Hygiene Promotion Officer-Zahle-Cancelled

• Kindly note that your application will be disregarded in case you used the email mentioned (lb-recruitment@mercycorps.org)
• Your application must be sent online through the URL provided only

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society, and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.

Mercy Corps is launching the “Holistic Humanitarian Assistance to Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon Program” (HHAP). The HHAP program's aim to provide a multi-sector humanitarian assistance to improve the wellbeing of conflict-affected Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Lebanon through integrated WASH services and facilities, livelihood opportunities and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response services. The project will be implemented in the Governorates of Bekaa, Hermel-Baalbek, South Lebanon, and Nabatieh, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) for 24 months. The program will take a multi-faceted approach to achieve this goal by:

(1) improving access to water and sanitation facilities and promoting improved hygiene practices;

(2) creating short-term livelihood opportunities through Labor Intensive Projects (LIP); and

(3) reducing SGBV through increased awareness and improved access to quality services. This will be accomplished by carefully sequencing and integrating activities, with WASH and livelihood activities integrating SGBV risk mitigation in their design and implementation.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Hygiene Promotion Officer (HPO) will lead the assessment, design, planning, implementation, and monitoring of Hygiene promotion component and kits distribution of the BPRM project in the Bekaa and Hermel-Baalbek governorates. S/he will be in charge of the overall behavior change of beneficiaries including, but not limited to, needs assessment, situation analysis, KPC studies, leading Hygiene Promotion (HP) campaigns, community mobilization, and behavioral change monitoring in the targeted working sites during the lifetime of the project. The project will provide access to improved water services for vulnerable Syrian Refugees and host communities. The HPO will maintain impartiality and neutrality in dealing with all stakeholders. S/he will be responsible for executing tasks that are directly focusing on hygiene awareness addressing the Syrian refugees and host communities. This will also include working closely with the community mobilization in supporting the construction and maintenance of the water and sanitation facilities such as water points and latrines, the collection of population data, need assessment, baseline data, and impact surveys.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The Hygiene Promotion Office (HPO) is expected to lead the assessment, design, planning, implementation, and monitoring of the hygiene promotion component. S/he needs to:

• In close collaboration with the WASH team, review the hygiene promotion strategy and materials.
• Organize and carry out regular hygiene promotion and awareness activities within Mercy Corps areas of intervention in line with agreed work plans, strategies, and methodologies addressing adults and children to help them acquire safer hygiene behavior.
• Conduct regular field follow-up visits to Mercy Corps selected sites and informal settlements.
• Lead the planning and regular distribution of hygiene kits and promotion materials and any other in-kind WASH supplies.
• Conduct WASH assessments to determine the scope of work, resource requirement and including in the identification of public health risks in the community.
• Conduct household surveys in order to identify newcomers and new participants to the Hygiene Promotion sessions and update data population accordingly.
• Assess and identify beneficiaries for the WASH activities including latrine construction a/o rehabilitation, distribution of water tanks, water filters, and hygiene kits.
• Conduct Population data surveys and Knowledge, Need Assessment, Attitude and Practices (KAP) surveys related to Water Sanitation and Hygiene and provide inputs to develop questionnaires and methodologies.
• Enter all collected data on Mercy Corps database and update it on regular basis.
• Contribute to weekly and monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements and maintain accurate reporting and data management of activities including an updated attendance sheet for HP sessions segregated per quarter and site.
• Compile activities evidences via soft and hard copies including sign off sheets of distribution and hygiene promotion sessions, photos, and HP materials.
• Mobilize communities/refugee population to participate in WASH construction/promotion activities as appropriate.
• Assist in organizing and conducting trainings to community mobilizers to carry the conversation around water in the community on water safety and safe sources; water handling, water usage and management, and potential contamination/pollution in the environment associated with flooding, waterlogging, and drainage problems.
• Sensitize communities on good hygiene practices with key messages focusing on hand washing, safe disposal of solid wastes and excreta, latrine cleaning, diarrheal diseases prevention, etc. as adopted from time to time depending on the prevailing public health situations.
• Participate in the development of monitoring tools for hygiene promotion activities.
• Participate in the development of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials relevant to the context; with the appreciation of cultural norms and beliefs.
• Contribute to Water quality surveys at project within Mercy Corps and at the sector level.
• Coordinate with the WASH Coordinator and Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to gather and use existing success stories that highlight Mercy Corps’ interventions for donors.
• Develop contacts with community leaders and key stakeholders to explain and promote the organization and projects.
• Any other task relevant to the position.

Other

• Understand and follow Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards (PM@MC) to ensure all project planning and documentation is completed in a timely manner.
• 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.
• Develop key productions to increase Mercy Corps’ communication within local communities in Lebanon to promote program activities and increase awareness and acceptance.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy and Do No Harm strategies;
• Provide regular written and verbal reports to managers upon request.
• Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops.
• Other assigned tasks, as necessary.

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 towards 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, M&E of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: WASH Project Coordinator

SUPERVISES: HP Community Mobilizers

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Project Engineer, MEL Coordinator, GBV team, Livelihood team, Program Support Officer, BPRM Project Manager, and BPRM Program Manager.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor degree in Public Health, Nursing, Community Services, Education, or any Water and Sanitation-related field of studies.
• Practical minimum of postgraduate three (3) years of experience in a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) humanitarian field within WASH, Protection or Health Sectors.
• Oral and written Arabic and English.
• Experience in assessing, implementing and monitoring of hygiene promotion and kits distribution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving.
• Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a program to achieve stated results and objectives.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Willingness to travel throughout the country.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Hygiene Promotion Officer will combine knowledge of administrative, executive and financial workflow related to WASH activities particularly the hygiene promotion component. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving is essential in a complex security and political environment like Lebanon. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.