Project Officers

Mercy Corps is an international, non-governmental humanitarian relief and development agency that exists to alleviating suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps works in 40 countries, and has been present in Nepal since 2005. Mercy Corps’ current work in Nepal focuses on agriculture & food security, disaster risk reduction, microfinance, and youth engagement. Mercy Corps invites applications from all potential Nepali candidates for the position of:

Project Officers - 4 Positions; Duration-12 months - Field Based ( Level-3 or 4)

Please refer to nepal.mercycorps.org for the full position description before applying.

“Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, especially women and members of disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer”.

Interested candidates are requested to submit a CV and cover letter by Sept 7, 2015 to the address below. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.

Attn: Human Resources Officer

[Please mention the title of the Position for which you are applying on the subject of the e-mail]

Email to: jobs@np.mercycorps.org OR

GPO Box: 24374 Kathmandu, Nepal

Position Description

Position Title: Project Officer

Duty Station: TBD (Kavre, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot)

Position Category: Full-time AND Regular 

Salary Level: Officers - Level (3 to 4 As required)

Current Employee: New Position

BACKGROUND:

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. In Nepal, Mercy Corps works to build the absorptive, adaptive, and transformative potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across the country. Through a systems-based approach to market development, financial services access, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and youth engagement, Mercy Corps builds resilience among target communities. After two major earthquakes hit Nepal in April 2015 within 3 weeks of each other – effecting more than 8 million people – there’s been massive destruction to houses, productive assets, businesses, and basic infrastructure in rural villages. The disaster has disproportionally affected poorer residents who lived in mud and stone houses that crumbled and are in hard-to-reach areas of mountainous terrain that can be cut off during the monsoon by flooding and landslides. Mercy Corps’ core approach to response and recovery programming is to meet immediate needs and help communities rebuild their lives in a manner that reduces their vulnerability to future shocks and stresses.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is now seeking a highly motivated and experienced person to join the Earthquake Recovery Program Team. Access to financial services is one of the major component. The Financial Services component is designed to improve access to financial services for earthquake affected families through formalization, financial literacy, capacity building, linkage and networking. The project will function in four priority districts of Nepal: Nuwakot, Kavre, Sindhupulchowk and Dolakha. The project aims to increase capacity of affected households to build back better, more safely and more securely and to better manage their economic assets to cope and plan for financial shocks by formalizing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) into Savings and Credit Cooperatives.

The Project Officer will be directly responsible for facilitation, implementing, monitoring, capacity building and group formalization interventions to expand access to financial services in his/her district of responsibility. He /She will work closely with various stakeholders, especially with project partner, Division Cooperative Offices and concerned District Development Committees, and will ensure coordination at the community as well as district level. He /She will work closely with the Project Manager, the project team, DM&E department and partner and provide feedback on the progress of the project while facilitating appropriate support and technical assistance for project participants. He/She will be responsible for meeting reporting requirements and adhering to deadlines. He/She will serve as Mercy Corps’ primary liaison with beneficiary communities at the district level.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Program Quality

• Under the supervision of the Project Manager, develop the financial services intervention workplan for the district of responsibility;
• Support partner to;

1. Facilitate conducting VSLA secondary status studies.
2. Facilitate community interactions and selection of VSLAs to be formalized and preparation and implementation of VSLA formalization action plans;
3. Facilitate in conducting cooperative capacity baseline and end line surveys;
4. Facilitate to implement financial literacy component effectively;
5. Support outreach expansion of cooperatives in the district of responsibility;
6. Facilitate training participants selection, and training delivery;

• Support the program’s local partners at district level, in the design, review and approval of all financial services interventions.
• Directly supervise local partner and its project implementation; to ensure adequate performance,and quality.
• Ensure financial accountability of the interventions, their operational expenses;
• Support the Project Manager in managing and implementing the project, ensuring that activities mentioned in the project planning documents are carried effectively by monitoring field and district level activities and providing high level of programmatic reporting on regular basis on progress, quality, challenges and recommendations in order to fulfill Mercy Corps and donor communication and accountability requirements.;
• In coordination with Project Manager, maintain and promote good relations with external partners and stakeholders.
• Work together with Market Development Specialist to link market system assessment output with livelihood intervention.
• Provide technical assistance to project beneficiaries for market linkage;
• Facilitate to organize capacity building events in the district of responsibility;
• Provide support to establish linkages with networks and financial institutions for the technical support and wholesale fund and for the government recovery loan.
• Maintain, monitor and measure project implementation data entry, track project impact, standards, and operational compliances and keeping Project Manager informed at all times;
• Promote and adhere to the principles and objectives of Mercy Corps and its strategy to expand access to finance;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner so as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting

• Facilitate the achievement by the partner team members of performance-based targets and outcomes and M&E systems following the program’s logical framework and results chain measurement.
• Support the scope of work, achievement of deliverables and overall quality of work of any internal or external evaluation or research.
• Oversee and support the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on financial services aspects of the program in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ensure financial services program data and analysis is used for learning by assisting with regular learning and sharing workshops with all team members.
• Focus on assisting the program to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing program analysis and decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level. 

Representation

• Form and organize District Project Advisory Committee (DPAC) meeting and liaise with the other organizations and key stakeholders (government, private, civic) as appropriate in the district;
• Ensure close coordination and information sharing with partner, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
• Establish and maintain professional and productive relationships with communities and local government.
• Serve as key focal point for financial services problem solving at district levels as required.
• Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES:

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None

ACCOUNTABILITY: Project Manager, Position Description, Project Objectives, Mercy Corps methodologies,

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Project Manager

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Project Manager, Mercy Corps Team and Partner Staffs.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor degree in Development Studies, Sociology, Finance, Economics, or Business Administration.
• At least 3 years of experience in financial services sector, community development, or cooperative development programs, Income Generation/Livelihood development program,
• Entrepreneurship development program.
• Experience with participatory, inclusive targeting, DM&E, community & group facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex environments under tight deadlines. Previous experience is highly preferred.
• Strong organizational and logistical skills with demonstrated experience in strategic planning and ability to work independently are required.
• Good writing and computer skills, including preliminary research and information gathering

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Well versed in financial services modalities, livelihood development & community facilitation approaches in rural Nepal.
• Possesses necessary technical acumen on group formalization, capacity building and establishing linkages.
• Ability to correspond well (written and verbal) in both English and Nepali.
• Ability to work well as a member of a team, and to communicate effectively internally and externally.
• Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail as well as strategic vision are essential.
• He/She will have proven experience with diverse teams and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills.
• Ability to build a good working relationship with community members, public and private sector actors.

SIGNATURES:

Employee                                                                                                                                 Date

Supervisor                                                                                                                               Date