Field Officer (BARMM Liaison Officer)

CRS Background

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, we have expanded in size to reach more than 120 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents.

Our mission is to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Although our mission is rooted in the Catholic faith, our operations serve people based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. Within the United States, CRS engages Catholics to live their faith in solidarity with the poor and suffering people of the world. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Country Background

CRS Philippines was established in 1945 and is the longest-running CRS country program in the world. Currently, CRS Philippines focuses its work on peacebuilding, emergency response, climate change and disaster risk reduction, youth engagement, and health. The Philippines country program has more than 150 staff with a main office in Manila and sub-offices in Davao, Cotabato, and Tacloban. CRS programs are implemented through a national network of partners, in close coordination with local, municipal and national government agencies. The Country Program also provides support to CRS’s work in Indonesia, Timor Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia, and has drawn international recognition for the impact, timeliness, and innovation of its programs and approaches.

Job Summary

As a support staff for the Enduring Peace in the Bangsamoro project team’s engagement with the BARMM, you will provide support for the achievement of project objectives through the coordination of project activities with the BARMM government agencies and officials. In support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work of serving the poor and vulnerable, your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that the project you work for applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Initiate and sustain linkages with key BARMM officials and institutions.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities especially with BARMM actors/institutions to contribute to timely and proper implementation of project activities.
• Provide logistical and administrative support to team members in areas of linkaging, networking and advocacy.
• Perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for project activities through periodic budget reviews.
• Support organizational learning through the analysis of implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per CRS and donor requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Degree in Public Administration or Development Studies would be a plus.
• Minimum of 2 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of Governance and for an NGO or for government
• Additional experience may substitute for some education

Required Languages – Fluent in written and spoken English and Tagalog. Proficiency in other local languages (Bisaya, Maguindanao) a strong advantage.

Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good relationship management skills and the ability to relate with government officials, local partners, and diverse community members
• Networking and linkage building with individuals and groups of different faiths/ethnicities
• Basic knowledge on training management
• Basic knowledge on good governance
• Basic documentation skills
• Basic budgeting and computing skills
• Observation, active listening and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Team player, self-motivated and innovative
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Preferred Qualifications

• Has existing network within the BARMM government
• Experience or exposure collaborating with Muslim, Catholic, and other indigenous communities in all levels
• Experience working in Bangsamoro areas
• Familiar with Islamic and Catholic traditions and beliefs

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: None

Internal: Peacebuilding team, Senior Project Officer, Program Manager, Head of Office, Technical Adviser for Social Cohesion and Church Engagement

External: BARMM officials or key staff