Project Officers- Commodity Management Risk Monitoring (4 Positions)

Job Summary:

As a member of the JEOP (JOINT EMERGENCY OPERATION) Commodity Management Risk Monitoring team, you will monitor and report on all JEOP (and RFSA where applicable) food commodity management activities and CAT (Cash Asset Transfer) in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your thorough and service-oriented approach will ensure that the JEOP consistently applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to individuals served by CRS in Ethiopia.

1.       Purpose of the Position:

• Using JEOP monitoring tool, monitor risks associated with last mile (Final Distribution Point-FDP) commodity handling and management practices during dispatches and distribution implemented by JEOP (and RFSA) consortium partners, in compliance with cash transfer SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), JEOP Minimum Standards for Commodity Management, cash disbursement and distribution in line with USAID BHA regulations, in accordance with subaward agreements signed with each partner.
• Report regularly on any findings and issues at partner managed FDPs, including general conditions of facilities, warehouses, commodity dispatch and distribution processes and any other compliance issues related to CRS managed food assistance programs (including RFSA where applicable) in line with donor regulation.
• Document and share best practices through established reporting systems.
• Assess and report any capacity gap at FDP level to Team Lead and Project Manager CRM.
• Support PDP quarterly commodity physical inventory count and reporting.
• Participate in periodic seasonal assessments, beneficiary targeting and verification, and coordination meetings at kebele, woreda and zonal levels.
• Maintains smooth working relationship with consortium partners, local government officials, CRS PDP team and community members.

 2.       Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Commodity Management Risk Monitoring

• Implements/adheres to the monitoring schedule and activities as per Monitoring Plan developed by the Senior Project Officer (Team Lead) and approved by the Project Manager.
• Using the IC4D devices and other Data Collection tools, conducts regular FDP monitoring visits per JEOP Minimum Standards and CAT SOP. Tasks accomplished during FDP monitoring visits include but are not limited to:

–   Checking FDP staffing, physical conditions of warehouses/commodity storage facilities, commodity handling, documents and record management, partner internal monitoring and reviews.

–  Conducts physical inventory check of commodities at the FDP and reconcile with relevant warehouse documents (ledger, bin/stack card, stock card etc.)

–   Verifies that distribution process is in accordance with JEOP minimum standard (CAT SOP);

–   Verifies FDP level commodities (and or cash) receipt and distribution records to ensure transactions are properly recorded.

–  Verifies commodities BUBD tracking, and reporting by implementing partner to CRS in a timely manner.

–  Verifies that monthly and quarterly FDP level CSR, RSR and LSR are prepared and submitted to respective line manager for onward submission to CRS in a timely manner.

–  Verifies proper documentation of master beneficiaries list, distribution plan, payroll, monthly reports, and other relevant documents (LAR, market/mill check, GRN, issue/release note etc.) are available at the FDP.

–  Verifies that partner implements adequate and appropriate branding and marking at FDP;

–  Checks whether adequate materials/equipment and supplies, including relevant blank forms, are available at the FDP.

–  Examines procedures implemented by partners to protect special groups including pregnant women and lactating mothers, participants with special needs, and the elderly.

–  Conduct end use check during and after food/cash distribution to receive feedback on JEOP service delivery.

–   Conducts market/mill assessment at the end of each round.

–   Checks whether the necessary safeguarding, protection, COVID-19 prevention, and other safety measures are in place.

–   Make sure that all data collected through ICT4D device and other data collection tools are accurately recorded and reported.

–  Conducts exit meeting with partner FDP and woreda staff and discuss observations, findings and the possible recommendations that may be reported at the end of the monitoring visit.

–  Documents minutes of debriefing meetings and share with Team Leads and Project Manager- CRM.

Assessing capacity and gaps of each FDP

• Assesses requirements at each FDP and evaluates the capacity and knowledge of the partner’s staff responsible for record keeping and warehouse management.
• Identifies any gaps that may impede commodity management and CAT compliance with JEOP Minimum Standards, CAT SOP and USAID regulations.
• Reports the analysis back to the Team Lead and Project Manager CRM

Preparing and submitting reports, lessons learnt and best practices

• Ensure timely and accurate synchronization of all reports via relevant ICT4D tools and platforms.
• Follows up and reports on implementation of any Internal and External Audit recommendations, which are to be implemented by partners, as instructed by JEOP SMT.
• In case of incidents, report immediately to the Team Lead and or directly to Project Manager Commodity Risk Monitoring, in line with JEOP incident reporting protocol.
• Document and share lessons learnt and best practices through established reporting systems.

Seasonal assessments, targeting/verification, and coordination

• Participate in periodic seasonal assessments, beneficiary targeting and verification, and coordination meetings at kebele, woreda and zonal levels.

PDP physical inventory count

• Support PDP quarterly commodity physical inventory count and reporting.

Partnership

• Maintains smooth working relationship with consortium partners, local government officials, CRS PDP team and community members in accordance with CRS partnership principles.

Other

• Performs other related duties as required and instructed by supervisor.