Project Officer at Plan International

Role Purpose

• The purpose of this role is to implement the Education and WASH in school as well as Covid-19 response in education sector activities in specific location(s) in Maiduguri- Borno State, Yola- Adamwa State and Damaturu, Yobe state respectively.

Dimension of Role

• Communicates within Plan International Nigeria and with partners and related government institutions. The post holder will implement the WASH in school as well as Coivd-19 response in education projects focusing on WASH activities in target schools as well as Covid-19 Education response in target schools in the three states.
• The project officers will implement project activities, document lessons learnt, support assessments and monitoring and evaluation of the WASH in school activities and Covid-19 response for education interventions of Plan International's emergency response.
• He/she is responsible for assessment, response analysis, design, capacity building, WASH in school activities and Covid-19 response in the Northeast of Nigeria.
• The post holder will also contribute towards the capacity building of Plan Internationals implementing partners.

Key Roles/Responsibilities
In collaboration with the Project Coordinator, EiE Specialist, EiE Officers and the Field Team:

• Implement of WASH in schools and Covid-19 response projects funded by P & G and Education Cannot Wait.
• Support the Project Coordinator in implementation of project activities like assessments, teachers training, identification of schools, beneficiaries and implement interventions specifically WASH in schools and Covid-19 response in education as per project design
• Support in documenting lessons learnt and best practices of the two projects
• With support from M&E team design a Monitoring plan and simple data collection tools to ensure monitoring and data collection of key project indicators.
• Support schools’ assessment on WASH in schools and Covid-19 response activities in Education sector in the North East Nigeria
• Review, assess and update the education situation in areas affected by emergency and Covid -19 crises
• Highlight education issues requiring a response – both immediate (less than 3 months) and medium term and make recommendations on specific PLAN actions required. Ensure core commitments to children are taken into consideration.
• Ensure key data from assessments could be used as a baseline for program evaluation.  If additional baseline data is required to evaluate children’s hygiene practices and learning outputs based on Covid-19 response activities, then work with appropriate colleagues to collect this additional information.
• In collaboration with national and international Education actors, map current institutional response capacities on Covid-19 activities – including conducting an education specific 5Ws.
• Support in designing appropriate education interventions based on the outcomes of assessments and the context.  Inclusion of quality issues in school WASH activities in schools and education and learning outcomes is really important.
• Ensure that issues of early childhood, gender, protection, DRR, and conflict sensitivity are factored into the two projects design.
• Ensure Plan international guidelines, UN education cluster standards and INEE Minimum Standards, are considered and use EIE as well as WASH best practices.
• Provide regular updates to Education Specialist and the Emergency Response Manager, humanitarian unit and the rest of the CO on progress, priorities and constraints – verbally and in writing on an agreed frequency.
• Represent Plan International to clusters, governmental and non-governmental groups as needed and agreed with the Project Coordinator.
• Support the implementation of Plan International in WASH as well as Covid-19 education sector coordination mechanisms.
• Brief updates and reports on sectoral activities/strategies to donors and other stakeholders.
• Perform any other project related duties as specified by the Education in Emergencies Specialist
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• University degree or equivalent in Education, Social Science, Social Work, Psychology, or related fields
• Minimum of 3 years’ relevant work experience WASH projects and at least 2 years in Emergency response
• Experience working in emergency settings
• Good knowledge and understanding of DO NO HARM principles and established international child protection standards (especially UNCRC)
• Experience with participatory approaches to education, WASH, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or other related area.
• Experience working with IDPs, refugees and other vulnerable populations (ideal)
• Previous experience directly providing services to children at risk and victims of abuse, exploitation and violence.

Desirable:

• Strong ability to work independently, organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility
• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Ability to read and write in both English and Hausa languages appropriately.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Creates strong sense of purpose and commitment within own part of operations and with stakeholders
• Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism/integrity
• Provides good and adequate administrative and logistical support to enable programmes to meet meets it’s agreed financial and program outcomes.
• Actively seeks for support in addressing difficulties in execution of duties.
• Strategic thinking and effective contribution to own work and Organizational development.
• Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations
• Strong emotional intelligence including self-awareness.
• Leads by example to motivate high performance of others
• Very strong commitment to continuous learning.