Community Participation and Accountability Officer – Maracaibo (Venezuelans Only) At Norwegian Refugee Council

The purpose of the position of Community Participation and Accountability Officer is to lead community participation processes with affected populations, contribute to the design and execution of community integration and involvement strategies and methodologies in projects, in addition to generating two-way communication with the community and inclusion of their voices in the project management cycle. Strengthen the promotion and implementation of the complaints and feedback mechanism in the area, promoting a culture of accountability to the affected population with the communities and the Team.

Duties and responsibilities

Generic Responsibilities
1. Ensure compliance with NRC policies, tools, manuals and processes.
2. Implement assigned functions in accordance with the RDC action plan.
3. Implement procedures and activities within one’s own function or basic competence as delegated.
4. Organize and execute tasks according to priorities and standards.
5. Ensure adequate physical and digital archiving of relevant documents.
6. Prepare and develop status reports required by the coordination.
7. Promote the rights of people affected by displacement in line with the mandate of NRC.
8. Promote, share and document ideas for improvement in the Accountability functions in NRC Venezuela, especially in the pillars of communication with communities and community participation.
9. Provide specific technical support and training to NRC field staff.
10. Actively promote the standards of: PSEA, Code of Conduct, Humanitarian Principles, Informed Consent and MQR within NRC and among people served by NRC.
11. Keep strict confidentiality of all information that is known to you due to your job and that is private, confidential in nature or whose communication could cause harm to the populations with which you work and to NRC.

Specific responsibilities
1. Plan and execute activities to involve the community in the programming, formulation, implementation and evaluation of projects.
2. Provide technical advice to the Field Team in the application of the NRC community boarding route.
3. Collaborate in the design and application of Community Participation techniques or tools, which promote greater integration of the community in the development of projects.
4. Lead the piloting of the community participation methodology developed by NRC.
5. Train the NRC Programs team in Accountability to Affected Persons, in accordance with the annual planning of the area.
6. Conduct information or awareness sessions in the communities on the topics (PSEA, Code of Conduct, Humanitarian Principles, Informed Consent and MQR) in coordination with the Implementing Team.
7. Contribute to the effective linking of the opinion of the populations with the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects.
8. Lead the promotion of the Complaints and Feedback Mechanism within the geographical area, in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOP), principles and policies that guide the MQR.
9. Receive, record and report community feedback (including sensitive claims and complaints).
10. Identify communication gaps between the Field Team and the community and propose improvement actions.
11. Apply qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments to affected populations, integrating the analysis of the results to the continuous improvement of the program and the closing of the feedback loop.
12. Build or adjust, together with the RDC Coordination, key program messages and information, necessary for dissemination to interested populations, in collaboration with the communications area.
13. The others assigned by the supervisor in compliance with the objective.

Qualifications

Generic professional skills:
• Professional with a university degree in social sciences: Sociology, Social Work, Social Communication, Education or related careers, with experience in community participation, community approach, communication with communities and/or communication for development, attention to complaints and /or feedback, experience in social and/or humanitarian projects.
• Verbal and written fluency in the English language is desirable.

Context/Specific skills, knowledge and experience: Demonstrable experience of/in:
• 2 years work experience in humanitarian contexts, experience in community participation processes, community management and promotion, community approach, communication with communities or communication for development.
• Experience in social projects that have involved the integration of communities in the planning, execution or evaluation of the projects.
• Experience working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Knowledge and experience in applying community participation techniques and/or tools.
• Knowledge and experience in processes or tools for effective communication with communities.
• Knowledge and experience in handling and managing complaints.
• Knowledge and understanding of the essential humanitarian norm. (Desirable)
• Pedagogical ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through formal and non-formal methods.
• Organization and confidentiality of information.
• Mastery of computer tools (MS Office package, internet, email, databases, etc.).
• Knowledge and experience in the results-based management methodology.
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Interpersonal skills for teamwork in order to achieve institutional goals.
• Active listening skills.
• Ability to build trust.
• Ability to facilitate constructive dialogue.
• Assertive communication and excellent diction.
• Integrity and ability to handle sensitive matters discreetly.

Personal qualities

• Planning and delivery of results.
• I work with people.
• Analysis.
• Communicate with impact and respect.
• Coping with change.
• Management of unsafe environments.