Job Vacancy, Cameroon: Plan International needs the services of Livelihood Assistant in Bamenda/Kumba

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Post title:    Livelihood Assistant            
Start date:     July 21
Duration:    06 months     
Duty Station: Bamenda/Kumba            
Reports to : Project Manager

Purpose:      
The Livelihood Assistant will support the technical implementation of livelihood and vocational training activities planned under Plan International-UNHCR Project. The post Holder will support in conducting relevant assessment such as baseline, end line and post distribution monitoring. Carry out community mobilization and sensitization. The post holder along with Livelihood Officer will closely work with project beneficiaries to provide beneficiaries with capacity building and livelihood assistance.

Role PURPOSE
Working in 52 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan International aims to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively.  With support from UNHCR, Plan International will carried out a CPiE and livelihood component of the Project funded by UNHCR for crisis affected people in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

This position is responsible for livelihood and vocational training activities effective implementation in the field in accordance with the Project Partnership Agreement signed between Plan International and UNHCR. The Livelihood Assistant will provide effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of livelihood and vocational training related activities under Plan International/SIDA HUM project at the field levels. S/he will work closely with Livelihood Officer, Project Coordinator, CPiE Specialist, project team, and the Child Protection Committees and Community Focal Points and relevant government agencies to ensure implementation of Livelihood and vocational training activities as planned. S/He will actively participate to the co-ordination meetings, advocate and gain support from local community leaders, stakeholders. The Livelihood Assistant will be based in Bamenda/Kumba within the office of the Plan International.

Major Responsibilities:
The main areas of accountability and responsibility of this post is to support implementation of the livelihood and vocational training component of Plan International-UNHCR project in designated division (Mezam/Meme/Boyo). Details:
•    Take part in community-based mobilization and sensitization meetings and introduce the livelihood and vocational training component of the project to target communities.
•    Take part in the process of identifation and registration of beneficiaries. Based on the interest, skills and knowledge of beneficiaries recommend feasible income generation activities to beneficiaries.
•    Support capacity building of livelihood and vocational training beneficiaries.
•    Support implementation of project baseline mid-term and final evaluation.
•    Mobilizing and Making communities aware on project objectives outputs and activities
•    Ensure community mobilization, and facilitate community-based project activities through regular interaction with adolescent boys and girls and young people and community members, including providing training, guidance and support.
•    Conduct necessary meetings, discussions and sensitization to organize community targeting
•    Assist in beneficiary selection in a participatory and transparent manner and take steps to ensure that the program benefits the most vulnerable and most disadvantaged adolescent boys and girls and young people.
•      Facilitate and lead capacity building workshops and training (business skills, financial education…) for target beneficiaries and variety of stakeholders.
•     Liaise with local authorities, and departmental officials regarding the project activities as necessary.
•    Assist supervisor in preparing project work plan and budget estimation.
•     Keep records of project activities, and report regularly the project progress to supervisor.
•    Provide support during donor monitoring and senior management visits as well as consultant/technical support visits to the field site.
•    Any other duties and tasks assigned by supervisor.

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities
•    Ensure that all beneficiaries of your project are receiving ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information in relevant languages about Plan International’s Child and young people Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning 
•    Provide regular updates to livelihood Officer and project Coordinator highlighting priorities and constraints according to agreed schedule.
•    Submit weekly situation reports.
•    Supervise and ensure strong coordination with other implementing actors.

