Lyra in Africa Organization (Lyra) is a registered Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organization based in Iringa. Lyra’s mission is to create vibrant communities by improving education and income opportunities for girls and women across rural Tanzania. Our main task is to give girls safety from abuse so that they can complete their studies and increase their access to secondary education and economic opportunities. Safeguarding and the wellbeing on those Lyra supports, underpins all the work that Lyra does, and we are committed to continually strengthen this area. 

As part of this commitment, Lyra seeks to recruit a dedicated, self-motivated and highly organized individual for a Community Development Officer position. 

Role: Community Development Officer (CDO)

Location: Iringa, Tanzania

Preferred start date: December 2021

Duration: Seven months up to 30th June 2022, renewable subject to funding availability Reports to: National Director 

Travel: Frequent travel to Lyra field locations will be required 

Key Roles:

Community Development: 

• Coordinate all community development activities in the areas where Lyra works.
• Coordinate Community participation in the design, planning, implementation, management, and evaluation of all Lyra projects. 
• Stakeholder Engagement: The CDO will, together with the Lyra team, prepare a stakeholder engagement plan, and actively engage with Lyra key Community Stakeholders. 
• Imunity Participation: To motivate and ensure the community members devise strategies to participate in agreed joint projects to ensure long term sustainability.
• Training: Provide training to Lyra staff as well as different stakeholder groups on: 
• Immunicative methods of community and independent work
• Safeguarding and Child Protection
• Monitoring: The CDO will work with the project teams to monitor all Lyra’s programs progress based on established indicators and will lead in demonstrating program accountability and learning in the communities.
• Data: The CDO will collect, and document village, ward, district and regional statistics for project planning and reporting

Community Safeguarding: 

• Training: Provision of regular training to Lyra staff, volunteers, interns, consultants, partners, contractors, and Board members on aspects of safeguarding and child protection, to ensure compliance and to build awareness and understanding of how they are the safeguarding front of Lyra. 
• Capacity Building: of downstream partners and contractors/suppliers to comply with and implement aspects of Lyra’s safeguarding policy.
• Policy: Regular reviews and update of the Lyra Safeguarding Policy and Procedures in line with the Tanzanian laws and best practice.
• Safeguarding Tools: Review current tools and design appropriate and innovative youth- friendly tools (in Kiswahili) to improve community awareness of Lyra’s approach to Safeguarding and how to report.
• Develop key safeguarding messages in Kiswahili, to share with communities that Lyra works with through the Lyra SMS database.
• Strengthen the systems of how feedback is received and dealt with from Lyra beneficiaries, such as through the Lyra suggestions boxes and Whistleblowing Line.
• Monitoring: Maintaining quality and confidential records, files and logs of safeguarding cases, and carrying out regular spot checks in the field to ensure that Lyra’s safeguarding policies and procedures are being upheld.

Reporting: 

• Prepare and report weekly, monthly and quarterly on community development work and safeguarding. 
• You may occasionally be required to work on weekends and/or public holidays, for which time off in lieu will be granted 

Skills and experience essential 

• Minimum three years of relevant technical and practical knowledge and experience on community development and child and young people’s safeguarding
• Graduate level degree in community development, social sciences, social work, psychology, or relevant field of study, or equivalent work experience
• Experience working with young people in Tanzania
• Experience in developing and implementing organizational child protection or safeguarding policies and procedures
• Culturally aware and respectful - sensitive about the cultures in which we operate
• Safeguarding experience and knowledge of local context
• Knowledge, skills and experience in participatory methods and community development.
• Competent in excel and word and other relevant online tools for this role
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a geographically dispersed team
• Commitment to Lyra’s mission and values 
• Fluent written and spoken English and Kiswahili

NB: Lyra in Africa is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the interactive nature required of the role, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply 

Please send your CV (not more than 2 pages) to info@lyrainafrica.org. 

Deadline: 12 November 2021

Only successful candidates will be contacted.