Job Requirements
Education:
Bachelor’s degree
Work experience:
3 years
Language skills:
English
Job Summary
Contract Type:
Full time
This position will lead and be accountable to ensure full compliance to USAID environmental regulations and associated deliverables under the Apolou Activity and the RCF, as well as GoU environmental regulations. This includes being comfortable with these regulations and deliverables and understanding their operationalization within the Karamoja context. The position will also be expected to generate and regularly update Apolou’s/RCF environmental deliverables as required. As environmental compliance is not the sole responsibility of one person, staff capacity building and orientation are essential across a large and diverse team. On-site monitoring of activities and tracking of associated indicators in Apolou Districts must be implemented in close partnership with the broader monitoring, evaluation, and learning team. When necessary, the team member will coordinate with external stakeholders. The position holder will be responsible for activities environmental screening, updating the IEE report where necessary, and preparing the environmental status reports. S/he will also take lead in the implementation of the Pest Management Plan (PMP), Water Quality Assurance Plan (WQAP), Safe User Action Plan (SUAP), and Environment Management and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) among others.
Knowledge and Experience
• 3-5 years of experience working in Uganda on environmental compliance-related issues
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of GoU environmental regulations, USAID environmental compliance experience is a big advantage
• Demonstrated experience working in some or all of the following: environmental safeguarding, climate screening, conservation, biodiversity management, capacity building.
• Knowledge of and experience working with complex MEL systems, tool development, and indicator tracking
• Experience working on technical sectors covered under the Apolou Activity
• Experience working with USAID as a donor preferred
• Experience working in the Karamoja sub-region a plus
• Good self-management and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in the English language
Responsibilities
Program Management
• Conduct regular monitoring of Apolou consortium/RCF activities to ensure full compliance with USAID environmental compliance regulations. Share the results of this monitoring in a timely manner and follow up on recommendations given.
• Conduct climate risk screening on program activities.
• Lead on the development, updating, and review of all environmental compliance deliverables for the Apolou Activity.
• Work closely with team members, partners, and local government to build their capacity on environmental compliance, environmental safeguarding, and climate adaptation.
• Work in close collaboration with the MEL team to track indicators as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan.
• Conduct assessments/environmental screening and advise teams on the environmental implications of planned activities, and where necessary update the IEE report.
• Coordinate with external stakeholders and contractors.
• Participate in relevant technical working groups or meetings, as required.
Gender and Youth Integration
• Ensure that program activities apply gender equity and youth empowerment principles, and meet the varying needs of men and boys; women and girls; and other vulnerable groups
Coordination with District Implementation Team
• Build the capacity of the members of the implementation team in their particular sector through orientations, one on one discussions, and demonstrating in the field.
• The district implementation team after conducting a needs assessment will decide an intervention to be layered. The district implementation team will require support in developing a sector-specific plan for a particular community. The member of the technical team will support the district team to plan the intervention that is related to the particular sector and purpose.
• The district implementation team member will mobilize the extension service agents which will go on to mobilize the community groups to provide the services to conduct the activity in the field. The member of the technical team will coordinate with the district implementation team to conduct the activities in the field.
• The technical team member will monitor the activities conducted in the field and provide feedback to the technical extension service agents to improve the quality of implementation of activities.
• The technical team member will meet quarterly with the district implementation team to review the activities conducted in the field and reflect with the team to understand how the quality of implementation of activities would be improved.
• Collaborate with the MEL team on the design and implementation of the Apolou CLA/Learning Agenda
Ethics and Integrity
• All Mercy Corps staff are expected to behave ethically and demonstrate the highest integrity in their professional and personal life. Mercy Corps has zero tolerance for any form of fraud, corruption, abuse, harassment, or exploitation. Any breach of our policies or misconduct will lead to disciplinary action or may lead to termination
Security
• Ensure data protection policies are adhered to, establishing security controls for software, hardware, and archive beneficiary databases.
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.
Other:
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission
• Other duties assigned