Job Description

Position Description:  CARM officer  

Duty Station: Dollo Ado

Position Status: Full-time

Open position:  1

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas in five regional states - Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara - and the capital city of Addis Ababa. We engage in both development and humanitarian work, and seek to integrate approaches, programs, and geographies as much as possible. Our partners include government, academic institutions, development and private sector actors, civil societies, and communities. 

The program

Mercy Corps is implementing Climate-Proofing Food Security in Ethiopia’s Drought-Prone Lowland Areas project, the objective of this project is to enhance the livelihood, resilience, and food security of vulnerable communities, strengthen the adaptive capacities of communities, ecosystems, and systems, to reduce aid dependency by enabling program participants to become more self-reliant; and to demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of this integrated approach to bring it to scale. this project funded by World Food Program (WFP), with duration of one year in the inception period.

Essential Job Responsibilities

 CARM DESIGN, ADAPTATION AND ROLLOUT 

• Facilitate the establishment of program workplans for the rollout of CARM, including processes, procedures, forms, and budgetary guidance.

• Together with program teams, conduct CARM assessments.

• Develop processes to ensure integration of feedback and evidence-based learning into program implementation.

• Establish feedback collection channels.

• Establish internal and external referral mechanisms.

• Develop & disseminate CARM Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials in local language for community members that include Mercy Corps values and how to provide feedback and/or report concerns.

OVERSEE CARM IMPLEMENTATION

• Collect, record and response to feedback from the community & partners using the established CARM feedback channels.

• Establish and follow up appropriate feedback is efficiently directed through the correct channels.

• Establish and support CARM Committees to receive complaints.

• Identify, and follow-up on complaints which are serious and sensitive, including engaging management as necessary to respond appropriately.

• Conduct field visits, spot checks, trainings, and follow-up on specific feedback cases.

• Support program team to encourage community participation during program implementation.

MAINTAIN CARM DOCUMENTATION

• Create and consolidate monthly program -level CARM report for relevant stakeholders, that presents CARM findings, successes, trends, tweaks to implementation processes, and adaptation as a result of feedback received.

• Capture programmatic adaptation resulting from CARM feedback within impact stories on a monthly basis, meeting with other team members as necessary.

• Support donor reports on CARM as per programmatic needs, capturing successes and programmatic adaptation as well as trends in feedback received at the program level.

• Track in detail and via written reports, meeting minutes, and action points the status of high- level, CARM cases.

SUPPORT CARM COORDINATION

• Brief the program team on a weekly basis and/or as necessary regarding the status of and updates regarding high-level CARM cases.

• Liaise with Mercy Corps country level CARM team as necessary regarding the status of high-level CARM cases

• Advocate for CARM needs at the program-level, identifying gaps in budgeting staffing, time, or other areas.

CAPACITY BUILDING

• Conduct CARM orientation sessions for program team, community, private business & other stakeholders

• Train staff on receiving complaints and feedback and on community sensitization, particularly on informing communities and handling feedback on sensitive subjects of potential staff misconduct.

• Conduct training on different CARM channels to staffs, community and other stakeholders.

COORDINATION 

• Collaborate with other actors to develop referral maps and mechanisms for communities in the program implementation area.

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 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants 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 programs. 

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Coordinate with GEDSI Technical Team Improve gender-responsiveness of program /Project MEAL

project /emergency coordinator, Area manager, MEL officer, Field officers, country CARM advisor, PaQ team, including Mercy Corps participants & partner.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S or equivalent, preferable in social sciences including sociology, law, business administration, economics or international development.

• At least 2 years of related work experience, preferably with an international or local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with previous experience on similar post.

• Experience and/or training in handling sensitive information - Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) training is an advantage, including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child Protection knowledge and capacities.

• Proven experience in data collection, data-entry, data/information management and analysis.

• At least 2 years of experience in maintaining feedback mechanisms.

• Excellent Computer skills: proficiency in MS Office package, and some knowledge of database management would be an asset

Success Factors

The successful Community Accountability officer will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated attention to detail, will be committed to working long hours, and with Mercy Corps stakeholders regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities or gender. S/he will be highly motivated, and capable to work without direct supervision.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK