Job Summary:
As a project Feedback officer, you will be the primary support person on Accountability in Benue and Plateau state, you will build capacity, monitor performance against accountability standards, and, crucially, will, in the first instance be the first point of contact for project participant, communities and other stakeholders complaints on CRS projects implemented in Benue and Plateau states, of Nigeria. As such the Accountability Officer will maintain a role and mechanisms based on the highest integrity which communities we serve will trust. Your service and community relations skills ensure that the local partners and communities feed into and benefit from CRS projects that consistently apply best practices and continuously work towards improving their impact.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- Ensure all project participants are aware of the key elements of CRS’ FCRM SOP and accountability policy and procedures, and the expectations and standards required of CRS staff and partner staff, and how this should be applied within their roles.
- Develop Accountability IEC materials in language that can be widely understood (including people with low levels of literacy) by CRS’ program participants relevant program locations.
- In coordination with the Project Manager, facilitate, or support others to facilitate, awareness sessions and promotion of Accountability in a way that can be widely understood by program participants
- Maintain records of Accountability awareness raising and promotion activities, including numbers of participants, and pictural evidence and submit them to CP Accountability Officer, as required.
- Maintain and strengthen the Feedback Complaints and Response Mechanism (FCRM) which ensures all beneficiaries can make confidential complaints and be confident in response processes.
- In coordination with program staff and partners and in consultation with project participants, design FCRM that all project participants and communities can safely access. The FCRM should be used to promote accountability to CRS project participants and partners staff behavior against the CRS’ values as well as HAP standards.
- Develop standard talking points and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) align to nature of feedback in collaboration with MEAL Coordinator and Project Manager.
- Monitor complaints received and response (follow up) processes through developing and maintaining a logging or tracking mechanism.
- Adapt and improve the FCRM based on monitoring of its effectiveness
- Remembering confidentiality, with the Project Manager, analyze patterns and trends in complaints to help CRS improve its programming.
- Prepare monthly reports presenting the learnings from the feedback received per location.
- Ensure that feedback is routinely recorded, reviewed, and responded timely, and aligned with CRS in Nigeria FCRM SOP.
- Communicate and disseminate complaints handling procedures, policies, and tools as appropriate to project participants, project staff and other stakeholders.
- Work with the respective project accountability focal points to ensure donor and government stakeholder information needs are responded to and tracked in line with project’s donor compliance checklist.
- Primarily manage the toll-free hotline by receiving, documenting, and facilitating effective timeline response to all feedback.
- Coordinate communication and facilitate information sharing among the project team, implementing partners, and project participants at the community level to assist local partners in strengthening the community interest, involvement, and support networks.
- Work with Project accountability focal points to ensure adequate involvement of community leaders, community representatives, and local government representatives in the overall implementation and improvement of project activities.
- Periodic review of accountability practices and Support Learning and Adaptive Management Practices
- In collaboration with programming and MEAL staff, review and refine accountability practices on a periodic basis and address any gaps or challenges that arise.
- Build capacity of all project staff, partners, and project participants on accountability standards
- In coordination with Project Managers, develop training and refresher modules that ensure that all participants have an in-depth understanding of Accountability and are equipped to apply it in their working lives.
- Facilitate training for all required personnel using appropriate language, adult learning methodologies and materials.
- Support the MEAL coordinator in tracking project compliance with the CRS MEAL Policies and Procedures, including ensuring FCRM data is used to complement project monitoring data in promoting adaptive management.
- Update periodically the CP results dashboard and support the tracking of CP learning agenda
Required Languages - Fluency in English, Hausa, Idoma/Tiv Languages are required. Pidgin language will be an added advantage.
Travel - Up to 50% to field locations in Benue and Plateau state.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Observation, active listening, and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment Preferred Qualifications Supervisory Responsibilities: Key Working Relationships: Internal: Project Accountability Focal Points, Project MEAL Manager, MEAL Officers, Project Manager. External: Community Members, Partner Staff Qualifications Basic Qualifications Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff): Safeguarding CRS is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people who interact with our work. We uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and expect all staff and partners to respect and protect the dignity and rights of everyone from any form of harm, abuse, harassment, or exploitation. All staff are required to follow CRS’s safeguarding policies and procedures and to complete mandatory safeguarding e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. ***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. CRS' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices. CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer Organization context General Requirements CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements. All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination. CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups
- Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy.
- Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement.
- Experience in monitoring projects and collecting relevant data is preferred.
- Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Knowledge of CommCare and YouTrack will be added advantages.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Social work, Law, Psychology, Social Sciences or related fields required. Experience may substitute for some education
- Minimum of 3 years of work experience in project support. Experience in the field of Accountability and for an NGO would be a plus.
- Additional education may substitute for some experience.
- Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement.
- Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred.
- Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint).
- Experience with data analysis and visualization (using Power Bi) will be an added advantage
- Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
- Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
- Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
- Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
- Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.
