Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) Assistant at Mercy Corps

Location: Ngala and Dikwa– Borno State

A Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) is an essential part of Mercy Corps' commitment to excellence and integrity, by providing individuals, organizations, local groups, and other stakeholders a means of raising concerns about potential staff misconduct or sharing feedback or programmatic activities (positive and negative) with Mercy Corps, independently from program operations. In the context of Nigeria, rolling out and implementing CARM will ensure that the Nigeria team will continue to uphold Mercy Corps' high standards of accountability.

The CARM Assistant will support CARM implementation primarily within the program in the deep field location. The successful candidate will divide his/her time between the continued establishment, maintenance, management, and adaptation of CARM implementation in WaSH and Nutrition projects.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Implementation & Program Quality:

• Support the implementation and adaptation of the Nigeria CARM strategy/operational manual in WaSH and Nutrition projects.
• Establish and manage program level feedback channels (helpdesk, suggestion boxes, community accountability community, community ambassadors, face-to-face).
• Log all feedback and responses in the CARM database.
• Refer sector specific feedback to appropriate channels for resolutions. Ensure all documents and actions taken are documented and feedback is given to the informants.
• Ensure feedbacks are closed within the appropriate timeframe.
• Support the creation and circulation of a weekly CARM report for relevant stakeholders, that presents CARM findings, successes, trends and tweaks to implementation processes, and adaptation as a result of feedback received.
• Support in the preparation of a weekly and/or as necessary status update on CARM for sector leads at field level as requested.
• Support in the development of work plans at the field level for the implementation of CARM.
• Conduct sensitization on CARM to community members. Ensure inclusive sensitization in all communities.
• Support the communications team and/or local partners in designing and disseminating appropriate communication materials that promote the use of feedback mechanisms or transparency (hotline business cards, distribution signs, community signs and banners, etc.).
• Conduct field visits, engage in CARM spot checks and trainings.
• Liaise with necessary units to support programs in encouraging community participation in needs assessments and project design.
• Support in the maintenance and organization of program CARM database, in coordination with the Country CARM team.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required that may be assigned from time by supervisor.

Capacity Building:

• Support with orientation sessions for field staff and other CARM stakeholders.
• Training of staff on receiving complaints and feedback and on community sensitization, particularly on informing communities and handling feedback on sensitive subjects of potential staff misconduct.

 Coordination:

• Collaborate with other actors to develop referral maps and mechanisms for communities where Mercy Corps implements programs.

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.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Knowledge and Experience

• A minimum of NCE/OND or equivalent in relevant field. Proven (at least intermediate) report writing skills are required.
• 1-2 years of related work experience, preferably with an international or local Non- Governmental Organization (NGO).
• Excellent writing skills in English, languages such as Hausa and the LGA’s local languages is a plus. The ability to write reports at a native English level.
• Proven experience in data collection, data-entry, data/information management and analysis.
• Proven experience in developing or contributing to accountability frameworks, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for feedback mechanisms.
• Experience and/or training in handling sensitive information - Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) training is an advantage, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child Protection knowledge and capacities.
• The ability to work closely in a team, be patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and work in an environment that is often stressful and potentially volatile.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, considering cultural and language challenges. Tact and diplomacy are essential;
• Understanding of preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding and how other types of code of conduct issues may arise in CARM mechanisms and best practices for raising awareness of and responding to those concerns.