Latest Vacancies at Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI)

Location: Rabah, Goronyo - Sokoto
Base: Sokoto as main Base Office, with frequent trips to Rabah LGA, Goronyo LGA and sometimes visiting Kaduna
Employment Type: Full-time

Overall Responsibilities

• Under the supervision of COOPI Programme Team, the Senior Programme Officer Conflict and DRR will ensure timely, effective, and efficient support in disaster risk management activities for Improved Early Warning Systems and Social Safety Nets for rapid disaster response in North West Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State.
• He/She will work in building the disaster and response preparedness capacities of the project communities and stakeholders to enable them to improve their disaster management capacities before, during, and after disasters.
• The post holder will support and monitor the implementation of the project: Improved Early Warning Systems and Social Safety Nets for rapid disaster response in North West Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State, ensuring timely and quality delivery of operations according to COOPI standards and requirements.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the direct supervision of the Program Manager and Project managers, the Senior Programme Officer Conflict and DRR will perform the under listed tasks:

• Build capacity and competencies of northwest Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State Government agencies on Disaster Management and support them in becoming a relevant partner for Disaster Risk Management in their respective countries.
• Coordinate the scaling-up of the ‘Preparedness for Effective Response’ approach and improving coordination and harmonization of DRM capacity-building approaches.
• Support North West Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State to analyze and integrate livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation and mitigation concerns into disaster preparedness, response, cash, and recovery programming.
• Support North West Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State with the process of hazards mapping, development, and review of Contingency Plans, SOPs at the state and LGA levels.
• Ensure northwest Nigeria with a special focus on Sokoto State is familiar with the various tools and guidelines for disaster risk management, interventions and that operations and activities are managed and implemented in accordance with the Federation’s strategic program framework and agreed to standards including COOPI’s Code of Conduct, Sphere Standards and Humanitarian Accountability Partnership.
• Conduct monitoring and supervisory visits to relevant COOPI program activity sites in the field.
• Support COOPI in the development and deployment of disaster risk management proposals.
• Organize monthly the LGA level Disaster Management Advisory Group (ADMAG) meeting to enhance collaboration and coordination of all actors within the LGA and stated.
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations;
• Participate in relevant meetings with COOPI partners, Governments, donors, NGOs, and UN Agencies co-financing and implementing initiatives for disaster risk management.
• Perform other duties in addition to the above responsibilities, commensurate with background and experience as deemed necessary by Supervisor.
• Work closely with the project team and the beneficiaries to ensure activities are being implemented in a gender-sensitive manner.
• Ensure equal participation of women and men in the activities and ensure to have an appropriate complaint and feedback mechanism to collect the communities’ feedback in a gender-sensitive manner and ensure that the program includes these feedbacks throughout the project implementation
• Ensure the Do No Harm approach is applied in all activities conducted with the site and host communities.
• Ensures gender is mainstreamed in various stakeholder meetings and capacity building.
• Prepares and forwards to the Program Manager and Protection Manager monthly work plans and progress reports for the entire Child Protection project based on set indicators for the 5W matrix and any other required reporting to partners and donors;
• Collects and documents success stories and photographs for reports;

Networking and Partnerships:

• Establish and maintain collaborative relations with relevant donors, partners, project stakeholders, and other organizations
• Provision of technical guidance and oversight to the projects within the areas of operations in establishing preparedness systems, development of standard operating procedures for Forecast Based Financing (FbF), and in establishing and managing FbF partnerships.

Requirements

• Interested candidates should possess a Doctorate's Degree / MSc / BSc / HND qualification
• At least 24 - 31 years work experience.

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Locations: Rabah, Goronyo - Sokoto
Base: Sokoto as main Base Office, with frequent trips to Rabah LGA, Goronyo LGA and sometimes visiting Kaduna
Overall Responsibilities

• The protection officer / focal point is responsible for supporting implementing the minimum measures for mainstreaming protection and Psycho-social support services as outlined by the Humanitarian Principles, the SPHERE Standards, and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines.
• The Protection Officer/Psychologist is mainly responsible for PSS, mainstreaming gender and protection across the various components and activities of the DRR and Social Protection Project in Sokoto State.
• S/he will create and develop protection and Gender integration and Psycho-social support activities in line with the priorities determined by COOPI.
• S/he will ensure performance tools are available for local staff, in order to guarantee smooth implementation of the programs while taking into consideration the local cultural context.
• He will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and follow-up of the Gender mainstreaming, general protection, and Psycho-social support services activities of the project.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the direct supervision of the Program Manager and Project managers, the Protection Office/psychologist will perform the under listed tasks:

