Self-Help Group (SHG) National Coordinator 192 views

The National Coordination Office is currently hosted by the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) in Bulawayo, while the SHG National Coordinator will be expected to travel across the country for programming activities.

Reports To: Development Initiatives and Community Mobilisation Officer (DICOM) at ORAP.

Contract Type: One (1) year Fixed Term Contract (with a possibility of renewal annually).

Organisational background

The Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) presents an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and competent individual to take up the position of the SELF-HELP GROUP (SHG) NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR (NC) under a two (2) year project, funded by Kindernothilfe (KNH)- a German non-governmental child rights organisation.

ORAP is a leading local NGO involved in development and relief (emergency) work in rural communities in Zimbabwe. It exists to fight all forms of poverty among the rural and urban grassroots communities of disadvantaged women, men and youth through the empowerment of people by facilitating their development in their diverse cultural contexts.

Project summary

Kindernothilfe, which means ‘help for children in need’, supports more than 1.5 million children and young people in 29 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. In Zimbabwe, Kindernothilfe (KNH) has been working in cooperation with local organizations since 2013 and is currently supporting programs that are implemented by a variety of local partners. The Self-Help Group Approach (SHGA) programme, is currently implemented by Eleven (11) ‘promoting organizations’ in 25 districts in the southern, central and northern regions.

The SHGA empowers the most vulnerable women and children within a community to attain adequate sustainable economic and social living conditions as well as social participation by unleashing and developing their individual potentials in groups and networks. The SHGA tackles the structural causes of poverty by empowering women to increase family income, to address social concerns at household and community levels, including by using their numbers and knowledge which they have gained.

The SHGA Programme is coordinated by the National Coordination Office (NCO), consisting of the Self-Help Group National Coordinator (NC) and his/her Self-Help Group Assistant Coordinator (AC). The NC is assigned to follow up and enrich the SHGA Programme and is therefore the focal person for the SHG Approach. The NC is responsible for coordination of the overall SHGA at the national level and is charged with the duty of building the capacity of the promoting organizations, documenting and forwarding the learning to the involved stakeholders and scaling-up the SHGA in the country.

Specific responsibilities include

Coordinating the work of the SHGA promoting organizations in Zimbabwe; Traveling regularly to conduct monitoring visits to the promoting organizations within the country and providing feedback to the promoting organizations; Organizing regular partner forums and trainings to provide inputs and share experiences on implementation of the SHGA; Preparing annual budgets, work plans and reports as required; Reviewing and assessing work plans, budgets and reports submitted by the promoting organizations; Promoting awareness on the approach to other interested organizations; Building and maintaining effective working relationships with the promoting organizations, donors and with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders; Supervising the work of the Assistant Coordinator; Providing feedback and reporting to KNH and ORAP, as is required; Attending the annual National Coordinators’ meetings.

Qualifications, experience and skills

The minimum required academic and professional skills for the jobholder include the following; A Bachelors degree in Community Development or other related social sciences (a Masters degree is an added advantage); At least 3 years’ professional experience in managing community development programs; Experience in: working with rights-based approaches; working with children and strong commitment to children’s rights; facilitating participatory processes, such as PRA, in communities; facilitating budgeting and budget control.

Additional work experience required as a minimum qualification for this position

Strong co-ordination and organizational skills; Gender sensitivity; Excellent monitoring, analytical, documentation and report writing skills; Excellent presentation and facilitation skills; Strong networking and partnership building skills; Openness to learn new approaches; Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, Access, Power-point and Outlook; A good team-player, self-driven, capable of meeting deadlines and able to work under minimum supervision; Willing to travel extensively within the areas of operation and to work extended periods in the field; Ability to interact effectively with local communities; A valid Driver’s License with at least 5 years’ experience.

Preferred skills, knowledge and experience

Knowledge of Project Cycle Management (PCM); Comprehensive report writing skills for both internal and external usage.

Suitably qualified female applicants (in line with affirmative action) and those who are differently abled are encouraged to apply.