CARM and MRELA Officer -Border Security Programme (BSP)

Overview

CARM and MRELA Officer -Border Security Programme (BSP) Jobs in Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya at Youth Impact Labs East Africa

Title: CARM and MRELA Officer -Border Security Programme (BSP)

Company: Youth Impact Labs East Africa

Location: Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is seeking a CARM and MRELA Officer for the FCDO-funded Border Security Programme (BSP). Irregular migration and associated criminal activity in East Africa remain a complex and escalating challenge which leads to significant exploitation of vulnerable people on the move. The planned Border Security Programme will take a multifaceted approach – integrating ‘prevention’, ‘prepare/protect’ and ‘pursue’. An important purpose of this programme is to support the pursuit of human traffickers and smugglers who are exploiting vulnerable populations on the move. Initial interventions will take place in the Kenya border regions, with planned and phased expansion to Uganda, Ethiopia and possibly Somalia border areas.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps is committed to preventing all forms of exploitation and abuse that may arise in connection with its programmes. A Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) is a central expression of this commitment and provides individuals, organisations, and community groups with a safe, confidential, and accessible means of raising concerns or sharing feedback with Mercy Corps, independently of programme operations.

Reporting to the programme’s Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MRELA) Manager, the CARM and MRELA Officer is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and continuously strengthening the programme’s community accountability system. The post-holder manages day-to-day feedback mechanisms including the intake, processing, and follow-up of beneficiary feedback and complaints, and builds a structured feedback loop into adaptive programme management. The CARM and MRELA Officer leads the design and implementation of CARM for the BSP, coordinates internal and external referrals, and prepares analytical reports with actionable recommendations for programme improvement.

This role has a phased workload profile. In the programme’s initial period, the CARM and MRELA Officer effort will be concentrated on the establishment, roll-out, and embedding of the CARM system. Once the CARM system is fully operational and processes are institutionalised, the CARM and MRELA Officer will have capacity to provide broader support to the MRELA team, contributing to monitoring, data collection, reporting, and learning activities as directed by the MRELA Manager.

Essential Job Responsibilities

CARM SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Lead the design, testing, and roll-out of the CARM system for BSP, including feedback intake channels (telephone, email, community-based and in-person mechanisms), standard operating procedures (SOPs), data management systems, and complaint-handling workflows.
• Communicate and disseminate CARM policies, SOPs, and feedback channel information to programme participants, programme staff, partners, and other stakeholders in accessible and culturally appropriate formats.
• Ensure all feedback channels guarantee strict confidentiality to protect the privacy and safety of complainants, informants, subjects of feedback, and any witnesses, in line with Mercy Corps’ CARM policy and data protection standards.
• Regularly assess the effectiveness and accessibility of all feedback channels, including those operated by partners, by evaluating community-level awareness and uptake at appropriate intervals; incorporate findings into revised approaches.
• Develop programme-specific strategies to ensure beneficiaries, communities, partners, and stakeholders are informed about available CARM channels throughout the programme cycle, with a clear division of responsibilities across teams.
• Organise periodic CARM technical review meetings to discuss emerging issues, review system performance, and adapt the mechanism based on field evidence and stakeholder input.
• Ensure the visibility and accessibility of the CARM system across the organisation, partner network, and target communities.
• Follow up with relevant stakeholders on agreed system corrections, adjustments, and action points, in coordination with programme management.

DATA MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTING

• Lead data entry and management in the CARM database, ensuring data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness; maintain up-to-date records of all feedback received and actions taken in response.
• Manage centralised telephone-based and email feedback mechanisms, ensuring timely intake, categorisation, and routing of all feedback received.
• Conduct regular analysis of feedback data to identify trends, systemic issues, and areas for programme improvement; develop appropriate response and action plans in coordination with relevant staff.
• Manage internal and external referrals arising from feedback and complaints, ensuring appropriate follow-up, closure, and documentation in accordance with Mercy Corps’ CARM and safeguarding policies.
• Prepare monthly CARM dashboards and quarterly reports summarising key themes, trends, volumes, response timelines, and actions taken
• Ensure reports are shared with programme leadership, the MRELA Manager, Programme CARM Focal Points, the CARM Community of Practice, programme managers and teams, and the donor as required.
• Ensure feedback is responded to in a timely and effective manner, and that appropriate actions are taken and documented to address issues raised by participants, communities, partners, and stakeholders.
• Provide feedback to the beneficiaries and stakeholders accordingly, whenever
• Support the MRELA and programme teams in utilising CARM data and analysis to inform learning, adaptive management decisions, and programme design.

