Youth for Tomorrow Training Officer – Tripoli -(Kindly note that your application will be disregarded in case you used the email mentioned ([email protected]) Your application must be sent online through the URL provided)

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently has offices in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country.  In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods. 

The conflict that began more than five years ago in Syria has resulted in a steady increase in Syrian refugees to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.  To date, more than one million refugees have fled to Lebanon, and the numbers continue to mount. All refugees who have entered Lebanon are staying with host families or in rented accommodation.  As numbers rapidly increase, humanitarian conditions are deteriorating.  The burden on host communities and the financial and emotional stress on refugees and their hosts is tremendous. Mercy Corps is responding to these needs by addressing urgent basic needs, child protection as well as the psychosocial impact of the conflict and displacement.

With the support of the Government of Canada, Mercy Corps is launching the Youth for Tomorrow program, which will be implemented in Saida, Mt. Lebanon, and Tripoli.   This three-year program is part of a regional initiative by Mercy Corps, funded by the Government of Canada, in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to build improved, evidence-based provision of psychosocial support and market-driven skills to vulnerable youth in the region.  The program will benefit from regional synergies to increase impact and will contribute to improving the evidence base for interventions of this type.

The program will engage Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese adolescent boys and girls, between the ages of 12 – 18 who are not currently enrolled in school or are at high risk of dropping out. The program will also engage young adults between the ages of 19 – 35 from among refugee and host communities to act as mentors and facilitators within the project.  Youth for Tomorrow will provide adolescents on-going psychosocial support and market-driven skill-building opportunities while building an enabling environment for young people through community engagement and provision of enhanced adolescent and youth services.   

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY

The Training Officer is a member of the YFT training team. S/he is responsible for supporting the Training Team Lead on training youth, centre staff, and coaches on PSA, Creative Facilitation and facilitating drop-in activities and other trainings as required. S/he/ is responsible for ensuring quality implementation of Youth for Tomorrow activities in Tripoli, Saida, and Barja areas. He/she will closely work with local partner organizations and will represent Mercy Corps when needed with other local actors including municipalities and service providers. The Training Officer will report to the Training Team Lead and will coordinate closely with the Civic Engagement Coordinator and the Senior Field Coordinator.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Team Management, Capacity Building and Coordination
• Support capacity development trainings and opportunities for partners to enable them to complete their tasks effectively
• Ensuring that partners are implementing activities with the quality required.

Program Implementation:

• Provide the support in integration of PSA, creative facilitation, implementation of drop ins to local partners in Saida, Barja and Ain El Helwe Palestinian Camp.
• Work closely with Partners Educational assistant, and ensure a proper follow up of coaches and youth drop out.
• Review lesson plans of the coaches in Bussma centers and validate them under the supervision of the Training Team Lead
• Spot-checks on intensive session, drop ins to ensure quality implementation of program activities (intensive sessions and drop-in activities), alignment and progress against work plan.
• Ensure proper implementation of all the field standard operating procedures for the Youth and Adolescent Friendly Space
• Represent the YFT program in any relevant local level meetings, such as participation in any relevant local level Sector Meetings, and coordinate with local municipalities and other relevant authorities to ensure the YFT program can be implemented as planned
• Oversee and provide guidance to Bussma centers coaches to ensure they are able to effectively implement program activities (intensive sessions and drop-in activities) and achieve the desired impact on program beneficiaries
• Prepare weekly updates and monthly progress reports, including challenges and recommendations;

Other

• Commitment to implementation of Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards (PM@MC) to ensure all project planning and documentation is completed in timely manner;
• Ensure interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy and Do No Harm strategies;
• Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops;
• Other assigned tasks, as necessary

KNOWLEDGE AND WORK EXPERIENCE: 

• BA/S or equivalent in social work, social sciences, human rights, or other relevant field required;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience performing required tasks in a complex emergency or relief context
• Experience working in youth projects with a protection or educational background;
• Protection and Livelihoods related program experience preferred;
• Experience in Trainings and facilitation skills required.
• Experience in Child Protection Minimum Standards and procedures is required.
• Strong understanding of refugee issues in the current Lebanon context;
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues and ability to work with refugee and host community populations;
• Good writing skills, including reports, best practices, cases studies, etc;
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team;
• Very strong written and oral communication skills in both English and Arabic, including report development, writing and editing;
• Positive, respectful attitude and collaborative approach to problem solving;
• Demonstrated attention to detail; ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently as well as cooperatively with team members;
• Significant knowledge and understanding of the current political, economic, cultural and historical context of North Lebanon preferred;

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None

ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Reports directly to: ‘Youth for Tomorrow’ Training Team Lead
• Works directly with:  Operations, Finance, Program, and M&E Teams, Partners, YFT team.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Deep commitment to humanitarian principles and values 
• Willingness to learn new skills and methodologies
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision
• Demonstrated organizational skills
• Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills
• Security, political and cultural aware
• Ability to multi-task while meeting several pressing deadlines
• Pays attention to detail and is meticulous, thorough, and results-oriented