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 Corp mission is a leading international non-governmental humanitarian agency with a global mission to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Mercy Corp Vision: We support communities – and the most marginalized within them – to emerge from crisis in the face of conflict and climate change and build towards a more inclusive, resilient future. 
Mercy Corp Focus: We partner with and support those who are systemically marginalized, those living in or at risk of extreme poverty, and those most affected by conflict and climate change.

Mercy Corps Yemen would like to announce that the following position is currently open for recruitment:

• Position Title: CARM Assistant
• Number of Vacancy:  1
• Duty Station: Taiz Al-Hawban
• Position Category:  Full-time 1    AND   Regular 1    
• Duration of Assignment: 3 months with availability of extension as per fund and performance
• Deadline: 07 Feb 2023

The Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is a non-profit, non-aligned, secular non-governmental (NGO) humanitarian relief and development organization, registered in the United States and Scotland with offices in more than 40 countries around the world, including Yemen. Political and economic instability, civil insecurity, an intensified war, localized conflicts, and COVID-19 have plunged the country into a serious humanitarian crisis, and further put into jeopardy the already precarious humanitarian situation of Yemen. Mercy Corps implements programs that provide critical multi-sectoral support to address some of the most immediate and unmet basic needs and strengthens resilience for further recovery. The programming sectors include health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security and livelihoods and cash transfers. Mercy Corps Yemen has offices in Sana’a, Aden, and Taiz Governorates.

The Position summary

The Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) Assistant is a key position that will assist Mercy Corps’ multi-sector-funded programs in Taiz, Sana’a, and Aden Governorates in Yemen. The CARM assistant will contribute towards the purpose of Mercy Corp’s CARM system to make programs more accountable, transparent, and responsive to citizen’s views and needs. Working under the CARM Coordinator the CARM Assistant will plan and conduct sessions to create awareness on CARM purpose, platforms and access among stakeholders that include community members, local leaders, and partners. He/she will receive, classify, assign and follow-up on actions for suggestions, complaints and feedback received from communities.

Essential Job Responsibilities 

Program Implementation:

• Receiving and answering CARM feedback through hotline (Calls, WhatsApp, SMS) and document them in the CARM database on daily basis.
• Classify, translate, log and file in CARM database and report suggestions and complaints received via CARM channels from beneficiaries on daily basis.
• Validates the entered feedbacks in the database and follow-up with the feedback informant, when necessary, in case there is not enough details or missing information such as (location, names, age, phone number).
• Follow-up complainants for clarifications, collecting further details on complaints, actions taken and verification of actions on resolutions and closure of cases. 
• Ensure the consistency of all logged feedback.
• Generate weekly updates about the status of all feedback received through the CARM channels and share it with supervisor. 
• Follow up and ensure with MEL team to fill the CARM indictors in the CARM Indicator Tracker
• before the end of each month.
• Support the CARM Officers for data entry for logging the feedback and generating analysis monthly summaries. 
• Plan and set-up the FAQs for all ongoing programs.
• Conduct regular field visit to support the CARM Officers and conduct community sensitization sessions to create awareness and facilitate access to CARM platforms that include a hotline number, WhatsApp, SMS and Toll-free, helpdesk and in-person and complaints boxes.
• Participate in the training of community members, local leaders, and partners on CARM.
• Ensure CARM Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials are available at project sites and accessible to communities.
• Participate in regular CARM satisfaction surveys.

Coordination and Reporting:

• Coordinate closely with filed teams in planning to ensure he/she aware of all field activities being implemented. 
• Prepare regular activity reports including training, CARM feedback received and field monitoring visits.
• Support the CARM Coordinator and Officer in analyzing the CARM suggestions and complaints received and preparing monthly reports.
• Ensure accurate and safe filing of all program documents.
• Contribute to the documentation of CARM lessons learned and success stories.

Team performance

• Actively participate in team tasks to ensure effective performance.
• Regularly provide feedback to the team to ensure responsiveness of CARM to changing context and concerns from communities.

Logistics:

• Initiate the processing of requisite procurement needs for CARM activities following Mercy Corps’ procurement policies and procedures. 
• Coordinate with program and MEL teams for required logistics to enable joint field activities.
• Contribute to CARM requirements in monthly and/or quarterly procurement plans.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Keep his/her supervisor, Security Focal Point and Program Manager updated regarding the security situation, and any security incidents, in the project implementation area.
• Maintain the highest standards of behavior when working with the project beneficiaries. 

Accountability to beneficiaries:

The CARM Assistant is required to support efforts towards 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.

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. 

Supervisory Responsibility

• None.

Accountability 

• Reports directly to: Technically (CARM Coordinator), Administratively (CARM Officer)
• Works Directly with: Other Program Teams, Health and Nutrition, MEL, Cash Teams. 

Knowledge and Experience 

• A College qualification in communications, customer care, community development or other related fields
• At least 2 year’s work experience working with communities in roles that include mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, call-center management, and customer care. 
• Familiarity with community feedback mechanism systems and practices
• Strong phone and verbal communication skills along with active listening.
• Effective multi-tasking and prioritization skills are necessary.
• Strong organizational & interpersonal skills.
• Good communication skills including knowledge of spoken and written English.
• Good data management skills (collection & analysis)
• Report writing skills. 
• Intermediate computer literacy.
• Good judgment and commitment to adhere to MC policies.
• Strong ability to work with and deal with diverse individuals.

Success Factors:

Strong ability for maintaining strict confidentiality and security of all feedback received. Ability to build relations and networks with local and international organizations implementing similar sector activities. Ability to take initiative, multi-task and meet deadlines. Demonstrating a high professional standard of work ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies. Strong commitment for teamwork and accountability. Adaptable to evolving and changing environments. Effective written and verbal communications.

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 based on 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. 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.

Environmental Conditions

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. Must be willing to travel throughout the country and be available for emergencies. 

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 PARTICIPANTS

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

COVID -19 vaccination:

Mercy Corps Yemen requires all its team members to be fully vaccinated as part of the work requirement. Those who are not vaccinated will be required to get the vaccination if selected and offered the job.