Program Officer – Community Efforts for Child Empowerment

About US:
Community Efforts for Child Empowerment (CECE) is a registered non-profit making and
Child focused NGO, based in Kiboga. It is an umbrella organization, supported by
ChildFund International to support six (6) communities (Masodde, Butemba, Kiyuni,
Wakiso, Gayaza and Kinabwe) located in the districts of Kyankwanzi, Wakiso and Luwero.
These communities are characterized by adverse child poverty and adversity. CECE, with funding support from ChildFund International strives to demystify the faces of deprivation, exclusion and vulnerability among children by “uprooting” their root causes.

Job Summary: The Program Officer will oversee, design, implement projects and programs, document lessons learnt, build community capacities, provide technical support, mentoring CDFs, monitor and evaluate sustainable community development programs with a goal of becoming a “leader for children”. The incumbent will should be specifically oriented towards Early Childhood Care and Development with special attention to other core areas of the organization’s work such as nutrition, health, and Child Protection

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Programme Development and Implementation- Technical Assistance
· Provides direction and technical support to the Federation in developing and managing capacity building programs.
· Oversee the project design, quality assurance and evaluation during Early Childhood Education & Development and Health programme design.
· Engaging and enhancing community participation and mobilization through adoption of participatory methodologies; planning, assessments, evaluations, community meetings and mobilization.
· Ensuring programs and projects are in line with major donor, principles and strategies and disseminating these principles to the communities and other development partners.
· Responsible for developing sectoral monthly, quarterly and annual work plans
· Building and strengthening working relationships with partners related to the sector together with the Federation Manager and Federation sectoral committee.
2. Resource Mobilization and Management:
· Supports the community in obtaining useful information and knowledge that may be available through governmental and non-governmental agencies, or extension and outreach programs.
· Routinely mobilize community for locally available resources.
· Identify funding gaps in the sector a key staff in project proposal writing and other resource mobilization activities
· Maintaining high standard of stewardship and accountability for all resources entrusted to him/her.
2. Training & Development:
· Mentor and train CDFs and Sectoral Committees to effectively monitor implementation of programs and projects in the Communities.
· In charge of organizing and supporting community periodic committee elections.
· Responsible for organizing training and working closely with the Parents Associations and Community Federations in areas of needs identified.
· Ensuring communities actively participate in project review and planning meetings.
· Visiting families and communities with unique experiences/problems and jointly working with them to find lasting solutions.
· Maintain local leadership participation in project activities.
· Support management of the Community assigned.
4. Representation, Networking, and Advocacy
· Managing the process of partnership development and liaising with other sister organizations in promoting development programs and participating in area and sectoral co-ordination meetings.
· Working closely with government departments in planning and implementation of projects.
· Provide effective representation of organization interests among the partners, networks and stakeholders.
5. Process Monitoring and Documentation:
· Responsible for designing monitoring plans for the sector.
· Ensuring timely quality and regular monthly, quarterly, annual and other reports.
· Responsible for monitoring and ensuring timely implementation of program and project interventions against set plans and objectives.
· Researching and documenting best practices.
6. Sponsor Relations Work:
· Work closely with the Sponsor Relation staffs to ensure that Sponsored children and families benefit from the sectoral programs and project.
· Support the design of growth plan, enrollment process of children and monitoring availability of the children.
· Ensure Early Childhood Development and Health issues are integrated in the Sectoral project plans, and implementation.
7. Others Duties:
· Keeps oneself updated on the latest methods and practices on community development and capacity building for possible application in the community.
· Attend to any other duties as may be assigned by the Supervisors from time to time.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The ideal candidate for the CECE ChildFund International Program Officer vacancy should hold a University degree in Education, Development Studies, Social Sciences, and Community Psychology or Development related field from a recognized University
· Additional or post graduate training in Project Management, Early Childhood Care and Development, Nutrition, Child Health, Child Protection or a related field is an added advantage.
· A minimum of three years’ experience in community development projects in a Child Focused NGO.
· Detailed knowledge and understanding, appreciation and adherence to child protection issues/ policies.
· Working knowledge and skills in engaging children in activities that promotes their development.
· Proven ability in organizing and facilitating groups.
· Past experience in human relations is required.
· Prior experience of working with local partners and District Local Government on Child Health, Nutrition, Early Childhood Education, or Child Protection is an added advantage.
· Technical Experience in managing Early Childhood Development, Health and Child protection Projects
· Project Management: working knowledge of project planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
· Detailed knowledge of participatory community development approaches; mobilization and capacity building.
· Detailed knowledge and understanding of the education, health and other child development frameworks
· Broad awareness, knowledge and understanding of child sponsorship standards.
· Highly reliable and independent, able to work with minimal supervision.
· Possess well-developed networking abilities, and be able to interact well with children, adult communities, staff, and Community Parent’s Federation.
· Computer literacy skills i.e. working Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Internet is required.
· Knowledge of the local language is an added advantage

How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should either hand deliver their applications in confidence at the address below including a Cover letter, current CV, three work-related referees, with their E-mail and day time contacts.

Send to:
The Chairperson,
Community Efforts for Child Empowerment
Plot 518, Kiganzi Road – Kiboga Town Council
P.O. Box 51,
Kiboga. Uganda

The hand delivered applications should be registered at the above address in Kiboga Town Council or ChildFund Uganda National Office on Plot 71/72, Namirembe Road – Kampala.

Deadline: Wednesday, 19th August 2015 by 4:00 PM

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