Community Facilitator at Plan International

Job Purpose
This position is to facilitate community development activities in sponsorship, grants and programs; supervise and monitor partner activities within the operational area; and also contribute to Plan becoming a recognized voice for child rights and children’s issues.

Typical Responsibilities – Key End Results of Position
Programs:

• Mobilizes communities to prepare and implement their respective Community Development Plans (CDPs) to meet their development needs
• Facilitates the preparation of annual plans in line with PU long term plans for communities in line with Plan programme objectives and procedures.
• Identifies and facilitates capacity building for children, local groups and organizations; and other partner organizations.
• Ensures that children, women, men and the marginalized participate at all levels in the development process at the district level .
• Participates in the development of action plans, budget preparation, and provide assistance to implement them to achieve program objectives.
• Participates in PU level Baseline and other evaluation activities evaluation to assess effects/impacts of Plan interventions.
• Prepares and submits monthly work plans detailing tasks (including monitoring plans) to be undertaken and indicators of performance and prepare progress reports for reference and support attainment of objectives.
• Facilitates the preparation of project outlines (POs) and manages them to meet set objectives
• Supervises and monitors activities of all implementing and strategic partner organizations in area of operation to ensure their services lead to value for money
• Conducts community visits to supervise, monitor  and offer support for all development activities
• Facilitates the organization of participatory annual community evaluation to guide program implementation
• Facilitates the involvement of communities, relevant government bodies and other partners in Plan activities
• Conducts regular visits to partners in the area of operation to provide technical support for effective implementation management of all community development program activities.
• Assists in the building of partnerships, networks, coalitions and alliances with other stakeholders in the district to increase program effectiveness.
• Ensures Gender is mainstreamed into all community development related program activities in the area of operation and maintains gender sensitivity towards staff and Plan associates.
• Ensures Safeguarding Children and Young People  is mainstreamed into all community development related program activities to meet Plan goals
• Ensures rights based programming in all community development related program activities  to meet Plan goals
• Ensures Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is well integrated in all community development program activities to assure child protection in the PU.
• Provides inputs to the DDC to ensure an effective Management Information System (MIS) is in place to support Knowledge Management.

Sponsorship:

• Facilitates the production of sponsorship communications items in communities within the zone by:
  • Dispatching sponsorship items to sponsored children (SCs)
  • Supporting the sharing of all sponsorship information and documents to sponsor   children and family
  • Visit SC’s home at least once a year and record such visits
• Proof reads 100% of sponsorship documents and dispatch to the program unit office weekly
• Coordinates Sponsor visits to communities
• Ensures that children, their families and communities participate in the preparation and production of sponsorship communication items.

Grants:

• Collaborates with grant department in sourcing adequate funds both internally and externally for the implementation of community development activities as outlined in the PU Long Term plans to achieve set objectives.
• Supports the development of the Zonal Resource Mobilization Plan development and roll out
• Develops Concept Notes and Proposal for the development of the zone. Also co-ordinates Partners proposal development in close consultation with the Grants Department
• Co-ordinates quality Project Reports for timely submission to Program Unit Manager
• Provides Support in monitoring Grants Projects to ensure quality implementation, reporting and accountability

Others:

• Fulfills Plan’s Safeguarding Children and Young People  policy at all times to prevent children from all forms of child abuse
• Performs  any other duties to be assigned to support the achievement of organizational goals

Required Skills or Experience

• First Degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies or equivalent.
• At least 3 years’ experience in frontline role in development work.
• Experience in the NGO  sector preferably with child-related development issues, would be an advantage
• Knowledge in contemporary issues affecting children.
• Fluency in the Ewe Language is required.

Skills 

• Good facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills
• Strong community mobilization skills
• Ability to deliver to tight deadlines
• Training delivery/Presentation skills
• Analytical skills.
• Communication skills, appropriate to the audience.
• Strong team-building and motivational skills.
• Good working knowledge in Microsoft applications and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, internet.
• Good supervisory and coordination skills
• Good knowledge of project management, supervision, monitoring and evaluation tools
• Good knowledge of gender & community development
• Good report-writing skills.

Behaviors 

• Communicates clearly and effectively
• Ability to facilitate participative processes for all stakeholders for implementing development activities
• Planning and organizing with all stakeholders to ensure all-inclusiveness in community and partner activities
• Knowledgeable in Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)/Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques for community development
• Develops, motivates, coaches and promotes high performance by partners’ staff and collaborators.
• Teamwork
• Works in a participative community approach
• Strong knowledge of the Rights of Child
• Ability to understand different cultural contexts
• Good problem-solving skills
• Ability to follow laid down procedures and instructions

Travel requirements
This position entails 80% travelling within communities in the district.

Level of Contact with Children
High level: Frequent interaction with children