Title: Project Officer

Location Baidoa/Bardale

Position Status: Short-term

Program / Department Summary

The Position will support FSL emergency program funded by Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) designed to support vulnerable households severely affected by the drought in Baidoa districts of Bay region. The project will deliver emergency lifesaving and life sustaining consumption and livelihoods support.

The FSL Project Officer is a primary level field-based position under the direct supervision of Mercy Corps ERMS specialist based in Mogadishu but roves in the regions. The FSL Project Officer will be responsible for community sensitization, mobilization, formation of community committees and facilitation in implementation of livelihoods activities with target community, project reporting and context reporting and update on weekly basis. FSL Project Officer will also work closely with community leaders and local authority.

General Position Summary

The FSL Project Officer is responsible for community sensitization, mobilization, formation of community committees and facilitation in implementation of livelihoods activities with target community. FSL Project Officer will also work closely with community leaders and local authority. The FSL Project Officer role will be to lead the program implementation in Baidoa and Bardale and will be working with Assistant project officer and MEL assistant to ensure the smooth implementation project activities. The FSL Project Officer will also work with Mercy Corps CARM system focal point to ensure the community have access to complaint and feedback mechanism. He/she is required to be accountable to the participants being supported to avoid errors of selecting ineligible participants. Ensure participants accountability through the established country program CARM system adhering to the standard operating procedures and Mercy Corps globally CARM minimum standards.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• The FSL Project Officer will lead and be responsible for community engagement including sensitization, mobilization, formation of community committees and identification of participants through community committees in accordance with program guidelines and Mercy Corps standards.
• Coordinate closely with other humanitarian organizations and local authority by attending cluster meetings to promote coordination and avoid overlap.
• Organize the unconditional cash transfer distributions ensuring that cash is delivered in accessible safe and secure areas, it included assessing community-level dynamics and determining whether providing a uniformed cash amount to all families in each area, is it the best strategy for maintaining or improving community cohesion.
• Hold sensitization sessions before the first round of cash distributions and circulate cash use guidelines and recommendations to participants specific to the local context which included a service mapping
• Liaise with partners delivering assistance in the same areas and strived to complement Mercy Corps unconditional cash transfer with other forms of assistance not covered by the value of the MEB such as food and WASH support.
• Work closely with ERMS specialist, Director of Programs / Senior Management, and teams to ensure that work is delivered effectively and timely.
• Work with community committees for local buy-in to ensure program is well understood and owned by the target communities.
• Support the ERMS specialist to carry out transparent participants selection as per criteria in close coordination with other team members, local authorities, communities, and humanitarian agencies working in the area.
• Support the program manager in organizing the activities of FSL program including target area selection, participants selection, distribution, physical verification with the MEL, documentation, reporting etc.
• Lead in organizing community awareness on COVID-19 to FSL participants.
• Keep record of all required documents related to FSL program, participants selection, distribution of water trucking to livestock and feed/fodder, unconditional cash transfer and post distribution monitoring.
• Participate and actively contribute to any FSL assessments in the area
• Update beneficiary tracking sheet/ database in support of Assistant Program Officer and MEL assistant after each distribution is carried out.

REPORTING

• Document lessons learned and success stories of the program.
• Develop and contribute and submit all required program reports on time.
• Coordinate with MEAL team to ensure data quality and timely sharing of data to support reporting cycles.
• provide weekly update on project implementation progress as well as general security context of the area to Project Officer who will report to the senior management including the director of programs.

REPRESENTATION

• Represent Mercy Corps and its values at coordination and partner meetings in area of operation.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience, and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treated people with respect and dignity.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS

• Support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to program participants as per Sops and guidelines, while actively engaging all communities as equal partners.
• Work closely with CARM, Gender, and Human Resources to ensure that accountability issues are incorporated in all work.
• Respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: ERMS specialist

Works Directly With: Program and MEL Teams