Accountability Assistant- National

TITLE:  Accountability Assistant
TEAM/PROGRAMME: MEAL    LOCATION: Damascus 
GRADE:    CONTRACT LENGTH:

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)
Level :  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting the country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 
The Accountability Assistants are the frontline staff of the MEAL team in the Syria country office. He/She: 
(i)    collects quantitative and qualitative monitoring, evaluation, needs assessment and accountability data, including through child-friendly approaches; 
(ii)     supports area office level MEAL officers/Coordinator and the Accountability team to enter, process, and (where feasible) analyses these data in North/South field offices; 
(iii)     raises awareness about the SCI's system and its partners among our beneficiaries and other key community-level stakeholders; 
(iv)      Receives related feedback and complaints and relay related responses to individuals and groups 
(v)    The post holder is responsible for translating complaints and feedback from Arabic into English and ensuring timely referral through SCI's Feedback and Complaints Response Mechanism (FCRM).
(vi)     Conducts and participates in community meetings to close the accountability feedback loop. 
SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: MEAL coordinator
Staff reporting to this post: N/a 
Budget Responsibilities: N/a

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY : 
Under direct supervision from  MEAL Coordinator:

Collect needs assessment/accountability-related data

•    Ensure feedback trackers  of SCI and its implementing partners are updated and submitted on time, highlighting errors, escalating recurring issues submitted by beneficiaries, and ensuring the feedback loop is closed in a timely manner

•    Support the MEAL officers and partners in operationalizing the complaints and feedback mechanism with beneficiaries in both camp and communities for projects, including communicating feedback to beneficiaries

•    Collecting feedback and complaints data through the toll-free hotline, house-to-house visits, voice recorders, PDMs, FGDs and temporary helpdesks set up for one-off distributions under Shelter/WASH/education programming .

•    Collects quantitative and qualitative data as per sector team and Accountability team needs, especially through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) 

•    Collecting data through the child-friendly Accountability pilot – and sharing of learning based on this experience to improve the design and implementation of the approach 

•    Collects data using child-friendly approaches, such as dot voting, the H-frame tool, risk mapping etc. 

•    Reports Child Safeguarding-related and other Category 5/Category 6 complaints through the appropriate mechanisms within specified timeframes

•    Responsible for handling and documenting, in a safe and confidential manner, complaints and feedback from complaint boxes, face to face visits, and focus group discussions

•    Prepare a report on complaints and feedback on weekly/monthly frequency to share with MEAL Coordinator.

•    Translate all complaints and feedback received in Arabic into clear, accurate English and submit them promptly to the designated focal points, ensuring confidentiality and adherence to FCRM procedures.

•    Follow up on responses on complaints and feedback received

•    Support on the development of information sharing protocols with Partners.
Information sharing 

•    Working closely with the Field Coordination team, program, partners team and other relevant stakeholders to support in awarenss raising for beneficiaires about Accountability mechanisms.

•    Understand the SCI Response's current approach to sharing information with children and communities. 

•    Development and implement a plan for enhancing this approach; and

•    Follow-up the information sharing procedure in the working area

Raise awareness about the Organization's Accountability system

•    Raises awareness about Organization's Accountability system through household visits  

•    Introduce feedback mechanisms such as complaint boxes, hotline in camp and communities

•    Organizes and/or attends community meetings  with key stakeholders and attends group sessions organized by program teams to raise awareness about Organization's Accountability system

•    Liaises with the MEAL Coordinator to coordinate effectively on awareness raising.

•    

•    Other

•    Participates in the monthly MEAL meeting and maintaining their individual monthly work plan

•    Supports closing the feedback loop through house to house and facilities visits

•    Produces simple reports on activities, such as field visit reports, Accountability Monthly Fact sheet.

•    Undertaking any other appropriate activities assigned by the MEAL Coordinator

•    Supports the MEAL team and Program with any other tasks as required and appropriate – for example, supporting capacity building activities  
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

•    holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

•    holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:

•    sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

•    widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

•    future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:

•    builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

•    values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

•    approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:

•    develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

•    willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:

•    honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS  

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential: 

•    Bachelor degree in Sociology, Development studies, Economics, Engineering, Statistics or relevant field.

•    Demonstrated 2 years' experience working in Accountability as an independent role, with responsibilities focused specifically on feedback, complaints handling, and community engagement, preferably in an INGO

•    Experience in community mobilization and community-level dialogue

•    Strong skills in excel and other data management software (kobo, ODK, Power BI)

•    The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances

•    Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

•    Good reporting and analytical skills

•    Good English skills

•    Fluent in Arabic ,good at English and ability to accurately translate complaints, feedback, and community inputs from Arabic into English.

Desirable:

•    Background of implementing effective accountability mechanisms in emergency responses 

•    Previous experience of working with children is an advantage 

•    Previous experience with child-friendly methods 

•    Use and experience in digital data collection tools
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities 
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.