THE POSITION

HCO is actively looking for a committed, talented and highly motivated individual to fill the position of Project Officer for our Access to Justice Project which seeks to enhance access to justice for the youth and marginalised communities in Kisauni Sub County with financial support of UNDP AMkeni Wa Kenya under PLEAD II. Reporting to the Programmes Manager (PM), the PO will be expected to develop and strengthen working relationships with all the relevant justice sector players (formal and informal) in discharging his/her duties to ensure access to justice for our beneficiaries in a timely and sustainable manner.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with the National Legal Aid Services (NLAS) and other relevant Justice Sector players to create awareness about the Legal Aid framework and ensure increased utilization of the available legal aid services by the youth and marginalized communities in Kisauni Sub County.
• Establish and operationalize Community Justice Centre in Kisauni to promote access to justice for the youth and marginalized groups in Kisauni through both formal and informal justice systems.
• Train and deploy community paralegals to support the operationalization of the Community Justice Centre and implementation of other community-focused project activities.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with NLAS, Court Users Committee, County Government, and other relevant Justice Sector players to promote collaboration and strategic partnerships.
• Ensure timely reporting of project activities and proactively share updates on developments that might impact project implementation or achievement of project objectives with the Programmes Manager.
• Conduct quarterly Project Monitoring and Learning meetings to assess the progress of implementation while also providing a platform for learning and documentation of knowledge, challenges, and opportunities.
• Work with the M&E consultant to develop a simplified Learning and Evaluation with Accountability and Planning (LEAP) framework to ensure effective inclusion of and accountability to affected communities. Also, the PO will liaise with the M&E Consultant to conduct periodic project evaluation aimed at establishing extent project resources are being utilized to produce expected project outcomes.
• Conduct project needs assessment and support fundraising efforts through writing project proposals.
• Represent HCO in strategic partnership and networking spaces with key stakeholders.
• Conduct any other duty as assigned by the PM.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Law from a recognised University.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in access to justice and project management in the NGO sector.
• Demonstrable understanding of the Legal Aid framework in Kenya and substantive prior engagement with
• NLAS and other Justice Sector players is mandatory.
• Excellent ability to establish and maintain project-relevant partnerships.
• Proven working knowledge of monitoring, evaluation, learning tools, and the LEAP framework.
• Proven ability to conceptualise, design and implement projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Self-driven and able to deliver results with minimum supervision