Assistant Program Officer

Background on the Implementing Partner Organizations

RELON-KENYA is registered as a national network of RLOs in Kenya, as an association with the Registrar of Societies. The organization is a membership organization, drawing members from both the urban and camp-based refugee-led organizations. It aims to advocate for refugee participation and inclusion in decision-making tables and policy dialogues, and ‘speak in one voice’ when advocating for refugee rights and interests on matters affecting their day-to-day lives in a capacity equal to the other key stakeholders and partners. We all reflect on this quote, “Nothing About Us, Without Us…”. The organization is also aiming to foster the inclusion of refugees with disabilities. RELON-KENYA unites the refugee-led organizations (RLOs) in Kenya to link them with opportunities, ideas, and funding, as well as provide a platform for the RLOs to network amongst each other and other key potential partners/stakeholders (at national, regional, and global levels).

IRAP, or the International Refugee Assistance Project, Inc., is a global legal aid and advocacy organization, working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge, “Everyone should have a safe place to live and safe way to get there…”. IRAP firmly believes that the strongest, most liberatory, and most relevant programs to serve displaced people with disabilities could not come from a top-down approach but rather have emerged through a co-design process that involved OPDs and RLOs.

UDPK is the Umbrella organization of Disabled Persons Organizations in Kenya. Its mandate is to advocate for the rights of persons with disability, promoting PWDs equal access to opportunities and active participation in mainstream development processes. Through its membership of over 200 Disabled Persons Organization, UDPK targets to reach all disabled populations county wide.

Project Overview

RELON, UDPK and IRAP are coming together to co-lead a project in 2025-2027 aiming to improve access and opportunities for displaced persons with disabilities in Kenya, strengthen access to pathways to safety and facilitate meaningful participation in both refugee-focused and disability-focused policies, decisions, and systems. The Refugees with Disability Inclusion Program holds firmly the principle: “Strength In Diversity, Power in Inclusion…”

RELON-KENYA shall work on this project in a consortium with UDPK and IRAP, and the consortium shall serve as an advocacy platform to champion the inclusion of refugees with disabilities and ensure they’re meaningfully involved in discussions on matters affecting them. Critically, RELON-KENYA and its partners will be committed to ensuring that every step of the implementation of this project involves the target population themselves (refugees with disabilities) and key stakeholders, meets accessibility requirements, ensuring the full and equal participation of all people with disabilities and that they are not left out.

The primary partners (RELON-KENYA, IRAP and UDPK) will meet regularly with the established Advisory throughout the implementation period to discuss and exchange on the progress of this project as may be agreed upon by the implementing partners. The Association of Refugees with Disabilities (ARD), which is based in Uganda, will act as a “supporting” or resource partner, sharing its expertise and experience as an organization established and led by refugees with disabilities.

The Global Compact on Refugees emphasizes the importance of refugees and host community members in ensuring meaningful, appropriate, accessible, and inclusive refugee responses. Through this project, we will facilitate self-representation and ensure the participation of refugees with disabilities in decision-making tables and policy dialogue spaces.

RELON-KENYA is seeking qualified and results-oriented individuals to fill the following positions:

JOB HOLDER POSITION ASSISTANT PROGRAM OFFICER
REFERENCE NUMBER RE/KE/AS/APO/002
Duration: 11 Months (With the possibility of extension)
Application Deadline: 13th January 2025, at 5:00 PM (E.A.T)
Starting Date: 1st February 2025
PROJECT TITLE REFUGEE DISABILITY INCLUSION
REPORTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The terms and conditions of your employment with the Employer are set out herein, and they supersede all previous arrangements or agreements whether oral or in writing, between you and the Employer, concerning the matters addressed herein.

Job Description

We are seeking an emotionally intelligent Social Worker to act as an advocate, supporting refugees in fostering their capacities and coping mechanisms. This role involves collaborating with the Program Officer to improve the daily lives and experiences of refugees with disabilities within defined timelines and standards.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Program Implementation:

● Support the implementation of program activities, including organizing workshops, meetings, advocacy forums, field visits, and coordinating with IRAP and UDPK on joint implemented activities.
● Prepare and draft work plans, schedules, and logistical arrangements for program events.
● FacilItate access to legal pathways to safety for forcibly displaced persons with disabilities in Kenya.
● Identify and remove barriers to obtaining refugee status determination and disability certificates.
● Compile monthly and quarterly reports on meetings attended, including the referred cases, and provide the best solutions for intervention.
● Prepare monthly reports and donor-related reports within schedule.

2. Advocacy and Inclusion:

● Promote meaningful participation of forcibly displaced persons with disabilities in decisions and policies at national, regional, and international levels.
● Advance their inclusion and participation in organizational membership, strategy, and mission, priorities, existing/upcoming projects.
● Participate in the training, supervision, and advocacy meetings with stakeholders to advance the inclusion of refugees with disabilities.
● Assist in drafting reports on disability inclusion activities.

3. Administrative Duties

● Assist the Program Officer in drafting progress reports, donor reports, and other required documents.
● Maintain comprehensive records of program activities, including participant lists and meeting minutes.
● Coordinate logistical arrangements for training sessions, workshops, and meetings.

4. Client Support

● Assist in the referral of vulnerable cases of refugees with disabilities in the community to partner agencies for appropriate intervention.
● Offer information and support clients and their families.
● Contact and make referrals to other agencies and services.
● Provide crisis intervention when needed.

5. Collaboration and Coordination

● Collaborate with team members on fundraising initiatives to ensure program sustainability.
● Help the program officer to coordinate the event planning and program implementation in partnership with other consortium members.

6. Other Duties:

● Build empathic relationships and work with refugees in an ethical, respectful, clientcentered manner.
● Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Disability Studies, Human Rights, or a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in project management, preferably in refugee rights, disability inclusion, or social inclusion.
• Experience working with refugee-led organizations or marginalized communities is an advantage.

Skills:

• Good organizational and time management skills.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse groups.
• Basic knowledge of monitoring and evaluation practices.
• Fundraising and resource mobilization.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite.

Values and Ethics:

Candidates should demonstrate integrity, accountability, inclusivity, punctuality, honesty and a willingness to work beyond standard hours. Exemplifying RELON-Kenya’s values and ethics, they should be a strong team player.