CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Mercy Corps
Country: Somalia
Closing date: 26 Nov 2014

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is seeking an experienced professional to lead the Civic Engagement component of its Somali Youth Leaders Initiative (SYLI). This position reports to the SYLI Chief of Party (CoP) and will be responsible for developing, implementing and sustaining a comprehensive youth leadership & civic engagement program which seeks to enhance youth capacity and aspiration for active citizenship in in the society.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The purpose of the position is to provide technical support to the local implementing partners and the line government ministries in the development and implementation of appropriate civic engagement strategies for in school and out of school youth.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy development

• Support local partners in Somaliland, Puntland and South Central Somalia in the implementation of civic engagement activities for the youth in their respective zones.
• Support the local partners and the line government ministries develop youth strategies that work in conjunction with the school based prefect system/student councils (governance) in secondary schools for in-school youths.
• Support the local partners and the line government ministries develop contextually appropriate strategies for out-of-school youths through national youth networks and enhance the capacities of the local partners in utilizing the strategy to mobilize youths.
• Support the local partners and the line government ministries develop a strategy for out-of-school youths-at-risk that will incorporate them into programs through such activities - Campaigns, Sports, Identification of change agents, Identification of local talents (Sports, Literature, Songs, Poetry, and other cultural activities).

Program implementation

• Support local partners to conduct youth interventions jointly with the line Ministry –Ministry of Youths and Sports (MOY&S) in all zones.
• Support local partners in the establishment of national/regional youth networks in zones/regions where such networks don’t exist.
• Support the review/development of the civic engagement training module and support the local partners in its use in training of youth leaders.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage technical consultants related to civic engagement activities.

Capacity Building of Ministry of Youth

• Develop and implement a capacity building plan for the zonal line ministries – MOY&S at national and regional level that also includes the rehabilitation and operationalization of existing youth centers.
• Strengthen coordination of youth development programs/activities in the zones with line ministries and other key stakeholders in the sector in order to build synergy, leverage on lessons learnt and best practices.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Support the local partners to monitor implementation of the civic engagement activities through joint monitoring visits, engagement with youths, review of progress and challenges.
• Organize feedback sessions for youths, line ministries and other stakeholders during implementation of programs.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of program activities and respond appropriately if changes are required in program activities to improve impact, in consultation with Youth Development Manager.
• Ensure that activities and outputs are completed adequately and within a reasonable timeframe.

Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps in a professional, respectful and technically sound way to donors, colleague agencies, government and the private sector at all times.
• Collaborate and coordinate with other aspects of the SYLI program and other Mercy Corps Somalia programs.
• Present results of implementation at national and international conferences and through international working groups as needed,.
• Maintain collaborative and solid inclusive working relationships with local and national government officials, colleagues from local and international NGOs.
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.

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 towards 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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:None.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: SYLI Chief of Party.

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Local implementation Partners, SYLI DCoP, Technical Specialists, Program Managers and Operations/Support staff.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master Degree in Social Sciences and/or related fields
• 3 - 5 years working experience in youth programs with an INGO, UN agencies or other youth institutions
• Specific experience in youth civic engagement in Somalia/Somaliland or other conflict prone countries.
• Strong self-confidence, focused and an outgoing personality,
• The ability to engage youths/people in dialogues, and skills to communicate with various types of people, specifically youth of all types of background.
• Experience in organization and conducting of trainings and in youth-related fields
• Expertise with tools and innovations in Information Communication and Technologies.
• Proficiency in English language oral and writing skills is also required. Somali language is added advantage.
• Ability to adjust and work in dynamic and complex environment/situations.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a well-developed ability to conceptualize, plan, and implement program activities creatively, as well as the ability to scale up and transfer lessons learned to other efforts. A successful candidate will demonstrate attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members and have skills to document and disseminate innovative practices. The ideal candidate will have a passion for youth development in Somalia/Somaliland and have collaborated successfully with youth in the past. S/he will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, able to operate under tight deadlines, and follow procedures. S/he will be a team-player with a positive attitude towards problem-solving, ability to work with other Mercy Corps partners /programs, have a pleasant personality and a good sense of humor.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. Extensive travel to program implementation areas in Somaliland and other parts of the country is required

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position is based in Mogadishu, Somalia with travel to Mercy Corps field offices. This is an unaccompanied post in a highly insecure environment. This position is eligible for Mercy Corps Somalia Hardship and R&R benefit.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to apply:

Please apply directly at:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo...