Position Title: Reintegration and Mentorship Manager
Organizational Profile
Fondazione L’Albero della Vita – The Tree of Life Kenya is an organization registered in Kenya as a Trust with the aim of ensuring the wellbeing, protection and promotion of the rights of children and their families and encouraging community development.
The Tree of Life envisions a world without poverty where children can enjoy their rights; grow up in a safe environment, protected from all kinds of violence and abuse, with access to equal opportunities.
The organization has been working in Kenya since 2011, focusing on the sectors of Child Protection, Education and safeguarding of children.
The Tree of Life has been operating in the space of Juvenile Justice, Care Reform, Alternative Family Care, TVET and job inclusion for vulnerable youth, as well as improving education, Wash, nutrition and health services in the ASAL and in the informal settlements of Nairobi.
The project
The Tree of Life is starting up a new program in Kenya in collaboration with several Government Departments, and national and international partners. The project, entitled “RISE”, is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and aims at activating and strengthening formal, inclusive educational services, personal and professional development and sexual and reproductive health pathways to children and youth, both vulnerable and in conflict with the law in Kenya, focusing on the role of Government institutions, educative communities and the private sector. The proposed action is part of a framework of major structural changes in Kenya in the field of Education (reform of the education system), Protection (Care Reform) and the juvenile / child justice system (Restorative Justice, ADR).
Job Title: Reintegration and Mentorship Manager
Supervisor: Programme Coordinator
Duty station: Nairobi, with travels in the project’s target areas when required
Starting date: 15th September 2022
Duration of the assignment: 12 months, with 3 months’ probation, renewable
Deadline for application: 9th August 2022
Summary of the role:
The Reintegration and Mentorship Manager will design and support the implementation of reintegration programs for children and young people who are vulnerable or in conflict with the law for them to access a variety of reintegration options, and/or an integrated system of vocational training, ensuring support for family reunification, including options of Alternative Family Care, or independent living and economic inclusion through partnerships with the public and private sectors.
In collaboration with other stakeholders, the candidate will coordinate a set of field and institutional activities, facilitate the analysis of the job market after the Covid pandemic and facilitate the upgrading and refurbishment of the TVET program in the child justice system.
He/she will provide assistance, accompaniment, supervision and guidance to minors and young people, in particular aimed at personal growth, identification of strengths, skills and competencies to enter the job market and/or continue with technical and professional studies.
Role and Responsibilities:
- Develop and deliver a coherent reintegration and mentorship strategy for the RISE project, with consistent work plans, ensuring internal / external alignment.
- Implement the reintegration, Tvet, and mentorship education component of the RISE project with all the related activities, as per project objectives, Logical Framework, work plan and budget approved by the donor.
- Coordinate monitoring and evaluation of all activities related to the project component under his/her responsibility, ensuring the smooth running of the action, tracking progress on activities and the achievement of the indicators indicated in the Logical Framework, as well as assessing and evaluating impact.
- Prepare adequate work and implementation plans of the activities, in close coordination with the project team.
- Develop regular, timely and complete monthly, quarterly, interim, annual, final narrative reports and maintain a high degree of consistency, accuracy, relevance, compliance with donor’s and Government guidelines.
- Propose and develop corrective actions & submitting amendments to the Program Coordinator when needed, ensuring program quality, timely submission of deliverables and compliance with local legislation, Tree of Life and donors’ procedures and contractual requirements.
- Support the management of financial, administrative, procurement and logistical aspects related to all activities under this role’s responsibility, including preparation of specific budgets.
- Monitor and coordinate expenditures vis a vis approved budget and financial plans.
- Support the preparation and the follow up of partner agreements and other agreements (Service Agreements, MoUs, consultants, etc.) and relevant documents.
- Facilitate the analysis of the job market after Covid and upgrade of the TVET program plan in the child Justice system.
- Conduct a needs assessment to gain clarity on what specific areas mentees need mentorship and coaching on.
- Coordinate with relevant government departments for the organization of trainings and joint development of new Tvet curricula as well as best practices in the facilitation of mentorship to vulnerable children and youth in conflict with the law.
- Facilitate the refurbishment of the TVET in the child Justice system through the identification, procurement and supply of equipment, goods and materials and the activation of new courses.
- Support the development and the implementation of reintegration initiatives with families and within local communities, in line with the organization’s and Government priorities.
- Support the drafting and the dissemination of position papers for children reintegration and youth empowerment and share them out with key stakeholders.
- Monitor the progress of the reintegration activities through follow-ups in families and communities together with the government officers.
