Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We are motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching as we act to:
Promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies; and,
Serve Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been working in Ghana since 1958 in Health, Agriculture, Peace Building, Water and Sanitation, Microfinance and Education programs. CRS Ghana implemented the Rural Emergency Health Service and Transport (REST) Project for a period of three years in six districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions from March 2014- June 2017. A United States based Foundation has approved CRS Ghana’s REST II Project for a period of three years (June 2017 – June 2020).
Job Description
Department: Programming/Health
Grade: 5
Reports To: REST Community Mobilization Specialist
Country/Location: One of the ten project districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions of Ghana
Duration: February 2019 - June 2020
Job Summary:
The primary function of the REST Field Officer is to provide field level technical leadership and facilitating to project implementation team and partners to ensure accomplishment of the REST Project objectives and results while meeting expected technical quality standards. You will work with the Project Specialists and project partners (Ghana Health Service) in the implementation of REST project strategies and activities, including but not limited to: community mobilization and sensitization, formation of community-based groups, logistics for distribution of project supplies, partner monitoring, monitoring and evaluation of project activities, coordination, and reporting.
You will assist project implementation by working directly with local partners and community members, coordinating various project activities and events in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your service and community relations skills ensure that the local partners and communities feed into and benefit from the project that consistently applies best practices and continuously works towards improving its impact.
Key Job Responsibilities:
Project Implementation
- Support the coordination and monitoring of project activities at the field level, ensuring implementation schedules are met as per the detailed activity plan, and that adherence to systems for quality project implementation are strengthened.
- Coordinate communication and facilitate information sharing among the project team, implementing partners, and project beneficiaries at the community level to assist local partners in strengthening the community interest, involvement and support networks.
- Liaise with various community stakeholders and mobilize them to ensure full involvement of community leaders, community representatives, and local government representatives in the overall implementation and improvement of project activities.
- In coordination with the District Implementation Team (DITs), support capacity building events for community representatives.
- Coordinate, supervise, monitor, and report on mentor and volunteer activities.
- Work with community-based agents and compile data provided at the community level as per project requirements and contribute to the preparation of reports.
- Prepare and submit monthly project updates to the immediate supervisor
Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
- Work with MEAL Specialist to ensure that project MEAL systems comply with agency standards and donor specifications
- Under the supervision of the MEAL Specialist, support the implementation of all MEAL activities and processes per the projects
- Implementation Plan and MEAL system, including annual Beneficiary and Service Delivery Indicators, routine project monitoring, periodic outcome studies, and partner and community reflection events.
- Provide support to MEAL Specialist in the collection of high-quality data on all project indicators
- Document lessons learned and other human-interest stories with the MEAL Specialist and Community Mobilization Specialist
- Ensure ICT4D technologies are used appropriately as per the project requirements at the community and health facility levels
- Actively seek and respond to feedback from all members of targeted communities and other stakeholders and report appropriately
- Use both quantitative and qualitative findings to address key questions and to challenge assumptions and personal opinions
- Support the District Implementation Team to conduct regular site monitoring visits to monitor progress in project implementation, verify quality assurance, and address emerging issues.
Other Duties/Assignments:
Carry out any other duties/assignments as shall from time to time be directed by the Project Coordinator and the Health Program Manager
Scope: Not Applicable
Key Working Relationships:
Supervisory: none
Internal: REST Community Mobilization Specialist, REST MEAL Specialist, REST Project Coordinator, Health Program Manager, MEAL Coordinator, REST Field Officers
External: Ghana Health Service, District Assemblies, Local Leaders/Chiefs, District Director of Health Services
Required Skills or Experience
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Community Development, Public Health, Nutrition or related field
- 1-2 years of work or volunteer experience in community development and mobilization.
- Experience training and providing technical support to partners/community-based agents
- Preferably experience in maternal and child health
- Computer literate and skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Personal Skills
- Observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups
- Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
- Excellent English oral and written communication skills
- Ability to ride motorbike in rough terrain
- Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes Learning
MEAL Competencies
- Monitoring
- Accountability
- Learning
- ICT4MEAL
Required/Desired Foreign Language: Knowledge of the local languages of duty post (i.e. Dagbani, Mampruli, etc.)
Travel Required: up to 90% of time spent in the field
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