Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps is recruiting Program Officer to support human capital development for resilient individuals who are well placed for commercial engagement for a four-year program Promoting Resilience Inclusivity and Meaningful Engagement being implemented in Kenya in the Northern Frontier counties of Isiolo and Marsabit. The program is consolidating gains in adolescent’s empowerment and healthy communities achieved through previous programs while accelerating change through a stronger enabling environment that allows 10,000 young people to access opportunities, services and support to achieve their potential and live healthier lives.
General Position Summary
The Program Officer will be responsible for technical oversight and management of Promoting Resilience Inclusivity and Meaningful Engagement Program. PRIME utilizes three key dimensions: Life Skills: Adolescent girls, boys and young women attend safe spaces to strengthen their understanding of critical life skills, literacy/numeracy, Agri-Nutrition, safe motherhood, environmental awareness, sexual and reproductive health, financial literacy, savings, and transferable business skills. Livelihood Skills and Transitional Pathways: Utilizing the skills and relationships built in the safe spaces, the program works with the participants to identify transitional pathways, such as 1) support to remain in school, 2) support to re-enroll in school and/or attend vocational/technical training, or 3) support to start a business/engage in income-generating activities. These transitional pathways provide opportunities for girls and boys to grow educationally and economically, providing a framework for later contribution to improved health outcomes for themselves and their families. Community Engagement and Enabling Environment: Working with stakeholders to facilitate behavior change regarding the role and importance of girls and boys within society while also ensuring that the resources and services available in these communities are appropriate, accessible, and relevant to adolescents.
The Program Officer will define implementation strategies in coordination with the Program manager, Local Implementing Partners and the entire leadership team. The Program Officer will train staff and partners, providing them with technical guidance and ensuring that common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities. The Program Officer will coordinate closely with the M&E team to ensure that systems are in place to track, analyze and report results. The Program Officer will keep abreast of changing contexts and integrate new ideas and approaches as appropriate, seek additional technical assistance as needed and ensure effective working relationships with collaborating agencies. The Program Officer will work closely with local partners who will be collaborating in scaling up the PRIME program.
Essential Job Responsibilities
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Contribute to teamwork plans and guide successful implementation of PRIME and Learning activities, ensuring teams follow work plans so activities are on time, target and within the approved budget, and program deliverables achieve desired impact.
Provide technical guidance on adolescent and youth personal agency empowerment safe space model and ensure that interventions are responsive to stakeholders and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan. Ensure that interventions are evidence-based and adhere to adaptive management principles.
Engage community members (community representatives, teachers, religious leaders, government officials and gatekeepers) to form Program Advisory Committee to support and inform program activities.
Organize community events to sensitize communities on PRIME program.
Assist in the creation of technical curricula, basic education (numeracy & literacy), basic nutrition literacy, WASH awareness and campaign, financial literacy and reproductive health, SRH, Agri-nutrition, SILC/VSLA
Participate in recruitment and train Community Health Promoters and Field agents on PRIME technical curriculum.
Support in Managing the Field agents who supervise the SILC groups as they conduct their weekly safe space meetings.
Map Health facilities and ensure they are supported to offer adolescent friendly services.
Train SILC agents on SILC methodology and help them cascade the same knowledge to groups.
Register participants with SHIF and ensure they are accessing health services.
COMMUNITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT.
Conduct community mobilization and sensitization meetings at village level
Identify and engage community leaders to sensitize on the PRIME and establish buy-in
Link with relevant county government departments such as Gender, Education, MOH, Trade, Cooperatives, Administration and Social Services for group registrations, financial and material support.
Conduct community dialogues, advocacy meetings and champion days in collaboration with government and communities to rally people on adolescent support and empowerment.
Conduct government engagement/briefing of government departments on program progress.
Collaborate with communities and government in celebration of international calendar days geared towards supporting young people achieve their rights.
Hold male involvement meetings e.g. spouses and parents(fathers) meetings to establish support of young women targeted under PRIME program.
Work with communities identifies champions/male change agents to support girls and women in communities.
PARTICIPANTS SELECTION
Sensitize adolescent girls, boys and young women on PRIME program, objectives and target groups.
Participate in identification and recruitment of PRIME group mentors/Community Health Promoters to deliver technical curricula to girls, boys and young women.
Identify and recruit girls, boys and young women in the community to participate in safe space groups.
Organize the young people 18-29 years into SILC groups for savings.
Identify and train Field Agents to oversee groups.
PARTNERSHIPS
Link women to other traders, markets, financial institutions, public and private institutions.
Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in.
Identify potential opportunities for linkage with other development partners and County government
PROGRAM MONITORING.
Monitor and track the progress of safe space groups.
Support the development of customized monitoring and evaluation tools.
Collect monitoring data from PRIME groups and submit it to management.
Support assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys relevant to PRIME program including support in the development of Scopes of Work, survey tools, training and management of data collectors, report writing and facilitating results discussion
In coordination with the MEL team, monitor the implementation of activities through regular field visits and assessments to ensure program quality and impact.
Support Program manager in the preparation of the weekly, monthly and quarterly reports.
Document approaches, successes and lessons learned.
COORDINATION
Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, finance, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
Support operations team to facilitate procurement of goods and services related to the PRIME intervention.
Utilize pro-source in all procurement as per FP3 policy.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Participate in recruitment and training of Field Agents and Program Assistant.
Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one and performance reviews.
Support the orientation of Field Agents at field level.
Support orientation of Program Assistants.
Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
Other duties as assigned.
SAFEGUARDING
Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work
Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.
Supervisory Responsibility
Community Health Promoters and Field Agents.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Program manager.
Works Directly With: Director Programs, MEL Officer, Finance Officer, Procurement/Logistics Officer, Program Assistant, LIPs.
Knowledge and Experience
Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with INGOs/NGOs/CBOs in civic engagement, livelihoods and education.
Diploma in Community Development, Economic Development, Business, Agriculture, Gender and development, Livestock or related field.
Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, reporting techniques and should understand and be able to apply basic measures of central tendency and spread.
Commitment to working with Women, Girls, boys, youth and vulnerable groups in need, regardless of race, tribe, religion or gender.
Understanding of working with local partners and commitment to working with the greater PRIME team.
Good problem solving, written and oral communication skills.
Strong written and spoken English and Swahili.
Local language skills required.
Ability to work without constant supervision and as part of a mixed team.
Good knowledge of MS Office software such as Excel, Word, and Access.
Apply via :
recruiting2.ultipro.com
