Capacity Development Officer
Implement the LEAD Capacity Development Programme to support civil society.
Overview
Implement the LEAD Capacity Development Programme to support civil society.
You have:
- A bachelor's degree in a related field eg. Social Science, Development Studies, Public Administration etc
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in capacity building, training, or related roles in civil society, NGOs, or similar environments
- Experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder projects and engaging with CSOs and community-based organizations
- Ability to work under pressure and within time constraints under tight deadlines
- Strong organizational and project management skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Good report-writing skills
- High ethical standards and ability to endorse principles of confidentiality and data protection
- Ability to assess problems and recommend solutions
Description
Name of the position: Capacity Development Officer
Location: Lusaka (With frequent travel to other places around the country where the project is being implemented)
Contract duration: 11 months with possibility of extension
Start Date: As soon as possible
Line Manager: Project Manager
Application deadline: “the applications will be processed on the rolling basis
Please note that due to the high volume of applications, candidates may receive feedback up to 2 months from the date of application.
Salary: Candidates will be informed about the salary range in the beginning of the recruitment process
People in Need (www.peopleinneed.net) works in Zambia since 2017 delivering lifesaving and development assistance to vulnerable people in the sectors of nutrition, livelihoods, WASH, environment and good governance. We are part of Alliance 2015, a strategic network of seven European non-governmental organizations engaged in humanitarian aid and development projects. Lear more here: www.alliance2015.org
We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The project titled Local Empowerment and Development – Civil Society LEADs is a 36-month intervention funded by the European Commission that will be implemented by People in Need (PIN) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR). The project aims to empower and increase resilience of civil society actors that contribute to strengthened governance and sustainable development in Zambia. The project will focus on overcoming challenges faced by CSOs and enhancing their internal governance, management systems, technical capacities in inclusive policy development, advocacy, and social accountability. It will engage women, youth and marginalised group CSOs and CSO networks in policy dialogue, inclusive public sector governance and local development processes. The program will also foster cooperation among CSOs, political actors, and other stakeholders
Scope of Works:
The Capacity Development Officer (CDO) will play a crucial role in implementing the LEAD Capacity Development Programme, supporting the selection and capacity building of CSOs and CSO networks, with a specific focus on women, youth, and marginalized group civic actors. The role involves coordinating, designing, and delivering capacity development activities, providing tailored support to individual CSOs, and overseeing the successful implementation of the project’s goals.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Coordination and Selection:
- Support the selection process for CSOs/CSO networks participating in the LEAD programme.
- Coordinate interviews and reference checks to ensure compliance with programme values and objectives.
- Facilitate the participatory assessment of CSO capacities using the Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT).
- Capacity Building:
- Design and implement capacity development actions, including group workshops and individualcoaching, mentorship and on-the-job consultations.
- Facilitate the development of Organisational/Network Strategies and Action Plans for selected CSOs/CSO networks.
- Provide support in internal governance, financial management, digital skills, resource mobilisation, and other identified areas.
- Technical Support and Mentoring:
- Coordinate coaching and mentoring sessions for individual CSOs/CSO networks.
- Organize on-the-job consultations and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
- Ensure that capacity development efforts align with project objectives and respond to the needs of target groups.
- Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Contribute to the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure capacity development outcomes.
- Regularly assess and report on progress and capacity changes among participating CSOs/CSO networks.
- Collect and document success stories and lessons learned to inform future capacity development initiatives.
- Partnership and Networking:
- Facilitate networking and collaboration among participating CSOs/CSO networks as well as relevant stakeholders
- Jointly with the programme team of JCTR, facilitate collaboration and partnerships between CSOs/CSO networks and local government representatives, private sector and media
- Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including local government, private sector, media, donors, and other partners.
- Coordinate study visits and peer-to-peer exchanges to strengthen the impact of the LEAD programme.
- Accountability and Safeguarding including Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH)
- Carry out the duties in accordance with the PIN Code of Conduct and Key policies
- Participate in training and awareness raising (CoC and KP, Safeguarding…)
- Support the Project Manager in the implementation of Safeguarding measures throughout the project cycle
- including risk analysis related to SEAH and Child protection at the project/program level and develop a
- mitigation plan accordingly.
- Create and maintain a fulfilling and protective environment
Others - as delegated by the supervisor
Benefits
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
24 annual leave per year
Contributions of Health Insurance (Nhima) as by Law.
Accident insurance for all injuries during work time.
National pension scheme contributions as by law
Extensive Capacity Building program, both internal and external trainings - Induction training.
internal online opportunities, such as access to e-learning platform and webinars
Month contribution for phone tariffs
Annual Staff retreat
International environments with opportunities to learn from other country programs
Paternity leave of 5 days and maternity leave of 14 weeks
Breastfeeding breaks for nursing colleagues
Per diem for working and sleeping outside of duty town depending on the location.
Friendly and fair environment in small collective structure where everyone knows each other.
We have lunch break with meals available at the office (Mongu Office)
2 health breaks per day.
Salaries are according to People in Need Salary scale and shortlisted candidates to be informed about the salaries.
Requirements
1. Required Skills, Education, Experience and Behavioural Competencies:
- Education and Experience:
- A bachelor's degree in a related field eg. Social Science, Development Studies, Public Administration etc
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in capacity building, training, or related roles in civil society, NGOs, or similar environments.
- Experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder projects and engaging with CSOs and community-based organizations.
Skills and Competencies:
- Ability to work under pressure and within time constraints under tight deadlines
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Good report-writing skills
- High ethical standards and ability to endorse principals of confidentiality and data protection
- Ability to assess problems and recommend solutions
People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need engages /is in contact with. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need Code of Conduct and key policies (available at: www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp ). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.
Are you interested in joining us? Please apply in the link below. Send us your cover letter and CV which includes the contacts on your referees. Ideally, we need the name and email of your two previous line managers and one of HR.
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe a time when you faced a tight deadline and how you managed to complete your tasks? | This question assesses your ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively. | Share a specific example highlighting your organizational skills and how you prioritized tasks. |
| What strategies do you use to ensure effective communication with team members and stakeholders? | The interviewer wants to understand your interpersonal and communication abilities. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe your experience with capacity building in civil society organizations. What was your role? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you handle disagreements or conflicts within a team? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you explain an occasion when you had to adapt your project plan based on new information or circumstances? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What methods do you employ to monitor and evaluate the success of capacity development initiatives? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Have you worked with multi-stakeholder projects before? If so, how did you engage all parties? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What do you understand about safeguarding principles, and how would you implement them in this role? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |