Community Liaison Manager at Mines Advisory Group (MAG International)

Locations: Abuja and North West

Overview of Role

• The Community Liaison Manager is responsible for overall day-to-day management and coordination of the WAM program at field level.
• S/he will manage, coordinate, supervise and evaluate program staff in all target LGAs and communities.
• S/he will also provide technical and strategic management support to the programme teams.
• S/he will need to have a good understanding of community participation, planning and implementation of community-based programmes and activities.
• S/he will undertake the management, training, assessment and monitoring of Community Liaison (CL) staff and activities in the field, and recommend improvements to the Project Manager (PM) and, Country Director (CD).
• S/he will lead on community stakeholder interactions and strategic partnerships

Responsibilities
Strategy and Vison:

• Working with the WAM Programme manager, the Community Liaison Manager will provide leadership and strategy for all community lead activities, implementation and management.
• Identify strategic local partners - NGOs and stakeholder as well as institutions to engage in delivering WAM community activities
• S/he will Manage the day-to-day activities of the programme in NW states
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome from community stakeholders and teams
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and impact.
• Support evaluation assessments and analysis to identify areas for programme improvement.

Technical:

• Coordinate the implementation of WAM programme activities in each of select target LGAs and communities; ensure implementation of activities is on-time, on-scope and on-budget using effective management systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely reporting according to MAG and donor policies and procedures.
• Identify and manage links with existing and planned donor interventions that promote collaboration and community-based approaches in Small arms and light weapons management
• Provide research and analysis of relevant socio-economic data in order to help prioritize social target groups and geographical areas for Weapon Arms Management (WAM) activities.
• Plan, prioritise and coordinate all CL activities in order to achieve maximum community participation.
• Conduct on-going liaison with all relevant stakeholders (government, INGOs, national NGOs, mine action centres, the military, health care providers etc.) and establish and maintain networks for information exchange.
• Maximise productivity, project outcomes and cost-benefit to the donor and beneficiaries through CL programme activities.
• Advise on safe and effective management of all aspects of CL and related tasks in the country of operation, in accordance with relevant MAG and other Standard Operating Procedures and guidelines, and ensuring that these are consistent with MAG’s policies and mandate.
• Conduct training needs assessment in the area of CL (including WAM activities).
• Plan and conduct relevant training activities for national staff where required, including community risk education, participatory learning techniques, communication skills and facilitation skills.
• Coordinate the on-going evaluation of benefits MAG’s activities have on communities and other relevant stakeholders. Where appropriate, design and apply relevant measurement tools and indicators. Ensure the capture of data on the outcomes and impact of MAG’s work and the communication of this data to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist and support the development of the country programme strategy, plans, proposals and budgets with regards to CL training and operations in line with MAG’s mission and mandate
• Conduct assessments, including on-site interviews with beneficiaries, and other technical missions on behalf of MAG as required.
• Consolidate work plans for each target LGA/community into one programme-level work plan. Ensure timely delivery of activities.

Reporting:

• Assist in proposal writing and budgeting.
• Provide clear and accurate reports for donor and HQ purposes.
• Provide to MAG HQ case studies and oral testimonies of the variety of experience of living with conflict and remnants of conflict.

Team Management:

• Sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• With the Programme Manager supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Implement performance planning and management systems.

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.
• Work closely with MAG security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its implementation process.**

All senior staff are expected to undertake the following general duties:

• Work within the framework of MAG’s core values, promoting its ethics and mission statement.
• Work towards achieving programme and/or department business plan objectives
• Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all MAG policies and procedures and keep informed of MAG activities
• Undertake and apply learning from appropriate training and development programmes.
• Undertake role in developing countries and areas in conflict where standards of living may be basic.
• Undertake the role in a manner appropriate to the cultural context and within the local legal framework.
• Understand and uphold the standards outlined in MAG’s Safeguarding Framework, acting with due care and attention to safeguard the wellbeing of anyone that comes into contact with MAG’s work and reporting concerns if they do arise. **

This is a non-contractual document that can be varied from time to time as circumstances dictate. This job description is intended to summarize the main duties and responsibilities of the post; this is not intended to be a full and exhaustive list of tasks. All MAG staff are expected to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to perform appropriate tasks when the need arises. Some Job Descriptions may be supplemented by specific Terms of Reference.

Person Specification
Essential Experience:

• Experience of working on community-based interventions and sensitive topics including peace being and security activities.
• Experience of conducting needs or risk assessments in order to design and implement appropriate interventions.
• Experience in the monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
• Experience in the design and delivery of formal or informal training and transfer of skills to others.
• Experience of leading, motivating and managing a diverse range of people.
• Experience of participatory research techniques in a working context.
• Experience of working independently for extended periods of time in ‘stand-alone’ environments with minimal supervision.
• Experience working in in NW a MUST and working in the local languages

Essential Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong information management skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to coordinate activities and projects
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to establish relationships with people from a military, development and community background
• Excellent people management skills
• Sound understanding of rural livelihood and international development issues
• Relevant IT and numeracy skills
• Good spoken and written Hausa and English language skills
• Ability to represent and promote MAG.