• Work closely with the project team and the beneficiaries to ensure activities are being implemented in a gender-sensitive manner.
• Prepare, organize and conduct the protection-oriented Focus Group Discussions and Gender Discussion Meetings during project implementation and Forster Psycho-social support services referrals.
• Ensure equal participation of women and men in the activities and ensure to have an appropriate complaint and feedback mechanism to collect the communities’ feedback in a gender-sensitive manner and ensure that the program includes these feedbacks throughout the project implementation
• Meet regularly with the program team to fine-tune programming, ensuring activities are implemented using a gendered lens whilst mainstreaming PSS.
• Ensure the Do No Harm approach is applied in all activities conducted with the site and host communities.
• Supports project staff to mainstream gender in beneficiary identification and verification.
• Ensures gender is mainstreamed in various stakeholder meetings and capacity building.
• Prepares and forwards to the Program Manager and Protection Manager monthly work plans and progress reports for the entire Child Protection project based on set indicators for the 5W matrix and any other required reporting to partners and donors;
• Collects and documents success stories and photographs for reports;
• Lead all implementation of psychosocial activities including Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR) training to target beneficiaries along with providing basic level emotional regulation exercises to release trauma stress patterns;
• Ensure that COOPI’s psychosocial support models are delivered effectively;
• Provide psychosocial support education and supervision to staff members and case managers;
• Attend Psychosocial Review Meetings and provide support to beneficiaries involved;
• Ensure that case managers are making referrals for psychosocial critical incidents, such as child safety concerns, risk of suicide or self-harm to Search identified clinical actors and;
• Attend coordination meetings with other INGOs/ NGOs, sector working groups to help link COOPI Nigeria with other organizations doing similar work.
• Work with government partners and other relevant stakeholders to develop, implement and monitor referral pathways for those in need of mental health and psychosocial support.
• Lead and participate in psychosocial support capacity building for government partners and other relevant stakeholders
• Strengthen community capacity to identify, address and support residents in need of psychosocial support and resources.
• The Psychosocial Specialist will also support and debrief staff on psychosocial recommendations from noted issues that arise during his/her work, identify and address professional development needs

Networking and partnerships:

• Establish and maintain collaborative relations with relevant donors, partners, project stakeholders, and other organizations
• Maintain effective relationships with Protection, GBV, and CP clusters and related working groups at the national level
• Ensure that main protection concerns are brought to relevant stakeholders to advocate for the respect of human rights and minimum protection standards.

Requirements

• Interested candidates should possess a BSc Degree / Master's Degree in Social Work or related fields
• At least 24 - 31 years work experience.

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Location: Sokoto State (COOPI areas of intervention. Sokoto as main Base Office, with often trips to Rabah LGA, Goronyo LGA  & Sokoto)
Employment Type: Full-time

Overall Responsibilities

• The MEAL Officer will provide support to COOPI’s Multi-sectoral Programs in Improved Early Warning Systems and Social Safety Nets for rapid disaster response in North West Nigeria, across different donor funded interventions in the design, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the program by managing data and facilitating program implementation at state level, under the guidance and direct supervision of the MEAL Team Lead and Program Coordinator.
• The MEAL Officer will be responsible for data gathering, analysis and reporting activities. S/he will assist in tracking progress of key indicators and provide timely reports to the Project Manager and Programme Manager on project data for greater project reporting and overall impact for COOPI Multi-sectoral Programs in Northwest Nigeria across different donor funded interventions.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks
Under the direct supervision of the MEAL Team Lead and in collaboration with other collaborators of the projects and of the Base, she/he will:

• Collect qualitative and quantitative information and program data through surveys, assessments, post distribution monitoring, mapping, stocktaking and regular market monitoring
• Quantify methods and identify data sources for program performance and impact indicators, in conjunction with respective program component teams.
• Ensure timely planning and deployment of surveys, assessment, mapping, stocktaking and Post Distribution Monitoring surveys, conducting project baseline, end line and progress surveys, ensuring appropriate sample size and sampling survey methods, data collection procedures, and data verification through periodic site visits.
• Support formulation and integration of Geographic Information System technology and other related spatial information applications, for operational programming needs.

Support in Collating and Analysing Monitoring Data, as well as report on findings from Monitoring Activities:

• Ensure proper monitoring of the program, focusing on overall M&E framework of the projects
• Present and analyse data based on information needs of project team and partners and support in data base management.
• Analysing of data, report development and submission of M&E reports
• Provide support to improve monitoring and reporting mechanism through revised monitoring and reporting framework, through collaboration with the program team.
• Review of reporting made against indicators
• Drafting and sharing lessons learnt from the different project intervention for programme development and quality control

Work with Program Teams to ensure COOPI Information on Program Activities is shared within LGAs and provide for Beneficiary Feedback in line with relevant Guidelines and Frameworks:

• Collaborate with government and humanitarian partners to ensure the smooth sharing of information in consultation with the Project Manager/Field Coordinator/Program Manager
• Support the program team in facilitating the process of setting up Complaint Response Mechanism at Ward/ LGA level and handling complaint/ feedback.

Support the Management of MIS Technologies and Beneficiary Data management Platforms (Including Red Rose, PowerBI, Kobo etc.):

• Carry out troubleshooting of devices and find solutions where necessary to ensure timely implementation of program activities.
• Ensure routine monitoring of the Red Rose and ODK / Kobo devices and software upgrades when necessary, in conjunction with the MEAL Assistants / Officers.
• Supports MEAL and Program Team on database management software usage when necessary.
• Support the MEAL team in coding and creating new forms and questionnaires.
• Create Monthly reports via the use of infographic software.

Ensure Proper and Timely Implementation, Management and Capacity Building on MEAL at the base level:

• Take a lead in data storage, processing, retrieval and reporting to project management team and key community stakeholders in consultation with the MEAL team
• Coordinate and share learning related to knowledge, data collection, use of ICT4D, behaviours, and practices at base office level, and COOPI at large.
• Generate related reporting on trends in all-cash programs context and progress (using graphs, pie charts, bar charts, etc.) for internal and external reporting in consultation with the MEAL Team Lead and Project Manager.
• Ensure timely submission of all sector 5Ws to the MEAL Team Lead and Program Coordinators.
• Train local field staff, state government stakeholders and key community beneficiaries in how to establish and deploy M&E in coordination with the project management team.

Provide support to the Programs at LGA level and within the Communities:

• Directly supervise data entry and data cleaning activities by the data entry clerks
• Analyse and provide information regarding general context at the LGA level and explore opportunities in support of partnership, building initiatives with LGA level government and other humanitarian actors.
• Assist program teams in the selection of beneficiaries as per the established procedure from the project proposal.
• Assist the program team in the selection of Community Mobilisers to facilitate the process of beneficiaries’ selection.

Capacity Development:

• Assist the Programme Manager to provide trainings on monitoring and evaluation that include sampling, data collection, data cleaning, analysis and reporting guidelines to all program staff. Coach data entry clerks and project officers on data cleaning.

Profile of the Candidate (Education, Training, Competences, Skills):Minimum Requirements
Minimum Requirements:

• Degree / Diploma in Economics, Rural Development, Development Studies, Statistics, Demography or related subject, with previous experience working in developmental projects

Skills & Experience:
Essential:

• Be professional, motivated, flexible and culturally sensitive
• 2-3 years M&E related work experience with an iNGO
• Experience in data collection, collation, analysis, and report writing
• Have previous experience in indicator tracking matrix, RedRose, 5Ws, MIS, PSS of cash-based interventions (i.e. cash for work, cash transfers or cash vouchers).
• Have excellent communication, writing and analytical skills.
• Have proven ability to create program support systems for large amounts of data within a complex program.
• Have knowledge and experience in using database specific software.
• Have experience in designing and leading capacity building and training for national teams.
• Be excellent in communication skills and proficient in report writing
• Have IT troubleshooting capabilities.
• Be resident and familiar with the terrain in the Northeast Nigeria.
• Experience designing and leading capacity building and training for national teams.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office programming (Access, Outlook, Excel, Power Point, and Word).
• Proven ability to create management information systems for large amounts of data within a complex program.
• Knowledge and experience in using database specific software.
• Excellent communication, writing and analytical skills.
• Experience designing and leading capacity building and training for national teams.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa and Kanuri).
• Proficient in statistical and other software (Microsoft Office package, SPSS, GIS and ENA for SMART.
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Previous experience with similar position.

This ToR shall be inclusive of any other task specifically assigned by the MEAL Coordinator and Project Manager and direct supervisor for what concerns the implementation of the program activities.

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Location: Yobe (Damaturu, Potiskum, Bade, Nguru and Geidam LGA)
Employment Type: Part-time

Project Description

• COOPI is implementing WFP funded project in Geidam and Damaturu local government areas of Yobe state to strengthen the resilience of 2956 vulnerable households (14,780 beneficiaries) through improved climate-smart agricultural production, innovative income generating activities for livelihood assets and capacity building.
• COOPI has been working in Yobe state in close collaboration with WFP since 2019 to restore, improve and strengthen the livelihood source of targeted population to alleviate their sufferings and enable the targeted communities / beneficiaries to sustain their livelihood sources.
• The assessment will help COOPI in implementing 2021 livelihood project in Yobe state, especially in the area of linking farmers to farms off takers and identifying major agricultural and small business value chain.

Background

• The Western and Central Africa region, one of the poorest and most fragile regions in the world, continues to be affected by major protracted humanitarian crises driven by conflicts and exacerbated by food insecurity, under nutrition, natural disasters, epidemics, and climate change. There are close to 40 million people in need of humanitarian assistance across the region.
• The main conflicts and violence across the region affect the Central Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger), the Lake Chad Basin (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad), the Central African Republic (CAR) crisis with refugees in neighboring countries, the Northwest/Southwest (NW/SW) provinces of Cameroon, and North Central and Northwestern Nigeria (with displacements into Niger).
• COOPI has been working in Yobe state for the past five years and have implemented number of projects in collaboration of different donors to support small holder farmers (Agriculture & Livestock) and provided small level income generation opportunities under various trades.
• COOPI has also provided to training on specific trades/professions and business skills increase / strengthen the capacity of targeted beneficiaries. After the continuous support provided, beneficiaries are now able to produce the desired on-farm and off-farm products and services. However, there is need to build the linkages between the targeted beneficiaries and various market actors to increase their profit margin by adding value to their products/services and minimize the role of middlemen.

Scope and Intended Assessment Output:

• The assessment on commodities and services value chain in the agriculture sector (Livestock & farm produce) for small holder farmers and small business owners (IGA beneficiaries) for identification and mapping of actors and stakeholders, value chain, capacity, and services assessment across major commercial locations of Yobe state (Damaturu, Potiskum, Bade, Nguru and Geidam LGA).

Intended Assessment Objectives:
The selected consultant shall publish an assessment report, analysis and data source that speaks to addressing the below highlighted focus areas:

• Identify market actors in each major market of Yobe state.
• Identify the development and provision of agriculture and small business inputs required.
• Determine the market for food/non-food items/raw materials required in each market.
• Ascertain the value chain on each agricultural produce.
• Identify the road map to build sustainable market linkages at least state level.
• Identify the gaps to access the potential Input Suppliers/Premium traders/Major Markets.
• Provide road map to improve the viability of the business relationship (Beneficiaries-Market Actors) on sustainable basis.
• Identify financial constraints / investment opportunities.
• Identify gaps in information flow (Inward-Outward) of major’s trends in consumption / purchases.
• Identify the various services are available for the capacity strengthening / Development.

It is Expected that:

• Data collection methods will be age and gender and protection appropriate.
• Assessment activities will provide a safe, creative space where children feel that their thoughts and ideas are important.
• Informed consent will be used where possible.
• The consultant will not be required to obtain approval from a Human Research Ethics Committee. COOPI will work with the relevant agency and provide assistance with this process.

Intended Assessment Output:

• These assessment data collection, analysis, and submission of the final report are expected to be completed within a period of three weeks upon signing of the contract by the consultant.

Expected Deliverables by the Consultant/s
The consultant/s is responsible for the timely delivery of the following:

• An inception meeting report, assessment matrix (maximum 5 pages), data collection tools, methodology and timelines for all the deliverables.
• An inception meeting with COOPI team to present the inception report.
• Databases in excel or other software for qualitative and qualitative data and corresponding analysis.
• A feedback workshop/ presentation meeting with COOPI team to highlight on the major findings and recommendations of the assessment.
• A draft report (maximum 60 pages with an executive summary of no more than 3-4 pages) including findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• A final report that incorporates comments from COOPI alongside a response matrix detailing how each comment was handled in the revising of the draft report.
• Databases with quantitative and qualitative evaluation data.

Specific Objectives of the Assessment:

• Providing a single, comprehensive, methodologically sound, and impartial overall assessment of agriculture commodities and small business owners value chain to inform strategic decisions funding application decision and proposal development.
• Provide detailed technical market analysis of the major markets and market actors including but not limited to major raw material/inputs, commodities, and services.
• Provide a detailed value chain analysis of major agricultural livelihoods products/commodities and income generation activities in the identified communities and LGAs.
• Identify market systems and value chain weakness and gaps, opportunities, threats, and trends that are relevant for small holder farmers and income generation activities population within the assessment target areas.
• Identify, map, and analyze the involvement of middlemen in the values chain of small holder crop and livestock agriculture and livelihoods activities in the targeted locations. This should also elucidate the economics behind the middlemen practices.
• Analyze the components of inclusion, protection, gender and age in the markets and value chain systems and proffer recommendations based on findings and literature reviews.

