Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Advocacy, Community Mobilization and Communication Officer
Job Number: 21000222
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Team / Programme: NMFA
Grade: 4
Contract Length: Fixed Term
Post Type: National
Child Safeguarding
- Level 3: The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
Role Purpose
- The Job Holder will support the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on the project.
- In addition, support the team to ensure commitment and involvement of local authorities and community members in the project; and support community mobilization to ensure participation, sustainability of the project as well as that the voices of community members, including women and children are heard and supported.
Scope of Role:
- Reports to: NMFA Team Lead / Advocacy Coordinator
- Staff Directly reporting to this post: None
Key Areas of Accountability
The post holder will receive a context specific ToR for each deployment, which will draw upon the responsibilities outlined below.
Programme Support (typically will be at field level):
- Support planning efforts at state, LGEA and community levels so as to ensure effective and efficient resource allocation and utilization in line with approved project work plans and budgets and within the complete project cycle.
- Participate in efforts to ensure availability of updated budgets, log frames targets, work plans, and reports are timely and accurate.
- Take active role in unpacking and roll out of new projects with staff, partners and eventually community or project areas.
- Build capacity and provide direct backup technical supportive supervision to head teachers, government desk officers, teachers, quality assurance officers and other community resource persons engaged in the project, in collaboration with the designated LGEA technical staff.
- Ensure 100% monthly budget utilization and reporting of key results based on project work plans and budgets.
- Ensure success stories that have been identified on the program are documented with good practices shared among staff.
- Provide technical support to the stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of project activities
- Participate in the preparation of monthly, quarterly and final reports based on project targets and results areas
- Ensure that key lessons learned from the project are shared or disseminated to wider audience in project states as appropriate
- Develop community mobilisation strategies in collaboration with the team and ensure implementation of the same.
- Facilitate community engagement in school PTA/SBMC/traditional/religious structures meetings for improved learning outcomes, wellbeing and school level decision making processes
- Work closely with the relevant state agencies and parastatals, LGEA, other NGOs and Agencies in the Education sector, Schools, SBMCs, PTAs, CBMCs, among others so as to identify areas of collaboration and leverage against state resources so as to maximize impact.
- Advocate for, and support, the development of sustainable, child-friendly and hazard-resistant standards and designs for learning centres,
- In collaboration with the EiE Team, partners and LGEA officials, conduct needs assessment to identify gaps in education sector
- In collaboration with the rest of the programme team prepare and facilitate trainings, workshops and meetings
- With support from the Accountability Lead ensure accountability is enforced in all project activities as well as ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design/implementation
- Work closely with partners and their staff to ensure project activities are implemented in time and within the stipulated quality.
- To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter, Red Cross Code of Conduct and INEE Minimum Standards.
Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
- Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
- Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads
- Develop good knowledge of local and national government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
- Initiate and support lobbying, communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of Save the Children’s policy recommendations.
- Support in building systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing at state and national levels.
- Develop a feedback mechanism for communicating Save the Children programmes
- Produce reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed.
- Develop and sustain strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work.
- Support in maintaining a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, NGO sector, civil society, community and the media.
- Support in facilitating capacity building of staff from Save the Children and partner agencies in advocacy and communications.
General:
- Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
Operational Planning and Implementation:
- Work closely with project team to ensure planning of day to day implementation, update on spending, implementation, monitoring, documentation and reporting
- Ensure timely implementation and budget performance in line with the projects plans and budgets.
- Effectively support the community stakeholders and partners in proper service delivery are in line with Projects design and Save the Children International planning guidelines and ensure compliance with the agreed work plans and that programme objectives and targets are being realised in line with the funding proposals.
- Ensure that Projects implementation are to the desired standards and on time.
- Maintain high standard of transparency and accountability in the course of programme implementation while ensuring integrity and timeliness of activities implementation in meeting programme objectives, compliance with donors & Save the Children policies.
- Provision of regular operations and implementation updates on project progress and challenges to allow for timely interventions and corrective actions by management.
Program and Financial Reporting:
- Contribute in the preparation of timely and high quality progress and end of projects narrative and financial reports which are in accordance to the donor reporting schedule and formats.
- Participate quarterly follow ups and progress review meetings to address key performance issues from the reports.
Internal and External Engagements:
- Ensuring that the program experience is represented and given recognition at stakeholder meetings, workshops, donor, networks and any other engagements.
- Develop and maintain regular channels of communication with partners and key stakeholders at all levels (Community, LGEA and State).
MEAL:
- Effectively manage projects design and study processes which include assessments, baseline and evaluation studies, putting in place a functional Activity Tracking Table.
- Ensure that the projects quality bench marks are followed.
- Collecting and managing complaints and feedback in close coordination with MEAL team and Projects Officers.
- Ensure regular monitoring of projects results, documentation of projects case studies, lessons learnt, significant changes and best practices and coordinating learning and reflection meetings/sessions
- Ensure an effective programs/ projects monitoring and evaluation systems is in place.
- Monitor programs/ projects activities to ensure quality, timeliness and adherence to both Country Office and international Save the Children policies and procedures.
Technical Oversight:
- In liaison with project team, provide guidance and support to projects team, partners and stakeholders.
Additional Job Responsibilities:
- The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Competences and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Core Competencies:
- Leading and inspiring others – Delivering results – Developing self and others – Problem solving and decision making – Innovating and adapting – Applying technical and professional expertise – Working effectively with others – Communicating with impact - Networking
- Adhere to SCI Values: Accountability; Ambition; Collaboration; Creativity; Integrity
Accountability:
- Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
Experience and Skills
Essential:
- A minimum of a Degree in Social Work, Social Administration, Psychology, Social Sciences, Development Studies.
- Substantial experience of working with an International NGO with budget management and monitoring responsibilities.
- At least two to three (2-3) years post NYSC experience
- Experience of working with local partners and State and Local Government in Education and Child Protection program delivery.
- Excellent report writing skills and experience in generating Donor compliant reports of high quality.
- Ability to speak local language and directly interact with target group will be an added advantage
- Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
- Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
- Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
- Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must.
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
- Excellent time management and planning capacity
- Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
- The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
- Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.
Desirable:
- Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts
- Knowledge of consortia working
- Experience in gender mainstreaming within humanitarian programming.
Working Conditions
- Advocacy, Community Mobilization and Communication Officers normally work unusual hours and are often working in stressful and insecure environments.
