Merlin Disabilities Project Officer Job in Kenya

Disabilities Project Officer

Functionally Responsible to: Project Coordinator
Technically Responsible to: Project Health Coordinator
Relationships internally: All programme staff
Location: Lodwar, Turkana

Background

Merlin is a UK humanitarian agency which responds worldwide with vital healthcare and medical relief for vulnerable people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, and health systems collapse.

Merlin has been working in Kenya since 1998. Currently, Merlin is operational in two regions of the country:Kisii and Turkana.

In Turkana, Merlin is starting a new CBM-funded project to increase access of people with disabilities to interventions that can improve their quality of life, with a focus on physical disability limiting mobility.

A primary strategy will be integrating identification and support for people with disabilities into health facility services.

Overall Objective of the Position

The Disabilities Project Officer(DPO) will be based in Lodwar and will oversee the development, planning, organisation, implementation and monitoring of all CBMproject activities in Turkana.

The DPO will operate with technical support and direction from the Merlin Project Coordinator and Project Health Coordinator, and in close collaboration with theMinistry of Gender, Children and Social Development (MoGCSD), health authorities, communities and partner non-state actors to ensure efficient implementation of CBM activities in Turkana County.

Key Responsibilities

• Take lead in development and implementation of project activities.
• Build the capacity of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) to address the needs of people with disabilities(PWDs).
• Coordinate to increase access of PWDs to assistive devices, treatment services, and other supportive programmes.
• Organise, coordinate and execute community campaigns for disability awareness in collaboration with other program staff, MoGCSD,MoH counterparts and community representatives.
• Design appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools for CBM activities in collaboration with other stakeholders.
• Evaluate and document the impact of CBM activities in collaboration with other stakeholders.
• Organize regular meetings to obtain community feedback, complaints and responses on programme issues.
• Participate in partner/Merlin-initiated meetings as well as multi-stakeholdermeetingson disabilities.
• Attend forums aimed at raising governmental, NGO and community awareness ofCBM and Merlin project issues.
• Undertake regular documentation of activities including lessons learnt and success stories.
• Increase awareness, sensitization and capacity of relevant project stakeholders to actualize project objectives.
• Manage CBM grant in close collaboration with project managers.
• Participate actively in design of new projects and in preparation of project budgets and workplans.
• Advise on integration of disability sensitiveness into other Merlin projects.
• Plan and execute monthly and quarterly integrated supervision with partners.
• Increase awareness of communities and health care providers of the unique problems faced by PWDs and how to address those problems.
• Ensure that the implemented project activities are disability inclusive.
• Ensure transparent communication with partners.
• Support the coordination and the organization of programmers for visitors/donors travelling to the covered catchment areas.

Qualifications

• Advanced education in Social Sciences or Community Health / Development sector preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years experience in project/programme management.
• Minimum of one year experience working on projects dealing with people with disabilities.
• Knowledge on disability and inclusive development.
• Experience in report writing.
• Knowledge of project cycle management.
• Knowledge of post-emergency and development tools and principles (including quality standards)
• Experience in proposal writing.
• Experience in programme monitoring and reporting.
• Competencies and Skills
• Excellent communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of the Turkana language is an added advantage.
• Excellent coordination skills.
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s miss ion and values.

How to Apply:

Should this role be of interest to you, please send your application (CV, cover letter, references and salary history), clearly indicating “Project Officer – Disabilities”, Kisii” in the subject line, to recruitment@merlin-kenya.org by 5pm on Monday, 30th April 2012.

Alternatively, you may wish to post your application to: Program Coordinator, Merlin Turkana, P.O. Box 93, Lodwar.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.