Professional training
•    Identify beneficiary profiles and select new growth areas (or lead chains)
•    Increase community awareness and select most promising beneficiaries (targeting)
•    Carry out specific induction briefings tailored to the function of CIG
•    Support the creation and operationalization of CIG
•    Carry out training on basic jobs (small business) that are the most promising (profitable)
•    Support  Functional literacy for beneficiaries
•    Monitor and evaluate various capacity building
•    Coach CIG and support the start-up of activities
•    Support acquisitions of livelihood kits by beneficiaries
 
Facilitating access to self-employment / entrepreneurship
•    Identify refugees per  branch of activity
•    Support Entrepreneurship and self-employment training
•    Support training in job search techniques
•    Support the development and regular update of a database on refugee jobseekers and make it available at the National  employment fund
•    Management of the interface between the National  employment fund and the social project
 
 4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning 
•    Provide regular updates to livelihood specialist and project manager highlighting priorities and constraints  according to agreed schedule
•    Submit weekly situation reports
•    Supervise and ensure strong coordination with other implementing actors 
1.    Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Key relationships
Internal
•    Livelihood Officer, Project Coordinator, CPiE Specialist and Project team. High

External
•    Relevant Government departments, UN agencies and NGOs. High
•    Partners – medium
•    Other agencies and groups working in the livelihood sectors

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
 
Essential
•    Be a holder of at least a GCE Advanced Level or BACC or equivalent.
•    Be able to speak French and English.
•    At least 1 year practical working experience in emergency and/or with a developing organization.
•    Have an in-depth experience in market assessment and value chain analysis
•    Have a good knowledge and field experience in urban refugee policy, guidelines
•    01 year experience in the livelihood sectors applied in emergency response operations.
•    Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established international child protection standards is an asset.
•    Demonstrable technical expertise in Livelihood activities Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•    Be acquainted with kobbo Collect software
 Skills and Behaviors:
•    Timely and effective delivery of project activities and other outputs (reports, etc.)
•    Commitment to child protection, gender equality and participation

People Skills: Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train local and international staff and also able to work with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.
 
Communication Skills: Well developed written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of Plan. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills.

Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
1.    Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2.    Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3.    Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4.    Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5.    Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organization for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
1.    Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2.    Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3.    Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4.    Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
1.    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2.    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3.    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4.    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
1.    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2.    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3.    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4.    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
Physical Environment
•    Work under pressure to produce results
  
Qualification, skills and Experience
•    GCE A/ Level or its equivalent. A degree in social sciences, development Studies, Economics, education or related field with good knowledge of established international child protection standards and Humanitarian Principles, can be an advantage; with at least 2 years of experience in implementation of Livelihood activities for IDPs, vulnerable adolescents and young people, Social Work or community development.
•    Be able to speak English. Ability to speak the local language of the assigned zone will also be an added advantage.
•    Has experience in working with Adolescent (boys and girls) and young people.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•    Resident in the assigned communities
•    Good understanding of humanitarian principles
•    At least one-year professional working experience in development sector (agriculture, livestock, income generation activities, livelihood sector, vocational trainings, information access and community planning) is preferable
•    Experience conducing community meetings, interview, group discussions
•    Experience facilitating training with project beneficiaries
•    Basic computer skills (or at least willingness to learn).
•    Experience working in humanitarian, post-conflict, and recovery context.
•    Professional working experience with local and/or international non-government organizations is preferable.
•    Excellent personal organizational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
•    Willingness to travel to target areas and work in difficult environment according to travel requirements.

Behaviors:
•    Commitment and adherence to humanitarian values and standards,
•    Not been involved in any child protection issues
•    Demonstrates neutrality in the current socio-political crisis.
•    Works with trustworthiness and integrity
•    Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks, diverse cultural contexts and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
•    Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity.
•    Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive under pressure.
•    Familiarity with livelihood programming for returnees and IDPs 
Desirable
•    Empathy on issue affecting children rights and equality for girls
•    Good planning and organizational abilities
•    Team work
•    Integrity
•    Humility

Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
1.    Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2.    Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3.    Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4.    Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5.    Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organization for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
1.    Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2.    Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3.    Focuses resources to drive change and maximize long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4.    Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
1.    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2.    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3.    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4.    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
•    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
•    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
•    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
•    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
 

Closing Date: 30/06/2021

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Apply through the link below: Livelihood Assistant (plan-international.org)