Job Description

GRADE: 2A

Child Safeguarding:

Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Accountability Specialist is responsible for ensuring mechanisms are in place in SCI’s and Partners Programs based on international quality standards (Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere, CHS) or equivalent and good enough to guide especially in regards to information sharing, beneficiaries’ participation, complaints and response mechanism, and accountability in monitoring and evaluation; and SCI’ Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning Policies and Procedures. The Accountability Specialist will be the primary support person, will build capacity, monitor our performance against Accountability principles and standards, and, crucially, will, in the first instance be the first point of contact for beneficiary complaints. As such the Accountability Specialist will need to establish a role and mechanisms based on the highest integrity which beneficiaries will trust. 

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of MEAL and Program Innovation

Dimensions:

Staff directly reporting to this post: none

Budget responsibility: none

Context: Development and/or Humanitarian 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Accountability Strategy and System

•  Working closely with MEAL, design SCI’s approach to accountability and participation, setting down the minimum requirements (following the CHS standard, SCI MOS and SC Practice Standards in Child Participation) and ensuring that it complements and forms part of the overall MEAL system
• Ensure that accountability and participation are integral elements of all aspects of the organisation’s approach to MEAL
• Develop the associated tools required to implement the accountability and participation minimum requirements to ensure that roll-out is standardized across operational areas (e.g. information posters, complaints database, child-friendly methodology guidance)
•  Work closely with PDQ team members to promote understanding of the importance of accountability and participation to achieve quality programming
• At the Addis level be a key link between the PDQ and Programme Implementation teams, to ensure that beneficiary feedback is promoted as a key tool in programme management and strategy development

System Management

•  Ensure the MEAL Automation Accountability Systems functions very well and generates evidence for learning and decision making practices
•  Keep quality data related to accountabilities (participation, information sharing and compliant and feedback response mechanism) at delivery level
•  In collaboration with programming and MEAL staff, review and refine accountability practices on a periodic basis and address any gaps or challenges that arise.

Programme Development

• With MEAL, feed into programme and proposal design to ensure that resources for accountability and participation (budget and staffing) are secured
• Oversee the use of resources to ensure that area offices are able to deliver on the accountability and participation minimum standards
• Programme Implementation
•  As required undertake technical support visits and offer remote technical support to area offices implementing accountability and participation activities
• Maintain close working relationship with MEAL Advisors to understand challenges and successes at field level and design / plan support require 
• Staff Capacity Building
•  Identify training needs and capacity building support required at field level and in Addis
•  Develop training materials and standard packages and roll-out across all operational areas
• Conduct inductions on accountability and participation at the Addis level and ensure MEAL Advisors provide this training at the field level
• Foster an organisational culture which is truly accountable to children and their communities
• Learning
• On a monthly basis consolidate an Addis level complaints database and produce analysis reports to circulate to senior management and management level)
• Work with the Knowledge Management Specialist in Addis to produce reports and data which promotes learning through accountability (using beneficiary feedback as well as evidence of improved programme implementation where accountability is increased)
• SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
• 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 others to do the same
•  Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically
• 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
• KEY COMPETENCIES
• Generic Competencies
• Child Rights: Promotes an enabling environment for participation, and accountability to children
• Be the Innovator: Promotes innovation to find new and better approaches to driving progress for children
• Deliver Results at Scale: Promotes a clear focus on impact in a project and programme design, management, and oversight
• Generic Competencies
• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children and adolescent
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers,
• 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
• Equal Opportunities
• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.
• Child Safeguarding:
• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
• Safeguarding our Staff:
• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.
• Health and Safety
• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SC Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• we offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. The duty station of the position holder will be in Addis Ababa This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions only.
• The Organization
• We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.
• We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
• • No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• • All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• • Violence against children is no longer tolerated
• We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued. 

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• BA degree in an area of social development or equivalent.
• Recommended a minimum of 8 years management experience including working specifically on MEAL and/or accountability;
• Trained on International Standards, such as CHS and Sphere
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergency
• Fluency in local language required
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, preferred
• Commitment to Save the Children values

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply using THIS LINK