General Position Summary
The
community engagement/ Natural Resources Management officer will be responsible
for technical oversight and ensuring management for all activities related to
community development, conflict management and peaceful co-existence around
natural resource. They will define implementation strategies in coordination
with the county government, RLP coordinators and other leadership team. The
community engagement/ Natural Resources Management officer will train Rangeland
management Committees (RMCs) after conducting technical capacity assessment.
They will provide technical assistance based on identified gaps; and ensure
common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities’
priorities as envisaged on community Rangeland plans. They will coordinate
closely with the M&E team to ensure that systems are in place to track,
analyze and report results. The Officer will be required to keep abreast of the
latest research and evolutions in the field of conflict management around
natural resources and integrate new ideas and approaches as appropriate, seek
additional technical assistance as needed and ensure effective working
relationships with collaborating agencies. They will work closely with
NDMA on community participatory scenario planning, and other partners that
advocate the adoption of sustainable Rangeland management approaches.
Essential Responsibilities
Program Management
Oversee the development process of Ward based
community grazeland plans
Identify and Capacity builds the RMCs to strengthen
their governance and natural resources management skill.
Conduct RMCs capacity assessment in collaboration
with communities and county governments
Contribute to teamwork plans and guide successful
implementation of conflict management and natural resources management
activities, ensuring teams follow work plans so activities are on time, target
and within the approved budget, and program deliverables achieve desired
impact;
Conduct, participate in and/or update community
grassland plan development process, involving a variety of stakeholders;
In collaboration with National Drought Management
Authority (NDMA) and county governments, facilitate discussions within
communities aimed at promoting Disaster Risk Reduction approaches including for
drought cycle management as important components to community resilience to
shocks and other stress.
Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity
and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all
interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and
beneficiary accountability standards;
Work with other mercy corps program on rangeland
degeneration, digitization and protection.
Community And County Government Engagement
Conduct community engagement, mobilization and
sensitization for the RMC selection process
Engage development actors to resolve resource-based
conflict and facilitate community dialogues
Engage and support county government in the WDP
process and ensure their participation and integration of plans into county
priorities.
Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with
government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and
promote partner acceptance/buy-in.
Support county government initiatives to develop
appropriate policies related to ward planning approach.
Partnership
Link Ward based RMCs to ongoing county government
department of livestock rangeland management bill, IGAD regional livestock
policies,
Work with relevant county departments including
Livestock, natural resource, environment, water and other development partners
Establish collaborative partnership with other
development partners working on community resilience and community development.
Identify potential opportunities for linkage with
other development partners such as Partnership for Resilience and Economic
Growth (PREG), SDC funded project.
Familiarize and support implementation of rangeland
management laws and regulation both nationally, county level and regionally!
Program Monitoring
Support MEL team to develop appropriate monitoring
tools for the natural resource management activities ,
Support participatory community-based monitoring in
counties where initiatives are taking place – organize and coordinate capacity
building in relation to community-based monitoring, including experience
sharing.
In coordination with the MEL team, monitor the
implementation of activities through regular field visits and assessments to
ensure program quality and impact.
Document best practices and lessons learned across
counties and share with management and team members
Coordination
Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security,
finance, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems
support field activities
Support operations team to facilitate procurement of
goods and services related to the WDP process and conflict management
Coordinate with the program with other corridors
Influence & Representation
Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and
other relevant events, in close coordination with the County project
coordinator and country leadership.
Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub
grantees, local government, and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy
Corps programs
Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with
government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and
promote partner acceptance/buy-in;
In coordination with the MEL team, monitor the
implementation of activities through regular field visits and assessments to
ensure program quality and impact. Document approaches, successes and lessons
learned;
Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security,
administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support
field activities.
Security
Work closely with the country team’s security focal
point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of
all team members.
Ensure that programs are designed and implemented
with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
Others:
Conduct himself/herself both professionally and
personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not
jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
Other duties as assigned.
Accountability
Reports Directly To:
County trade Coordinators – Garissa and Wajir
Works Directly With RLP
country lead, women empowerment officer , M/E manager, communication officer,
finance and operations teams, Partner Organizations, and broader RLP team in
the region.
Knowledge and Experience
BA/S or equivalent in development studies, Disaster
Risk Reduction, Range management, conflict mitigation, social sciences or other
relevant field;
A minimum of three years of relevant professional
experience in community development where there is Natural Resource based
conflicts with hands on experience in working with community engagement,
mobilization and capacity building.
Experience in working with Community Rangeland
management committees, ward development committees and other community level
governance
Experience drafting contingency plans with
communities in ASAL areas is required;
Strong management skills, including effective
personnel management, adaptive management coordination and decision-making
Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills;
Competent in building networks, strong
problem-solving skills, and ability to influence with effective listening,
persuasion, negotiation and other techniques.
Strong understanding of donor compliance issues SDC,
EU, USAID etc
Excellent and persuasive oral and written
communication skills, including report writing, in English and other
language(s), and fluency in Kiswahili. Local dialects spoken in duty
station is a plus;
Previous work experience in northern Kenya desirable.
Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team
members
How To Apply
