Program Assistant - Abuja - (INGO Forum) Nigeria National only at Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

INGO Forum in partnership with NRC is looking for a Program Assistant for Abuja, Federal Captial Territory Office in Northen Nigeria. The purpose of the Program Assistant is to support and implement INGO Forum activities in Abuja

NRC initiated country operations in Nigeria in June 2015, in order to respond to the critical and increasing needs in the country. NRC currently has a full team based in Maiduguri and a coordination office in Abuja. NRC is currently providing services across various sectors namely; Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI); Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH); Food Security; and Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) in order to address identified humanitarian needs.

The INGO Forum in Nigeria was formed in late 2014 to develop a collaborative platform for effective and principled INGO interaction, engagement and coordination for humanitarian, recovery and development interventions in Nigeria. Since inception, the INGO Forum has become a critical platform for ensuring effective information sharing and analysis; leadership on advocacy and policy engagement; and liaison with government/donor/UN engagement and engagement ensuring the perspectives of INGOs and affected populations are ultimately included in decision-making processes. The INGO Forum is governed by a core membership of 41 members (and 6 observers) with new member applications pending approval on a regular basis, The INGO Forum is governed by an elected Steering Committee of five Country Directors and a Chair that works alongside a full-term Secretariat. Since March 2017, the INGO Forum is administratively hosted by Mercy Corps in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja as well as Maiduguri.

The Program Assistant reports to the Technical Consultant, PLRCP Initiative

Duties and responsibilities

• Develop and ensure the strategic communication of the PLRCP project, including through marketing brochures, project briefs, and updates, stakeholder information sharing. Maintain briefing and information packs as well as other relevant documents for key stakeholders concerning the partnerships and localization project
• Develop and manage a virtual resource center on the localization section of the NIF website including resources page, progress updates and relevant document uploads, blog posts, and other relevant communication materials. Manage site hits and feedback and ensure user-friendliness and satisfaction.  
• Assist in drafting and design of project updates, policy briefs, and other similar materials. Work with the PLRCP Management team to produce blogs or op-eds for external publications, draft and layout mailings (newsletters, updates) and co-ordinate their review and approval.
• Creation of multi-media materials for use in the project including photos, short videos, and effective powerpoint presentations.
  Leads on delivery of digital engagement for the PLRCP with regular updates on the project conducts social media updates and monitoring and develops content for social media platforms including supporting the PLRCP management team on social outreach.
• Facilitate structured and effective information exchange both between internal INGO partners and with external partners (NNGOs, UN, Government, Media, International community, etc)
• Stay informed on political, humanitarian and security contexts, while providing structured updates to the INGO Forum as it relates to localization globally regionally and nationally.
• Facilitate effective information flow between field-level realities in NE Nigeria and capital-level coordination in Abuja.
• Engage partners to efficiently compile and update relevant information including a summary of the twinning program, update on modules and resources, engagements with key stakeholders, response to external requests, blog posts related to project and progress updates on project delivery.
• Participate in project meetings and activities to ensure effective communication materials and the participation and presence of communications throughout all projects and provide feedback to the communications team. Undertake regular visits to the field and consistent liaising with key stakeholders to share relevant information and stay informed.
• Identify opportunities for communications capacity building for NNGOs, as well as opportunities for INGOs to learn from NNGO practices.
• Help organize and facilitate workshops and other capacity development, as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with donor and host agency (in this case, NRC) regulations
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy

Qualifications

• BA/S or equivalent in business, accounting, finance & administration, management, or other relevant fields.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in working with financial, administrative and procurement systems.
• Administrative experience in similar projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing super busy program office setting and responding to multi-actor demands in a fast and efficient manner
• Experience working with country-level ministries and government officials.

Personal qualities

• Planning and delivering results
• Empowering and building trust
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Handling an insecure environment
• A good sense of humour is an asset
• All employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council should be able to adhere to our Code of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced and often demanding environment.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and experience in humanitarian settings.
• Knowledge of and contacts in Nigerian Media