HelpAge International Assistant Social Protection Rights Coordinator Job in Lodwar, Kenya

HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organizations with a vision of a world where older people fulfill their potential to lead active, dignified, healthy and secure lives. 

To facilitate this and in service to the older people, we seek to fill below vacancies in various projects and support services.

Job Title: Assistant Social Protection Rights Coordinator (ASPRC)
 

Department: Programmes
 

Location: Lodwar, Kenya
 

Responsible To: HSNP Social Protection Rights Coordinator
 

Responsible for: Field Officers
 

Relations with Others:

1. Programme officer: Learning and Documentation
2. Programme MIS officer
3. HelpAge Kenya team in Lodwar and Nairobi

Organization Background: HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations with a vision of a world where older people fulfill their potential to lead active, dignified, healthy and secure lives.

With more than 70 affiliates and 300 partners across more than 50 countries the HelpAge International network brings together hundreds of organisations worldwide.

HelpAge International has a secretariat with offices in London and Brussels, five regional centres in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central Asia, seven national programmes and a number of emergencies.
 

Background to the HSNP: Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) is an unconditional cash transfer (CT) programme, geographically focused in the 4 poorest counties of the ASALs: Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir. 

It offers an alternative to food aid and aims to reduce poverty, food insecurity and promote asset retention and accumulation in poor households. Independent evaluations of HSNP Phase I show it works effectively as a safety net, particularly for the very poorest.
 

HSNP Phase I (Phase 1) (2007-13) reached 69,000 Households (HHs) (66% women headed) or 496,800 people (49% women). 

It used a private sector payment provider (Equity Bank) and a biometric smart card to make regular CTs of Kshs 1,750 (approx. £13, per month) to beneficiaries. HelpAge participated as the rights component.

HSNP Phase 2 (Phase 2) will scale-up in the 4 counties to reach 100,000 HHs (720,000 chronically poor people) with regular CTs of up to KES 2,700 (approx. £19, per month). 

Beneficiaries will have a fully transactional bank account and fully functioning bank card. Phase 2 has also registered a further 275,000 HHs across the 4 counties, in order to act as a scalable safety net in times of crisis (e.g. climate induced such as a drought).
 

Overall Job Purpose: The ASPRC will be responsible for mobilization of communities to participate in HSNP and collection and feedback of complaints and grievances from programme beneficiaries.
 

Specific responsibilities include:

• Implementation at the community level of the Programme Charter of Rights and Responsibilities;
• Undertaking communications, awareness and mobilization activities for beneficiaries in HSNP implementation;
• Implementation of the HSNP grievance mechanism including recording, directing payments related complaints to partners responsible for resolving the complaints, and feedback of responses from the partners. (The Partners include NDMA, PILU, FSD, Equity Bank and IPCRM).
• Participate in HSNP county steering committees meetings
• Establish and train Rights Committees on their roles in each of the targeted village/sub location;
• Work closely with the NDMA field level counterpart (Chiefs, assistant Chiefs and Drought monitors) to have them resolve, at community level, basic program complaints
• Undertake capacity building activities for Rights Committees and Advocacy Groups;.
• Process and refer to NDMA and PILU, complaints arising from the HSNP’s registration and targeting
• Support the learning and documentation programme officer to collect high quality learning, monitoring and evaluation data.
• Representing HelpAge at key local for a including National and County Government meetings on social protection food security and others as necessary in the absence of the SPRC or as delegated.
• Working with the SPRC to develop work plans and compile all reports required to the SPR Project Manager.
• Consistently and regularly ensure collection and submission of data by field monitors
• Proactive engagement with existing rights-oriented civil society organisations and networks to ensure maximum ‘reach’ at community level.
• Recruit and train volunteers to provide on-going capacity building support to the HSNP Rights Committees.
• Implementation of an appropriate public communications strategy including engagement of alternative communications strategies such as community drama would be particularly desirable as would facilitation of alternative means of lodging complaints.
• Support IPCRM on evidence gathering on wider rights infringements.
• Contribute to to HelpAge’s internal learning process as part of the Social Protection team.
• In the absence of the SPRC, or when delegated, undertake day-to-day management of HelpAge’s sub-office in Lodwar including operational management, logistics, line management of support staff and implementation of HelpAge’s security plan.
• Manage the communication to beneficiaries of the status of complaints received
• Undertake any other activities and may be directed by your supervisors.

Person Specification:
 

The following criteria are considered as essential:

• Bachelors’ degree in social sciences, development studies or community development.
• At least 3 years work experience in NGO
• Proficiency in Kiswahili, nga’turkana and English languages;
• Understanding of social exclusion, vulnerability and rights-issues
• Experience in operational management including management of field staff;
• Experience in capacity building and working with civil society organisations
• Knowledge of relevant rights-oriented civil society networks;
• A strong understanding of current emergency programmes in northern Kenya
• Strong community mobilisation, facilitation and mediation skills;
• A commitment to rights education and the empowerment of vulnerable groups
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively in Northern Kenya

In addition, the following will are considered desirable:

• An understanding of the basic principles and objectives of the humanitarian accountability agenda;
• Experience in cash-based interventions;
• Some experience in the design or management of complaints mechanisms and/or dispute resolution/or working in a rights based programme

To apply

Send an updated CV and covering letter by 18th July, 2014 explaining how you meet the criteria for the role. 

Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email and send to:

Regional Human Resources Coordinator
HelpAge International
East, West and CentralAfrica Regional Development Centre,
P.O. Box 14888 – 00800
Westlands, Nairobi

Email: jobs.ewca@helpage.org

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

HelpAge International is an Equal Opportunities Employer