- Facilitate the provision of a training, mentorship and professional guidance service to accompany the transition of young people towards independent living.
- Work with mentors/coaches to provide the skills and materials to continually improve, adapt, and cater trainings based on post-test performance data and information on individual performance gathered during coaching sessions.
- Support the preparation of budgets for the reintegration and mentorship component within the RISE project.
- Coordinate, in collaboration with the project team, the group of mentors located in the project’s target areas.
- In coordination with other partners, support to education and job placement for vulnerable girls and boys and in conflict with the law.
- Structure and monitor reintegration processes and procedures: follow-up of monitoring tools/templates to collect information from the field staff, etc.
- Participate in the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation plan of all project activities together with the project staff.
- Facilitate networking with other stakeholders active in the field of Education, Child Protection and Youth Empowerment, participate in meetings with Government Departments, relevant sectorial meetings, supporting the creation of linkages and partnerships with government, CSOs, UN agencies, donors, private entities and any other relevant actor.
- In coordination with the Regional Representative and the Program Coordinator, explore new program opportunities/development, build strategy for expansion of programs and grants portfolio.
- Contribute to the development and the preparation of feasibility studies, assessments, concept papers, project proposal development.
- Maintain an assets library, including case studies, best practices in reintegration and alternative family based care and publications of Tree of Life operations.
- Measure impact using metrics. This includes retention rate, skills acquisition, employability impact, and stakeholder feedback.
- Review and improve deliverables developed in the framework of the Tree of Life ongoing programs, such as manuals, guidelines, SOPs, Concept Notes, etc.
- Contribute to the development of mentorship-related documents, such as Fact sheets, Capability statements, Presentations-Ppt, Concept Notes, etc.
- Enhance stakeholders’ understanding on Tree of Life operations through dissemination of relevant education related information at national, regional, and international level.
- Any other duty as required by the supervisor in line with the post and relevant to the achievement of the Tree of Life objectives.
Requirements
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required
- Bachelor degree in Social work, Sociology or related discipline from a reputable University.
- Background knowledge on development issues and /or areas related to Care reforms, child justice and youth empowerment will be a strong asset.
- Knowledge of case management tools, Through Care Guidelines, AFC SoPs and guidelines, TVET standards, STEM, etc. will be an added value.
- Ability to work independently, suggest practical solutions and follow-up effectively on the management decisions.
- Good planning skills, pro-activity, creativity, and ability to meet the established deadlines.
- Good organizational and facilitating skills for the coaching sessions
- Ability to build key relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Strong understanding of the humanitarian and development context in Kenya and East Africa
- Computer skills (Microsoft office word, excel, etc.).
- Excellent spoken and written English and Swahili.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to summarise complex information in clear, non-specialist language.
- Confident in managing multiple activities in a fast-paced environment.
- Motivated by our vision of creating a world where everyone is an educator, and where Children are the key actors of human and social development, being a faithful reflection of the past, present and future of the growth process.
Other Skills Required
- Honesty and strong ethics are required in order to be successful in this position.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Demonstrated capacity and willingness to learn - open to learning new ways of doing things.
- Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, participatory approach and sustainable development.
- Planning and management skills.
Experience
- Minimum 3 years experience in the youth empowerment sector and working with vulnerable children
- Experience in mentoring and coaching, and in the empowerment of vulnerable groups.
- Proven track record of creating linkages with Government agencies, learning institutions, civil society organizations and private sector stakeholders.
- Previous experiences in NGOs and donor-funded programs.
- Proven experience in planning and organizing mentorship sessions.
- Experience of working with diverse teams, as well as ability to work with partners using effective interpersonal and communication skills.
Confidentiality
Employees must sign a child Safeguarding Policy and a confidentiality agreement, and may not share organizational materials without the express written permission from a supervisor.
Respect – the Tree of Life aims to always show respect and appreciation for team members, Partners and all.
Working hours
Working hours will be discussed and agreed upon.
How to apply
The application should include the following:
- Cover letter (stating current salary and expected salary, and how your profile fits the position and the skills required). Applications without expected salary will not be considered.
- CV having 3 references with contacts.
The soft copy application should be sent to: childprotection.kenya@alberodellavita.org
CC: finance.kenya@alberodellavita.org with the subject indicating: Reintegration and Mentorship Manager
Deadline for application is 9th August 2022
Do not attach in this phase ID documents, school or university certificates, or any other document that has not been requested.
Applications received after the deadline or incomplete will not be considered. Only short-listed candidate (s) will be contacted.
The Tree of Life is an equal opportunity employer, and respect all gender, nationality or religious affiliations.