Position Title : Community Engagement and Accountability Officer

Duty Station : IOM Somalia in Nairobi*, Kenya

Classification : Professional Staff, Grade P2
Type of Appointment : Special short-term graded, six months with possibility of extension
Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible
Closing Date : 05 September 2023

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading
UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and
non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the
benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Read more about diversity and
inclusion at IOM at www.iom.int/diversity.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female
candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all
IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered
before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process.

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates
2. Candidates from the following non-represented member states:
Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Botswana; Cabo Verde; Comoros; Congo
(the); Cook Islands; Dominica; Fiji; Grenada; Guinea-Bissau; Holy See;
Iceland; Kiribati; Lao People's Democratic Republic (the); Madagascar;
Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Federated States of); Namibia; Nauru;
Palau; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Seychelles; Solomon Islands;
Suriname; The Bahamas; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu

Second tier candidates include:

All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states.

Context:
The International Organization for Migration (IOM - Somalia) has recently been appointed the
Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) Task Force Co-lead. IOM is committed to
take a strategic role in strengthening community engagement and accountability within the
humanitarian sector and aims to catalyse programming from multiple units to provide holistic
support to communities.

Under the Emergency and Post Crisis (EPC) Pillar, IOM programmes seek to build capacity and
accountability of relevant governance structures to lead on solutions, provide sustainable basic
services, livelihood opportunities and working towards (re)integration support to Displacement
Affected Communities (DACs), whilst also supporting locally led, participatory processes that
promote social cohesion and ownership. Through government-led inclusive community planning
processes and collective efforts for recovery focused on the most vulnerable, EPC programmes
also aim to support foundations for peace and reduce drivers of conflict.
Page 1 / 5
Against this background, the EPC unit seeks to recruit a community engagement and
accountability officer to help strengthen CEA as a strategic area of focus. This includes
providing technical, administrative and logistical support for the development of IOM’s CEA
expertise that supports the humanitarian sector to adopt a more systematic and coordinated
approach to accountability, and establishes IOM Somalia as a relevant and leading actor within
this area.

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator (EPC) and the direct
supervision of the Programme Manager, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM),
the Community Engagement and Accountability Officer will contribute to efforts to institutionalize
and strengthen CEA within IOM Somalia’s programmes and operations. This includes assisting
with building CEA understanding and capacity across the organization, and the integration of
CEA into the overall strategy, plans, policies and tools. The Community Engagement and
Accountability Officer will also work with colleagues to help integrate meaningful community
participation and support Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) teams from IOM and implementing
partners (IPs) to include CEA in key processes and assist in developing guidance and learning
manuals that build institutional capacity.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. Provide technical inputs and guidance to support the development of the CEA Task Force
and its terms of reference in close collaboration with the national partner co-lead.

2. Provide technical guidance, inputs and support for the development of sector-specific CEA
approaches, tools, and frameworks in close collaboration with the relevant sector leads.

3. Work closely with the Monitoring, Accountability and Evaluation teams to facilitate the
inclusion of CEA in key processes and activities across the EPC unit.

4. Participate in capacity building and training activities for IOM Staff, Implementing Partners
(IPs), and government officials on community engagement and accountability. Participate in
relevant Task Force fora vis-à-vis international, regional, and national donors, partners, and
stakeholders.

5. Encourage the standardization of accountability to affected population processes throughout

the EPC unit including the consistent use of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), and other
guidance documents, facilitating coherence, alignment, and integration of CEA across units.

6. Encourage synergy, coherence, and harmonization of community engagement actions across

CEA Task Force and other related thematic areas.

7. Support the Emergency and Post Crisis unit Project Officers and Senior Programme
Coordinator by drafting specific sections of internal and external reports, strategic documents,
presentations, and proposals; provide technical inputs on community engagement and
Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) related content; and participate in donor
presentations and government meetings.

8. Facilitate the uptake of best practices and learning across the EPC pillar and IOM Somalia.
Recommend feedback mechanisms at the national and local levels to help build CEA Task
Force responsiveness to community priorities. Check that systems are in place that responds to
feedback through programme adaptation, communication, and community initiatives.

9. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Page 2 / 5
Education

• Master’s degree, in Political or Social Sciences, Humanitarian Affairs, Human Rights,

International Affairs, Migration Studies, or a related field from an accredited academic institution
with two years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in community engagement, accountability, and communicating with communities;

• Experience in coordinating or supporting a cluster, sector, working group, or task force;
• Experience in carrying out technical assessments related to community engagement and
accountability;
• Experience working in partnership with national authorities/institutions;
• Experience in drafting inputs for the development of strategies, SOPs, and guidance
documents related to CEA;
• Experience in the development and/or conduct of trainings and workshop with national staff or
Implementing Partners; and,
• Experience and knowledge of the Somali context is an advantage.

Skills

• In-depth knowledge of humanitarian, development, and durable solutions context;

• Expertise in direct communication with internal displaced persons and host communities in
emergency context;
• Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming; and,
• Knowledge of INGO and Local NGO programming.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of Somali
(Maxa Tiri and Maay) is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process,
which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Notes

This position is based in Nairobi with frequent travel to Somalia.

1 Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database
(https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:
Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural
differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner
consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed
manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly
Page 3 / 5
treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve
shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely
manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and
innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes
responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains
complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2

• Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the
ability to carry out the Organization’s vision. Assists others to realize and develop their
leadership and professional potential.
• Empowering others: Creates an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best
and develop their potential.
• Building Trust: Promotes shared values and creates an atmosphere of trust and honesty.
• Strategic thinking and vision: Works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and
communicates a clear strategic direction.
• Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.p
df

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

How to apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via PRISM, IOM e-Recruitment
system, by 05 September 2023 at the latest, referring to this advertisement.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment
system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information please refer to: www.iom.int/recruitment

Posting period:
From 23.08.2023 to 05.09.2023

No Fees:
IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview,
processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank
accounts.

Requisition: SVN 2023 307 Community Engagement and Accountability Officer (P2) IOM Somalia in
Page 4 / 5
Nairobi, Kenya (58312689) Released
Posting: Posting NC58312690 (58312690) Released

Page 5 / 5