GCR Advisor

Advisor – (Development Planning and Policy Specialist)

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Deadline: October 28, 2026

Job Description

Name: GCR Advisor –

(Development Planning and Policy Specialist (Makatet Secretariat)

Assignment period: 15.11.2026 – 31.03.2028.

Location : Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with regular travel to refugee-hosting region

Country: Ethiopia

Project Background

In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly affirmed the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) as a framework for fairer responsibility-sharing between governments, international organisations and other stakeholders. Among other aims, it seeks to increase development assistance for refugees and host communities, improve national coordination and strengthen refugee self-reliance through freedom of movement, access to education and legal access to work.

At the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, Ethiopia made pledges across sectors including education, livelihoods, social services and climate adaptation, with a strong focus on including refugees in national systems. The Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) is mandated to coordinate their implementation. Jointly with UNHCR and supported by GIZ, RRS developed the Makatet Roadmap, Ethiopia’s five-year framework for the socio-economic inclusion of refugees. It was launched in June 2026 and is now in implementation, coordinated by the Makatet Secretariat under RRS leadership.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned GIZ to implement the Refugee Inclusion Accelerator (RISE). RISE focuses on refugee inclusion in basic services, financial inclusion and social protection, with the meaningful participation of refugees and refugee-led organisations as a BMZ priority throughout, a principle shared by the Makatet Roadmap. As part of Germany’s contribution to GCR implementation, RISE seconds a national GCR Advisor to RRS and the Makatet Secretariat. The advisor works under the technical supervision of RRS, as lead of the Secretariat, and reports to GIZ on disciplinary matters.

The position is the Secretariat’s development planning and policy function. It connects the Makatet Roadmap with Ethiopia’s national planning and budgeting systems so that refugee inclusion is reflected in national, sectoral and regional plans and budgets. The advisor builds on the experience of the education transition and supports Ethiopia’s preparation for the Global Refugee Forum in December 2027. The advisor complements the international GCR Advisor, who focuses on the wider inclusion agenda and on cooperation between GIZ, UNHCR and RRS.

Main Activities:

Policy analysis and strategic planning

Lead policy analysis and strategic planning within the Secretariat, ensuring Makatet priorities are integrated into national development frameworks, including the Ten-Year Development Plan and sectoral strategies
Produce analysis and policy briefs on gaps and options for refugee inclusion in national systems, for use by RRS, the Steering Committee and the Advisory Group
Track progress on Ethiopia’s GRF pledges and advise on prioritisation and sequencing, providing the evidence base for GRF 2027 reporting

Global Refugee Forum 2027

Support RRS and the Secretariat in preparing Ethiopia’s participation in the Global Refugee Forum in December 2027, including the stocktake of progress on the 2023 pledges
Contribute evidence and analysis from Makatet and ABIP implementation to Ethiopia’s reporting and to the development of new pledges, with a focus on costed, budget-aligned commitments
Support consultations with line ministries, regional governments, refugee representatives and partners on pledge preparation
After the Forum, help integrate new pledges into the Makatet Roadmap and the ABIPs

Area-Based Implementation Plans (ABIPs)

Support the coordination of the technical development of ABIPs with RRS, regional governments and partners, including methodology, templates and costing
Support regional authorities in implementing the ABIPs, and set up monitoring of progress against plans and budgets
Help integrate ABIP priorities into regional development plans and budgets

Secretariat functions

Contribute to preparing Steering Committee and Advisory Group meetings with RRS and UNHCR, especially planning, budget and progress content
Support resource mobilisation for Makatet, including costed funding cases based on the ABIPs, and work towards a sustainable Secretariat structure
Ensure meaningful refugee participation in ABIP development, implementation and monitoring, including refugee-led organisations and the representation of refugee women and youth
Support alignment of Makatet and ABIP priorities with the national budget cycle and medium-term expenditure planning
Support the formalisation of cooperation with line ministries and regional bureaus on refugee inclusion in their plans

Innovation Lab and learning from inclusion processes

Facilitate co-creation processes (Innovation Lab) with government, refugee representatives, the private sector and development partners to address policy and implementation gaps at federal, regional and local level
Draw lessons from the RISE Innovation Lab rounds and feed them into ABIP implementation and Makatet planning
Capture lessons from the joint Project and the ETOL process on transitioning refugee education into national systems, as well as other inclusion interventions, and use them as a model for transitions in other sectors under the Makatet Roadmap

Knowledge management and GIZ contribution

Document good practices and lessons learned, and take part in the RISE GCR Advisor network
Contribute to RISE reporting
Contribute to developing the GIZ Ethiopia and Djibouti forced displacement portfolio, including synergies with other GIZ projects

Potential synergies within German Development Cooperation

The advisor will explore synergies with German technical and financial cooperation projects relevant to Makatet implementation and refugee inclusion, including but not limited to:

GIZ–UNHCR Joint Project on Education Transition
GIZ Qualification and Employment Prospects for Refugees, IDPs and Host Communities (QEP II)
GIZ Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
GIZ Energising Development (EnDev)
GIZ Strengthening IGAD Migration Policy Implementation (SIMPI)
KfW Regional WASH Programme (R-WASH)
KfW Support to Ethiopia’s Refugee Programme

Academic qualifications

Master’s degree in economics, development planning, public policy or a related field.

Professional experience

At least 7 years’ experience in policy analysis, programme planning or public financial management, preferably with or alongside the Ethiopian government
Excellent knowledge of national and global refugee policy frameworks, including Ethiopia’s Refugee Proclamation, the Global Compact on Refugees and the humanitarian–development–peace nexusSound knowledge of Ethiopia’s national planning and budgeting systems; experience working with MoF, MoPD or regional finance and planning bureaus is a strong advantage
Experience in area-based or decentralised planning and in costing plans

Competencies

Proven ability to work within government structures and facilitate multi-stakeholder processes
Ability to navigate complex institutional arrangements with flexibility, diplomacy and sound judgement, balancing different organisational perspectives and priorities while building trusted working relationships with government counterparts and development partners.