Livelihood Program Officer at Mercy Corps

Reference Number: MDG/HUMOPS/2018/00035
Location: Gwoza - Borno State

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps’ humanitarian response continues to meet the needs of underserved populations within Borno state and aims at delivering multisector interventions in multiple locations.
• Mercy Corps under the OFDA grant will assist 600 adolescents with assistance in the form of training, livelihoods grant, and follow-up support. Given the particularly vulnerable status of adolescents, Mercy Corps will specifically target older adolescents (aged 15 to 19) in Dikwa, Ngala, and Gwoza LGAs with assistance to establish a safe income generating activity – thereby preventing the use of high-risk, negative coping strategies.
• Mercy Corps will endeavor to ensure a 50/50 split between male and female adolescents, so as to ensure equal participation of gender – but will prioritize adolescent mothers not currently engaging in a safe livelihood or receiving any other form of assistance.
• In each of the targeted locations (Dikwa, Ngala and Gwoza), Mercy Corps will engage with 200 livelihoods beneficiaries – making the total number of direct beneficiaries 600. The training provided to the beneficiaries will focus on financial literacy, book-keeping, and smart saving practices.

General Position Summary

• The Livelihood Program Officer is responsible for assisting in the implementation of livelihood activities in the intervention communities of Ngala, Dikwa and Gwoza in Northern Borno State. With support from the Program Manager OFDA, Cash Program Manager and Cash Team, s/he will supervise all projects, project selection and planning, project assets, local government and community liaison work, monitoring and payment.
• The livelihood Program Officer will report to the Program Manager (OFDA) and work collaboratively with fellow programs and MEL staff.
• S/He may also support other livelihood sector interventions including unconditional cash transfers, livelihood grants and VSLAs.

Essential Job Functions

• Coordinate with MEL team to map, identify and register program participants
• Lead in the selection of beneficiaries with support from Program Manager
• Facilitate setting up of VSLA groups to provide safe space for beneficiaries
• Identify reliable and trusted members locally to serve as village agents for VSLAs
• Coordinate the sensitization of beneficiaries
• Coordinate with protection sector to get village agents trained on psychosocial support
• Facilitate training of beneficiaries on financial literacy, book keeping and smart saving practices
• Lead the market assessment to ascertain the most profitable skills in the intervention locations
• Work with operations (procurement) to select financial service provider (FSP) for cash disbursement
• Lead the cash disbursement to beneficiaries through FSP
• Coordinate post distribution monitoring with MEL team
• Ensure the grantees VSLA meetings and small scale businesses are monitored monthly
• Ensure effective community engagement to create enabling environment and ownership
• Submit monthly program update including success stories to supervisor

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• 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 toward 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.

Accountability:

• Supervisory Responsibility: Livelihood Assistants, Village Agents
• Reports Directly To: Program Manager (OFDA
• Works Directly With: MEL, Programs, Operations, and support teams

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S in relevant field required;
• 3 years of experience working on the development, implementation, administration and compliance of a field-based international development or humanitarian program; general program management experience required.
• Prior experience implementing distributions is required, preferably in a non-camp setting. Experience with livelihood or other community micro-projects strongly preferred.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders to identify beneficiaries according to criteria required.
• Experience with Livelihood assessments, monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts required.
• Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public.
• Commitment to renewing and maintaining knowledge of best practices
• Demonstrated training and facilitation experience
• Ability to work under pressure
• Demonstrated strengths in analytical skills, monitoring and evaluation, and report writing
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills
• Fluency in English and Hausa is required.
• Duty Station: Maiduguri with frequent travels to Dikwa Ngala and

Success Factors

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building.
• S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues