Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) Assistant

Description

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) Assistant will support the CARM (Senior) Officer to support the roll-out and implementation of CARM within programs in line with Mercy Corps’ global CARM Policy and Mercy Corps Uganda’s CARM Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Working with program and MEL teams, and in coordination with different supporting departments as needed, s/he will support the implementation of the project-level CARM Plans, focusing on CARM rollout and maintenance in the different implementation areas across Northern Uganda. The CARM Assistant will support the receiving, translating, and grading of feedback received via the helpline.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Directly operate / manage the toll-free hotline (answer, log, respond to, escalate, and manage incoming calls), maintaining confidentiality at all times
• Analyze, grade, and consolidate information about feedback received and issues raised and share with the program team and CARM (Senior) Officer to follow up on complaints and any feedback as the need may be
• Contact complainants to close/resolve cases and update the tracker or database as required.
• Maintain an effective record and filing system for all complaints solved and pending issues including correspondences and other related documents for quick and easy reference.
• Ensure feedback loops are closed within the designated turn-around time
• Regularly take part in field visits with other key program team members to assess the progress of CARM at the community level.
• Assist in the implementation of the consolidated CARM work plan, review achievements and constraints and provide feedback accordingly.
• Communicate and disseminate feedback/complaints handling procedures, policies and tools as appropriate to community members, program staff and other stakeholders.
• Support in raising awareness of the CARM system and identifying the need for visibility materials, such as information, education and communication (IEC) materials and suggestion/feedback boxes
• Perform other related duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To Senior CARM Officer

Works Directly with Kampala program and MEL staff and partners

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Diploma/ Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field, such as social sciences, economics, research methods, etc
• At least 2 years of related work experience, preferably with an international or local Non- Governmental Organization (NGO)
• Experience in (remote) data collection and data management preferred.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties. Tact and diplomacy are essential.
• A multilingual applicant with experience in customer service or community engagements. Proficiency in at least 2 or more of these languages is a requirement: Kiswahili, Luo and Madi.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrated attention to details. S/he should be committed to work with Mercy Corps stakeholders regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities or gender. The CARM Assistant may have access to sensitive information and will therefore need to strictly adhere to confidentiality protocols. Other factors include:

• The ability to work under pressure
• Willingness and ability to quickly learn new information/concepts and implement them
• Strong team player with initiative and positive attitude towards problem solving.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Kampala, Uganda and may require limited in-country travel to support programs, including travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

 Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Disclaimer: This job description is NOT an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

To Apply:

Interested applicants must submit the following by 30th September 2022.

• CV in PDF of no more than 4 pages
• Cover letter. At a minimum, the cover letter must show that the applicant possesses the required qualifications for the position, and include a response to the following: Tell us about a recent mistake you made. What did you learn from the experience? How have you applied what you learned since then?

Please note that any application submitted that does not follow the above instructions will be automatically discarded.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

Qualifications