Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. With the launch of Mercy Corps Global Strategy, Pathway to Possibility, the country office is poised to operationalize its three-year strategy with a vision to enhance the resilience of climate- and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. In Ethiopia, our strategy focuses in the four outcome areas: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently, we operate in six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Ethiopia. Working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations, Mercy Corps Ethiopia empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. 

Position Title: Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism Officer

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

Open Position:  1

Safeguarding Risk Level: High

Program / Department Summary

The Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) reflects Mercy Corps' commitment to the affected population by ensuring feedback from the community and other stakeholders, thereby enhancing our program quality.

General Position Summary

The Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism Officer (Hotline Operator) will be an integral part of the CARM team, managing Mercy Corps' call centre operations. This role primarily involves receiving cases via the hotline (both voice calls and texts), recording them in the CARM database system, and escalating them for resolution

Essential Job Responsibilities

Technical:

• Answer, record, respond to, escalate, and manage incoming calls and text messages from beneficiaries and other stakeholders through the short code keeping confidentiality.

• Clearly translate a complaint from the original or local language into written English.

• Works closely with the CARM and Safeguarding team.

• Record the incoming complaints, enquiries and feedback into CARM database.

• Categorize, analyse, screen, and consolidate information about complaints and feedback to subsequent actions.

• Escalate all sensitive complainants like harassment, fraud, SEA, abuse, exploitation under grade 5 and 6 cases to the integrity hotline.

• Interact with relevant departments within Mercy Corps Ethiopia to follow up on feedback in consultation with Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism team. Follow up with the response of feedback and complaints and facilitate timely closure.

• Provide information to program participants in response to enquiries regarding Mercy Corps programme and services.

• Provide regular updates, information summaries and periodic reports to Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism team.

• Contribute to the roll out of the hotline through community sensitization initiatives.

Managing the phone calls through toll free hotline

• Manages the phone calls and refer for the relevant departments within 24 hours and keep each feedback confidentially.

• Manage feedback with respect to basic principles of confidentiality, data protection, human rights as well as Mercy Corps data protection, CARM and Safeguarding policies.

• Facilitate caller satisfaction surveys to gauge effectiveness of the hotline.

Contributing to developing Mercy Corps program qualities

• Continuously update the system by recording action taken and facilitating close out of cases resolved once feedback is provided to Program participants.

• Share feedback of the community which comes through the phone for relevant department that will support program departments to act accordingly.

• Ensure program qualities by providing well recorded community feedback that will be input for future program development on safe programming matrix as well as inputs for advocacy and policy influencing.

• Adhere to the personal data privacy and protection principles, especially upholding confidentiality in the CFM process from beginning to end including related information.

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, commit 5% of her or his time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: The Country Accountability and Safeguarding Advisor

Technical Line Report To: The Country Accountability and Safeguarding Advisor

Works Directly With: Works directly HRA Accountability and Safeguarding Advisor and Accountability and Safeguarding team, PaQ team, CARM team, safeguarding champions, program teams and other departments both at the country and field offices 

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree on communication; social sciences, development studies or management.

• Experience in operator, radio operations as well a certificate in Radio Communications and other social science related positions preferably in a crisis context is an added advantage.

• Strong ability to communicate clearly and impactfully with a range of program participants; stakeholders including Mercy Corps staffs.

• At least three to four years of Programme officer related experience. Community engagement experience is an added advantage.

• Currently Mercy Corps works in different regions of Ethiopia namely, Afar Amhara, Gambela, Oromia, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Somali; we are looking for a candidate with Amharic and English language proficiency and additional have writing, speaking, reading, and editing skills of with a minimum of two regional languages Skills is mandatory.

• Proven ability to keep confidentiality of reported cases.

• Good knowledge of culture of the community that Mercy Corps working in.

Success Factors

Being emphatic, maintaining confidentiality, patience to the callers and survivors are very important. In addition, acting according to the organization mission, vision and policy is vital for this position.

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.

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 e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

How to Apply

All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically using THIS LINK

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and    diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 25 August 2024/ 4:00 PM