Methodology and Timeline

• The Consultant will work with COOPI to expand upon the ToR as required. The methodology adopted should be in line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee SOPs and CaLP for markets and value chain assessment.
• The assessment should include a mixed method approach comprising of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The methods suggested can include e.g.: document review for secondary data, household surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Triangulation shall be done in the analysis phase.

The assessment should take place in three phases:
Week one (1):

• Inception planning
  • The Consultant will develop an inception report, including an assessment matrix, work plan and data collection tools. These documents will be validated by the project manager prior to the data collection phase.
• Inception meeting
  • The Consultant will participate in an inception meeting, where the methodology, data collection plan and analysis plan will be presented and validated.
• Literature review
  • The Consultant will source and review relevant literature and existing document/report to guide on the value chain assessment.
• Adhoc staff mobilization and training
  • The Consultant will be supported to recruit and mobilize enumerators where necessary for training and data collection with the support of MEAL team from COOPI.

Week Two (2):
Data Collection and Analysis:

• The Consultant(s) will coordinate with COOPI will undertake quantitative and or qualitative data collection, under the control and responsibility of the Consultant and with the support of COOPI, MEAL units.
• FGDs, interviews and other qualitative methods should be carried out by the assessment team. The assessment team is fully responsible for data cleaning, as well as quantitative and qualitative analyses.
• The Data collected will need to be disaggregated per locations, beneficiary type (e.g. age, sex, PWDs, and type of population) and sector of intervention. The selected locations will be linked to each sector to make clear where exactly (in which part/region/district) the sectoral activities take place and how many beneficiaries are estimated.

Week Three (3):

• Assessment Report and Validation Meeting.
  • The Consultant and the Assessment team will draft the report, present, and share with the programme team. The final assessment report shall be validated by the focal persons from COOPI.
  • The Consultant will be presenting the final report at a joint session with the Early Recovery and Livelihoods Sub-Sector of the Food Security Sector for Northesat(Yobe State).

Contracting Organ Obligations:

• The COOPI MEAL Team Lead will be the key contact person for the consultant to ensure that the assessment takes place as planned.
• COOPI will coordinate the process and schedule all the logistic arrangement including field trips and respondent identification and clearance for the assessment. MEAL Team Lead will be the key contact on logistic arrangement for the consultant to facilitate the assessment.

COOPI will Support the Consultant through the following:

• Compilation of background documentation and relevant data.
• Scheduling and logistics support for initial interviews and inception work planning.
• Arranging accommodation requirements for the consultant/s during the duration of the fieldwork.
• Rapid review and commenting on outputs and deliverables.
• Scheduling and logistics support for the review/ validation workshop/meeting.

Ethical Considerations

• The consultant/s will make it clear to all those participating in the assessment as respondent that they are under no obligation to participate in the assessment if they do not wish to. All participants will be assured that there will be no negative consequences if they choose not to participate. Informed consent shall be obtained from the study participants after explaining the purpose of the study. Participation of all respondents in the assessment shall be on a voluntary basis and respect, dignity, confidentiality, and freedom of each assessment participant will be maintained during and after the survey. No names will be mentioned in the report and other documents presentations to be prepared and as part of this assessment.
• Avoid causing harm with humanitarian interventions. Consultant/s will have to receive prior permission for taking and use of visual still/ moving images for specific purposes, i.e., ‘for assessment report and presentations. Consultant/s will assure the participants’ anonymity and confidentiality and will ensure the visual data is protected and used for agreed purpose only.
• Communities and local authorities, including the ministry of humanitarian affairs and the national emergency management authorities and the State Emergency Management Authority will be informed about the assessment and prior approval shall be obtained.

Consultant's Qualifications, Skills and Experience
COOPI seeks expressions of interest from individual / companies with the following skills/qualifications.

• A Master's Degree or PhD in a field related to Social Protection (Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy and/or International Development Policy), Social and Developmental studies, Humanitarian Aid Studies, Statistic or other fields related to Developmental & Humanitarian Aid, Monitoring & Evaluation Studies and Social Scientific Research Studies.
• At least 5-10 years of relevant experience and proven expertise in conducting assessments and studies in relation to Humanitarian Aid Programming and Developmental Programming.
• Previous research experience on poverty aid/development, experience in quantitative or qualitative data collection and analysis,
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required,
• Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner,
• Team Player with excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to contribute to a team.