CAPACITY BUILDING & TRAINING

• Develop CARM training modules and materials that build the understanding and skills of programme staff and partners on the purpose, procedures, and importance of community accountability and feedback mechanisms.
• Conduct training and awareness sessions for staff and partners to ensure effective CARM implementation, consistent data collection, and appropriate response to feedback.
• Work with programme staff and implementing partners to ensure CARM is embedded in programme activities and that feedback is collected, recorded, and acted upon
• Promote compliance with Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria across programme activities; support staff and partners in understanding and applying CHS principles.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION

• Share CARM findings and recommendations with relevant staff and management in a timely and constructive manner to ensure issues are addressed and improvements are made.
• Coordinate with programme managers and MRELA staff to ensure CARM feedback is systematically integrated into programme monitoring, evaluation, and design processes.
• Coordinate with the Ethics and Safeguarding team to ensure CARM is aligned with Mercy Corps’ organisational policies, values, and safeguarding commitments.
• Liaise with the grants department at the partner due diligence stage to assess partner feedback mechanisms, identifying strengths, gaps, and capacity-building needs.
• Work with implementing partners and other stakeholders to ensure alignment with CARM policy requirements and expectations; establish strong relationships that support CARM uptake.

MRELA SUPPORT

Provide broader support to the MRELA team, as guided by the MRELA Manager, which may include, but not limited to:

• Supporting field-level data collection activities, including contributing to surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and monitoring site visits.
• Assisting with data entry, database management, and routine data quality checks for programme monitoring data in the MRELA system.
• Contributing to the preparation of programme monitoring reports by compiling and verifying results data from field activities and partner submissions.
• Supporting capacity building sessions for partners and programme staff on MRELA tools, data collection methodologies, and reporting requirements.
• Contributing to the documentation of programme lessons, case studies, and learning products as part of the programme’s knowledge management and learning agenda.
• Supporting coordination with consortium partners on monitoring schedules, data submissions, and MRELA compliance.
• Any other duties as assigned by the MRELA Manager.

CODE OF CONDUCT

• Conduct all field and office-based activities in full respect of humanitarian principles, ensuring dignity and respect for all participants and staff at all times.
• Uphold Mercy Corps’ values and code of conduct in all professional and personal conduct, in a manner that protects and enhances the organisation’s mission and reputation.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the MRELA Manager.

SAFEGUARDING

• Actively learns safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps, including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms, e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Programme MRELA Manager

Works Directly With: Implementation and Partnership Manager; Safeguarding Focal Point; MRELA Team; Programme Team.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, international development, humanitarian aid or a related field.
• At least 3-5 years of related work experience, preferably with an international or local Non- Governmental Organization (NGO).
• Proven interest and commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict contexts and remote
• Knowledge in project management, monitoring and evaluation including experience with remote data collection, analysis, reporting and visualization concepts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to engage with program participants, stakeholders, and colleagues at all levels.
• Experience in working in multi-cultural and diverse environments with sensitivity to different cultures and customs.
• Experience in creating and designing Power BI reports and dashboards.
• Proven track record of implementing feedback and complaints mechanisms in complex programs and projects.
• Excellent Computer skills: proficiency in MS Office package, and some knowledge of database management would be an
• Experience in leading and managing teams.
• Report writing skills are
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili languages is required.

Success Factors

Skills

The successful CARM and MRELA Officer will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated attention to details, will be committed to working long hours, and with Mercy Corps stakeholders regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities or gender. S/he will be highly motivated, and capable to work without direct supervision. Other factors include:

• The ability to work under pressure
• Willingness and ability to quickly learn new information/concepts and implement them
• Strong team player with initiative and positive attitude towards problem solving
• A learning approach to work with excellent capacity building skills
• Attention to detail and patience to double check data results
• Self-starter, multi-tasker, solution-seeker and

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with potential travel to programme sites/border areas and additional programme countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia). Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).