Job Description

Mercy Corps GIRL Officer Job in Lodwar, Kenya 2019 

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action – helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

We help communities survive and move beyond emergencies.

When natural disasters strike, economies collapse or conflict flares, Mercy Corps is there.

We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions.

Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individual to take up the following position:

Position: GIRL Officer

Location: Lodwar

Program / Department Summary: Mercy Corps has been operating in Kenya since 2008, focusing its interventions around four objectives:

1) Peace and Conflict Management;

2) Livelihood / Market Systems;

3) Governance (particularly at the county level); and

4) Youth Employment/Employability (including the social and economic development of adolescents).

The four objectives serve to increase community resilience to drought and other shocks and stresses, and to decrease fragility with a particular focus on Kenya’s Arid Lands.

Mercy Corps’ vision for change requires the private sector, government and civil society to work together to create meaningful and sustainable change.

A five-year USAID-funded Kenya Feed the Future (FtF) Livestock Market Systems (LMS) Activity for northern Kenya.

The associate award 2 will support the Strengthening Community Capacities for Resilience and Growth component.

This activity will contribute to USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative and specifically will improve households’ income, productive assets and resilience to drought and other shocks.

Specific areas of focus include strengthened and sustained rangeland and water management; strengthened drought risk management; strengthened conflict management; improved and sustained health, nutrition, and hygiene practices; improved literacy, numeracy, and life skills; and collaborative action and learning for community empowerment.

General Position Summary: The GIRL Officer will be responsible for technical oversight and management of the Girls Improving Resilience with Livelihoods and Learning (GIRL), a 9-month adolescent girl personal agency empowerment safe space model aimed at supporting human capital development for resilient individuals who are well placed for commercial engagement.

S/he will define implementation strategies in coordination with the County Project Coordinator, Deputy Chief of Party and leadership team. GIRL Officer will train staff and partners, providing them with technical assistance; and ensuring that common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities. S/he will coordinate closely with the M&E team to ensure that systems are in place to track, analyze and report results.

The GIRL 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. S/he will work closely with our partner ACDI/VOCA, BOMA and Smart Regional Consultants (SRC) and look for opportunities to link programming and clients with their programming and programming across the LMS.

Essential Job Functions:

Program Management

• Contribute to team work plans and guide successful implementation of GIRL 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 a 9-month adolescent girls 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;


• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards;


• Assist in the development of technical curricula, basic education (numeracy & literacy), basic nutrition literacy, WASH awareness and campaign, financial literacy and reproductive health;


• Engage community members (community representatives, teachers, religious leaders, government officials and gatekeepers) to form an Advisory Committee to support and inform program activities;


• Conduct training for Community Facilitators and GIRL group mentors on the GIRL models

Community and County Government Engagement

• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization meetings at village level


• Identify and engage community leaders to sensitize on the GIRL model and establish buy-in


• Identify and engage local animal and human health workers to provide training and technical assistance to safe space groups


• Link with relevant county government departments such as Gender and Social Services for group registrations, financial and material support

Beneficiary Selection

• Sensitize adolescent girls on the GIRL model, objective and target groups


• Participate in identification and recruitment of Girl group mentors to deliver technical curricula to girls;


• Identify and recruit girls in the community to participate in safe space groups;

Partnership

• 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 such as Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG), and County government

Program Monitoring

• Monitor and track the progress of safe space groups;


• Support the development of customized monitoring and evaluation tool


• Collect monitoring data from GIRL groups and submit to management


• Support assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys relevant to GIRL component including support in the development of Scopes of Work, survey tools, trainings 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 County Coordinators 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 GIRL component intervention

Team Management

• Participate in recruitment and training of Community Facilitators


• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one and performance reviews;


• Support the orientation of Community Facilitators at field level


• 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.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Community Facilitators

Accountability

Reports Directly To: County Project Coordinator

Works Directly With: County Project Coordinator, Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Livelihood Officer, Finance and Operations teams, Partner Organizations, and broader LMS team

Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with NGOs/CBO’s in civic engagement, livelihoods and education;


• Degree in Community Development, Economic Development, Business, Agriculture, Livestock or related field or diploma with over 3 years’ experience;


• 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, 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 BOMA Project and LMS 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.

Success Factors

S/he will combine exceptional management skills and capacity to manage relationships with different stakeholders including the greater LMS team.

The position requires an ability to think creatively about improving opportunities for women and adolescent girls.

The GIRL Officer will have the capacity to spark innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to programming and to inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs.

S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level.

Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.

The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a Cover Letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor).

Applications should be sent to ke-hrkenya@mercycorps.org on or before 21st August, 2019.

The email subject line must clearly show the job title they are applying for.

Applications without an appropriate subject heading will be automatically disqualified.

Please do not attach any certificates.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

NB: We do not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process

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