Job Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004, working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector, and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps Ethiopia currently secured USAID/BHA funded multisectoral response program entitled ‘Humanitarian Assistance for Conflict-Affected Populations (HACAP)' in Oromia, Afar and Somali regions. The goal of the proposed program is to increase access to Life-saving Services for Conflict-affected IDPs, Returnees, and Vulnerable Populations through provision of integrated Multi-Sectoral Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion (WASH), Health, Nutrition, Agriculture, Protection, and Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) support in seven Woredas of the three regions.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps takes a participatory approach in engaging with local communities throughout the program design and implementation. A Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) is an essential part of Mercy Corps’ commitment to excellence and integrity, by providing individuals, organizations, local groups, and other stakeholders with Mercy Corps, a means of raising concerns about potential staff misconduct or sharing feedback or programmatic activities (positive and negative) with Mercy Corps, independently from program operations. In the context of Ethiopia, rolling out and implementing CARM will ensure that the Ethiopia country team will continue to uphold Mercy Corps’ high accountability standards. She/he will also be responsible for documentation activities, compiling reports (weekly and monthly), and representing Mercy Corps in coordination forums such as Zonal and Woreda-level meetings.

Location: Gode, Ethiopia

Position Status: Full Time

Salary Level: Based on the organization's scale

Current Team Member: New

Safeguarding Risk Level: High

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Implementation and Program Quality

• Ensure their program has at least three active, context-appropriate feedback channels informed by community preferences and following proper procedures.
• Conduct community engagement, sensitization, and distribution of IEC materials across all intervention sites.
• Collect feedback received via different feedback available channels, such as through the hotline number, face-to-face (help desk), and suggestion boxes in all intervention sites, and ensure documentation of all feedback in the CARM database.
• Ensure all feedback is logged and graded based on Mercy Corps' standard grading system and that appropriate action is taken based on feedback grade.
• Ensure closure of all feedback cases by following up closely with relevant team members(s).
• Manage all feedback received in a secure and confidential country-level CARM database
• Preparing monthly/bi-monthly reports
• Work closely with the MEL/CARM officer to integrate CARM-related questions within all MEL tools and ensure CARM indicators are incorporated within each MEL Plan for all programs.
• Comply with and ensure compliance with global data protection and privacy standards while confidentially receiving, following up on, and reporting on CARM feedback received.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Reports Directly To: MEL/CARM Officer and Dotted line with the Humanitarian Programs Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Works Directly With: All program team members working on the Humanitarian programs in the field office, field-level Finance, Country MEL Manager, Country Accountability and Safeguarding Advisor, and CARM advisor

Experiences and Qualifications

Knowledge and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in social sciences, community accountability monitoring and evaluation, international development, communications, or a related field is required or demonstrated equivalent work experience in the field.
• Three years of relevant experience, especially in the areas of community accountability and quality control, managing feedback response mechanisms, and knowledge management.
• Strong management skills, with a good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to represent the organization and negotiate with a diverse range of government officials, local organizations, donors, and other groups for outcomes in the best interest of program implementation professionally and appropriately
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, including report development, writing, and editing.

Success Factors:

• Conscientious, with excellent judgment
• Display an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible. We are looking for a motivated individual who is eager to learn and share knowledge and who can balance working independently and in a team environment.
• Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving, and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.
• S/he must have the confidence, and humility, to work effectively with a large variety of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status
• S/he must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations
• Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with project personnel.
• Strong organizational skills.

Ongoing Learning

This project will be adaptive based on learning and evidence emerging from program interventions and research.

Additionally, 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.

Merit Based Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal-opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek solid backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can collectively become stronger and have a sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where merit based equal employment opportunities are available to all.

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 the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Requirement Skill

Action planning

Skills Required

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