Location:  Addis Ababa

Reports to: MEAL Manager

Grade – G2

Start of Contract & Duration: 12 months

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Working as a member of DRC Ethiopia’s MEAL unit, the Accountability Specialist will be responsible for leading and providing technical guidance in matters related to accountability, knowledge management and learning, and internal and external communications. Specifically, the Specialist will ensure compliance with DRC’s existing accountability standards and framework, and will develop and implement processes for collecting, managing and institutionalizing program knowledge.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Accountability

• Ensure all accountability policies and procedures, including the operation of DRC Ethiopia’s field-level feedback and complaints mechanisms, are adhered to, are fully operational and understood by DRC staff and beneficiaries.
• Work closely with the accountability focal points in each Area Office to guide the implementation of feedback mechanisms, support the capturing, coding and reporting of feedback, and work across the area offices and country office to ensure prompt follow up and response to feedback.
• Further develop and update DRC’s accountability-related communications and learning materials for both staff and beneficiaries, promoting standardization and common minimum standards of accountability mechanisms for all programmes.
• Provide informed advice and guidance on improving accountability, including accountability issues related to DRC’s Code of Conduct, including advice to the SMT on Code of Conduct investigation processes.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor DRC’s compliance with the internal accountability policies and procedures as well as the Core Humanitarian Standards.
• Develop and facilitate training that help all relevant staff to understand CHS standard and are equipped to apply it to their work, including practical capacity building and on the job support to relevant staff in both area offices and the country office to ensure that accountability is central to DRC’s work.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Lead the development and operationalization of a knowledge management and learning strategy for collecting, analyzing and summarizing knowledge and learning, and ensuring the integration of knowledge and learning into ongoing and future programming.
• Support MEAL and program teams to better document and integrate knowledge and learning in their daily activities through the development of appropriate tools, guidance notes and standard operating procedures.
• Collaborate with the Protection Information specialist and other information management staff to develop and maintain libraries or databases of knowledge and learning content. Organize and facilitate internal and external learning events and participate in the development of MEAL plans, as well as project kick-off, review and closure meetings.

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• University degree in communications, social sciences or a related discipline
• A minimum of 4 years of MEAL and Knowledge Management experience within the humanitarian or NGO field.
• Experience in knowledge management, and in the development and management of other related tools, trackers, guidelines and policies.
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities, and concurrently manage a variety of activities effectively to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Proven ability in designing and managing accountability policies and procedures.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.