NRM & CLIMATE SERVICES SPECIALIST | DOLLO (Re-advertisement)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. With the launch of Mercy Corps Global Strategy, Pathway to Possibility, the country office is poised to operationalize its three-year strategy with a vision to enhance the resilience of climate- and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. In Ethiopia, our strategy focuses in the four outcome areas: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently, we operate in six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Ethiopia. Working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations, Mercy Corps Ethiopia empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. 

Position Title: NRM & CLIMATE SERVICES SPECIALIST           

Duty Station: Dollo Ado

Open Position:  1

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps with funding from WFP is currently implementing the “Climate-Proofing Food Security in Ethiopia’s drought-prone lowland areas” in Dollo Ado and Dollo Bay woredas.  This project is intended as a scalable solution to address present and anticipated future impacts of climate change on the livelihoods and food security of vulnerable smallholder farmer, agropastoral, and pastoral communities in drought-prone and drought-affected areas of Ethiopia. While the project initially focuses on the Somali region, it is designed to be extendable to other regions through continuous lesson learning, active engagement of government and other partners.The project aims to improve food security through an integrated approach that addresses root causes of displacement, poverty, and food insecurity, by strengthening livelihoods and increasing resilience at three levels: a) individuals and households, b) communities and ecosystems, and c) systems level. Overarching objectives of this project – defined in more detail in the theory of change and the results framework – are as follows:

• Enhance livelihood, resilience, and food security of vulnerable communities.
• Strengthen adaptive capacities of communities, ecosystems, and systems.
• Reduce aid-dependency by enabling beneficiaries to become more self-reliant.
• Demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of this integrated approach to bring it to scale.

The objective of the project supports joint efforts of the Government, UN, and other partners to address the increasing necessity for climate resilient, environmentally friendly, and socio-economically sustainable development, while continuing to work across the Humanitarian–Development–Peace nexus towards achieving collective outcomes that reduce needs, risks, and vulnerabilities at the various levels. Activities implemented under this project are expected to contribute positively to stability by reducing intercommunal sources of conflict through active engagement of different clans and communities in the development and implementation of rangeland management and agricultural development strategies, reduced pressure on natural resources, improved livelihoods, and diversified sources of income. Synergies with the humanitarian sector will be enabled by shifting away from unconditional humanitarian assistance and using the conditionality of cash/voucher transfers to enable asset creation and rehabilitation activities.

General Position Summary

Under the leadership of the NRM & Climate services Coordinator, the NRM and Climate Services Specialist is required to manage the climate risk solution of the program in promoting participatory NRM, early warning and disaster risk management.  This position requires someone who understands the role of culture and local communities in managing climate-based information and has deep experience in facilitating participatory early warning committees to develop plans to strengthen the community’s resilience against drought.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

 STRATEGY & VISION  

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.

Program Management

• Conduct initial assessments to climate vulnerability, livelihood sensitivity and community capacity analysis with special emphasis on resources on traditional disaster risk management and decision-making structures.
• Identify existing capacities at local and regional government, scrutinize the DRM policy and seek better approach to leverage for streamlining better mechanisms to improve early warning system of the public.
• Advocate better disaster risk management and expose tested models to the local and regional government to take up and use in their planning system.
• Built the capacity of the public sector key actors through training and technical support, create different platforms to work with the project and gradually transform the public system.
• Develop deep understanding of the natural resource management (NRM) approaches and livelihood framework in particular focus on importance of utilizing communal structures for better climate adaptation.
• Support identification and systematic inclusion of key NRM governance stakeholders at local and regional level in all relevant activities and processes.
• Develop and implement strategy for community-led disaster risk management by integrating the traditional forecast system with that of the science-based information for the community to able to anticipate and prepare for risks.
• Support the identification and systematic inclusion of key Climate change adaptation options at local and regional level in all relevant activities and processes.
• Provide support to livestock production and insurance activities in environmentally sustainable practices.
• Contribute to the strengthening of knowledge management in DRM by: attending partnership meetings; providing technical advice on project issues; monitoring the achievement of project milestones
• Integrate community based NRM approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building of vulnerable groups into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.

Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and

Capacity-building

• Provide training and on-site technical guidance to implementation of small scale irrigation systems, soil and water conservation, water harvesting, rangeland rehabilitation and conservation, and other land restoration activities, including for DAs, NR committees, community members, government partners and other program staff as applicable.
• Organize and provide technical programmatic inputs and training to field team, government partners and community partners on natural resource and disaster risk management planning and implementation techniques.
• Organize and facilitate trainings, consultative workshops and field based institutional capacity building activities around multi-community NR/CCA activities that result from community-based agreements.

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with community leaders, partners, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and programmatic obligations are met.

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 beneficiaries 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.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:  The NRM & Climate services Coordinator   

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH:  The Project implementation team.

 Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Disaster Risk Management, Natural Resource Management or other related field or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Desirably: master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management, Climatology, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, or Natural Resource Management, Environmental Engineering or other related field
• A minimum of five years of experience in relevant sectors like DRR, NRM, Livelihood, EW,etc
• Experience in conducting CVCA and ion of Participatory Scenario Planning, specific experience in Somali Region is a benefit.
• Analytical skill and good research background
• Fluency both in English and Somali is required

Success Factors

• Fluent in English and Somali languages (capable in all require basic skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing);
• Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem-solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.
• He/She will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of private, partner and NGO-sector actors.
• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised. All applications must be submitted electronically including a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents.

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and    diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 25 March 2024/ 4:00 PM