Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Education in Emergency Community Mobilization Officer (National position)
Job ID: 190000AS
Location: Yobe
Employee Status: Permanent
Role Purpose
- The Education in Emergency (EiE) Community Mobilization Officer job holder will support the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Addressing Education in North East Nigeria (AENN) project.
- In addition, support the Addressing Education in North East Nigeria (AENN) team to ensure commitment and involvement of local authorities and community members in the project; and support community mobilization to ensure participation, sustainability of the project as well as that the voices of community members, including women and children are heard.
Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Support (at the field level):
- Support planning efforts at state, LGEA and community levels so as to ensure effective and efficient resource allocation and utilization in line with approved project work plans and budgets and within the complete project cycle.
- Participate in efforts to ensure availability of updated budgets, log frames targets, work plans, and reports are timely and accurate.
- Take active role in unpacking and roll out of new projects with staff, partners and eventually community or project areas.
- Build capacity and provide direct backup technical supportive supervision to head teachers, government desk officers, teachers, quality assurance officers and other community resource persons engaged in the project, in collaboration with the designated LGEA technical staff.
- Ensure 100% monthly budget utilization and reporting of key results based on project work plans and budgets.
- Ensure success stories that have been identified on the program are documented with good practices shared among staff.
- Provide technical support to the stakeholders to ensure effective implementation
- Participate in the preparation of monthly, quarterly and final report based on project targets and results
- Ensure that key lessons from the project are shared or disseminated to wider audience in project states as appropriate
- Develop a community mobilisation strategy in collaboration with the team and ensure implementation
- Facilitate community engagement in school PTA/SBMC/traditional/religious structures meetings for improved learning outcomes and school level decision making processes
- Work closely with the relevant state agencies and parastatals, LGEA, other NGOs and Agencies in the Education sector, Schools, SBMCs, PTAs among others so as to identify areas of collaboration and leverage against state resources so as to maximize impact.
- Advocate for, and support, the development of sustainable, child-friendly and hazard-resistant standards and designs for learning centres, the integration of life skills into both formal and non-formal education, with a particular focus on Disaster Risk Reduction( DRR)
- In collaboration with the EiE Team, Education Technical Adviser, partners and LGEA officials, conduct needs assessment to identify gaps in education sector
- In collaboration with the rest of the programme team prepare and facilitate trainings
- With support from the Monitoring & Evaluation team support the M & E plan implementation within the AENN projects, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.
- With support from the Accountability Lead ensure accountability is enforced in all project activities as well as ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design/implementation
- Work closely with partners and their staff to ensure project activities are implemented in time and within the stipulated quality.
- To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
Capacity Building:
- Identify learning and training opportunities for partner staff and communicate this to the manager
Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
- Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
- Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads
- Develop good knowledge of local and national government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
- Initiate and support lobbying, communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of Save the Children’s policy recommendations.
- Support in building systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing at state and national levels.
- Develop a feedback mechanism for communicating Save the Children programmes
- Produce reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed.
- Develop and sustain strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work.
- Support in maintaining a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, NGO sector, civil society and the media.
- Support in facilitating capacity building of staff from Save the Children and partner agencies in advocacy and communications.
General:
- Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
- High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
- Holds self and others accountable
Ambition:
- creating best-in-class EA function
- future-orientated, thinks pro-actively
Collaboration:
- Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Designing more effective admin and data management systems
- Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- A minimum of a Degree in Education, Social Work, Social Administration, Psychology, Social Sciences, Development Studies.
- Experience of working with an International NGO with budget management and monitoring responsibilities.
- At least two (2) years’ post NYSC relevant experience with good understanding of Community Education and training skills (Training of Trainers) particularly Non-Formal Education
- Experience of working with local partners and State and Local Government in Education and Child Protection program delivery.
- Excellent report writing skills and experience in generating Donor compliant reports of high quality.
- Ability to speak local language and directly interact with target group will be an added advantage
- Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
- Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
- Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
- Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must.
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
- Excellent time management and planning capacity
- Local language skills Hausa and Kanuri
- Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
- The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
- Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support
Desirable:
- Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts
- Knowledge of consortia working
- Experience in gender mainstreaming within humanitarian programming.
Application Closing Date
14th February, 2019.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online
Note
- Due to the volume of applications received, Save the Children may not provide feedback to all applicants. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as received. Save the Children reserves the right to change the closing date, if considered necessary.