Chargé(e) de Projet – Redevabilité

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries, providing assistance without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The organization focuses on various areas including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. CRS is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and it welcomes candidates from the regions in which it operates, reflecting its dedication to diversity and inclusion.

Job Overview:
As a Chargé(e) de Projet – Redevabilité, you will play a crucial role in establishing, coordinating, and monitoring accountability mechanisms for affected populations within a multi-sectoral humanitarian project. This includes interventions in cash transfers, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, shelter, and protection. You will work closely with program teams, MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning), and local partners to ensure that project activities incorporate effective community participation mechanisms, feedback collection, and complaint management, in line with the quality standards of Catholic Relief Services and donor requirements. Your rigorous and service-oriented approach will help ensure that CRS projects adhere to principles of transparency, participation, and accountability to the communities we serve.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Your key responsibilities will include supporting the design and implementation of accountability mechanisms for affected populations in program projects. You will manage and operate systems for collecting and managing participant feedback and complaints, such as hotlines and suggestion boxes. Acting as the focal point for receiving, recording, and tracking community feedback and complaints, you will ensure that these are handled confidentially, transparently, and in a timely manner. You will assist project teams in implementing participatory approaches to engage communities in the design, implementation, and monitoring of activities. Additionally, you will facilitate information and awareness sessions for communities regarding their rights, project activities, and available feedback mechanisms. Promoting the inclusion and active participation of vulnerable groups in community consultation processes will also be part of your role. You will provide technical support to project teams and local partners on integrating accountability principles into project activities, contribute to capacity building for staff and partners on feedback mechanisms and accountability standards, and collaborate with MEAL and program teams to integrate accountability considerations into monitoring and evaluation systems. Collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing data from feedback mechanisms to identify trends, community concerns, and opportunities for program improvement will be essential. You will also document lessons learned, best practices, and case studies related to accountability and community engagement, monitor challenges and gaps in accountability mechanisms, and propose adjustments to enhance their effectiveness. Ensuring compliance with CRS policies and procedures regarding accountability and feedback management, as well as analyzing donor accountability requirements and contributing to their integration into project implementation, will be critical. Finally, you will support partners in establishing accountability mechanisms that meet CRS standards.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, international development, communication, psychology, or a related area. A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in implementing humanitarian or development programs, particularly in community participation, accountability, or MEAL, is essential. Experience working with communities and local partners, as well as in establishing feedback mechanisms and complaint management (FCRM), is necessary. Additionally, experience in community facilitation and training is required. Strong communication, facilitation, and community engagement skills are crucial, along with the ability to manage sensitive situations and handle confidential information. Analytical skills to identify trends from community feedback, relationship management skills to work effectively with partners and communities, and the ability to work independently while managing multiple tasks simultaneously are also important. A proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented attitude is expected.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, international development, communication, psychology, or any other related discipline. This educational background is essential to understand the complexities of humanitarian work and community engagement.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in the implementation of humanitarian or development programs. This experience should include work in areas related to community participation, accountability, or MEAL. Familiarity with humanitarian programs, particularly in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), is highly desirable, as is experience with the Humanitarian Fund of the DRC. Knowledge of participatory approaches and community development is also beneficial.

Languages:
Fluency in French is mandatory, while proficiency in Swahili and relevant local languages for the project intervention area is considered an asset. This linguistic capability is crucial for effective communication with community members and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The position may require up to 60% travel to project implementation areas. There are no supervisory responsibilities associated with this role. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff, and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse. The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS's Code of Conduct. CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect a commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people, especially children and vulnerable adults, to live free from abuse and harm. This job description is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and offers are contingent on the selected candidate's ability to legally work where the position is to be performed.