Job Description

GOAL Sierra Leone

Job Description

Job Summary

General Description of GOAL’s Work in Sierra Leone

GOAL has been present in Sierra Leone since 1999, with an overall aim to contribute to poverty and vulnerability reduction through the implementation of integrated, multi-sectoral interventions, with a primary focus on improving Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent health (RMNCAH) specifically addressing teenage pregnancy. GOAL is also improving rural water supply, urban WASH focusing on faecal sludge management and promoting social inclusion, empowerment, and the promotion of decent work through systems-based programme approaches and community led social and behavioral change. GOAL currently operates in Western Area Urban (Freetown), Kambia, Bombali, Koinadugu, Moyamba and Kenema Districts, with funding from Irish Aid, Charity Water and DFID, and now the Community foundation Ireland for its new blue economy program that is focused on food security and livelihood improvement. 

General Description of the Programme

The Resilience of the Blue Economy: Livelihood Enhancement and Natural Resource Restoration for Coastal Communities of Western rural and Urban programme/project seeks to enhance food security and climate resilience of coastal communities in Sierra Leone through the development of a sustainable small-scale fisheries sector and the conservation of mangroves, as a critical ecosystem and climate-change asset. This program is housed in the blue economy department of GOAL Sierra Leone program and will last for three years. The project targets the Western Area Urban and rural of Sierra Leone, the project has four principal yet interlinked activities which will address the overall aim of limiting the impact of climate change on food security and biodiversity damage, while building community resilience to climate change. The project is designed to be community led, taking a gender-sensitive and youth-centred approach, ensuring that gaps, needs, barriers, and opportunities are identified for women, youth, and vulnerable communities through their direct participation in the project’s activities. This approach builds on the existing capacities, knowledge, and resources, drawing on local and indigenous knowledge wherever possible. To achieve this aim, the project has been designed to improve the food security for communities dependent on small-scale fisheries, whilst also protecting and restoring the mangrove ecosystem.

Overview of the role

The community facilitator role is to primarily work closely with local communities, project stakeholders, and partners to ensure the successful execution of the project objectives. This role involves community engagement, program management, technical assistance, and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders to enhance the resilience of coastal communities in the project locations

Main responsibilities

• Community Engagement:

1. • Develop and maintain strong relationships with community members, local leaders, and stakeholders.
   • Facilitate community meetings, workshops, and events to ensure active participation and input from all relevant parties.
   • Act as a bridge between the project team and the community, ensuring effective communication and understanding of project goals.

1. Program Management:
   • Collaborate with the project management team to develop and implement community-based programs that align with the project’s objectives.
   • Monitor and evaluate program activities to ensure they are meeting established goals and objectives.
   • Coordinate logistics for community events, training sessions, and other project-related activities.

• Technical Assistance:

1. • Provide technical support and guidance to community members on sustainable blue economy practices, natural resource restoration, and livelihood enhancement strategies.
   • Facilitate training sessions on relevant topics, such as marine conservation, sustainable fishing practices, and ecosystem management.
   • Work closely with experts and consultants to deliver specialized technical assistance to address specific community needs.

• Collaboration and Networking:

1. • Foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and local businesses, to maximize the impact of the project.
   • Represent the project at relevant forums, workshops, and meetings to build partnerships and advocate for the project’s objectives.
   • Share best practices and lessons learned with other community facilitators and project teams working on similar initiatives.

• Relationship Management

• Build good working relationships with other health stakeholders in the district including other NGOs, MFMR, Research institutions, other line ministries, CBOs and donors; and be ready to represent GOAL at relevant district meetings and blue economy forum as required or referred. 

• Strategy development

• Participate in developing plans, programme designs, proposals, and budgets for projects and project extensions in conjunction with the relevant team.

• Monitoring and Evaluation

• With relevant staff, support to develop and implement mechanisms for the collection of key data for programme monitoring and evaluation.
• Assist to check data collected and ensured that data is utilised to direct programme activities.
• Use the power BI as a project management and monitoring tool.
• Document and share success stories and case studies when requested to by line manager. 
• Support program manager to conduct supportive supervision and monitoring, develop a follow up plan that clearly state when & how each issue identified will be addressed which is updated or track on regularly basis. 

• Other

• Mainstream sustainable Gender, SBC and nutrition programs in activities 
• Perform other duties as required by the line manager.

Behaviours

• Ability to facilitate staff delivery of programming. 
• Provide supportive supervision to blue economy team and delegate tasks as appropriate.
• Proactively raise issues and work with line managers to find solutions.

Requirements

Essential

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., fisheries and aquaculture, environmental science, community development, marine biology) or related filed 
• Proven experience in community engagement, project management, and technical assistance, particularly in the context of environmental and community development projects.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Understanding of blue economy principles, coastal ecosystems, and the socio-economic dynamics of coastal communities.
• Familiarity with the local context and culture in Sierra Leone is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and local communities.
• At least 3 years of relevant field experience with managing staff.
• Proven management experience, including work planning, report writing, monitoring and evaluation, staff management, and project coordination.
• Good report-writing skills; Highly organized.
• Ability to operate under time pressure and meet deadlines, to work independently, and take initiative.
• Good team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills and the ability to deal respectfully with people from varied backgrounds.
• Willingness to work in disadvantaged communities.
• Excellent English and Krio speaking/writing skills required.

General terms and conditions.

GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Child Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. GOAL also has a confidentiality policy ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of GOAL, acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organisation without authority, except in the normal execution of duty. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies any job offers made is also subject to police clearance. GOAL is an equal opportunities employer.

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with GOAL as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated.  Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible.  This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate, and this may be before the published closing date.  We would therefore advise interested applicants to apply as early as possible.

I ______________________________ have read, understood and accepted this Job description. 

Name ___________________________  Signature____________________  

Date___________________

Line Manager

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