Community mobilisation officer

Program overview

The Cluster approach to Disaster Management is under construction in Mongolia. The need for Clusters was confirmed by the poor performance on humanitarian grounds during the last Dzud (a Mongolian term for an extremely snowy winter that makes livestock grazing impossible, resulting in significant livestock loss) and further compelled by the concern that Ulaanbaatar and other parts of the country are on earthquake fault lines. The experts are carefully monitoring dramatic increases in the number and the severity of tremors and earthquakes throughout Mongolia. They are concerned and are predicting that a significant earthquake is highly probable for the most populated city in Mongolia.

UNICEF – focussing on earthquakes - is tasked with defining and supporting the clusters that address water, nutrition, education, logistics, telecommunications and child protection (part of the larger Protection Cluster). In each cluster UNICEF are working to build understanding with partners, develop plans of action, build government partner capacities, identify supply lists and so forth. A missing element has been the engagement of communities themselves. Focusing specifically on earthquake threats to populated peri-urban areas, this Community Mobilisation Officer will build Government understanding of the importance of working with communities and build capacity across UNICEF and NEMA in engaging communities and messaging effectively to them.

Assignment overview

The Community Mobilisation Officer (Red Cross Volunteer) will be specifically responsible for mobilising, supporting and building the capacity of five (5) of the emergency clusters in Mongolia; to work with communities, build their awareness and engage them in preparedness and response activities. The Officer will train staff and partners, design approaches and actively mobilise the community around key approaches and messages for disaster preparedness and response specific to the work of these clusters. (This work will complement but not duplicate the work being done to educate children in schools.) The work of the Officer will also specifically support key emergency partners including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); relevant Ministries; UNICEF; UN agencies; and other INGOs as appropriate. The Volunteer will be positioned within the UNICEF Emergency Team – which consists of the Deputy Representative, Operations Manager; IT Officer, Supply Officer and the Cluster leads for Water, nutrition, education, and child protection.

Expected outcomes and key relationships

1. Community mobilisation and awareness raising strategy developed with local community members of 7 peri-urban areas around Ulaanbaatar.
2. Community advisory teams are implementing plans of action that engage a wide community involvement
3. Specific approaches designed for each of the clusters: water, nutrition, education, logistics and child protection.
4. Key messages are shared through different mediums with peri-urban residents.
5. Capacity of Mongolian staff to engage communities in disaster preparedness and response
is developed for UNICEF, NEMA and relevant Ministries and NGOs

Capacity building outcomes

1. Increased capacity in Mongolian partner organisations to engage communities as actors in the planning for and responding to emergencies
2. Increased appreciation in all Cluster members of the importance of and key approaches to successful community mobilisation and awareness raising and engagement.
3. Communication messages relevant to the Clusters are known by the majority of residents of the selected peri-urban areas.

Volunteer requirements

Essential

- Self awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity 
- Commitment to sharing knowledge and skills
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Resilience and ability to manage stress
- Capacity to manage extreme climatic conditions (long winters)

Skills or experience relevant to assignment

- Engagement and mobilisation of participants in community based disaster preparedness projects
- Developing and implementing disaster risk reduction activities at the household and community level
- Communication for behaviour change or development

Qualifications

- Advanced University Degree with specialised training in community development, community mobilisation; communication for behaviour change or equivalent professional experience in these areas
- Language skills and level required
- Language : Fluent English
- Useful but not essential: Mongolian or Russian