Save the Children AGI-K Programme Officer Job in Wajir Kenya

Save the Children

AGI-K Programme Officer

Team / Programme: Agi-K Programme

Location: Wajir

Grade:  4

Post Type: National
 

Child Safeguarding:

Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder

to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose: SCI

Kenya is implementing an Adolescent Girls Initiative (AGI-K) Action

Research across four sectors of Health, Wealth Creation, Education and

Prevention of Violence, in Wajir County, together with other partners

namely; Population Council, Plan International and APHRC. 

This

program is expected to significantly contribute to investing in

adolescent girls, with the need to invest early in order to break the

downward spiral into early pregnancy, early marriage and

intergenerational poverty.

It

is also expected that evidence from research will influence national

policy and support scaled up, cost-effective interventions for

adolescent girls in the future. This is also in line with Save the

Children’s Theory of Change.

Save

the Children will work with the government of Kenya at both national

and county levels and communities to facilitate the randomized control

trial to test a package of multi sectorial interventions for girls ages

11-14  and also the most cost-effective that will provide the greatest

impact for girls in Northern Kenya and urban slums
 

Scope of Role: The

Program officer will provide technical support and leadership to

community mentors required for the successful implementation of

Adolescent girls programming and will support the Program Coordinator in

awareness raising activities, including the provision of information on

the project interventions. 

The

AGI-K officer will be responsible for providing training and mentoring

to adolescent girl’s mentors and the Community Facilitators.

Reports to: AGI-K Programme Coordinator

Dimensions:

Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s,

providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian

relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current

programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance,

education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. 

In

2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children

combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a

single operation in Kenya. 

In

Feb 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces

with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition

programmes with our own. 

Save

the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee

Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Wajir and we work through partners

in many other parts of the country. 

We employ nearly 300 staff and will have an operating annual budget in 2016 of approximately US$20 million.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Key Areas of Accountability:

Support to Programme Delivery

• Under
  
  the supervision of the Programme Coordinator, provide technical
  
  oversight and capacity-building through training, mentorship and
  
  on-the-job support for community health extension workers (CHEWs) and
  
  community mentors for the delivery of the safe space model 


• Ensure
  
  that the community mobilization and participation aspect of the AGI-K
  
  programme is implemented according to plan, including training,
  
  materials adaptation and monitoring of outcomes  


• Support
  
  in the development, management and facilitation of the community
  
  engagement strategy, plan  of action and activities identified by the
  
  community


• Provide
  
  leadership and guidance regarding project activities under each
  
  cluster  to all community workers to ensure all programme activities
  
  meet best practice standards as well as taking lead in discussions
  
  sessions for adolescent programming


• The
  
  AGI-K Program Officer will provide programmatic support required for
  
  the successful implementation of Adolescent girls programming and will
  
  support the Programme Coordinator in awareness raising activities,
  
  including the provision of information on available health services and
  
  facilitating referrals through the support of CHEWs.


• Work
  
  with AGI-K program team to monitor project activities regularly,
  
  ensuring adolescent girls attend discussion sessions as laid out in the
  
  program model


• Strengthen
  
  and maintain networks with community leaders and groups to ensure
  
  support from the community and to encourage greater communication,
  
  collaboration and coordination among partners.


• Participate
  
  in development of monthly outreach plans with community workers, based
  
  on program needs; include strategies to reach girls who are more
  
  isolated.


• Ensures strict adherence to the guidelines as outlined for the various interventions and clusters.


• Assist
  
  with developing adequate project monitoring systems and help to ensure
  
  that community  workers utilize these systems correctly and consistently


• Support
  
  the community facilitators and mentors develop referral pathways for
  
  violence prevention & response and ensure a community
  
  perspective is included. Ensure referral pathways are shared and
  
  understood within the community


• Encourage parent/caregiver partnerships in participating in the wellbeing of adolescent girls 

Partnerships for social mobilisation

• Good coordination with partners including the community in the program area


• Capacity
  
  of implementing partners in planning, implementation, monitoring and
  
  reporting is strengthened, in particular with community contracts


• Actively participate in forums and other relevant forums at sub county level 

Monitoring and evaluation

• Work
  
  with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
  
  team and the operations research partner for monitoring and evaluation
  
  of programme activities including preparation of monitoring reports,
  
  documents and lessons learned.


• Supports the implementation of an accountability mechanism for participants in the AGI-K  programme


• Carry out regular field monitoring/spot checks


• Participate
  
  in milestone meetings for monitoring of the progress of the programme
  
  such as mid-term reviews, strategy meetings, previews and reviews and
  
  annual reviews.

Competencies
 

1. Leading

• Delivering
  
  Results: Takes personal responsibility and holds others to account to
  
  deliver our ambitious goals for children, continually improving own
  
  performance or that of the team/organisation.


• Developing
  
  Self and Others: Invests time and energy to actively develop self and
  
  others to help realise their full potential, and to build the
  
  organisation’s capability for the future.


• Leading
  
  and Inspiring Others: Demonstrates leadership in all our work, role
  
  models our values and articulates a compelling vision to inspire others
  
  to achieve goals for our children.

2. Thinking

• Problem
  
  Solving and Decision Making: Takes effective, considered and timely
  
  decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within
  
  or outside the organisation and making appropriate judgements.


• Applying
  
  Technical Expertise: Applies the required technical and professional
  
  expertise to the highest standards, promotes and shares best practices
  
  within and outside the organisation.


• Innovating
  
  and Adapting: Develops and implements innovative solutions to adapt and
  
  succeed in an ever – changing, uncertain work and global environment.

3. Engaging

• Working
  
  Effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals
  
  and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives. Knows when to lead
  
  and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross- boundary working.


• Communicating
  
  with Impact: Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage
  
  and Influence, Promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate
  
  messages, building confidence and trust with others.


• Networking: Builds and uses sustainable relationships and networks to support the work of Save the Children.

Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced University Degree in the social/behavioural sciences, (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Health Education)


• Minimum
  
  3 years of relevant professional work experience in the development,
  
  planning and management of social development programmes with practical
  
  experience of working with women and girls.


• Clear
  
  understanding of gender, abuse of power, and issues surrounding
  
  violence against women and girls, in addition to child protection 


• Demonstrated
  
  experience of developing effective working relationships with senior
  
  stakeholders from government agencies, international organisations,
  
  community NGO, academics and opinion-leaders.


• Experience in community mobilisation and child participation within the development context.


• Demonstrated effectiveness in facilitation and training skills in non-formal settings


• Strong expertise and understanding of key issues affecting adolescent girls in Northern Kenya such as early marriage, FGM.


• Excellent communication skills, including fluency in written and spoken English and strong inter-personal and advisory skills

Competencies:

• Has high-level communication skills’, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.


• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.


• Sets high standards for quality and consistently achieves project goals.


• Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.


• Maintains and extends an effective network of individuals within the organisation and with government and development partners


• Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities.


• Demonstrates and shares detailed technical knowledge and expertise.


• Proven ability to work as a team.


• Somali speaking will be an added advantage.

How to Apply

Interested

candidates are required to submit a CV and mandatory Cover letter

indicating the Position they are applying for in the subject line to 

wajir.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  by 30th March 2016.

Hand delivered applications will not be accepted.

Due to the urgency of having the two posts filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.