Community Partnership Officer Vacancy

Community Partnership Officer (1 open position)

Closing date:  12^th July 2020

Handicap International that runs its program under the operating name Humanity & Inclusion (HI) seeks for                 The Community Partnership Officer is based in Mae Sot with frequent travel to Hpa-An district and occasionally to Yangon under the Rehabilitation Project Manager,

HI reserves the right to not accept applications submitted after the deadline. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for testing and an interview.

PROJECT HISTORY

In Thailand, Handicap International, now operating under the name of Humanity & Inclusion (HI) started working in 1984 and first focused its actions on the delivery of mobility and assistive devices to Burmese landmine/ERW victims as a response to the influx from Myanmar. HI currently implements activities for Burmese refugees along the Thailand/Myanmar border under three thematic areas: Rehabilitation and Disability and Social Inclusion (DSI) including inclusive early child development (Growing Together), and Mine Risk Education (MRE). As from 2016, Thailand projects are framed in the Myanmar and Thailand program. The projects are implemented with the support of the IKEA Foundation, the European Union, the US Government, UNHCR and the Fondation de France.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

HI Thailand has three main pillars of intervention within the Myanmar/Thailand Program:

1/ Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) including EO Risk Education,

2/ Inclusion with Disability Social Inclusion (DSI) and inclusive Early Child Development,

3/ Health and Rehabilitation with project covering physical and functional rehabilitation.

Cross-cutting issues include: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), Gender and Protection The Project Officer is based in Mae Sot office, with frequent travel to Kayin State, in Myanmar. S/he works under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Project Manager to support the implementation of a cross-border project.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POST

Implement and manage the project activities under the supervision of his/her manager and enhance quality of services provided to persons with disabilities through partnership with local communities and community-based organisations.

This includes: development of partnership or coordination links with relevant community-based organisations, follow-up of movements of refugee and migrant communities along the border, including referral to HI Myanmar or other relevant services in Myanmar.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Community Partnership Officer.

Responsibility 1: Plan, monitor, implement the Foundation de France (FdF) project Thailand activities and ensure quality.

Aim: Ensure the activities are implemented on time with quality of services.

Benchmarks: Logical framework, budget follow-up, PME box.

Activities:

• Assist his/her line manager in formulation and development of the project planning document,
• Produce monthly work plan based on project planning and report achievements during team meeting and into monthly report (sitrep),
• Remain overall responsible at the field level for the proper implementation of the FdF Thailand/cross-border project objectives,
• In link with the MEAL team, contribute to the identification of the tools needed for implementing the project activities and to their development, review and adjustment,
• Support his/her line manager in developing a participatory monitoring and evaluation (PME) framework, methodology and related tools,
• Coordinate with and seek for technical supports and inputs from other project teams (rehabilitation, RE, inclusion) to identify and mobilize any technical or documentary resources or additional skills for guaranteeing the quality of the project (including in terms of assessment, monitoring and evaluation),
• Prepare the purchase requests and ensures that supplies/ material/ equipment needed for the activities are sufficiently available,
• Follow-up the Thailand operational budget of the FdF project,
• Collect field level project data’s, check its reliability, compile into monitoring tools and use the data to analyse the performance of project’s activities and provide recommendations,
• Provide translation Karen to English or English to Karen when needed,
• Coordinate and communicate, as needed, with HI Myanmar Project Manager in charge of FdF activities in Myanmar, and HI Myanmar Operations Coordinator, for information sharing on activities, reporting and monitoring.
• Report to his/her line manager.

Responsibility 2: Set up partnership, support capacity building and ensure strong coordination with community-based organisations (CBOs)

Aim: A sustainable partnership is set up with CBOs who receive technical support to promote quality of intervention with a specific attention to participation and accountability to partners and populations (including persons with disabilities)

Benchmark: Partnership assessment and agreement (or MoU), capacity building and training plan.

Activities:

• Ensure that all partners and potential partners have a global screening and capacity evaluation (organizational capacities, technical capacities depending on activities to be implemented, positioning neutrality, protection policy, feedback and complaint mechanisms, inclusiveness, etc…),
• Coordinate with project and MEAL teams to support the elaboration of a capacity building action plan and ensure that it is followed up (with appropriate means to ensure capacity building where needed),
• Mobilize internal (project manager, technical specialists, MEAL teams, logistic teams, etc.) and/or external resources to support the implementation of this capacity building on identified priority issues (these may be related to operationalization of accountability framework, activity monitoring, project management, data management, inclusive policies, technical training etc.),
• Support local partners to develop and/or implemented their organisation’s strategy,
• Support the implementation – in close collaboration with other projects’ teams – of capacity building and transfer on rehabilitation (P&O, AT, PT/OT etc), right based approach, disability rights, disability inclusion, EORE as well as Protection mainstreaming and Humanitarian Principles,
• Develop, facilitate technical trainings, support and monitor local partners,
• Collect feedback and evaluate the level of satisfaction of the partners on the training and capacity building and take corrective measures accordingly,
• Schedule regular and frequent coordination meetings between HI and partner organization to update progress of collaboration and report meeting outcome to line manager.
• Participate in other coordination meetings with other stakeholders and/or local civil society organizations as needed.

All these activities will require close collaboration with the other project teams & MEAL unit and wider HI MyTh in order to allow supporting better participation of partners and populations

Responsibility 3: Ensure communication, networking and coordination along the border                                    Aim: Under the supervision of his/her line manager, ensure implementation of good practices and good communication.

Benchmarks: minutes of meeting, reports

Activities:

• Ensure that the internal regulations, operating procedures and security rules are applied at field level,
• Responsible for good internal communications, maintain good team spirits and the efficient circulation of information among the different projects’ teams and the partners, including the HI Myanmar South-East team members and other coordinators,
• Communicate the FdF project achievements and contribute at the regular coordination meeting, and other coordination meetings with all teams,
• Link with the HR & Administrative and logistics units to obtain permission from local authorities to travel when required,
• Schedule regular and frequent coordination meetings between HI and partner organizations to update progress of collaboration and report meeting outcome to line manager,
• Participate in other coordination meetings with other stakeholders and/or local civil society organizations as needed,
• Contribute to the analytical report with achieved results, constraints and recommendations based on lessons learned with work plan for future action,
• Input into the identification and analysis of the FdF project good practice.

Responsibility 4: Support the monitoring of situation, including possible population movements, along the border.

Aim: HI has a clear picture of the situation along the border (fighting, peace process etc) and of the needs of refugees, migrants, asylum seekers etc are covered, including referral to HI or other services in Myanmar.

Benchmarks: referral mechanism, referral form, reports and media monitoring

Activities:

• Coordinate with relevant teams in case of return of refugees through the Facilitated Voluntary Repatriation (FVR) process,
• Apply the return and referral system with HI Myanmar in case of return of persons with disabilities, and ensure all forms and data are collected, shared with the relevant persons and archived,
• Make media monitoring and track information on the situation along the border and share with relevant persons,
• Update the services mapping in Kayin State,
• Coordinate with relevant agencies (UNHCR, CBOs, IOM, INGOs, local authorities etc) to monitor the movement of populations along the border,
• Identify any potential new needs among migrant or asylum seekers, with a focus on persons with disabilities, and participate to needs assessments,

Specific missions: In addition, the project officer may be requested undertaking any other duty that is considered necessary for the well-running of the service requested by his/her line manager.

Others: delegation

As per requirement of the project, the position might have to take some additional responsibilities delegated by the line manager depending upon need and urgency of the project.

• Represent the association within his/her skills field;
• Undertaking any other duty that is considered necessary for the well-running of the service requested by line manager.

Qualification Required: 

Education: University degree in the field of community development, social work, sociology  or related field

Experiences:  

• Minimum of 2 years practical experience working with NGO's or grass root organizations implementing activities is mandatory.
• Experience in coordination with stakeholders, and ethnic groups is mandatory.
• Experince working along Thai/Burma border is mandatory.
• Practical experience in working with vulnerable groups is asset.
• Experience in facilitation or organizing coordination meeting  is an asset

Technical Skills & Cross Cutting Skills:

• Fluent Karen and English level are mandatory
• Strong coordination and communication skills is mandatory.
• Strong knowledge of the border context and local community in NGCA areas (especially Southeast Myanmar) is mandatory.
• Burmese and Thai languages are an asset.
• Familiarity with HI activities is an asset.

Language skills: Fluent in English and Karen language. Intermediate in Burmese and Thai language.

Behavioral Skills:

• Communication skills
• Active listening
• Self-initiative
• Sense of negotiation.
• Adaptation skills.
• Ability to create team spirit and to support team building.
• Experience in accompanying a team and finding practical solutions

 JOB CONDITIONS:

Local work contract, fixed duration contract (potential to be extended)

We offer also: nice working environment such as 15 days of annual leave, 5 working days office closure in December, 15 days of public holidays, 5 days special leave for family event, Social Security & Worker Compensation Fund, Group life & health, phone card credit, bonus, seniority of 2% after the 1^st year of employment and training possibilities.

Start preferably: 1^st August 2020

How to apply: In the subject line of the email please write “Community Partnership Officer”

IMPORTANT: In the content of the CV please outline responsibilities and tasks from previous & current work, volunteer experiences and training received.

Please send all applications (cover letter, CV, copy of Thai ID card, educational certificate, training certificate) to: k.wutti@hi.org and m.joron@hi.org

Only candidates who passed the administrative selection will be taken into consideration for a technical assessment and will be afterwards notified of the final decision. Selected applicants may be invited for an interview. HI reserves the right to contact the applicants for further information before the final selection of the selection committee.

Handicap International encourages qualified persons with disabilities or chronic illness and

women and men to apply.

As part of our commitment to keep our beneficiaries safe, our selection processes reflect our commitment to the protection of our beneficiaries from abuse. Employment is subject to our protection standards including background checks and adherence to our protection policies and Code of Conduct”

All information shared by the applicants remain confidential.