Accountability Officer at Life at Best Development Initiative

ROLE PURPOSE:

• The Accountability Officer shares the responsibility for the implementation of Life At Best Development Initiative Accountability to Beneficiary System. This includes reporting on all aspects of Accountability to Beneficiary standards as chalked out in Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS). The position holder will ensure setting up a robust Complaint and Response Mechanism (CRM) building on existing CRM protocols and guidelines.
• This will include soliciting targeted beneficiaries’ feedback through monitoring visits, hotline, suggestion boxes, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and any other contextually appropriate medium. Accountability Officer will be managing Accountability Action Plan Tracker and will be producing a monthly analysis of action executions or gaps existing in follow up actions. Occasionally this role will also assist MEAL Officer and MEAL Manager in managing their routine MEAL tasks e.g. field monitoring, data collection and management, and conducting various types of studies.

SCOPE OF ROLE:  Reports to: MEAL Manager

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:  Implementation of Accountability to Beneficiaries System

• Work closely with the MEAL Manager to implement LABDI’S approach to accountability and participation following LABDI Practice Standards in Child Participation and ensuring that it complements and forms part of the overall MEAL system
• Ensure that accountability and participation are integral elements of all aspects of the organization’s approach to programming and MEAL
• Use the associated toolsrequired to implement the accountability and participation minimum requirements to ensure that roll-out is standardized across operational areas (g. information posters, complaints database, child-friendly methodology guidance)
• Work closely with implementation team members to promote understanding of the importance of accountability and participation to achieve quality programming
• Ensure that beneficiary feedback is promoted as a key tool in programme management and strategy development

Programme Development 

• Look into Accountability and CRM coverage for geographical and thematic areas of responsibilities andidentify budget gap to be communicated to MEAL Manager
• Actively engage with beneficiary communities and consult with them toidentify viable communication channels for information sharing and establishing CRM

 Staff Capacity Building 

• Identifyorientation needs and support MEAL Manager/Officers in delivering sessions on Accountability to Beneficiaries
• Support MEAL Manager/Officers in conducting inductions on accountability and participation at the field office level
• Contribute to fostering anorganizational culture which is truly accountable to children and their communities

 Learning 

• Share key learning coming from Accountability and CRM systems during review and learning meetings
• Liaise with MIS-Accountability Assistant for producing reports and through accountability (using beneficiary feedback as well as evidence of improvedprogramme implementation where accountability is increased)

 SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS 

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelingLABDI values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition: 

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personaldevelopment and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision forLife At Best Development Initiative engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration: 

• Builds andmaintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity: 

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

 Integrity: 

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA degree in an area of social development or equivalent
• Fluency in local languagerequired
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, preferred
• Commitment toLABDI values

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

• Recommended a minimum of 1 year MEAL/program experience
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, and knowledge of rapport building and probing techniques
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in a multi-cultural environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to work in a volatile environment and willingness torelocate as per the need and requirements of the field office