Nutrition Assistant – Islamic Relief Vacancy Announcement

Internal/External

Vacancy Announcement

 

IR/INT/EXT/VN/002.24

            January 02, 2024    

Job Title:                       Nutrition Assistant

Reports to:                   Nutrition Project Coordinator

Duty Station:               Oromia Regional State, Borena Zone, Dire Woreda

Required:                      Four (4)

Duration:                      One year with possible extension based on performance

Salary:                           As per the organizations scale

Introduction

Islamic Relief is an international relief and development charity founded in 1984, headquartered in Birmingham, UK. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion, or gender. The office officially started operation in Ethiopia in 2004. Islamic Relief Ethiopia (IRE) is operational in the Somali Regional State with a base office in Jigjiga, Hargelle, Elkere, Bare, GG and Dekasuftu, Afar Regional State; Ewa, Awra and Gulina; Oromia Regional State, West Harergeye, Chiro and Meayso Woredas, Borena zone of Dire, Dubluk, Elewaye and Yabello woredas and an additional operational office in Addis Ababa. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us 

Job Overview

The Nutrition Assistant is responsible to plan, implement and report community-level activities and ensuring smooth implementation of program and operations’ activities and adherence to logistic, human resource, administration, and security procedures. At the kebele level, the Nutrition Assistant represents Islamic Relief (IR) to relevant stakeholders and attend different health, nutrition, and food security task force meeting. He/she develops and implements Nutrition, Health, care group, SBCC, reproductive health, FSL and Protection programs in collaboration with the respective sector officers and technical staff. He/she ensures activities are carried out in accordance with the agreement made with appropriate stakeholders as well as in line with the government policy and development philosophy of the organization.

Key responsibilities

 

1.      Planning

 

• Provide information to Nutrition Project Coordinator during annual project planning;
• Work closely with the HEWs and DAs to jointly plan project activities.
• Facilitates the screening of needy households with kebele leaders and DAs;
• Prepare NCG discussion schedule for her/himself and community volunteers including monitoring plan using quality improvement verification checklist
• Develop a community action plan with community members to measure the progress of Multiyear nutrition response project SBC activities and/or toward objectives
• Support annual targeting/recertification process at the kebele level
• Conduct PLW and under five children registration.

2.      Program Implementation

·       Conduct community conversations with individuals and family members, including influential figures on various nutrition and health activities;

• Conduct regular NCG discussions with WHDAs and others and monitor their discussion with pregnant and lactating women using quality improvement verification checklist;
• Support HEWs on screening for malnutrition, referral and linkage, growth monitoring and promotion activities;
• Receive monthly data from HEWs and WHDAs on malnutrition cases, ANC/PNC and status of target PLWs and their children across continuum of care;
• Provide effective counseling on a variety of topics by applying effective counseling principles;
• Conduct home visits to learn about community experience and concerns, discuss obstacles, recommend action, and make a follow-up appointment;
• Facilitate the formation and functionality of NCG in the community;
• Facilitate the implementation and monitoring of nutrition sensitive agriculture activities;
• Make referrals and connections to community health and nutrition resources to enable individuals and families meet basic social, health, and nutritional needs (e.g., health resources, treatment, insurance, cash transfer, food transfer);
• Assist the MEAL officer in conducting need assessment surveys, baseline studies, end-line evaluations, and gender analysis surveys.

·       Collaborate closely with kebele Health Extension Workers (HEWs), Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs), and other stakeholders to promote and assist households in enhancing dietary diversity.

3.       Strengthen the capacity of government HEWs, AEWs and health system:–

·       Conduct need assessment and capacity-building training to Health extension workers, health facility staff, agriculture and health development armies, PLWs and community representatives as per the project plan.

·       Organize joint supervision and mentoring visits to the health facilities with health facility professionals and provide technical support to health extension workers and HDAs.

·       Provide training for the healthcare workers in different maternal and child health-related agendas.

·       Organize training on nurturing care group and educational methods for health workers, health extension workers and WHDAs.

·       Identify capacity gaps of the WHDAs and HEWs and report to the nutrition project coordinator.

·       Distribute pharmaceutical and medical supplies to target health facilities based on identified needs.

·       Provide necessary inputs including furniture/equipment that is required for health centers and health posts to carry out quality services.

·       Participate in beneficiary registration, selection and targeting

·       Distribute Agricultural tools, vegetables seeds, poultry, small ruminants and haricot bean to PLWs

·       Organize food cooking demonstration events at village levels in collaboration with HEWs, AEWS and WHDAs

4.      Strengthen communities capacity to be more effectively engaged in health service provision:

·       Conduct home visit along with HEWs

·       Awareness raising of the community on maternal and child health.

·       Leads Nurturing care group and women’s forums discussion in collaboration with HEWs.

·       Provide technical support to community development armies for the implementation of health-related activities within the community.

5.      Coordination and networking:

·       Be aware of national and regional policies, strategies, and other initiatives and developments by the government and other stakeholders in relation to health services for pastoralist communities in the Oromia region.

·       Identify and establish good relationships with all key stakeholders

·       Develop good relations with other NGOs, development, and UN agencies, etc. working in the sector at the woreda level and where possible forge alliances to influence key actors when necessary.

6.      Monitoring, Reporting and documentation:

·       Participate in assessment survey

·       Conduct supportive supervision visits in collaboration with woreda health office.

·       Organize review meetings with HEWs and WHDAs in consultation with Nutrition program coordinator.

·       Record key outputs/changes from each community dialogue and conversation sessions

·       Organize and facilitate biweekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings and record their progress and proper documentation of each report and other documents

·       Document any experience/learning, achievements, and challenges to Nutrition Project Coordinator.

·       Others: any other task as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Formal Education/Qualification and Work Experience

·       Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health or Nursing with a minimum of 3 years work experience.

·       Experience in working with government counterparts and other partners at kebele and woreda level in Emergency and developmental nutrition and NSA preferably in Borena zone.

Skills and Competences

·       Good understanding of the health sector at field levels with particular focus nurturing care group, NSA, SAM/MAM, MIYCN, F-MUAC, poultry management and horticulture.

·       Proven programme implementation and management experience including working within/with government health and Agriculture system.

·       Demonstrable experience in facilitation of trainings/workshops.

·       Good communication and interpersonal skills

·       Excellent ability to speak and communicate Afaan Oromo with good spoken and written English skills.

·       Excellent interpersonal skill and able to work in a multicultural team.

·       Good computer skills (particularly Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint)

·       Previous relevant experience in INGO sector is an asset.

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity

Islamic Relief and Islamic Relief staff considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. And must adhere the principle of ‘do no harm and leave no one behind.’ It is critical we do not expose communities or staff we work with to the risk of harm through our interventions.  With a zero-tolerance approach Islamic Relief have a number of related policies which also describe standards in behavior expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Islamic Relief is committed to responding swiftly, appropriately and constructively to any and all information children, young people and people at risk have disclosed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. We participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child abuse during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment before signing the contract agreement.

Islamic Relief believes everyone has the right to be safe, respected and valued regardless of who they are or their circumstances, and an equal employment opportunity to all candidates and qualified applicants, we do not discriminate on the base of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability status and diversity.