Field Officers

Job Description

FAWE SIERRA LEONE JOB ADVERT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL 

General 

The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Sierra Leone chapter is a national organization  established in Sierra Leone in March 1995 with branches throughout the 16 districts in the country. Our  target beneficiaries and constituency are primary marginalized girls and women. Our Mission is to  promote gender responsive policies, practices and attitudes and foster innovations that will provide  opportunities for Sierra Leonean girls and women to prosper in all realms of their lives. Our Vision is to  have a just and inclusive society in which all Sierra Leonean girls and women have access to quality  education and training to achieve their full potential.  

FAWE Sierra Leone is working in collaboration with Comic Relief, an INGO based in the UK, to deliver  the “Girls Access to Education Project” (GATE). for 36 months in three districts (Port Loko, Karene and  Kambia), northwestern Sierra Leone. The GATE project was developed in alignment with the FAWE  Sierra Leone strategic plan 2024-2028 business case, which seeks to improve learning outcomes for  boys and girls at school level and increase their enrolment, retention and well-being. The main focus of  the GATE project is to ensure that a greater number of girls transition to and complete secondary  schools. The project primarily focuses on ensuring that girls stay in schools and are safe, which will not  only positively contribute to the improvement of their retention but also their learning outcomes.  

The programme in Port Loko, Karene and Kambia, districts ‘ Girls Access to Education’, aims to enable  15,000 children from 60 target schools to access and participate in better quality education through two main components:  

1. Improved and safe learning environments for girls in 60 Schools  

• Training of school leadership: 120 school heads and deputies from 60 schools will be trained on  school leadership to make them change agents for girls’ participation and safety in school, who  will monitor and enforce the school safety guide developed under the GATE project.  
• Community of practice meetings: Heads of schools and school mentors will meet on a quarterly  basis to facilitate shared learning among schools and leaders on best practices and measures  taken to ensure girls’ participation and safety in school;  
• School Safety Guide: A School Safety Guide for ending School-Related Gender-Based Violence  (SRGBV) and promoting a safe environment for girls in school will be developed. The guide is a  tool to establish child-friendly reporting mechanisms and address SRGBV impunity in schools by  setting simple requirements of schools to ensure safety of girls. 
• Training of school and peer mentors: Training of 120 school and peer mentors to facilitate girls’  and boys’ clubs in school to encourage girls to speak up and out about the issues affecting them  as well as to encourage boys to support their female peers and make them champions for gender  equality. 

2. Community based platforms including school structures actively engaged to promote girls’  safety and participation in school 

• Engaging community leaders: Engaging Village Development Committees (VDCs), religious  and traditional leaders to intensify and re-enforce the community wide efforts to promote  girls’ education and safety in schools and communities; 
• Engaging men and boys in the communities: Engaging men and boys in the communities  with support from the male school mentors to promote gender equality, make them  champions for girls’ participation and safety in school and create positive role models; 
• Documentation of best practices and role models: At the end of the project, best practices of  men and boys promoting girls’ education, participation and safety in schools and  communities as well as male role models will be identified, documented and shared to  encourage more men and boys to follow these positive examples.  

FAWE-SL is looking for committed, experienced individuals to make up the project team to  manage and implement this exciting new programmes in Port Loko, Karene and Kambia districts.  The project will start in October, 2024 and runs for 36 months until September 2027. Positions  being recruited are listed below. 

Applicants should send a covering letter explaining why they are suitable for the position and a  CV either: 

• by e-mail to recruitmentfawesl@gmail.com 
• or deliver in person to the FAWE National Secretariat, 4 Hill Street, Freetown 

All applications should be addressed to: 

The Acting National Coordinator FAWE Sierra Leone Chapter.  

Closing date for applications: Friday 11th October, 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be  contacted.

Field Officers 

Position Title: Field Officers (3) 

Location: Port Loko, Karene and Kambia Districts, Sierra Leone Period: Full-time post; October, 2024 – September 2027 Supervisor: Project Officer 

Positions Supervised: None  

Salary: Depending on experience and qualifications 

JOB SUMMARY 

The Field Officer is responsible for the day to management of field activities and by extension provides  assistance to District Supervisor for the effective, consistent and reliable implementation of the Girls  Access to Education Project and to ensure that the project fulfils its plans and activities as identified and  agreed upon with the donor and in line with overall plans of the organization.  

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. a) Participate in Project preparation: defining project areas and target groups/communities,  stakeholders’ analysis, and development of baseline and participatory assessment tools. b)Implement baseline participatory assessments in schools and communities 
2. c) Together with the District Supervisor, MEAL Officer and Project Manager, design a project action  plan in cooperation with the community. 
3. d) In collaboration with the school administrators, parents and community leaders, select Mentors  for the implementation of the project. 
4. e) In cooperation with the District Supervisor, MEAL Officer and the school/community, monitor and  evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the project activities in meeting its overall aim  in target schools and districts. 
5. f) Provide weekly /monthly update of project implementation to the District Supervisor  g)Prepare monthly progress reports elaborating on all activities implemented in the communities. h) Facilitate mentorship sessions in schools with boys and girls’ clubs 
6. i) Organize various community outreach activities: sensitization events, inter-school competition,  community-based advocacy etc. 
7. j) Provide technical and management support to the trained mentors and children attending  mentorship sessions. 
8. k) Follow-ups on project beneficiaries 
9. l) Act as the focal point for project in the community and hold regular meetings to update stakeholders  and other community members on progress made in the implementation. 

Non-Specific Responsibility 

Perform any other assignments reasonably associated with but not listed in this Job Description as and  when assigned by the Project Officer. 

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES: 

• Candidates must be experienced social workers with a good knowledge of Sierra Leone’s National  policies on gender-based violence in schools and communities.  
• A minimum of one year training experience desirable (teacher training experience desirable, but  not essential). 
• Commitment to improving the safety of girls in schools in Sierra Leone. 
• Willing and able to train others in these methodologies.  
• Sound understanding of gender issues and child protection
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote locations in Port Loko, Karene and Kambia districts to  visit schools and communities, coordinate training and workplace observations for extended  periods of time.  
• Good knowledge of local community, culture and the complexities of working in a post conflict  environment. 
• Fluent in English, and a good working knowledge of Temne and other languages local to Port Loko, Karene and Kambia desirable  
• Ability to work both independently (self-motivation) and as a team (cooperative and  communicative). 
• Creativity, initiative, intuition and improvisation in the implementation of projects
•  Ability to adapt and be flexible in dealing with difficult work conditions. 
• Ability in handling complex situations and problem solving. 
• Good communication skills (both oral and written) and ability to use a computer. 

Education 

• A National/Higher National Diploma in Social Work or Community Development Studies or any related academic degree.

Required Institutional Core Values 

• Commitment to minimizing sexual and gender-based violence  
• Commitment to and demonstration of interest in the education of children especially girls and  children with disabilities. 
• Demonstration of respect for colleagues and community members  
• High degree of integrity in discharging roles and responsibilities