Accountability Assistant

 

Position Title	Accountability Assistant
Supervised by	MEAL Manager
Reporting to	MEAL Manager
Duty Station	Maiduguri, Nigeria
Area of Operation	Nigeria
Employment Period	6 Months - renewable
Type of Contract (Expat/National/Trainee)	National
Salary & Benefits	NM - I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organisation with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organisation.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

 

Background

A country of around 230M inhabitants, with over 129 million currently living in poverty, Nigeria faces one of the world's most complex humanitarian crises in the world. The fifteen-year conflict in the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, driven primarily by the Boko Haram insurgency and its splinter groups (ISWAP and JAS), has resulted in widespread displacement, violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and acute protection needs. More than 2.3 million people remain internally displaced in the northeast, while in the Northwest region an additional 1.3M people have been forcibly displaced due to banditry, kidnapping, and herders -farmers conflict. Northern Nigeria is heavily impacted by climate change, including lengthening lean seasons and erratic rainy seasons and droughts, resulting in food production shortfalls and more population displacements. Severe acute malnutrition is affecting a world-high total of 1.8 million children across BAY and northwestern states.

In 2026 Nigeria’s humanitarian system will be transitioning from UN-led toward nationally owned coordination, with some lack of clarity regarding concrete mechanisms to be it in place and amid a funding crisis.

DRC has been operating in Nigeria since 2016. The Country Office is in Abuja and has 2 area offices in Maiduguri and Sokoto with sub offices in Gusau, Zamfara State, and Bama and Banki, Borno State. DRC Nigeria's multi-sectoral response addresses core Strategic Priority Interventions: Hard-to-Reach populations, Economic Recovery, Protection, and increasingly climate resilience. The operation focuses on both emergency response and solutions programming with expanding partnerships with local actors.

 

Purpose:

The Accountability Assistants' primary function is to assist the MEAL Team to ensure that DRC maintain high standards of accountability and transparency. S/He oversees monitoring and evaluation, establishes community feedback mechanisms, ensures compliance with policies and standards, and promotes transparency within the DRC program activities being implemented in a proper manner.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning Manager, the holder of this position shall perform the following duties:

Responsibilities:

Information Sharing and CFM Handling Process:

• Manage Toll Free line in accordance to DRC standards
• Assist the MEAL Officer to develop content for CFM awareness-raising and design attractive IEC materials e.g. posters, brochures and business cards and make sure they are disseminated by all means to the public.
• Support regular Accountability trainings to staff and partners.
• With support of the  CO and AO MEAL team, continually aim to improve information sharing and participation with communities, support the design and roll out of innovative methods that increase the engagement and participation of persons of concern and stakeholders.
• Ensures the day-to-day functions of the CFM and ensure the timely entry of all feedback received from beneficiaries/stakeholders into the CFM database.
• Ensure that all non-sensitive feedback should be directly referred to the DRC designated colleagues for internal and external follow-up when required. Also, ensure immediate referral of protection related concerns and sensitive feedback according to the DRC CFM workflow.
• Develop a monthly CFM report and ensure it is shared with relevant staff and share/present the findings to AO team to ensure learning process procedures are followed.
• Support  narrative updates on AAP activities in contribution to donor and other internal reports.

General Support to DRC MEAL System:

• In collaboration with the Area team and MEAL team, closely monitor AAP materials stocks and expenditure on accountability. 
• With the support of the MEAL Officer, provide budget forecasts on accountability lines for the budget follow up (BFU) updates. 
• Support the MEAL Officer in the updating of a mission-wide Accountability Framework and/or relevant AAP standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure that relevant accountability SOPs are available to all staff, translated into  local language – if required, shared and implemented by all relevant DRC staff.
• Support the CO MEAL team to conduct CHS self-assessment and contribute to the preparation the resulting accountability improvement plan (AIP).
• Support the MEAL Officers and Team in generating lessons learned from the CFM to be incorporated during the periodic programmatic learning events.

Capacity Building:

• Coordinate and liaise with DRC staffs and partners to improve accountability practices generally and CFM accessibility for program participants, including establishing a broad understanding of the full function of the CFM amongst the communities we work with, DRC staff and partners.
• Support regular visits to the DRC and partners’ operation areas and ensure relevant program staff are refreshed on accountability principles by organizing CFM sessions as needed.
• Perform other duties as directed by MEAL Team Leader and Accountability Specialist

 

Supervisory Role

• None

The responsibilities listed above are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

 

Experience and technical competencies:

Essential:

Essential:

• Minimum of 2 years of previous experience with implementing AAP mechanisms or with monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programs.

• Knowledge of MEAL and AAP Approaches and SHERE Standard
• Solid computer skills and competency in MS Word and Excel as a minimum.
• Ability to communicate key information in an easy to understand, informative and collaborative manner.

Desirable:

• The position may require frequent travel to project sites in remote and sometimes challenging environments.
• The role may involve working outside of regular office hours to meet deadlines or during emergency responses.
• Excellent facilitation skills and a strong understanding of how to collect feedback safely and accurately from all members of a community regardless of their age, gender, or other diversity factors.
• Experience working in emergency response with INGOs, preferably in a humanitarian context.

 

We offer:

Contract length: 6 Months, with the possibility of extension depending on funding availability. 

Workplace: Maiduguri, Nigeria

Start date: When the right candidate is identified. 

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the DRC National salary structure.  This is contractually a national position for which local Nigerian terms and conditions apply. 

 

Application Process:

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) on the DRC website. Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process.

However, all applicants shall take into consideration that DRC cannot offer an international work contract to a citizen of the country of assignment (in this specific case, Nigeria).

Applications close on 15th July 2026. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the advertisement may close sooner than the 15th of July 2026 if a successful candidate is identified.

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