The Plan International is hiring a Community Engagement Officer.
The Organization
Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalized and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 100 million girls.
Plan International has been operating in Mozambique since 2006 and is one of the leading organizations in the advancement of children’s rights and equality for girls and young women. Plan International in Mozambique has a permanent office in Maputo and maintains a presence in Nampula, Inhambane, Sofala and Cabo Delgado provinces with strong presence at district levels, implementing both long term development and humanitarian initiatives.
Our goal is to make significant contributions so that Girls are protected from early and forced marriage and pregnancy. Plan International Mozambique is focused on four integrated and mutually supportive programme axes: Education, Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Protection.
The Community Engagement Officer will support the overall implementation of the community engagement activities of EU SOU CAPAZ Programme at provincial and district level of Sofala, Zambézia and Manica.
Role Purpose
The Community Engagement Officer will be responsible for implementing the Project’s Community Engagement Strategy, to ensure understanding and practice of community engagement is embedded in all project activities.
He/she will be expected to promote community engagement and build long lasting relationships with varied stakeholders in particular with the Provincial, Distrital coordinator and Community Actors as well. This will involve being responsible for developing and maintaining strong, positive and long-lasting Team at district level, including but not limited to community leaders, Teachers, Youth and adolescents, Mentors, community facilitators, and other government officers. He/she will be a motivated, passionate, organised and proactive communicator, with experience working in a community setting.
Dimensions of the Role
Research, develop and implement a range of innovative and effective techniques to engage communities in project’s advocacy work and processes, including support staff and community members to ensure effective community engagement in Project’s activities.
Management Scope, Reporting Lines, Key Relationships
Reports to: Director of consortia and Community Engagement Specialist
Direct Reports: No direct reports
Key Relationships
Internal
- Plan International Mozambique (Team leader, Community Engagement Specialist, Gender Specialist, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist).
External
- Provincial and District authorities.
- Partner organisations.
- Other INGOs.
- This position will have a direct coordination with the Community Engagement Specialis and will have working relationship with the SEJE focal points at provincial and district levels, as well with key stakeholders.
Level of contact with children
- Medium contact: occasional interaction with children.
Physical Environment
- Partner Office work in Chimoio with frequent travel to three provinces of the central region of the country (Zambézia, Sofala and Manica).
- If remote work still needed due to Covid-19 we should be adding something along these lines: Specific online meetings or physical meetings at Plan’ office will be required with relevant team members and other key stakeholders.
Accountabilities and main Work Activities
- Provide support in coordinating the program activities in the Districts of Manica, Sofala and Zambézia provinces;
- Reinforce the coordination skills of the District coordinators and supervisors in coherence with the program’s community engagement strategy;
- Lead regular coordination meetings in the implementation districts in the provinces of Manica, Sofala and Zambézia;
- Ensure data collection of all ESC program indicators using the recommended M&E instruments;
- Ensure that the community actors led by the provincial coordinators insert all the data in the platforms recommended by the Program;
- Monitoring the project goals continuously with the provincial and district coordinators;
- Elaborate reports on the status of implementation of activities and performance indicators in Manica, Sofala and Zambézia Provinces;
- Implementing the Community Engagement Strategy to promote ESC Objectives;
- Engaging local services and partners to ensure local awareness and explore partnership opportunities and co-production activities;
- Build and maintain productive internal relationships and use internal/community networks to ensure best practice community engagement practices;
- Deliver staff training for community engagement processes and techniques;
- Ensure that relevant communities are consulted at the appropriate time in a project and receive follow up information on the decision-making process and outcome through Provincial and Distrital coordinators;
- Design and implement a variety of innovative engagement techniques and research methods which facilitate the capture of varying community views and which encourage community engagement.
Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)
- Understand and put into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC).
- Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day to day work.
- Ensure that Plan Mozambique contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Qualifications and Experience Requirements
Qualifications/Experience Essential:
Essential
- University degree or equivalent in Social work, Social Science, development studies or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience;
- Minimum 5 years work experience community engagement/community mobilisation;
- Proven capacity to design and implement Community Engagement activities with holistic approach and integrated to child protection right;
- Demonstrated experience in managing groups and community-based projects;
- Demonstrable experience of speaking to large groups;
- Computer literate.
Desirable
- High level of personal integrity, commitment and professional responsibility with CP and GBV exigencies;
- Excellent communication skills;
- Team player with strong leadership skills;
- Mature personality with life experience is an advantage;
- Able to be a self-started and work in challenging contexts and fragile environment.
Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people.
We strive for lasting impact
Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Child Protection Policy.
As an international child-centered community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children’s rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk. Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.
To apply click in the link of site until 11 July 2023