Program Assistant Mercy Corps

The primary focus of the Program Assistant will be to respond to the needs of communities through the integrated set of activities under Pump-Up. The Program Assistant will focus on mobilizing the different groups / platforms within their community. The Program Assistant will also mobilize the surrounding government and private sector systemic structures and similarly identify capacity building needs of these structures. The Program Assistant will adopt an “adaptive” management approach to understand the needs of the groups within the community and the external support structures.. The Program Assistant will ensure that activities are sequenced, layered and integrated for comprehensive service delivery. The Program Assistant will closely work with staff from local partners in the Pump-Up Activity to strengthen integration. The Program Assistant will work closely with the MEL team to ensure that data capture takes place.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Program Implementation
Assist with the design and implementation of weekly, monthly and quarterly workplans
• Conduct participant identification exercises for the different activities in the community.
• Mobilize participants for planned activities in respective locations.
• Organize and supervise community trainings in line with the approved work plan and budget based.
• Coordinate to ensure complementary approaches, monitor implementation of project activities and document learnings and success stories.
• Collaborate with fellow Program team members to ensure team success, including but not limited to logistics coordination, temporary support during leave, etc., as advised by Program Officer.

Gender and Youth Integration
• Ensure that program activities apply gender equity and empowerment principles
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Responsible for data gathering, data validation, quality control and timely data submission including gender and age disaggregated data.
• Troubleshoot monitoring and evaluation challenges for proactive problem solving with support of program manager and M&E team.
• Utilize qualitative and quantitative data to inform program implementation.
• Actively document best practices and lessons learned to share with team during routine monitoring, coordination meetings and other learning opportunities.
• Prepare and submit timely and quality weekly and monthly reports.

Influence and Representation
• Promote Pump-up Activity visibility at both Community and Sub County level.
• Ensure establishment and maintenance of relationships with communities, village councils and local government in the target areas.
• Coordination of field activities with partners and local government to avoid duplication of services.
• When needed, support visits from district and sub-county government, regional and HQ based staff and external visitors, such as donors and media, in collaboration with the Program Officer.
• Support Pump-up activities with key stakeholders, ensuring collaboration with counterparts in partner organization in relevant meetings, internal and external.

Ethics and Integrity
• All Mercy Corps staff are expected to behave ethically and demonstrate highest integrity in their professional and personal life. Mercy Corps has zero tolerance to any form of fraud, corruption, abuse, harassment or exploitation. Any breach of our policies or misconduct will lead to disciplinary action or may lead to termination.

Security
• Ensure data protection policies are adhered to, establishing security controls for software, hardware and archive beneficiary databases.
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning
• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries
• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward 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.
• Sensitise communities on Mercy Corps’ CARM system and encourage them to share feedback through the promoted channels.

Other:
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Supervisory Responsibility
• There is no staff supervision assigned to this role.

Accountability
Reports Directly to: Program Officer
Works Directly with: Tulimasolar and Simsolar staff and all project team.

Knowledge and Experience
• Advanced Training Certificate or Diploma
• 1-2 years’ experience in conducting community mobilization, training, and networking
• Experience in capacity building with communities in Yumbe and/or Gulu
• Experience and skills in working with other NGOs, government partners, and local community-based organizations.
• Fluency in local languages prevalent within the operational district where assigned (essential)
• Computer literacy
• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid riding permit is desired