Senior Accountability Officer at ACTED

Department: Appraisal Monitoring & Evaluation Unit (AMEU)

Direct Hierarchy: AME Manager

Contract duration: 6 Months

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Starting Date: June 2018

Position profile

Under the direct supervision of the Country Accountability Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, he/she is responsible for ensuring ACTED continuously engages in meaningful two-way dialogue with the communities it serves. The Accountability Officer will be responsible for ensuring the implementation and management of a complaints mechanism, pro-active engagement with project beneficiaries and ensuring issues, questions and complaints are followed up in a meaningful and genuine manner. S/he will be responsible for ensuring mechanisms are in place in ACTED’s programmes to fulfil key Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Commitments. This is a very exciting initiative for those interested in and passionate about ensuring communities have direct influence in aid interventions and how they are carried out. This initiative is about giving a voice to communities and ensuring accurate needs and feedback is being listened to and acted upon in ACTED programs. However, this position is dependent on availability for funding.

The Senior Accountability Officer shall:

• Oversee and support the accountability officers to liaise with communities, beneficiaries, local authorities and community leadership structures at field level;
• Continuously review, analyse and adapt the best feedback system for ACTED, in consultation with key stakeholders (communities, NGOs, local authorities).
• Conduct regular meetings on a structured basis including: focus groups discussions; household interviews; village relief committee meetings; key informant interviews (authorities etc.).
• Act as a key focal point for complaints and feedback to beneficiaries on ACTED programs by:
  • Providing timely feedback to the program team, and relevant managers on sensitive issues, on complaints raised by the communities on project activities; and
  • In co-ordination with respective departments (program team, co-ordination, field officers), provide timely feedback to all stakeholders on complaints raised. Produce monthly reports and databases on feedback gathered;
• Capacity building and mentoring of field-based accountability officers and other ACTED staff to ensure that accountability mechanisms are supported by a strong field team;
• Contacting beneficiaries and key stakeholders on a regular basis to collect feedback on project activities;
• Undertake field visits to train and support the project teams on the beneficiary accountability and learning systems and solicit feedback from sample beneficiaries and other key stakeholders.
• Map and assess community structures to ensure feedback is representative of all groups.
• Work closely with program teams to ensure all feedback is incorporated into approaches and future programs where possible.
• Work closely with community mobilization teams as when necessary as a technical advisor on ensuring community focal points and structures (i.e. Village Relief Committees) are inclusive of all groups
• Launch the bulk SMS initiative as an alternative way to communicate with all.
• Institutionalize and enhance accountability mechanisms to all ACTED projects.
• Participate in accountability forums to represent ACTED.
• Review and validate field level beneficiary accountability reports and databases;
• Compile monthly accountability reports and file all accountability and feedback materials.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, Community Development or related field.
• Extensive experience of social research methods to conduct monitoring and evaluation for humanitarian and development initiatives/interventions.
• Demonstrable understanding of conflict/post-conflict development contexts, with experience in remote-management contexts such as Somalia as an added asset. Certification in monitoring and accountability is a very strong asset
• Knowledge and experience of participatory rural appraisal methods will also be an asset.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multicultural set up.
• At least 3 years of work experience in a similar field; previous experience with INGO is an asset.
• Proven commitment to accountable practices.
• A Kenyan Somali national with good English communications skills (both oral and written) and report writing skills. Fluency in Somali language will be preferred.
• Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines.
• Strong people management and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently.