Job Title: Health and Nutrition Project Manager

Location: Based in Kismayo Somalia with regular travels to field locations

Job Holder Reports To: Projects Coordinator and Deputy Country director in absence of Projects Coordinator

Direct Reports: Health Manager

Overall, Purpose:

Working as an important member of a diverse team who are committed to serve the world’s most vulnerable with practical and compassionate care the Health and Nutrition Manager manages and oversees programme activities implementation. On a day-to-day basis the Health and Nutrition Project Manager carries out a variety of functions required to ensure programme activities are delivered to beneficiaries while ensuring adherence to international and national guidelines and quality standards. The manager provides capacity building for health staff and promotes best practice in the health programme

Project Overview:

Health, Nutrition and WASH programme in several regions, including Kismayo, specialising in linking up health facility-based services with community networks and integrated multisectoral outreach when malnutrition rates are high. Community health projects including Care Group Model and integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) Rehabilitation of a health facility, including WASH infrastructure and Emergency responses programmes

Major Duties and Responsibilities

•  Ensure implementation of the designated sectors in consultation with the relevant Project Manager(s), advisors and in accordance with the project proposals ensuring objectives are met within the required time frame and budget. Where necessary ensure preventative and corrective action is taken

•  Manage a comprehensive activity plan for the designated health, Nutrition and Emergency related activities, including resource needs analysis, covering the time frame of the project proposal

•  Support relevant managers, supervisors and officers in day-to-day decision making as requested

•  Ensure complete and timely reporting of activities

•  Ensure all relevant documents related to the designated sectors are produced, coordinate with Senior Project manager to ensure filing according to Medair and donor guidelines

•  Contribute to defining appropriate policies, guidelines and protocols for the medical and nutritional aspects of Medair’s work in country, in consultation with H&N, PC and GSO advisors, other field managers, and in line with relevant government, Sphere and WHO guidelines.

•  Provide technical support to the health and nutrition teams in all project sites, including the evaluation and impact analysis of current projects.

•  Carry out regular monitoring visits in conjunction with other field supervisors, ensuring that sector objectives are met within the stated timeframes and in accordance with recognised international standards and Medair quality standards.

•  Supervise and monitor the implementation of the new M&E systems for data collection (qualitative and quantitative), analysis and follow-up and feedback to relevant staff.

•  Maintain an oversight of medicines and health and nutrition supplies ordered and utilized for the health and nutrition activities, at health facility sites

•  Provide input into the integration of beneficiary participation and accountability in all aspects for the health, Nutrition and ER activities

•  Contribute overview input of the regional context with a view to the strategic development of new projects both in current sites and in surrounding regions. This may include baseline needs assessments

•  Take lead around the development and production of new concepts and proposals

•  In liaison and coordination with PC conduct Multi-sector assessments in locations where disease outbreaks have been reported

•  Be responsible for the implementation, supervision and support of interventions following the assessments in line with the activity plan and time frame

•  In liaison with the M&E officer facilitate 3rd party monitoring activities

•  Conduct monthly review of all health epidemiological, nutrition program trends, and pharmacy data including appropriate analysis and highlight areas requires closer supervision

•  Conduct regular project review meetings with the sector managers, filed based supervisors, and partner staff to assess the level of achievement of project targets and challenges for health and nutrition interventions Ensure that crisis-affected people participate in every stage of the project cycle.

•  In liaison with the PC, assess how communities and people affected by crisis would like to receive information about Medair and the project.

•  Ensure that feedback is integrated into project planning, implementation, M&E and reporting.

Representation-In the absence of the PC

•  Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries, community leaders, local and national government officials, donors, UN agencies and other NGOs) and represent Medair at relevant meetings (e.g. state and local government, sector-coordination and security) in order to facilitate and ensure cooperation and partnerships

•  Seek out and actively participate in relevant local networks or task groups on specific humanitarian aid issues

•  Accompany donors on field trips and ensure programme details are transmitted in a timely and professional manner

•  Represent Medair, as appropriate, at national cluster, coordination, sector and bilateral meetings, working groups, with national and/or local government departments and any other relevant meetings or events, facilitating supportive synergies and overall progress in the relevant sectors and avoiding duplication with the work of other agencies (e.g. NGOs, UN, etc).

Financial Management

•  Plan and construct the budgets for the designated sectors, in collaboration with the relevant Project Manager(s) and Sector Advisors, Finance Manager and in accordance with donor guidelines

•  In collaboration with the Finance Manager, monitor the spending of the designated sector budgets to ensure they operate in line with Medair and donor guidelines for financial accounting and reporting practices

•  Participate in the periodical BVA review meetings and make appropriate recommendations to the finance and logistics staff as well as to the field-based health staff.

Communication and Coordination

•  Develop and maintain appropriate, regular, transparent and supportive communication structures with the supported health facility teams, local partners, line Manager, Directorate of health office and other relevant stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries, community leaders, local and national government officials, UN agencies and other NGOs), with the objective of ensuring good cooperation and partnerships

•  Participate in coordination meetings, Medair internal trainings, and other working groups or meetings as required, representing Medair and feeding back to the project and facility staff on relevant issues

Logistics

•  Support the logistics activities of the programme, particularly in relation to the purchasing of medicines, supplies and equipment for the assigned facilities and activities

•  Liaise, as necessary, with the logistics and finance staff to ensure items are procured, transported, stored, managed and accounted for correctly

Quality Management

•  Ensure health and nutrition and emergency response projects are implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with Medair, donor, country and international standards e.g. Sphere and CHS standards, WHO recommendations, etc. Follow the direction of the PC and Senior Health Advisor at GSO regarding quality, strategy and technical guidelines,

•  Plan and implement appropriate and adequate training to health and nutrition staff based on identified capacity and technical gaps

•  Oversee that staff under line management implement their sector activities in line with quality standards.

•  Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations to PC and Health & Nutrition as well as field staff on the quality of health programmes and interventions during field visits and at other relevant times.

Staff Management

•  Oversee the line managed staff (CHM, NUT, and Quality Officer), including day-to-day management, development and training, appraisals if necessary.

•  Facilitate regular meetings to assist information sharing between health facilities supervisors and partner health and nutrition staff to ensure they are informed of sector activities and current work plans and to provide the opportunity for feedback

•  Provide coaching and technical supervision to staff in order to develop ownership and full responsibility for health and nutrition activities 

Delegated Responsibilities

•  Involvement in preparation and writing of sector donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the relevant Sector Managers and other senior in-country and GSO managers

•  In liaison with other in country senior managers ensure implementation of the assigned sectors within budget and the agreed time frame.

•  Development of and adherence to the in-country health policy, strategy and guidelines in consultation with other relevant field managers and GSO staff

•  Ensure proper management of approved drug and nutrition supplies and maintain sufficient stock levels in consultation with other relevant field managers.

•  Line management of assigned staff, including recruitment, performance monitoring, disciplinary action in liaison with PC and HR, etc.

•  Representation of Medair at meetings and through relationships with external partners (e.g. community leaders, local and national government officials, UN agencies and other NGOs)