CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Mercy Corps
Country: Liberia
Closing date: 13 Dec 2014

This position will be filled pending anticipated funding.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps has been operational in Liberia since 2002, most recently implementing programs in food security, peace building, and youth empowerment. Currently, Liberia is the epicenter of a fast-moving regional Ebola epidemic, which also includes Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. To date, nearly 4,000 people in Liberia have been infected, with over 2,200 deaths (3 Oct 2014). As the Ebola epidemic spreads throughout Liberia, existing social and economic challenges are growing more complex, requiring adaptive and dynamic approaches to help support affected communities as they defend against, cope with, and recover from, this devastating disease.

Mercy Corps’ strategy to respond to the Ebola outbreak focuses on two approaches: 1) to engage local and international organizations through a national network of community organizations to promote healthy behaviors within communities that will help reduce the transmission of Ebola, and 2) address market and household economic challenges that emerge as a result of the Ebola outbreak, paying particular attention to food insecurity and declining livelihoods.

Social mobilization through community-led, bottom-up channels will be critical to bringing about the needed behavior change. To catalyze nationwide behavioral change, social mobilization needs to happen rapidly, at scale and aligned with national policy while adapting to the evolving situation.

The Ebola Community Action Platform (E-CAP), to be implemented by Mercy Corps’ (E-CAP) and Population Services International (PSI) (sub), will contribute to significantly reducing or eliminating the transmission of EVD nationally through a community-led social mobilization campaign. Activation of community-based networks through a subgrant platform will target both international and Liberian Implementing Partners (IPs), and the program will work in lock-step with international, GOL (Government of Liberia) and local stakeholders responding to EVD through technical and operational coordination.

IPs will be supported through rapid subgrants, training and materials, nationwide digital outreach and mass media communications. ECAP will coordinate its IPs through mapping coverage; conduct rapid surveys and studies including through mobile phones; conduct learning events; and use data and learning for adaptive management to adjust in real-time. E-CAP invests in information management, coordination and learning to ensure that the social mobilization response is strategic, consistent and effective. E-CAP’s close collaboration and fluid information sharing with government and international partners, as well as other EVD responders, will support collaborative contributions to national strategy and good practice learning in the event of future outbreaks.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Learning and Results Measurement Manager will be a critical position in the E-CAP program. S/he will lead enhanced innovation learning and knowledge management activities. This will include the design and rollout of a shared Results and Learning system to be used across the 10-20 implementing partners, requiring close cooperation with the program’s leadership, including Program Manager, Project Lead, Communications Specialist and Digital Outreach Manager. S/he will oversee the program’s internal monitoring systems including data collection, analysis and reporting and will be the senior leader responsible for cross-cutting programmatic information management within the framework of E-CAP, ensuring that information collected is reflected upon, used for continuous improvement of ongoing programs, and is incorporated into consistently high quality reports. The Manager will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation and learning activities of direct implementation programs, of partner (PSI), sub-grantee Implementing Partners and will work to ensure a unified results management system.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Design and manage the effective functioning of the projects’ information management, reporting, and learning system, including (1) activity and coverage information; (2) beneficiary baseline and behavior change data (e.g. KAP surveys); and (3) information from qualitative research. System to be used by E-CAP management and across partners and sub-grantees.
• Advise program team on improvements to intervention design and implementation through the provision of timely and relevant information from the program’s monitoring system (priority advisory areas include changes to the program context, beneficiary needs, and coverage/activity gaps).
• Produce published reports on cross-portfolio program impacts, individual program best practices, or specific topics of interest; oversee specific enumeration and research tasks as required.
• Coordinate with program team and partners regarding monitoring of progress against implementation.
• Collect data and information for highlight impact and learning; manage related knowledge products and processes.
• Contribute to the compilation of regular progress reports for the project stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Digital Outreach Manager to triangulate data from E-CAP learning system with national-level data in use of technology in M&E, learning, and other informational purposes.
• Mobilise the project management team and external consultants, as required, to support the fulfillment of the objectives above.
• Complete other related duties as required.

