Regional Community Accountability Advisor - Middle East ( Reposted)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

The Program Performance and Quality (PaQ) Unit is a newly integrated team consisting of strategic leadership and response, monitoring and evaluation functions, program management, gender integration, and integrated program standards, including Community Accountability Reporting Mechanisms (CARM). The team’s approach supports both foundational and innovative approaches to program management, with design, monitoring, evaluation and learning functions as key processes and benchmarks to ensure evidence-based decision making for quality program implementation. The team works across a wide spectrum of stakeholders both internal and external to Mercy Corps, as well as diverse technical program approaches and sectors.

The regional CARM Advisor is also a part of the regional Middle East team and is located in the regional office. The CARM Advisor’s work is not only aligned with the PaQ Unit but also with the regional priorities and strategies and coordinates closely with the regional team across units.

General Position Summary

The regional CARM Advisor will serve in a technical advisory role to support country programs in the design and implementation of CARM that result in the delivery of impactful programs that are responsive to community needs.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROVIDE SUPPORT TO REGIONAL CARM

● Contribute to the development, refinement, and implementation of the CARM tools and strategy for ensuring global adherence to the CARM standards and policy requirements, ensuring the needs and constraints of the Middle East country and regional teams are well represented in discussions and revisions to the global CARM strategy and tools

● Provide remote technical support to field teams, through one-on-one country outreach, regional calls, webinars, etc.

● Provide remote training and support to team members serving in CARM positions, including full time team members and individuals serving in short term assignment positions

● Provide in-country technical support to high risk country programs to guide them in designing and implementing their CARM.

● Coordinate CARM support with broader PaQ, safeguarding, ethics and other technical support provided by other regional and HQ staff to country teams.

● Lead teams in process mapping to identify gaps in their CARM

● Identify countries requiring increased technical support and liaise with the HQ CARM team, Regional PaQ Advisor and Regional Director as needed

● Track CARM progress at a regional level

● Support country programs to prepare CARM data analytics and prepare regional aggregations and reports

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY & LEARNING

● Support country teams’ Senior Management Teams to use CARM monthly reports and feedback themes for quality programming both within programs but also across the country office.

● Support country teams to establish processes for ensuring best practices from CARM feedback themes are reflected in future proposals and programs

● Identify and compile case studies of CARM best practices, success, and lessons learned in country programs to facilitate cross-country and regional learning

● Contribute to the development of additional CARM tools and resources

● Create and lead a regional community of practice for country CARM focal points

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL COLLABORATION

● Coordinate closely with Program Performance and Quality Unit team members to ensure CARM guidance and best practice is well aligned with our broader performance and quality work, to share lessons learned, and to identify gaps in resources or support and propose solutions

● Participate in both regional and global CARM meetings and planning

● Coordinate CARM with other regional team members and units including PaQ, ethics and assurance, safeguarding, IT/T4D, new initiatives, and Regional Program Team

● Build and maintain positive working relationships across country programs

● Represent Mercy Corps as needed with peer agencies and external accountability focal points

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

● As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS

● Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Community Accountability Manager

Works Directly With: Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director, Regional Program Performance and Quality Advisor, Country Directors, PaQ Team members, HQ, regional and field team members.

Knowledge and Experience

● BA in relevant field required

● 2-4 years of experience in international relief and development

● 1-3 years of field-based experience in international relief and development required

● Field-based experience with community feedback and accountability reporting mechanisms required

● Demonstrated knowledge of grant-based funding models, emergency response and development strategies and operational challenges in the sector;

● Proficiency with MS Office software required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Google suite (Google drive, docs, sheets).

● Proficiency with data analytics software such as Tableau or Power-BI preferred

● Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills

● English fluency is required, Arabic fluency preferred

Success Factors

The individual needs to be a creative problem solver, able to support field teams to overcome contextual challenges in the design and implementation of their CARMs. They will also be a skilled communicator, able to develop and utilize strong relationships with term members and departments internally, as well as with external bodies. They will have a positive and dynamic working style that enables them to adapt to challenges as they arise. They will harness the expertise, experience and ideas of diverse Mercy Corps team members and external partners to strengthen CARMs within Mercy Corps.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in a country in the Middle East region where Mercy Corps has an office. The position requires travel approximately 30-40% of the time to locations in the region where living conditions may be exceptionally rugged or be in volatile environments where security protocols will need to be followed. When in the field, the team member must be able to work in remote settings and over weekends and/or evenings as required by the schedule.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Every voice matters and diversity is powerful are critical elements of Mercy Corps’ values that allow us to achieve our mission of alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. We embrace diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have sustained impact. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

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 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. 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 elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

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