Position: Accountability Officer

Department: AME

Direct Hierarchy: AME Manager

Location: Hargeisa

Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local and adapted to each context.

ACTED is looking for a professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced and committed team player to fill the

Accountability Officer Position in Hargeisa.

Position Profile:

Under the direct supervision of the Country Accountability Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, he/she is responsible for ensuring ACTED continuously engages in a meaningful two-way dialogue with the communities it serves. The Accountability Officer will be responsible for ensuring the implementation and management of a complaints mechanism, pro-active engagement with project beneficiaries and ensuring issues, questions and complaints are followed up in a meaningful and genuine manner. S/he will be responsible for ensuring mechanisms are in place in ACTED’s programs to fulfill key Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Commitments. This position is exciting for those interested in and passionate about ensuring communities have a direct influence in aid interventions and how they are carried out. It is about giving a voice to communities and ensuring accurate needs and feedback is being listened to and acted upon in ACTED programs.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Liaise with communities, beneficiaries, local authorities and community leadership structures at field level;

· Continuously review, analyze and adapt the best feedback system for ACTED, in consultation with key stakeholders (communities, NGOs, local authorities).

· Conduct regular meetings on a structured basis including focus group discussions; household interviews; village relief committee meetings; key informant interviews (authorities etc.).

· Act as a key focal point for complaints and feedback to beneficiaries on ACTED programs by 1) Providing timely feedback to the program team, and relevant managers on sensitive issues, on complaints raised by the communities on project activities; and 2) In coordination with respective departments (program team, co-ordination, field officers), provide timely feedback to all stakeholders on complaints raised. Produce monthly reports and databases on feedback gathered;

· Contacting beneficiaries and key stakeholders on a regular basis to collect feedback on project activities;

· Undertake field visits and support the project teams on the beneficiary accountability and learning systems and solicit feedback from sample beneficiaries and other key stakeholders.

· Map and assess community structures to ensure feedback is representative of all groups.

· Work closely with program teams to ensure all feedback is incorporated into approaches and future programs where possible.

· Work closely with community mobilization teams as when necessary as a technical advisor on ensuring community focal points and structures (i.e. Village Relief Committees) are inclusive of all groups

· Institutionalize and enhance accountability mechanisms for all ACTED projects.

· Participate in accountability forums to represent ACTED.

· Compile monthly accountability reports and file all accountability and feedback materials.

· Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Qualifications/Skills Required:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, Community Development or related field.

· Prior 3 years’ experience in Accountability and Monitoring or in similar field in an NGO – Certification in the same field is a very strong asset

· Knowledge and experience of participatory rural appraisal methods will also be an asset.

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multicultural setup.

· Proven commitment to accountable practices.

· Good English communication skills (both oral and written) and report writing skills will be preferred.

· Knowledge of local language is mandatory

· Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines.

· Ability to work independently.