Back National Program Officer

RE- ISSUING SPECIAL VACANCY NOTICE IOM/ABYEI/SVN2020/26

Open to Internal and External Candidates

Position Title: National Program Officer -MHPSS

Duty Station: Abyei, South Sudan

Classification: NO-A (1)

Type of Appointment: Special Short Term, 6 months with a possibility of an extension

Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date : October 15, 2020

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates.

Scope and Context;

Under the direct supervision of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Programme Officer (Juba based), the overall supervision of the Head of Sub-Office (Abyei) and in close coordination with the Conflict Mediation Specialist from TRU to ensure mutual mainstreaming of the respective cross-cutting aspects, the successful candidate will be undertaking the following duties;

1. Conduct a rapid assessment of MHPSS needs in Abyei as well as a mapping of existing MHPSS service providers.

2. Develop the MHPSS implementation strategy for Abyei guided by IASC guidelines and Abyei MHPSS rapid needs assessment results.

3. Develop the MHPSS capacity building strategy that will focus largely on developing MHPSS service provision in Abyei, including MHPSS mainstreaming for humanitarian partners, local leadership institutions, religious and traditional structures among others.

4. Facilitate the establishment of MHPSS referral pathway in Abyei and strengthen the existing collaboration with relevant actors.

5. Provide capacity building to partner agencies such as governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, health actors, as well as community and religious leaders informed by the assessment outcomes.

6. Strengthen communication and collaboration among relevant partners on the ground.

7. Establish and strengthen existing self-help groups and other community structures in the delivery of community-based, tailored MHPSS services. Establish a sound MHPSS monitoring and reporting system in close collaboration with the MHPSS Unit.

8. Support the community structures and self-help groups to operationalize PSS activities in their respective locations within Abyei.

9. Deliver any other task as required.

Desired qualifications:

(Education and experience)

Master’s degree in psychology or a related field from an accredited academic institution with minimum of three years and preferably five years of relevant professional experience in South Sudan/ Abyei working in the context of MHPSS; or

University degree in the above fields with five years of relevant professional experience

Experience;

Experience in MHPSS capacity building for non-MHPSS actors;

Experience in design and implementation of MHPSS assessments as well as familiarity with the respective M&E tools;

Knowledge and experience in specific areas such as gender-based violence (GBV), disability and inclusion, and protection-related matters is desirable;

Familiarity with participatory methodologies for community engagement, conflict transformation and the integration of MHPSS activities into peace building;

Ability to manage community dynamics;

Good understanding and application of conflict sensitive communication;

Excellent conflict sensitive communication skills;

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;

Ability to write analytical reports;

Excellent community facilitation, coordination and mentorship skills.

Required Competencies;

Behavioral;

• Accountability; Accepts and gives constructive criticism, follows all relevant procedures, processes, and policies, meets deadline, cost, and quality requirements for outputs, Monitors own work to correct errors, Takes responsibility for meeting commitments and for any shortcomings.
• Client Orientation; Identifies the immediate and peripheral clients of own work, Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with clients, keeps clients informed of developments and setbacks.
• Continuous Learning; Contributes to colleagues' learning, demonstrates interest in improving relevant skills, demonstrates interest in acquiring skills relevant to other functional areas, Keeps abreast of developments in own professional area
• Communication; Actively shares relevant information, clearly communicates, and listens to feedback on, changing priorities and procedures, Writes clearly and effectively, adapting wording and style to the intended audience, listens effectively and communicates clearly, adapting delivery to the audience
• Creativity and Initiative, actively seeks new ways of improving programmes or services, expands responsibilities while maintaining existing ones, persuades others to consider new ideas, proactively develops new ways to resolve problems.
• Leadership and Negotiation, convinces others to share resources, actively identifies opportunities for and promotes organizational change, Presents goals as shared interests, articulates vision to motivate colleagues and follows through with commitments
• Performance Management; Provides constructive feedback to colleagues, identifies ways for their staff to develop their abilities and careers, provides fair, accurate, timely, and constructive staff evaluations, uses staff evaluations appropriately in recruitment and other relevant HR procedures.
• Planning and Organizing; Sets clear and achievable goals consistent with agreed priorities for self and others, identifies priority activities and assignments for self and others, Organizes and documents work to allow for planned and unplanned handovers, identifies risks and makes contingency plans, adjusts priorities and plans to achieve goals, Allocates appropriate times and resources for own work and that of team members.
• Professionalism, Masters subject matter related to responsibilities, identifies issues, opportunities, and risks central to responsibilities, incorporates gender-related needs, perspectives, and concerns, and promotes equal gender participation, Persistent, calm, and polite in the face of challenges and stress, treats all colleagues with respect and dignity, Works effectively with people from different cultures by adapting to relevant cultural contexts

• Displays availability outside of regular hours to respond to challenges, Knowledgeable about and promotes IOM core mandate and migration solutions, Personal commitment, efficiency, flexibility and drive for results

• Teamwork; Actively contributes to an effective, collegial, and agreeable team environment, contributes to, and follows team objectives, gives credit where credit is due, seeks input and feedback from others, Delegates tasks and responsibilities as appropriate, actively supports and implements final group decisions, Takes joint responsibility for team's work.

• Technological Awareness; Learns about developments in available technology, proactively identifies and advocates for cost-efficient technology solutions, understands applicability and limitation of technology and seeks to apply it to appropriate work.

• Resource Management, establishes realistic resource requirements to meet IOM need.

Technical

• Sensitivity to the needs and priorities of different sectors of a community.

• Familiarity with the culture of the affected population, ability to develop respect from a wide range of people and strong ability to communicate effectively on hygiene matters.
• Good oral and written reporting skills.
• Diplomacy, tact, and good communication skills.
• Training/counterpart development skills and personnel management skills.
• Ability to work well in a team in difficult circumstances.

La**n**g**u**a**g**es:

Thorough knowledge of English, Arabic, and working knowledge of local languages essential.