The Position
- The Regional
Safeguarding Advisor (RSA) will provide technical guidance
and support efforts to prevent, detect, and deter safeguarding issues in
Mercy Corps’ East Africa programs and operations and ensure appropriate
survivor support mechanisms are in place.
- The RSA will provide guidance and support to country teams in the
region on Mercy Corps’ safeguarding approach and processes, including roll
out of Safeguarding Core Standards. The RSA will support the assessment
and identification of safeguarding risks to children and adults in
affected populations within regional Country programs and support the
development and execution of plans to mitigate these risks.
- They will input into key funding proposals to ensure that
safeguarding risks are assessed and key safeguarding activities are
appropriately resourced. The RSA will provide regular updates on
safeguarding in the region and escalate any safeguarding issues to the
Global Safeguarding/Ethics team.This position will work closely with
program and human resource teams around systems to vet, monitor, support,
advise on and improve the safeguarding systems, capacity and awareness of
team members and partners, including sub-recipients, contractors,
consultants and other organizations or individuals that act on behalf of,
or at the direction of, Mercy Corps.
- The RSA will work closely with Community Accountability and
Reporting Mechanism (CARM) teams to ensure that safeguarding is considered
throughout CARM implementation.
Essential Responsibilities
Training
& Awareness Raising
- Work with individuals and teams throughout the region to ensure
programs and operations integrate safeguarding prevention measures and
standards and respond appropriately to survivors
- Adapt existing resources and tools (both internal and external) to
the regional context
- Support the creation and adaptation of training content and develop
models for delivery, including remote and in person training
- Support, guide and advise in-country safeguarding support roles
(including Safeguarding Focal Points and Champions) with
systems, processes and guidance to increase team member awareness and
capacity surrounding safeguarding standards and expectations
- Support in-country safeguarding support roles with systems,
processes and guidance to increase partner awareness and capacity
surrounding safeguarding standards and expectations including
sub-grantees, volunteers, consultants, contractors, money transfer
agencies, and daily workers
- Give technical guidance to CARM and program teams and support work
to ensure communities and participants understand their rights and
reporting options and build trust around response systems and survivor
support
- In coordination with the Global Safeguarding Team and in-country
safeguarding support, give training and informational sessions to
leadership in countries or at a regional level as requested or
available.
Systems, Process &
Tools
- Support the roll out of the Core Safeguarding Standards throughout
the region
- Support country level strategic planning around safeguarding
- In coordination with the Global Safeguarding Team give technical
guidance and advice to Country Directors and SMTs to identify country
specific safeguarding strategies and prioritized activities
- In coordination with in-country Safeguarding support, give technical
guidance and input to country level and program level safeguarding risk
assessments and analyses
- Support country level safeguarding risk mitigation to ensure
activities assessed as having high safeguarding risks are actively
implementing prevention measures, incl. observational checklists,
supervision, training and other measures
- Proactively and reactively engage with all functions to ensure
minimum mitigations measures and good practices are implemented
- Support the country teams to provide the guidance and tools to
support partners in the development of safeguarding capacity and
compliance with safeguarding standards
- Assist and advise program teams to be able to assess partners’
compliance with minimum safeguarding standards
- Work with Human Resources and program teams in the region to develop
safeguarding protocols for onboarding team members, casual workers, day
laborers, consultants and volunteers
- Work with CARM teams and program teams to ensure safeguarding is
integrated in CARM systems and communications, including sensitization and
consultation with communities
- Act as a resource to senior management around safeguarding best
practice and obligations under Mercy Corps’ and donor’s Safeguarding
policies and response mechanisms
- Collaborate with Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation teams around
safeguarding guidelines for MEL activities in the region
- In coordination with the investigations team, support reflection and
adaptation and implementation of corrective actions following case reports
when requested
Survivor Response &
Support
- Support and give technical guidance to safeguarding Focal Points and
Champions with regard to their roles as reporting avenues for Safeguarding
related issues, concerns or experiences
- Support country and investigative teams in employing a
survivor-centered approach to all reports of safeguarding concerns in
alignment with Mercy Corps’ investigative processes
- Support Focal Points and Champions to ensure adequate resource
mapping and processes for survivors to help ensure their safety, security
and well-being. In coordination with local PSEA networks identify, map and
regularly update local support services available to survivors
Engagement
- Participate in and represent Mercy Corps at relevant sector groups
and coordination mechanisms, including Clusters and PSEA networks and
support the coordination of Safeguarding activities across the
region
- Participate in Mercy Corps’ cross-operational Global Safeguarding
Task Force with key team members from across the organization
- Participate in Mercy Corps’ regional working groups or
cross-operational groups where safeguarding efforts or the safeguarding
team needs representation
- With support from the Global Safeguarding Team, provide technical
support regarding donor requirements on project proposals and design
- Support countries in establishing synergies, coordination and where
possible, working groups between CARM/SG/GDI and GESI focus areas
Supervisory Responsibility
- No direct supervision but dotted line support of and oversight of
in-country safeguarding managers, focal points and champions.
Minimum Qualification &
Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required. Masters or equivalent in a field related
to Humanitarian or International Development or relevant fields is
preferred.
- At least four years professional experience in
development/humanitarian sector, gender based violence and/or safeguarding
field; including a deep understanding of safeguarding and
survivor-centered principles
- Deep understanding of and experience with donor, regulatory and
sector-wide standards, expectations and best practices regarding
safeguarding.
- Experience in emergencies, fragile states or other complex,
high-risk context preferred
- Experience conducting SEAH/safeguarding investigations
preferred
- Excellent oral and written English skills required; fluency in
additional regional languages desired
- Experience designing and delivering safeguarding training to diverse
audiences, including partners
- Ability to work in a fast paced emergency response environment and
adapt to the rapidly evolving context as necessary
- Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and networking
skills in both remote and in-person contexts
- Analytical, problem solver, with high level of self-awareness and
the maturity to deal with constructive feedback
- Demonstrated experience adapting agency-specific safeguarding
content including training, policy, awareness raising and communications
tools for use by agency partners.
- Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel,
PowerPoint)
How to Apply
