Feild Assistant

Position : Field Assistant
Supervisor (project): Project Manager
Position type:Fixed term contract
Location of the position: Gaza Strip

Within mission:
Project manager
Head of Mission
Other Project team
Administration and Support teams (Admin & Support manager in JRS; Admin officer and other team members in Gaza field office…)
Technical advisor

At regional level:
Regional Technical Unit   

Local authorities
Partner organizations DPO, Service Providers, Parent groups
Other non-governmental organizations, INGO, Cluster, and UN agencies

Work start date: ASAP   
End of contract :30/9/2013


OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION:
Under the responsibility of the Project Manager, the Field Assistant will assist in the implementation of the activities of the project entitled "Strengthening self advocacy and Awareness for the rights and equal opportunities of persons with disabilities in the Gaza strip”.

THE ACTION:

For a sustainable change, the project aims at contributing to the development and implementation of policies that will both improve the access of PwDs to the necessary services and create inclusive environments, enabling PwDs to fully enjoy their rights by participating in all spheres of social life. The project further aims at enabling PwDs to advocate for their rights through their representing organizations, the Disabled People Organizations (DPOs).
Handicap International has already developed similar projects and capacities in South East Europe and in the Middle -East. The project’s approach combining direct training and support to local DPOs’ advocacy and networking initiatives through small grants schemes, has proven to be particularly effective to strengthen the disability movement’s capacity to produce sustainable change for PwD's.
More precisely, the action will consist of two main, inter-related components:
1-An overall training curriculum will be developed for developing and strengthening the capacities of the PwDs activists and DPOs as the project’s primary targets. The training curriculum will provide the DPOs with key legal and policy knowledge and will strengthen their advocacy and organizational skills. The training curriculum will be developed using HI's previous international experiences in disability and DPOs training, in consultation with relevant local stakeholders including PwD's themselves, service providers and public authorities and  in the framework of the UNCRPD and other relevant human rights instruments.  
2-The project will directly support local advocacy initiatives to be implemented by the DPOs, giving an opportunity to voice their community’s demands to improve access to services and other rights. Indeed the limited access to social services and barriers that PwDs experience at a community level must be addressed at that level.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Responsibility 1: Assist in running training activities, communication and coordination with partners to ensure quality implementation of the local advocacy/awareness initiatives.

Under the responsibility of the Project Manager, the Field Assistant will tackle the following tasks:

1.1-SUPPORT IN PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORKSHOPS.
-Assist the PM to design a tool to be used in gathering information about the experience of various stakeholders regarding persons with disabilities empowerment.
-Support in conducting individual meeting with the DSP, I/LNGOs, Universities, DPOs, and PwDs activist to briefly present the idea of the project.
-Support PM in implementing the initial workshop.
-Conducting individual meetings with DPOs, and PwDs activists to briefly present the idea of the final workshop and to collect information about the lessons learned.

1.2-SUPPORT PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES FOR A CORE GROUP OF 15 PWDS ACTIVIST MEMBERS OR NOT OF DPOS.
-Conducting individual and focus group meetings with PwDs activists, DPOs, university students, SPs, and local authority to implement the needs assessment.
-Support PM to Select and train a core group of 20 participants from PwDs activists members or not of DPOs and activists members in the families of PwDs.
-Support in disseminating and reviewing of the training interest template on the expected participants.
-Implementing the TOT needs assessment for the core group.
-Support PM in selecting the participants of the local awareness/initiatives training.
-Implementing the needs assessment of the local awareness/advocacy initiatives training.
-Support PM in implementing the trainings on the disability rights, rights based approach, TOT, and local awareness/advocacy initiatives.

1.3-FOLLOW UP AND SUPPORT ORGANISING 5 TRAINING SESSIONS, PROVIDED ACROSS THE GAZA STRIP BY THE CORE GROUP
-Support the PM in selecting the participants of the 5 trainings
-Support the core group in planning and organizing for the 5 training sessions
-Conduct monitoring visits for the training sessions.
-Follow up the implementation of the 5 training sessions.

1.4-FOLLOW UP AND SUPPORT FOR LOCAL AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AND ADVOCACY INITIATIVES AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL
-Design field report template to be used in following up the local initiatives by the FA, and the initiatives owners.
-Support Admin Manager in implementing training on financial procedures and HI regulations for the initiatives owners.Follow up regularly the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of the local initiatives.
-Conduct bi monthly follow up and monitoring visits for the local initiatives
-Support to coordination meeting gathering all governorates to exchange and coordinate on initiatives

1.5-FOLLOW UP REWRITINGS
-Submit report on the result of dissemination of the interest template

-submit the disability rights and right based approach training report
-submit TOT report
-Support and follow up the 5 training sessions reports, provided across the Gaza Strip by the participants in the core training and TOT.
-Submit the report of  the training on local awareness and advocacy initiatives
-Submit monthly reports and reports of the follow up and monitoring visits for the local initiatives
-Submit the report of the financial training of the local initiatives owners.

Responsibility 2: OTHER TASKS REQUIRED
-Support PM in developing network among disability stakeholders
-Contribute to have better knowledge and understanding on disability issues in Gaza through regular need assessment, stakeholders mapping and regular update to PM.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
     
-The position is based in Gaza
-Ability to work under pressure and within a team
-Ability to handle multiple assignments and meet deadlines.
-Positive, innovative, inspirational and problem solving attitude

PROFILE SOUGHT:

SKILLS
1-Report writing skills in English and Arabic
2-Computer skills (word, excel, power point)
3-Fluent in English
4-Willingness to travel to the field
5-Excellent communication skills
6-Excellent networking and coordination skills
7-Good organizational skills

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
1-At least  three years professional experience in working with persons with disability, DPOs , or any field related to the post
2-Bachelor Degree in sociology, Occupational therapy, Human rights, or other related fields

Handicap International is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from persons with disabilities interested candidates may please send their resume with cover letter before the 31st of July 2012 to [email protected]