Program Officer/Community Mobilization Coordinator (Four Pillars PLUS) at FHI 360

Under the direction of the Project Manager, the Four Pillars PLUS Community Mobilization Coordinator will be responsible for working closely with the Four Pillars PLUS team members to implement the main objectives of the project: to improve the quality and relevance of girls’ education and to boost retention rates for OVCs in selected LGAs of Calabar, Nigeria. The Community Mobilization Coordinator is responsible for working closely with the school officials, school management committees, PTAs, local education officials, local community leaders, beneficiaries’ parents/caretakers and other stakeholders to ensure that the project gains sustainable support within the community through strengthening caregivers’ productive skills and garnering their support for their children’s education particularly the girls. The Community Mobilization Coordinator is also expected to create a network of support and participation with the local government departments that can provide caregivers with critical knowledge, expertise and means to empower their financial productivity and know how.

Essential Job Functions

• Facilitate community participation in and around      school communities’ in order to establish sustainable support for the      project;
• Participate in conducting OVC assessment and enrolment      with school principals, mentors, community leaders and other stakeholders;
• Work closely with school principals, school community      leaders, mentors, beneficiaries and other stakeholders to assess and      prioritize needs;
• Trace OVCs who have relocated to other areas or      dropped out;
• Follow up with cases related to child rights      violations;
• Document case studies / good practices;
• Gather information about and develop training modules      for the relevant gaps in each school community’s resources ;
• Develop work plans for each school community based on      needs assessment and choice of community activities;
• Work with the project team to conduct capacity      building sessions for the caregivers, school management committees,      mentors and the school community on the care and support of the girl child      and OVC education;
• Work closely with the Project Manager to develop an      implementation plan for each school community;
• Assist in the distribution of scholarship materials      to the beneficiaries;
• Ensure that psychosocial care and support is provided      to the OVCs and their caregivers;
• Mobilize and sensitize the parents to form support      groups towards contributing to school activities;
• Develop a calendar of home and school visits and      share with the teachers and community mentors;
• Keep and maintain an updated record of OVC data base      and files;
• Research school communities’ resources to build      capacities, train caregivers on IGAs relevant to their lives and      environment;
• Engage local businesses/financial institutions to      provide training and guidance on saving and lending/bookkeeping if      appropriate;
• Conduct continuous monitoring of each school      community’s participation and submit regular progress reports to the      Project Manager;
• Assist the Project Manager in the monthly and annual      reporting on community activities;
• Perform other duties as necessary and appropriate;

Necessary Skills and Qualification Requirements:

• Excellent written and oral communication in English      and local languages;
• Ability to work individually as well as a team;
• Ability to understand communities local culture and      promote advocacy for supporting girls education;
• Experience in capacity building activities;
• Experience in working with schools/NGOs and CBOs;
• Experience in incorporating existing resources into      income generating activities;

Supervisory Responsibilities

No staff supervisory responsibilities are required.