Program Officer

PROGRAM OFFICER

Position Description

Location Marsabit

Position Status Full-time, Regular

Salary Level:

Current Team Member: N/A

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.

Program / Department

Mercy Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has built a robust and diverse portfolio working to enable Kenyans affected by poverty, climate change, resource scarcity and conflict to be healthy, and productive and to drive peace and development of their communities. To do this, we deliver integrated programming to strengthen market and governance systems, innovate urban youth employment opportunities, respond to climate-related shocks, address the root causes of conflict, and build the resilience of vulnerable populations – in particular youth, women, adolescents, and marginalized communities.

Mercy Corps is seeking a Program Officer for our Mobility and Movement- Cross border Resilience in Moyale program (MM-CBRM). MM-CBRM seeks to enhance the effectiveness of conflict prevention and mitigation, disaster risk reduction and management, and resilience building in cross-border communities in selected border areas in the Horn of Africa. The program is led by Life and Peace Institute in consortium with Mercy Corps, ALCHA, and Pastoralist Concern

General Position Summary

The Program Officer will be responsible for technical oversight and management of the livelihoods, Natural Resource Management and Resilience activities, peace and social reconciliation activities, and capacity building of consortium members on Mercy Corps proven assessment modes and program methods. S/he will define implementation strategies in coordination with the Program Coordinator and consortium team. The Program Officer will train staff, partners, and community groups, 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 PaQ 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. S/he will work closely with our partners LPI, ALCHA, and PC and look for opportunities to link programming and clients with their programming and programming across the LMS.

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Contribute to teamwork plans and guide successful implementation of proven assessment and models and Learning activities, ensuring teams follow work plans so activities are on time, on target, and within the approved budget, and program deliverables achieve the desired impact.
• Provide technical guidance on safe space, and community models 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.
• Assist in the development of technical curricula, entrepreneurship, business, and life skills.
• Engage community members (community representatives, teachers, religious leaders, government officials, and gatekeepers) to support and inform program activities.
• Contribute to teamwork plans and guide successful implementation of conflict management and natural resources management activities, and income generating activities including linkages for cross-border trade initiatives, access to finance and working capital, and climate-smart agriculture initiatives ensuring activities are on time, target, and within the approved budget, and program deliverables achieve the desired impact.
• 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.

COMMUNITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization meetings.
• Identify and engage community leaders to sensitize and establish buy-in
• Link with relevant county government departments such as Gender and Social Services for group registrations, and financial and material support.
• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization for cross border-conflict, climate resilient, income generation.
• Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in.
• Support local government initiatives to develop appropriate policies related to NRM Conflict management and climate change.

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.
• Link-local committees, organized groups, and businesses, and or traders to relevant local government departments, cross-border traders, financial institutions, and other development partners.
• Establish collaborative partnerships with other development partners working on rangelands, NRM, and conflict.

PROGRAM MONITORING

• Monitor and track the progress of safe space groups.
• Support the development of customized monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Collect monitoring data from partners and organized groups and submit it to management.
• Support assessments, evaluations, and monitoring surveys including support in the development of Scopes of Work, survey tools, training and management of data collectors, report writing, and facilitating results discussion.
• Support the PaQ team in developing appropriate monitoring tools for the income-generating activity process, NRM, and conflict management.
• Support participatory community-based monitoring with the government where initiatives are taking place – organize and coordinate capacity building about community-based monitoring, including experience sharing.
• In coordination with the PaQ team, monitor the implementation of activities through regular field visits and assessments to ensure program quality and impact.
• Support the Project Coordinator 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 program activities.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Participate in recruitment and training of program 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 the field level
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Coordinator

Works Directly With: Director of Programs, PaQ team, finance and operations teams, Partner Organizations, and broader MM-CBRM team

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with NGOs/CBO’s in civic engagement, livelihoods, and education;
• Degree in Community Development, Economic Development, Business, Agriculture, Rangeland management, NRM or Livestock or related field
• Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, and 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.
• Competent in building networks, strong problem-solving skills, and ability to influence with effective listening, persuasion, negotiation and other techniques.
• Understanding of working with local partners and commitment to working with the greater LMS team
• Good problem-solving, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong written and spoken English and Swahili.
• Local language skills required;
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members.

Success Factors

S/he will combine exceptional management skills and capacity to manage relationships with different stakeholders including the greater MM-CBRM team. The position requires an ability to think creatively about improving opportunities for women and adolescent girls. The Program 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.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Marsabit. It requires more than 70% travel to areas in remote villages where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.