Program Assistant Jobs In Kampala, Uganda
Description
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.
Program / Department Summary
The $41 million USAID Food for Peace Activity (Apolou) and the $5 million USAID Resilience Challenge Fund (RCF) Activity support agriculturalists, agro-pastoralists, and pastoralist households living across the districts of Amudat, Kotido, Kaabong, Karenga, and Moroto in Karamoja.
Apolou is implemented by a consortium of actors led by Mercy Corps, including Save the Children, Whave Solutions, four local partners (KAPDA, AIDI, NARWOA and Riam Riam), TUNADO, FIDA Uganda, Strong Minds and Tufts University’s Feinstein International Centre (FIC). Apolou’s goal is to “improve the overall food and nutrition security of vulnerable households in Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto and Amudat districts within the Karamoja region,” and has major 4 objectives as follows:
Inclusive and effective governance contributes to food and nutrition security
Adolescent girls, Pregnant and Lactating Women, and Children under 5 are nutritionally secure
Reduced incidences of WASH related diseases
Improved livelihoods and income support household food security
The RCF program works in the districts of Kaabong and Amudat, with the goal to “Improve the veterinary governance and increase public and private investment in disease prevention, surveillance, control and response systems to strengthen productive assets for improved resilience in Karamoja.” RCF has the following objectives:
Increased domestic resource allocation into animal health services in Karamoja
Central and local government develop animal health services capacity-strengthening plan for the Karamoja region
Disease control plan for economically prioritized diseases (PPR and FMD) developed and implemented
Private sector animal health development strategy developed and rolled out
General Position Summary
The primary focus of the Program Assistant will be to respond to the needs of communities through the integrated set of activities under Apolou. The Program Assistant will focus on mobilizing the different groups / platforms within their community, and determine the capacity building needs of the group leaders. The Program Assistant will also mobilize the surrounding government and private sector systemic structures and similarly identify capacity building needs of these structures. The Program Assistant will adopt an “adaptive” management approach to understand the needs of the groups within the community and the external support structures, and working with the District Implementation Team, connect with the Technical Team to determine appropriate capacity building measures to sustainably strengthen the capacity and commitment of community leaders and extension agents. The Program Assistant will work closely with the Technical Team to best determine layering of activities within a community, based on need and availability of resources. This will provide an opportunity for staff growth in various technical areas but also benefit the participants in that they receive a cross sector of interventions/services delivered at the same time through community dialogues. The role of Program Assistant will be to identify community needs for capacity building, seek for technical support through Program Officer and the Technical Team, to train, oversee, support and work with other Governance structures both formal (VHTs, WUCs, ALCs etc.) and informal (Traditional Authorities i.e. elders, kraal leaders etc.) in community engagement meetings/dialogue processes. The Program Assistant will collaborate with the wider Implementation team to ensure that activities are sequenced, layered and integrated for comprehensive service delivery. The Program Assistant will closely work with staff from local partners in the APOLOU Activity to strengthen integration. The Program Assistant will be supported by the Program Officer and District HoO, the broader implementation team, and the Technical Team. Program Assistants will work closely with MEL teams to ensure that data capture into CommCare takes place.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Program Implementation
Sensitize community leadership on different Apolou thematic areas i.e. Governance, MCHN, WASH, Gender, SBCC, Adolescents and Livelihoods.
Conduct participant identification exercises for the different activities in the community.
Mobilize participants for planned activities in respective locations for technical teams to work with.
Organize and supervise community trainings in line with the approved work plan and budget based on Multi Sectoral approach.
Lead and/or support community respective community members to lead community dialogues based of the different technical areas.
Knowledge and Experience
Diploma or Degree in related field
1-2 years’ experience in conducting community mobilization, training, and networking
Experience in capacity building with communities in Karamoja
Experience and skills in working with other NGOs, Government Partners, and local community-based organizations.
Fluency in Pokot language is a requirement
Computer literacy
