Community Engagement Officer

Position Title : Community Engagement Officer

Duty Station : IOM Somalia in Nairobi*, Kenya

Classification : Professional Staff, Grade P2

Type of Appointment : Special short-term graded, nine months with possibility of extension

Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date : 15 March 2022

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Read more about diversity and inclusion at IOM at www.iom.int/diversity.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process.

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates

2. Candidates from the following non-represented member states:

Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba (Netherlands); Botswana; Cabo Verde; Comoros; Congo (the); Cook Islands; Cuba; Curaçao; Fiji; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Holy See; Iceland; Kingdom of Eswatini; Kiribati; Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the); Latvia; Libya; Luxembourg; Madagascar; Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Federated States of); Montenegro; Namibia; Nauru; Palau; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Seychelles; Solomon Islands; Suriname; The Bahamas; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu

Second tier candidates include:

All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states.

Context:

Under the Transition & Recovery Pillar, IOM is a leading partner in supporting the efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGoS) to increase community resilience to violent extremism and prevent violent extremism amongst vulnerable groups. Assistance is focused toward capacity-building initiatives for government ministries, community dialogues and information sharing, community empowerment programming, and skills-based training. IOM’s efforts in this area are geared toward national ownership and undertaken in support of the Federal Government of Somalia’s (FGoS) National Programme for Disengaged Combatants and Youth at Risk, and in close coordination with UN and local partners.

IOM is building on several years of past and current community stabilization programming and will be working further to support stabilization efforts in newly recovered, unstable, and fragile areas in South and Central Somalia: Hirshabelle, Galmudug, Jubaland, South West State and Benadir Regional Administration. IOM’s programs harness the stabilization gains made by previous IOM stabilization programs and aim to contribute to stabilization efforts in Somalia through creating conditions for restoring trust among communities, and between communities and local leadership, thereby re-building the social contract between Somali citizens and state institutions and providing a bridge to longer-term development interventions within this context.

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator (Transition and Recovery Pillar (TRP)) and under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Disengagement, Disassociation, Reintegration and Reconciliation (DDRR)), the Community Engagement Officer will provide technical support to IOM staff and implementing partner civil society organizations (CSOs) to facilitate the effective development and implementation of community-based practices and activities that promote social reintegration, dialogue, reconciliation, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) of low risk disengaged men and women combatants, and other community members in DDRR and Community Stabilization target areas. The Community Engagement Officer will work closely with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff from IOM and implementing partners (IPs) to monitor and evaluate impact, as well as contribute to the development of guidance and learning manuals to build institutional capacity.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. Provide technical guidance and support to IOM Staff, IPs, and government officials to facilitate effective implementation of (and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) reporting on) community engagement and community based MHPSS activities that promote social reintegration and to contribute to reconciliation efforts and social cohesion in conflict-affected Somali communities.

2. Contribute to the development and implementation of socio-cultural activities and events for community engagement and collective psychosocial wellbeing. Utilize culturally familiar and acceptable practices, including art-based approaches such as poetry, theatre, traditional song, and dance, as well as sports and cultural rituals to implement activities in the following programmatic areas- social reintegration, education, climate change, community conversations, MHPSS, reconciliation and peacebuilding. Monitor project activity budgets.

3. Participate in capacity building and training activities for IOM Staff, IPs, and government officials on community engagement and community based MHPSS tools and frameworks to help promote social cohesion and community stabilization.

4. Draft segments of a technical manual for IOM, Implementing Partner, and Government on community engagement and community based MHPSS activities that promotes social reintegration of disengaged combatants in Somalia. Adapt relevant components of the technical manual to Community Stabilization initiatives, including the education sector, climate change, women’s empowerment, and dialogue/mediation interventions, as required.

5. Assist the Transition & Recovery Pillar Project Officers and Senior Programme Coordinator in drafting and preparing internal and external reports, strategic documents, presentations, and proposals; provide technical inputs on community engagement, MHPSS and social cohesion related content; and participate in donor presentations and government meetings.

6. Contribute to the development of an M&E framework for community engagement, social reintegration, and community based MHPSS activities and the implementation of qualitative studies to measure attitude and perception change among community members.

7. Provide inputs to support the development and delivery of visibility materials and social media content in collaboration with the Unit’s Knowledge Management and Learning Officer and the Program Support Unit (PSU) for the Transition & Recovery Pillar to publicize programme activities, achievements, and human-interest stories.

8. Assist in promoting coordination between national and international socio-cultural institutions (NGOs, UN counterparts and government), and collaborate closely with local artists who work in the field of community engagement and socio-cultural development with an aim to enhance the effectiveness and the impact of Transition & Recovery activities on social cohesion.

9. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree, in Political or Social Sciences, Humanitarian Affairs, Human Rights, International Affairs, Migration Studies, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or

• University degree in the above fields with minimum four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience on community engagement, community based MHPSS;

• Experience in humanitarian work, desirable UN Migration Agency;

• Experience in carrying out technical assistance interventions;

• Experience with national authorities/institutions;

• Experience in working in international settings;

• Experience in development of trainings and workshop with national staff or Implementing Partners;

• Experience and knowledge of the Somali context is an advantage.

Skills

• In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration related subject areas dealt with by the

Organization;

• Community engagement knowledge and experience;

• Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming;

• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality work under tight timeframes;

• Expertise in direct communication with internal displaced persons and host communities in emergency contexts.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.

External applicants for all positions in the Professional category are required to be proficient in English and have at least a working knowledge of one additional UN Language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese).

For all applicants, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of Somali is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Notes

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to Somalia.

1 Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database

(https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

• Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.

• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.

• Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.

• Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.

• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.

• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.pdf

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members. For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty station’s country cannot be considered eligible.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required for individuals hired on or after 15 November 2021. This will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.