Plan International recruits an Education in Emergency Officer -BMZ Project – Mora/Kousseri/Cameroon
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.
Purpose :
Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan aims to reach as many children and teenagers as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing their income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively. Plan is committed to responding to children and teenagers affected by emergencies in the countries of our operation.
Given the current humanitarian crisis in the Far-North Region of Cameroon Plan is engaged in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance, protection, education and psychosocial support. Its operations are implemented in key sectors of Child Protection, Education, WASH, NFIs, Livelihood and Food Assistance and in coordination with all other humanitarian institutions.
In this order, Plan International will implement from August 2019 in Logon and Chari and Mayo Sava Divisions a project in the sectors of Education and peaceful coexistence. Under that project, the staffs to be recruited will be responsible for the technical design/revision and effective implementation of Education in Emergency activities of the project at the level of Field. They will ensure the effective and quality implementation of these activities.
Dimensions of Role :
These positions are responsible for education in emergency activities effective implementation in the filed in accordance of Plan’s emergency education response in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The Education in Emergency Officers will provide effective capacities and technical guidance in management including the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education activities at the field levels. They will ensure, closely with Project Coordinator or other Emergency Response Team members, all Education activities in the 09 targeted communities or schools, in the IDPs sites and in host communities of Mora, Kolofata, Makary and Goulfey. The EiE Officers will work directly and closely with Education communities (Parents and Teacher’s Associations, school management committees, school animators…) and local authorities (councils, basic education inspectorates…) to ensure Education activities planned. They will participate in the technical coordination of the project, support and advocacy with the local specific education group and other stakeholders and technical agencies relevant to the sector to ensure effective, proportioned and quality response of Plan.
The Education in Emergency Officers will be based at the areas of Kousseri (Logon & Chari Division) and Mora (Mayo Sava Division).
Key End Results and Typical Responsibilities :
Assessment :
- Contribute to the review, assess and update of the Education in the Far North.
- In collaboration with school head teachers and Education Communities, support to conduct issue specific or general needs assessments as necessary, and contribute to assessments in other sectors.
- Organize and support the community partners involved in the recovery process.
Program Design :
- Participate in the data collection with Plan management for the writing of concept papers, proposals and budgets for education and child protection activities.
- Contribute to ensure that issues of gender, protection, DRR, conflict sensitivity and Plan’s guidelines and international Child Education standards are considered in the data collected for the program design.
Response Management and Implementation :
- Update inventory of primary materials and report on need for additional items;
- Support the timely and quality implementation and monitoring of the projects ;
- Organize and supervise sensitization campaign on education in the targeted communities;
- Conduct parenting session on education on the 09 schools or communities;
- Organize and supervise school furniture and pedagogic kit distributions;
- Collect and submit field information to Project Coordinator and M&E officer on a weekly basis;
- Organize in the field all capacities building activities of teachers and communities ;
- Support the set-up of children’s governments in the 09 targeted schools;
- Give all support to the school management committees and the Parent and Teacher’s Associations involved to the projects;
- Develop a strong operational and strategic collaboration with the councils and the basic education inspectorates for a better management of the project’s achievements.
- Contribute to ensure strong collaboration with Education actors in the field.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning :
- Make frequent field visits to all targeted areas to monitor implementation of education activities, identify and report to Project Coordinator opportunities and constraints and any adjustments needed;
- Ensure EiE program of Plan Cameroon is respected and all concerns reported;
- Ensure adequate reporting of Education activities as per donor and programme requirements.
Information and Co-ordination :
- Contribute in the reporting of Education activities as per donor and programme requirements.
- Provide regular updates to Project Coordinator on activities implementation.
- Represent Plan at the sectoral and other coordination meetings.
Human Resources and Administration :
- Supervise and ensure strong coordination of the teachers and school animators.
- Participate in the training and briefing of teachers and school animators and other key stakeholders on Education and/or related issues.
Dealing with Problems :
- The job requires intense interventions on the field, in areas often at risk. This requires prudence, vigilance and respect for compliance with security instructionson the part of the staffs.
- Decisions may affect the lives of thousands of disaster affected children, millions of dollars, security of staffs, and the profile of Plan across the humanitarian sector and across media.
- Excellent and creative leadership skills will be utilized to correct implementation of education activities, in accordance with the standards and with possible resistance from colleagues as is often the case in emergency response work
- They should work under pressure and accept travels and stays in areas often austere.
Communications and Working Relationships :
Key Internal Contacts
Education in Emergency Specialist, Project Coordinator, other members of the Emergency Response team, Plan staff.
Key External Contacts
Other agencies and groups responding to the emergency, in particular those working in the emergency Education sector.
Reporting lines
Reports to the Project Coordinator.
Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives :
Knowledge :
- Be a holder of a degree Education, social sciences or related field with good knowledge of Education Principles and INEE standards;
- Minimum of one successful assignment in an emergency situation/context;
- Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established international child protection standards is an asset.
- Proven capacities on community mobilization, negotiation, workshop facilitation…
- Proven professional experience in education, child protection, humanitarian affairs, human rights, and related fields;
- Practical and relevant experience of operating in emergency.
- Be able to speak one of the local languages mostly the Haoussa, Kanouri language.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience in the Far North of Cameroon is an asset.
Skills :
- Team player
- Background in complex emergencies situation analysis, needs assessments and response planning and management;
- Knowledge of international humanitarian standards (SPHERE, INEE,) and Red Cross Codes of Conduct;
- Timely and effective delivery of project activities and other outputs (reports, etc.);
- Proven capacity to facilitate trainings, coach staff and provide supportive supervision;
- Commitment to child protection, gender equality and participation;
- Demonstrate ability to assess best practice, document and disseminate lessons learned;
- Excellent computer skills (Microsoft office including words, excel, power point, internet etc…);
- Ability to network with grassroots structures;
- Willingness to travel at short notice and be flexible to changing circumstances
- Excellent computer skills (Microsoft office including words, excel, power point, internet etc,,);
- 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.
Behaviours :
- Commitment and adherence to humanitarian values and standards,
- Aware of own strengths, weaknesses and pro-active in using feedback and self-development
- Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to PLAN’s core values and humanitarian principles
- Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
- Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner. Has a capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts.
- Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive under pressure.
- Preparedness to live and work in uncertain security environments.
Physical Environment and Demands :
May be “typical office environment”; note if heavy lifting, climbing, excess travel, etc.
- Work intensively in the field: The EiE officers will spend at least 80% of their time on the field in the context of the implementation and monitoring of activities.
- Periods of intense work at all times of day.
- Working in multiple locations and on the move.
Location: Mora/Kousseri
Type of Role: EiE Officer
Reports to: Project Coordinator
Grade: B
Closing Date: 22/07/2019
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.
As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children’s rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.
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. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for. Our organisation 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 will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds. We foster an organisational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.
