Project Officer -Afar 

Organizational Background

Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is an Ethiopian Development Organization established in 2005 and reregistered at Agency for Civil Society Organizations as Ethiopian Development Civil Society Organization with Certificate № 0321 under Proclamation № 1113/2019. ECDD is working with other organizations to promote and facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities and disability issues in mainstream service delivery and development programs envisioning “an Inclusive Ethiopia” where persons with disabilities exercise the same rights and have access to the same services and opportunities enjoyed by other citizens.

ECDD is partnering with USAID to implement “Promoting Rights and Inclusion for Disability Empowerment (PRIDE)” from December 20, 2021, to December 19, 2024, with a major goal of the project, which is to increase the economic empowerment of youth with disabilities. The first objective of the project is Skills and Work: youth with disabilities have access to vocational skills training and jobs. The second objective is Policy Reform: duty bearers adopt and implement disability-inclusive policies and practices. Primary beneficiaries of the Project will be 1,200 youth, between the ages of 15-29, with visual, hearing, or mobility disabilities, with a majority being young women with disabilities.  The project will be implemented in 6 regions; (Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, Tigray, Afar, Somali regions, and Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City). Special efforts that involve family members will be made to include youth who are deafblind, and youth with intellectual, cognitive, developmental, or psychosocial disabilities.

 Description of Tasks

The Regional Project Officer reports to the Project Coordinator and works under the overall supervision of the Livelihood program lead and Program Director. The Regional Project Officer is responsible for the field level project activity implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of activities and results of the project.

Specifically, the Regional Project Officer of Pride Project will:

1. Supports the annual project work plan preparation, ensure smooth implementation of project activities and report all project activities according to the work plan,

2.   Support the planning, implementation, and reporting of project activities with Disability inclusion facilitators

3.  Provide technical support for Disability inclusion facilitators and maintain contact with project partners

4. Organize workshops, training, and events together with the Project staff.

5. Work closely with the Regional TVET Agencies to promote the implementation of inclusive TVET

6.    In collaboration with the Project Coordinator facilitate inclusive CBT (Community Based Training) /TVET opportunities for youth with disabilities.

7. Facilitate CBT (Community Based Training) graduates in forming groups and initiating income-generating activities and identifying potential organizations for internship and wage employment

8.  Support in facilitating accessibility audit and modification of model TVET centers.

9.  Work project activities in collaboration with the regional ECDD teams

10. Ensure the inclusion of youth with disability in the regional/zonal-inclusive TVETs.

11. Support in designing and implementing systems to assist disability inclusion facilitators for the mobilization of youth with disabilities to CBT and TVET training.

12. Ensure observance of the ECDD Child and Adults-at-Risk Policy by project staff and partners, in consultation with the Project Coordinator and ECDD Safeguarding Focal Person.

13. Involve in monitoring and evaluating progress on achievement of project results, and provide data and information to the project coordinator

14. Prepare quarterly reports of activities accomplished and submit reports to the project coordinator in a timely manner.

15. Oversee the field-level data collection, documentation, and dissemination of lessons learned case stories, and good practices of the project and its partners.

16. Undertake such other tasks as may be assigned by the project Coordinator and Livelihoods Program Team Lead or Program Director.

Required qualifications:

1. Education – Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Social anthropology, Business Administration, or a related field.

2. Professional experience – minimum of 3-5 years of responsibility in the implementation of projects related to vocational skills training and work

3. Good understanding of TVET training strategies and ample knowledge of livelihoods work in Ethiopia

4. Good knowledge of the practice and profession of special needs education

5. Previous professional experiences in vocational skills training, youth employability, and disability inclusion are desirable

6. Previous business experience is desirable

7. Previous professional experience working with persons with disabilities is desirable

8. Excellent interpersonal relationships and can work with people from different backgrounds

9. Self-starter, result-driven, and can work in a team and independently

10. Able and willing to travel frequently to the project intervention cities

11. Competence in the use of computer applications (Excel, MS Word, PowerPoint)

12. Excellent in English and Amharic, or Ethiopian Sign Language, knowledge of other Ethiopian languages has advantages.

Qualified individuals with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.  ECDD gives priority in employment to qualified candidates with disabilities.  ECDD will meet any and all required disability adjustment costs to enable individuals with disabilities to meet the requirements for the position.