Emergency Response Officer (Disability and Inclusion) – Finnish Refugee Council
Social Sciences and Community
Finnish Refugee Council
About the Organization
Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) (www.refugeecouncil.fi) is an international non-governmental organisation with Head Office in Helsinki.
FRC advocates for the rights of displacement affected populations including refugees, Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs), migrants and returnees and supports their new beginnings. By reinforcing equality and creating opportunities for everyone to lead a good life, FRC promotes the establishment of stable and peaceful societies.
In Ethiopia, FRC’s operation commenced since 2019 following its legal licencing with Registry Number 4184.
FRC’s strategic interventions focus on strengthening coping, resilience and self-reliance of refugees, IDPs and hosting communities in different parts of Ethiopia through facilitating access to inclusive education and livelihoods opportunities and providing protective life saving post conflict emergency response services
Since 2022, FRC has been engaged in providing multisectoral humanitarian emergency support services to communities affected by conflict induced displacement in Northern Ethiopia by working in partnership with the local non-government organization, Action for the Needy in Ethiopia (ANE). The extended project will continue and expand on the previous interventions on meeting basic humanitarian needs as well as strengthening the capacity of displacement affected communities for coping and resilience.
At the core of FRC’s work is ensuring the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and other members of communities that may be at risk of marginalization and promoting their rights and active participation at all levels.
Purpose of the Role:
The Emergency Response Officer (Disability and Inclusion) will lead and coordinates the implementation of disability inclusion strategies within the humanitarian emergency response project implemented in Northern Ethiopia. The Officer will be primarily responsible for ensuring disability inclusion within FRC and ANE multisectoral emergency response intervention serving Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs) and affected host communities across operational sites in South Wollo. The Officer closely works with the FRC Country Office, Dessie Field Office teams and community-based workers as well as government and non-government actors in planning and executing strategies to enhance the participation and benefit of PWD from all the project activities. Though dedicated to the South Wollo humanitarian project, the post holder may be required to support other projects within the Ethiopian programme from time to time.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
Ensuring disability inclusive targeting for access to multisectoral emergency support and protection services
- Conduct and compile regional contextual assessment and analysis on issues affecting PWD and vulnerable groups that form background document for FRC’s interventions under all thematic sectors.
- Conduct assessment and develop the profile of PWD among IDPs and host communities in the project operational sites and target beneficiaries
- Closely support disability inclusive targeting criteria and insure its application at all project interventions through engagement with community representatives and relevant government actors at all levels and to different sectors of intervention, Education, cash, protection, WASH and related activities
- Insure and properly monitor that all constructions are disability inclusive as per the design and set minimum guided standards
- Identify accessible construction sites for PWDs and vulnerable groups in partnership with key partners, and camp leaders.
- Closely work with Education, Cash, GBV, WASH and other thematic colleagues in ensuring the active participation and benefit of PWD and vulnerable groups from the humanitarian emergency support services
- Provide guidance and support to technical teams on effective mechanisms to promote social model of disability inclusive education with necessary information and support resource development, planning and implementation.
- Closely work with the field Officers and relevant staff of local counterpart, Action for the Needy in Ethiopia (ANE) in the site selection, design, construction, maintenance and use of WASH facilities.
- Provide continuous technical support for Field Office staff and community-based incentive workers on disability inclusion.
Community Mobilization
Organize awareness raising and mobilization of community stakeholders towards influencing positive behavioural change on disability issues.
Develop, review and share disability friendly information, education and communication materials across the project implementation sites.
Work with community based, government and non-government actors on joint organization of awareness raising and campaigning events on disability and inclusion.
Ensure inclusion of disability issues in community-based protection group activities.
Capacity Building
Conduct training needs assessments among FRC and ANE Field Office team, government stakeholders and community workers and design capacity building plan on disability and inclusion.
Facilitate continuous training and capacity building opportunities for FRC and ANE Field Office team members, community-based incentive workers, community-based institutions and government stakeholders to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills on disability and inclusion.
Build and enhance the capacity of PWD and their institutions to actively promote disability and inclusion.
Coordination and Collaboration
Closely work with community based, government and non-government stakeholders on promoting disability and inclusion especially on access to services for PWD
Actively represent FRC on relevant coordination platforms at camp, Kebele, Woreda, Zonal and regional levels.
Ensure the representation of PWD and their institutions on advocacy platforms at relevant levels.
Develop collaborative linkages and liaise with other actors for access to support services for PWD target groups (including medical, assistive devices and services)
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
In collaboration with the MEAL Officer, assess the progress in the participation and benefit of PWD from FRC’s interventions and closely follow up emerging issues with relevant actors.
Compile and share periodic progress reports on the project progress in line with disability and inclusion targets.
Participate in the development disability sensitive tools for baseline, endline, and post-distribution monitoring.
Conduct review and reflection meetings to assess the progress of disability inclusion in the different thematic sectors.
Record, document and report the lessons learnt and best practices on disability and inclusion.
Periodically develop and share case stories of PWD targets.
Accountability
Design information-sharing mechanisms using appropriate channels for members of communities with disabilities.
Support PWD and vulnerable groups to be actively represented and participate in community-based accountability structures.
Develop and share appropriate communication materials in formats accessible to PWD and vulnerable groups to raise awareness on accountability issues including Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
Continually monitor and support the accessibility and effectiveness of Community-Based Feedback and Complaints Response Mechanisms for PWD and suggest necessary improvements.
Ensure that timely response is provided to members of communities PWD on any emerging requests, feedback, and complaints.
Other
Regularly update FRC on any emerging developments on disability inclusion discourse, policy and practices
Support FRC team members in other operational contexts on disability inclusion activities.
Perform other duties given by the immediate supervisor.
Category: Humanitarian and Development Sector
Duration: One year contract with the possibility of extension
Reports to: Humanitarian Coordinator
Professional Standards:
- FRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the FRC Code of Conduct.
Required Educational and Technical Competencies
Education & Qualifications:
- University degree Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Inclusive Education or other relevant social science fields
Experience:
- At least 4 years of professional experience managing disability inclusion interventions in emergencies.
- Practical experience in managing multisectoral emergency response interventions with strong gender and social inclusion background.
- Practical experience in working with grassroots communities preferably in humanitarian emergency settings
- Working knowledge of gender, accountability to affected populations (AAP)
- Experience in working with trauma affected populations in post conflict and displacement contexts as an added advantage.
Essential Skills:
- Practical skills in facilitating participatory training and capacity building workshops.
- Practical experience in managing public awareness raising events.
- Demonstrated skills in conducting participatory data collection, analysis, and report compilation,
- Demonstrated skills in working with people living with disabilities, preferably in humanitarian settings.
- Demonstrated skills in working with multisectoral stakeholders at different levels.
Desirable Qualities and Interpersonal Skills:
- Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills; qualities of keeping confidentiality and strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Report writing and strong presentation skills
Attractive and competitive salary scale
