Officer – System Strengthening, CARE Ethiopia

 CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I.  JOB SUMMARY:

The system strengthening officer is responsible for providing technical support for woreda-level government stakeholders and food and nutrition platforms to effectively and efficiently implement the county policy/strategies. The Position holder will be responsible for ensuring the high-quality execution of all activities of the CASCADE project at the woreda level.  He/she will work closely with all stakeholders at the Woreda level and the planning activities are effectively integrated into the government system. He/she is also responsible for assisting the Sr. project Manager in reporting, lesson extraction and documntation. This position will be line managed by the CASCADE Sr. Project manager but receives technical supports from the project technical specilists and advisors.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

Job Responsibility #1 Planning and Program Design  % of Time:  30%

• Contribute to the development of project detail plan with staff and implementing partners/stakeholders;
• Supports key government partners at the woreda level for the preparation of action plans to operationalize the country’s policies and strategies in relation to food and nutrition;
• Participates in the identification and design of guidelines/directions to support the operationalization of the country’s policies/strategies in relation to food and nutrition;
• Support in ensuring each planned project activity is interlinked to the woreda nutrition plan in a way that strengthens the government system strengthening and contributes to its sustainability.
• Provide technical support for the Woreda nutrition coordination council/technical bodies to function in a more impactful and sustainable way.
• Influence and support the woreda nutrition council/technical bodies to prioritize gender in food and nutrition policy/strategies implementation;        

Job Responsibility #2:  Capacity Building and technical assistance  % of Time:  15%

• Closely work on identifying training and other institutional development needs of the woreda government stakeholders in order to implement the food and nutrition policies/strategies;
• Facilitate and Organize Training schedules, communicate and identify trainees and trainers based on activity guidelines;
• Organizes and facilitates training and capacity-building events for key woreda government partners in identified areas;
• Organizes periodic refresher training for key government partners at the woreda level in areas requiring such
• Support on training materials/module preparation   

Job Responsibility #3:  Partnership, and Networking,  % of Time:  20%

• In close consultation with specialists and Sr. Project Manager, liaises with relevant government institutions, counterparts, NGO, and CBO partners to effectively strengthen the woreda government partners’ system in food and nutrition policy/strategy implementation in a more sustainable and impactful way;
• Establishes an effective working relationship with government, non-governmental and community-based organizations at the woreda level;
• Explores and participates in networks, Nutrition task forces at the woreda  levels;
• Actively participates in networking and advocacy initiatives;
• Represent CARE on assigned Woreda, attend CSO meetings
• Participates in gender-related forums and represents CARE in governance issues;
• Disseminates regularly information regarding the project accomplishments among stakeholders, including the government at the woreda level;

Job Responsibility #4:  Monitoring, Evaluation, and learning:  % of Time:  15%

• Support the woreda government stakeholders in facilitating regular supportive supervision and review meetings to ensure its integration into the existing structure and practice sustainability;
• Participates in the formulation of an annual plan and budget for the project;
• Participates in project development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; baseline, midline, endline evaluations, and other assessments of the project.
• Ensures the dissemination of governance-related information within the organization, partners, and other stakeholders at the woreda level
• Project progress, challenges, and lessons learned are documented and shared;
• Makes sure that all required data at the Woreda level are collected and documented well

Job Responsibility #3:  Reporting   % of Time: 15%

•  Ensures that summary of meetings, training, or workshops attended by project staff and partners are written, documented well, and shared with others/reported timely.
• Compile and share monthly, quarterly, and annual reports of their respective woredas.
• Together with specialists, Project Manager, and CARE staff, properly document the achievements and lessons of the project activities and disseminate them to partners as required.
• Support the Nutrition coordination body and Task forces meeting minutes are documented and reported well timely; 

Job Responsibility #5:  Others  % of Time: 5%

•  Perform other duties as assigned.

III. GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth and social inclusion issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

IV. QUALIFICATIONS (KNOW HOW)

A) EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:

1. BA/BSc Degree in health science, Nutrition, food science, public health, Sociology, Psychology, Gender, Social work or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Desired:

• M.A. degree in public health, Development Studies or equivalent

B) EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 3 years of work experience for first degree holders and 2 years of experience for post graduate degree holders in development/health/nutrition project planning, implementation, partner coordination, and also project monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience working at the system level and policy implementation

Desired:

• NGO experience.
• Experience working with the government structures

C Technical Skills

Required:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies;
• Computer skills (word, Excel);
• Training/facilitation;
• Firm belief in partnership, teamwork, and gender equality,

Desired:

• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills.

D) COMPETENCIES

• Diversity, excellence, integrity, respect, analytical ability, building partnership, stress tolerance, facilitating change, adaptability, networking, coaching, developing teams, initiating action, political acumen, interpersonal skills, communicating with impact, contributing to team success, information monitoring, innovation, planning and organizing.

IIV. CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS 

• The incumbent is expected to collaborate with counterpart GOs, NGOs, and nutrition platforms, and Forums at the woreda level. She/he also works in close collaboration with the sr. project manager, health and nutrition specialist, gender and livelihood specialist, and policy and advocacy specialist.

V. WORKING CONDITIONS AND LEVEL OF TRAVEL REQUIRED. 

• This position is located at the woreda level, either of Ebinat, Libo Kemkem, Lay Gaynt & Tach Gaynt Woreda, and will be expected to extend support to other nearby 3-4 woredas of the south Gondar zone.