Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organization claims to have assisted more than 220 million people survive humanitarian conflicts, seek improvements in livelihoods, and deliver durable development to their communities. In 2019, senior staff resigned following public disclosure of the organization’s longtime inaction over its co-founder’s sexual abuse of his daughter. Mercy Corps proposes a mission to “alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.” As of August 2021, the organization reports to be operating within 38 countries, including Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Myanmar and Yemen, with programs focused in a number of humanitarian sectors ranging from conflict management, children & youth to agriculture and food security.

Job Summary

• Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build a more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by Afghanistan, since 1986 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the country and of those communities where we work.
• Mercy Corps has implemented several key programs in the South and North of the country in key sectors such as agriculture and food security, skills development, renewable energy, natural resources management, community infrastructure, and job creation. Mercy Corps has a couple of ongoing multi-sectoral programs including WASH. Mercy Corps is currently preparing to implement a new program “Emergency WASH Response to the Returnees in Kandahar Province” funded by OCHA through the AHF funding stream. This is a short-term project (7 months) that’s aimed at responding to the acute emergency WASH needs, save lives and enhance the resilience of returnees in Kandahar through provision of safe drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene services in Daman and Kandahar districts. 
• Under the direct supervision of the project Manager, the Community Mobilization and Hygiene Promotion Officer conducts community mobilization and hygiene promotion activities in the program target area. Key activities include baseline and end-of-the-project surveys, assessments, community mobilization and engagement, and hygiene promotion sessions in the target area. The Community Mobilization and Hygiene Promotion Officer will also assist the WASH Officers and Project Manager in designing appropriate hygiene & sanitation awareness/promotion approaches and community engagement in addition to developing all the required Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Materials. S/he will work with the Project Manager, WASH Officers and WASH Assistants to complete all the procurement processes for purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests for hygiene promotion and community mobilization activities.

The Community Mobilization and Hygiene Promotion Officer will have responsibilities that include:

• Carry out community engagement and hygiene promotion assessment and support MEL team to conduct the baseline, end line survey, KAP, PDM, and any other type of survey required during the life of the program.
• Assess the training needs of the target population plan and design and develop community mobilization and hygiene promotion training materials.
• Analyze assessment data and prepare reports on findings from assessments, site visits, and consultations with local authorities and community members.
• Facilitate and deliver hygiene promotion training to the hygiene volunteer workers hygiene promotion committees and the program participants.
• Support the identification and recruitment of the community committee of the hygiene/health volunteers.
• Ensure that sustainable systems are set in place for longer-term hygiene promotion needs including the provision of all necessary training.
• Ensure that all water and sanitation work is carried out in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of children and women.
• Regularly visits project sites to deliver hygiene promotion campaigns and training sessions in addition to the community mobilization.
• Responsible for the implementation of hygiene portion and community mobilization-related activities in the field, ensuring that the program’s objectives are met.
• Work with the WASH assistants in coordination with the MEL team to achieve all the hygiene promotion-related indicators.
• Document implementation of all hygiene promotion and community mobilization activities and track progress towards program targets.
• Submission of the weekly report along with updated work plan and pictures from the field.
• Develop and maintain good lines of communication and relationships with local authorities, the local community, and other stakeholders and partners.
• In consultation with the Project Manager and WASH Officer ensure regular monitoring of program activities to determine the success of interventions and document them with successful story reports.
• Work with the WASH Officers and Assistants to update the work plan on a regular basis and identify any improvements required.
• Working closely with the technical WASH team to engage and mobilize the communities to support the WASH infrastructure activities to maintain them operating for the long-term run, in addition to making sure the awareness of the good hygiene practices within the community.
• With support from the WASH Assistants, to complete all the procurement processes for purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests for hygiene promotion, community mobilization, hygiene kits, and emergency WASH services, in coordination with the Procurement Department.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the security, political, cultural, and overall contextual situation in areas of program implementation.
• Ensure a safe working environment for all people involved in project implementation.
• Follow the standard procedures and standards when monitoring all service provision activities, including the hygiene promotion sessions.
• Establish and train the Community Hygiene Workers (CHWs) and Water Management Committees (WMC) on the WASH activities.
• Develop and train the community on Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST).  
• Follow all MC protocols and regulations according to guidance provided by the direct supervisor.
• 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.
• Support the distribution team in the distribution of hygiene kits, dignity kits, and other NFIs that are an integral part of the project as per the work plan.
• Submission of weekly progress report along with updated work plan and pictures from the field.
• Performs any other duty assigned by the supervisor.
• Security
• 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 program participants 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.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues

Job Requirment

• Bachelors in community health, public health, social science, or related degree.
• 3-5 years of relevant experience in implementing capacity building, community development, public health, hygiene promotion education, water and sanitation, economic opportunities, natural resource management, and/or youth mobilization.
• Strong familiarity with Afghanistan water and sanitation standards and international WASH SPHERE standards.
• Extensive knowledge and work experience in Afghanistan, and preferably in the South/East Provinces including Kandahar.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to achieve cooperation and agreement amongst diverse groups with competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and tasks efficiently and with a calm attitude.
• Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to details.
• Ability to engage with local communities and government authorities.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Honest and committed to compliance with all policies and procedures in all aspects of work.
• Good strategic thinking and planning skills with eagerness for innovation.  
• Good knowledge of spoken and written English and Pashto are required.
• Good computer skills in basic, office programs.

Submission Guideline

• To apply for this position, please submit your CV and Cover letter, with the vacancy number and position title (MCA115-2024 Application for (Community Mobilization and Hygiene Promotion Officer) in the subject line, by email to af-vacancieskbl@mercycorps.org.
• The deadline for submission is the close of business on 24-July-2024 applications received after the closing date and without a subject line will not be given consideration so, please make sure you put the vacancy number and title on the subject of your email, or your application will be disregarded by the system.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates whose application responds to the above criteria will be contacted for the written test/interview.
• Note: Please note that MCA will provide office space and facilities only and is not providing any lodging facilities for its Team Members/Employees in HQ and field offices and it is the employee’s responsibility to arrange the lodgings for themselves if they work in a field office other than their home province.

• Ps. Females are highly encouraged to apply for the MCA Open positions.

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Country

Afghanistan

City

Qandahar

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