Community Mobilization Assistant at Save The Children

Reference No.: 2100033K

Grade: 5
Contract Length: 1 Year Fixed Term
Employee Status: Permanent
Team / Programme: ECW-MYRP
Reports to: Project Officer Education
Staff Directly Reporting to This Post: None

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3: The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking / vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• Save the Children with NRC / Street Child and UNICEF is implementing Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Seed funding project of Education Cannot Wait – Multi Year Resilience Project (ECW-MYRP) in the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States of North eastern Nigeria. ECW MYRP is an innovative model for education in emergencies programming. The MYRP Theory of Change focuses on conflict-sensitive interventions, that move communities from emergency to recovery and towards development
• The funding for MYRP is ensured that out of school children (OOSC) in priority areas have flexible, responsive routes into learning opportunities, that support their transition into further levels of education and that support their holistic wellbeing and development. The MYRP in line with ECW priorities focusses on interventions targeting 3-18 years especially refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities
• The Community Mobilization Assistant will support the ECW-MYRP team in respective State to ensure commitment and involvement of local authorities and community members in the project. The staff member will lead on community mobilization to ensure participation, sustainability of the ECW project as well as that the voices of community members, including women and children are heard. The job holder may be called upon as and when necessary to support the emergency team in cases of humanitarian crisis
• Under the guidance of the Education Officer and the Project Coordinator Education, he / she will ensure that ECW-MYRP is implemented in a coordinated, harmonized and aligned manner, in line with donor requirements and commitments. The Community Mobilization Assistant will be responsible for sharing the progress reports and updates on timely manner from the field.

Key Areas of Accountability
Operational Planning and implementation:

• Identify policy and practice change, based on Save the Children’s experience that would promote and protect the rights of children
• Support in formulating key advocacy messages and targets from lessons learned, assessments, research and evidence gained through project implementation on Education, WASH, child Protection, Food security et al
• Ensure that voices of children form the basis of Save the Children’s advocacy strategy
• Acquire information and understanding of social policy and adapt strategies as necessary
• Ensure Save the Children and ECW visibility is seen in the schools, LGAs and respective State
• Actively participate in all Save the Children and CSO Coalition driven activities in the state
• Establish as well as sustain existing synergy among coalitions
• Engage with the state and local governments in policies review when needed
• Facilitate meetings of the coalition groups
• Prepare monthly reports of activities carried out.

Influencing:

• Develop good knowledge of local and national government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision-making structures and how to influence them
• Initiate and support lobbying, communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of Save the Children’s policy recommendations
• Support in building systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence-based advocacy and influencing at state and national levels.
• Produce reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed

Collaboration & Representation:

• Develop and sustain strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work
• With support from other ECW team, organized and implement all community and education stakeholder engagement including commemoration of international days for women, girls and children
• Support in maintaining a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, NGO sector, civil society and the media
• Support in facilitating capacity building of staff from Save the Children and partner agencies in advocacy and communications
• As a spokesperson for Save the Children to a variety of external audiences including policy makers and the media, as directed.

Programme Development:

• Provide technical support on voice and community mobilization to State programme team
• Develop a community mobilization strategy in collaboration with the team and ensure implementation
• Train and mentor Local partners and community on Community support
• In collaboration with the rest of the ECW team prepare and facilitate training.

Skills and Behaviours (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyze complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

•  Zeal to work with Children
•  Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Designing more effective admin systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• A degree in Education, Social Work, Psychology, Communications or related Social Science field
• Substantial experience in advocacy and policy development / research in the development context
• Good understanding of the possibilities and tactics for influencing decision and policy makers, politicians, donors, and other key actors
• Knowledge of the media and its role in raising awareness and shaping public policy
• Good understanding of strategies for achieving child protection, Psychosocial programming policies through participatory processes, and the links with gender, diversity and other aspects of identity
• Excellent conceptual and analytical skills and demonstrable ability to think strategically, innovatively and practically to ensure achievement of desired change objectives
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences at local, state and national levels
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with partner agencies and key contacts in the government, NGO, civil society (coalitions) and media sectors
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability and ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• Good computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, email / internet) and ability to be self-supporting in most administrative tasks
• Fluent English language skills (written and verbal) and Local language skills (Hausa, Kanuri or Fulfulde etc.)
• Commitment to the values, mission, aims and policies of Save the Children.

Desirable:

• Experience in training others in advocacy techniques and influencing tactics
• Prior work experience in community mobilization and advocacy in Northeast Nigeria
• Experience working on development or humanitarian programming.

Equal Opportunities

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.