Coordination and Representation

• Organize partner workshops every two months to share challenges, learning and next steps.
• Participate in a variety of external forums/workshops/conference/sector coordination meetings to share best practices and findings of the project with the government and development community.
• Develop positive working relationships and coordinate/collaborate with partner organizations and international and national agencies active in the target area.
• Further responsibilities to be determined in coordination with consortium members.

Team Management Support

• Orient, and motivate an informed, skilled and efficient team; incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into the team building process.
• Advise the managers to work with their teams with an emphasis on excellence and achievement; encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.
• Provide leadership, direction and support for staff working in a country affected by the Ebola epidemic and a fragile political situation.
• Develop the competencies of the staff, especially national team members, through training, mentoring and coaching strategies.
• Provide formal mentoring and guiding of all E-CAP field staff and partners.

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: Learning and Knowledge Management staff (2-5 national direct reports, plus oversight of sub-grantees/contractors’ M&E staff)

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Program Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: The entire E-CAP implementation team as well as local and international sub-grant recipients.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, international development, Information Communication Technology (ICT) or related field is required or demonstrated equivalent field experience
• At least five years relevant field management experience (M&E, program, etc.) with complex, multi-dimensional programming
• Experience in learning/knowledge management strategies in NGO/developmental contexts
• Understanding of the use of technology in M&E, data collection, beneficiary feedback, or other program functions (e.g., mobile devices and platforms, mapping, etc.)
• Relevant M&E experience as follows:
• At least five years work experience in designing and implementing practical monitoring and evaluation, learning and knowledge management and/or database management
• Demonstrated experience using modern technologies for data collection (Ona, ODK essential. SMS-based surveying and/or mapping experience – with CartoDB – preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods
• Demonstrated skill in training and M&E capacity development of field staff
• Demonstrated skill in coordinating information needs across technical sectors and managing complex, relational datasets for efficient and timely reflection
• Experience in and understanding of M&E role in adaptive management
• Experience conducting M&E across partners
• Highly skilled in computer software and skills such as Excel, Google Docs, statistical analysis software, etc.
• Effective and proficient verbal and written communication (in English) is required, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate must be conscientious, with excellent judgment and must display an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible. S/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in the development and implementation of Mercy Corps’ M&E strategy and at the same time be comfortable working in crisis or high-stress environments with an ability to mobilize systems and resources quickly to achieve program goals. The Knowledge and Results Management Manager must have strong organizational skills,be proficient at multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving with simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision. 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 and must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance with an ability to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations. An ability to foster solid working relationships with partners, host Government, and beneficiary communities, work as part of a team and coordinate with project personnel are all essential.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position will be based in Monrovia, and may require travel to outlying counties and communities throughout Liberia. The security situation is stable but could change quickly in localized circumstances, although general unrest is not anticipated because of a significant UN, US military, and local police forces to maintain public safety. Monrovia is served by an international airport and has many hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. Health services are currently limited and while we have made provisions for emergency care, team members should not anticipate an environment where casual outpatient services are available. Because safe access to health services should not be anticipated, a degree of self-sufficiency in first aid and medications should be considered. Candidates must consider taking anti-malarials as a preventative measure and other measures to lower their risk of requiring medical services. Candidates with chronic health issues should consider disclosing and self-eliminating from this recruitment process. Currently there is an 11 pm curfew, which could change at anytime, and staff should expect some interruption of movement as the government manages the Ebola situation. Housing will either be at private residences as group housing or at nearby hotels. Traveling in and out of Liberia is increasingly complicated with many commercial airlines suspending service and many countries closing their borders (air, land and sea) to individuals coming from Liberia. Two commercial airlines continue to serve Liberia (Brussels Air and Air Maroc) and UNHAS is currently working to establish air service to Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana.

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...