Project Officer – Social Behaviour Change (SBC)

Internal/External Job Announcement

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia’s most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS’ disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS’s humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes gender equality, mobilizes for immunization and mitigates the impact of HIV.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following Position:

Job Summary:

As a member of the Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA)/Ifaa project team, you will monitor and report on all project activities in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. The overarching goal of this multi-sectoral activity is Improved food security of vulnerable households in targeted PSNP communities, contributing to a sustained reduction in rural poverty in Oromia. Your thorough and service-oriented approach will ensure that the project consistently applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Job Responsibilities:

·       Support the coordination and implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.

·       Support formative research within the SBC portfolio, including a comprehensive SBC Assessment as well as a specific activity examining Participatory Story Telling.

·       Participate in SBC strategy and activity development and planning. Work with Ifaa consortium members and community stakeholders to reflect community/project participants priorities and considerations and incorporate considerations for sustainability from the beginning

·       Participate in preparation of creative briefs for any necessary materials, support materials development and pre-testing as directed by SBC TA and work with CRS’ procurement team to ensure necessary materials are developed

·       Monitor and report any challenges and/or gaps identified to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. Assist partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences.

·       Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and assisting partners in their efforts to collect and analyze project data per specified mechanisms and tools. Collaborate with local partner(s) to prepare reports per established reporting schedule.

·       Collect information on staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and monitor capacity building and technical support activities to ensure effective impact.

·       Support MEAL team to include SBC perspective in research, mid-term and end line evaluations and behavior focused indicators into the overall MEAL framework.

·       Complete project documentation for assigned activities. Assist with identifying information for case studies and reports on promising practices.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

·       Bachelor’s degree preferred in one of the following or related fields: Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Marketing, Communication, or international public health/nutrition with a specialization in behavioral science.

·       Minimum of 3 years of work experience in project support. Experience in the field of SBC programming and for an NGO would be a plus.

·       Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement

·       Demonstrated success in applying behavior change theory and approaches in field settings. Understands social and behavior change concepts, including the distinction between SBC and SBCC, and keeps abreast of the latest developments in the field

·       Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred

·       Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Personal Skills

·       Observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment

·       Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners and community members

• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented

Required/Desired Foreign Language

·       Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Afaan Oromo

·       Written and verbal communication skills in Amharic a plus

Travel Required: Field travel within East Hararghe

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

·       Strategic Mindset

·       Integrity

·       Accountability & Stewardship

·       Builds Relationships

·       Develops Talent

·       Continuous Improvement & Innovation