CARM Assistant

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps Yemen is continuing its FCDO-funded Fresh Horizons pilot project, which applies and tests an inclusive, climate-resilient Market Systems Development (MSD) approach within the fisheries sector in Yemen’s Aden and Hadramout Governorates. The pilot works with local market actors to sustainably increase income and food security for fishing households and communities.  

The next phase of Fresh Horizons will build on the pilot’s successes through a 9-month continuation phase focused on strengthening the supply and use of cold chain equipment. Increased access to cold chain technology will reduce waste, improve profits, and open new urban markets. This will provide improved livelihood opportunities for vulnerable households and actors across the fisheries sector - ultimately increasing food access and improving household food security. 

General Position Summary

the Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) Assistant is a key position in handling day-to-day collection, management, and response to all feedback cases within the project location. The CARM Assistant will help the CARM Officer/PAQ team to ensure responding directly to all feedback concerns and complaints raised by program participants and community members through a safe, accessible, transparent, and confidential CARM system. The CARM Assistant will help the CARM Officer in managing in-person, field, and community-based feedback channels, such as face-to-face, suggestion boxes, and hotline, ensuring all proper procedures of managing and responding to all feedback are followed by all Mercy Corps team members. Additionally, the CARM Assistant will help the CARM Officer to conduct community engagement and sensitization by providing guidance on key community accountability and safeguarding messages – including reference to existing Mercy Corps policies, and expected ethical behavior from all Mercy Corps, enumerators, consultants and partners.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1. Handling receiving the Hotline channel , whatsApp , SMS and Toll-free Channels at Country office.

In particular classifying, translating, and reporting the suggestions and complaints received via CARM from MC beneficiaries.

1. Following up and calling complainants, when necessary, such as in cases where the complaint that was filed was unclear, in order to gain further details like (place, name, what he or she complained about or requested information about.
2. Ensuring that all suggestions and complaints received via hotline whatsApp , SMS, Toll-free and suggestion boxes are categorized, filed in the CARM database, and go through the appropriate channels until each one is resolved.
3. Categorizing and logging all suggestion and complaints in a secure database
4. Ensuring the confidentiality and security of all feedback received
5. Assisting the PAQ/Accountability Officer r in analyzing the CARM suggestions and complaints received and in preparing a monthly reports
6. Translating the text of written complaints into English, inputting the original Arabic complaint and the English translation into the secure CARM database.
7. Follow up on the cases to be closed.
8. Contacting the complainants whose cases have been resolved and survey their satisfaction with CARM and with how their complaint was handled overall
9. Support the CARM officers if needed on the field.
10. Other duties as assigned.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Supervisory Responsibility None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: CARM Officer  

Works Directly With: All Program, MEL Manager and MEL Team

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, IT, or other relevant field is preferred.
• Previous work experience in an international or local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is preferred.
• Proven experience in remote data collection, and data management.
• Excellent Computer skills: proficiency in MS Office package, and strong knowledge of database management is required.
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and networking skills; ability to work with diversified populations.
• High level of self-awareness and self-development with the maturity to deal with constructive feedback.
• Fluency in Arabic is required. Proficiency in the English is preferred.

Success Factors:

A successful incumbent will have good communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated attention to details, and will be committed working ethically with Mercy Corps stakeholders regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, abilities, or gender. S/he will be highly motivated, and capable of working with or 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 innovator.

Team Efficiency 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 that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.