🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Handicap International – Economic and Social Inclusion Officer

HI is seeking for a qualified individual to fill the above mentioned National Position.   WOMEN AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY  

PLEASE NOTE:  

Handicap International has clear institutional policies on “Child Protection”, “Anti-fraud,  Bribery and Corruption”, “Disability, Gender and Age” and “Protection of Beneficiaries from  Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment”. It is therefore mandatory for all staff to commit  themselves to respect, uphold and promote these policies, and to sign the HI Code of  Conduct.  

PROGRAM BACKGROUND 

Handicap International/Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an International NGO working closely with the  Government of Sierra Leone, and international and national partners in the country since 1996 supporting  vulnerable groups including people with disabilities. Program areas include inclusive education, social and  economic inclusion, inclusive health, rehabilitation, prevention of disabilities, advocacy, and rights.

HI is implementing four projects to promote Inclusive Education, inclusive health, and Inclusive Economy. HI  is currently in the design/approval process for new projects to create a comprehensive portfolio, in line with  the implementation strategy for 2022 and onwards.

The Touching Minds, Raising Dignity (TMRD) project is a mental health and Psychosocial Social Support  (MHPSS) project that is in its second phase of another four years (2022 to 2025) of its implementation. The  project seeks to continue strengthening the implementation of the community-based MHPSS prevention  and response strategy that was developed and implemented in the project’s first phase (2018 to 2021).

The position requires working in slums and other deprived communities within the country’s capital,  Freetown. This includes direct interaction with persons with psychosocial distress/mental health lived  experiences. The position holder will also provide a basic form of direct MHPSS services to the project’s  beneficiaries and ensure the social participation of mental health service users.

Line Manager: Project Manager –TMRD

Functional Links: TMRD Project Manager, TMRD Project Officer; Economic and Social Inclusion Officer 1,  Mano River Finance, Logistics and HR Manager. M&E Officer, Regional MEAL Manager, TMRD Chief of Party

Mission / responsibilities 

Reporting to the Project Manager, the Economic and Social Inclusion Officer contributes to the  implementation of the mandate and the 10-year strategy of Humanity & Inclusion in the country where s/he  is based. The position holder contributes to the implementation of his/her project, ensuring the optimal  quality and the impact of the project. S/he works closely with the programme technical team.

Mission 1: Operational implementation  

Responsibility 1 

• Contribute to project planning and implementation in line with the existing frameworks  • Contribute to planning and preparing activities, tools and the associated resources, and implement  the action plan in conjunction with the support services and the technical unit.
• Ensure that activities are implemented and that resources are correctly allocated as authorized by  the project manager.
• Ensure regular reporting of activities and contribute to the internal and external reporting as  requested by the project manager.
• Contribute to identifying areas of the project in which adjustments are required and put forward  adaptations to the project manager.
• Contribute to the drafting of amendment requests when asked by the project manager.  • Contribute to coordination with the local stakeholders and to monitoring the partnership  relationship with the project partners.
• Ensure that project documents and information are properly archived.

Responsibility 2:  

• Contribute to project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning
• Contribute to project monitoring, specifically activity progress indicators and the expected  outcomes.
• Contribute to project evaluations at the request of the project manager, and ensure that project  evaluation recommendations are followed.
• Contribute to the setup and smooth running of accountability mechanisms.
• Contribute to project learning.

Responsibility 3:  

Ensure project data management

• Ensure that the appropriate data collection and management tools are in place and are used correctly  on the project, in line with global standards.
• Collect and compile project-related data in the relevant database.

Responsibility 4:  

• Contribute to the coordination of project teams
• As authorized by the project manager, facilitate coordination meetings between the project teams  and the support services located in the area when necessary.
• Ensure that the project teams and the support teams (shared and technical services, in particular)  work well together in order to facilitate the implementation of the project in the country.

Responsibility 5:  

• Contribute to external project communication
• Contribute to HI’s external influence by taking part in networks, when required. • Communicate about the project to partners, authorities and stakeholders when relevant.

Mission 2:  

Emergency Preparedness and Response  

• Contribute to the programme’s emergency preparedness initiatives, and in an emergency situation,  adapt his/her working arrangements in order to contribute to an effective humanitarian response  from HI

The Economic and Social Inclusion Officer will cover the full scope of the Standard Function for the Project  Officer.

Specific focus points are mentioned below: 

• The Economic and Social Inclusion Officer will not be involved in direct staff management or supervision.  He / She will:
• Contribute to developing or reviewing the economic and social inclusion strategy. • Ensure capacity building on running small-scale businesses to project beneficiaries.  • Ensure capacity building and running of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) by the project  beneficiaries.
• Established and managed the link between mental health services users and Micro Finance Institutions  (MFIs)
• Contributing to the development or revision of community-based psychosocial activities • Ensure capacity building for project users in psychosocial rehabilitation
• Welcoming users and establishing a relationship of trust; assessing their psychosocial needs to improve  support
• Supporting users as they progress and directing them to the appropriate resources  • Setting clear objectives with users to help them progress towards better mental health • Running support groups and workshops for users and their families
• Providing training and raising awareness of basic mental health issues among service users and  communities.

Other skills /Qualification & Experiences 

Skills 

In addition to the skills mentioned in the Standard Function, the following are required:

• Training Facilitation Skills

• Community mobilization and engagement skills

• Emotional Regulation

• Communication Skills

Qualification

• Diploma or University Degree in Social work, psychology or any Social Sciences related  courses

• A minimum of 3 years working experience in livelihood, or mental health and psychosocial  support project.

Personal qualities:  

Excellent communication skills and diplomacy

Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.

Flexibility

Strong attention to details

Good capacity to coordinate and consult with others.

Good organizational skills

Practical, dynamic and solution oriented

Open to cultural difference.

Salary: As per HI salary scale for National Staff & candidate’s experience  Probation Period: 3 months 

 Duration of Contract: One (01) year with possibility of renewal based on performance  and funding availability. 

All interested candidates should send their CVs and cover letters only, with attachments bearing  your full name; example: John Doe – CV (for your CV) and John Doe – Cover Letter (for  your cover letter) with the subject of the position applied for by email only to:  [email protected] 

 Closing date for applications is 30th September 2024