymeela will deliver this project as part of a consortium of 7 experienced youth work and peace-building organisations. The partnership includes YouthAction NI (lead partner), Bytes Project, Fighting Words, Youth Link, Youth Work Ireland, YMCA Ireland, and the Corrymeela Community. It also includes 3 associate partners: Community Dialogue, Integrated Education Fund and Peace Players.

‘Shared Agenda for Peace’ reflects the need for young people, youth workers and youth organisations to share responsibility in creating and maintaining peace.

Over a 4-year period, ‘Shared Agenda for Peace’ will support 240 local youth groups, 432 volunteers and workers, and 5,280 young people aged 11-24yrs from diverse community backgrounds to cooperate and work together in non-formal shared education programming. This programming will support new and sustainable relationships while building cross-community, cross-border good relations.

Through ‘Shared Agenda for Peace’, locally based youth work groups/organisations will be supported to form Shared Learning Partnership. They will commit to a minimum of a one-year programme of activities that build cultural awareness, enable meaningful contact and promote good relations across all levels of the organisation by:

1. Developing the People - Capacity building with local volunteers and youth work staff through identifying support needs, developing specific plans, planning and delivering a range of shared learning training attributed to the needs of youth workers and volunteers.
2. Developing the Practice - Supporting quality youth work engagement with and between young people (age 11-24yrs) from different groups, involving purposeful planned exploration workshops, collective social action/activism and creative expression through music, sports, and /or art.
3. Developing the Organisation - Using a range of interactive methods and resources to support youth committees to develop local action plans to build and improve good relations.

Through Shared Agenda for Peace, each Shared Learning Partnership will co design and engage in the following: 

• 5-6 support meetings and workshops at committee/board level.
• 10-12 meetings and workshops with staff/volunteers.
• 10hrs minimum training/capacity building for volunteers/workers.
• 30hrs minimum contact for young people as part of shared learning programmes.
• Additional 6 hrs pre- and post-contact engagement with young people which will incorporate personal actions plans, youth achievement awards learning goals, group discussion, creative expression workshops, directed activism tasks, social action/volunteering, outdoor learning, residential experiences and personal mentoring.

Outputs/Targets

Develop and support 3 Shared Learning Partnership per year (6 youth clubs). Engage 120 young people aged 11-24yrs in addressing Good Relations, Citizenship, Personal Development. (20 young people per group per year @ 6 groups). Minimum 80% attendance. Support 6 youth clubs to develop and build capacity of staff volunteers and board/committee members.

Recruitment

The ‘Shared Agenda for Peace’ consortium will recruit youth work groups each year through its extensive membership network and will identify possible shared learning partners that they will connect with through a clear MOU (memorandum of understanding).

Young people will be recruited through each of the respective local youth groups. Shared Learning Partnership will include young people from different community backgrounds or young people who are experiencing socio-economic deprivation and those who are not.

Safeguarding

We require all staff and volunteers to work according to Corrymeela’s Safeguarding Policy. Where appropriate, offers of employment are subject to a check by AccessNI. A copy of the AccessNI Code of Practice is available on request.

Employment of Ex-offenders

Corrymeela has a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders. A criminal record will not necessarily debar anyone from being offered employment.

General Responsibilities

• Members of staff are expected at all times to provide the appropriate service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner.
• All staff must comply with the Corrymeela Community No Smoking Policy on Corrymeela premises and also while on duty for the charity.
• All duties are carried out in compliance with Corrymeela’s Health and Safety Policy and Statutory requirements
• The Corrymeela Community is an Equal Opportunities Employer. You are required to adhere to Corrymeela’s Equal Opportunities Policy throughout the course of employment.
• To ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in the staff of Corrymeela Community, staff must ensure they maintain the high standards of personal accountability.
• To be familiar with the Corrymeela Community Charter.

Further Information

Further information regarding entitlements and staff policies will be found in a comprehensive staff handbook, presented to staff upon commencement of employment.