Health and Nutrition Project

Job Title: Health & Nutrition Project Coordinator

Number of positions: 1

Location: Based in Hargeisa with regular travels to project location sites, mainly in Togdheer and Sool.

 Reports to: Programme Manager

Project Duration: 11 Months including 3months probation Period

Organization Background:

Candlelight for Environment, Education & Health was founded in 1995 as a non-governmental organization dedicated to development issues in underserved and/or marginalized communities. Candlelight quickly grew from a small institution with limited coverage to one of the biggest charities in Somaliland. From its inception to date Candlelight has been working hard to implement and manage high quality, contextually appropriate and effective programs to serve the most vulnerable communities in Somaliland.

Project Background:

Candlelight in partnership with Acted and with funding from the French Embassy will undertake a 12-months project aimed to restore resilience though improved food security and nutrition outcomes for vulnerable displaced and rural population in crisis affected areas in Somalia to a total of 5,120 households (30,720 individuals). This will be achieved through the provision of nutrition and health services in 18 IDP sites and rural villages within Caynaba and Laas Canood Districts in Sool Region and Burco District in Togdheer Region (SO1), in particular for Pregnant and Lactating Women and Children under two years of age that lack regular and vital access to Mother and Child Health Units in the first 1,000 days of life. To achieve this, Candlelight will establish Mobile Health and Nutrition Mobile Teams (MHNT) that have the capacity to target at least 21,000 individuals (80 patients/day) with nutrition screening and treatment, referral pathway for severe cases, vaccination, and awareness on key topics related to good nutrition, child health, and hygiene practices for better community development.

Job Description

Develop, lead, monitor and evaluate the assigned health and nutrition project. This involves effectively managing and reporting on the projects in line with the objectives, time frame and budget with a focus on health/nutrition system strengthening, training and coordination. Providing technical support, leadership and strategic direction, other important aspects of the role include managing and training health/nutrition staff to meet quality standards in health and nutrition delivery, encouraging beneficiary participation, liaising with other stakeholders, managing and training health/nutrition staff, and anticipating, planning, and contributing to the development of health/nutrition project proposals and reports.

Key Activity Areas and role of the manager

Health and Nutrition Project Management

§    Manage the health & nutrition project(s) to meet the project objectives within budget and time frame and report any operational concerns to line manager.

§    Provide strong leadership of the assigned health and nutrition project(s), working to ensure both short and long-term positive impacts and outcomes for the beneficiaries.

§    Contribute to the development of health & nutrition strategies including proactive planning for responsible exit in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

§    Set clear objectives and indicators for health and nutrition activities with the health and nutrition staff, and where appropriate, with local communities.

§    Continuously monitor and supervise health and nutrition activities, evaluating progress through outputs and impacts using both quantitative and qualitative data, and involving the health/nutrition team in analysis and taking appropriate action as needed to ensure continued progress.

§    Ensure accurate and timely reporting of activities according to Candlelight and donor time frames and formats.

§    Develop new proposals, linked to assessed needs and gaps identified.

§    Line-manage the MHNTs including day-to-day management, trainings, and, appraisals.

§    Facilitate regular meetings to assist information sharing between project staff, to ensure all staff members are aware of project objectives and current work plans and to provide the opportunity for feedback.

§    Provide coaching supervision to staff to develop ownership & responsibility for health/nutrition activities.

§    Assess the training needs of health/nutrition staff and ensure that appropriate training is conducted.

Financial Management

§    Manage the health and nutrition project budget for the assigned project(s) and ensure all expenses are according to budget and meet the Candlelight standards with regard to financial management.

Communication and Coordination

§    Develop and maintain regular and supportive communication with different stakeholders e.g. beneficiaries, community leaders, government officials, and other NGOs, to ensure good cooperation and partnerships.

§    Participate in health/nutrition coordination meetings, trainings, and other working groups or meetings, representing Candlelight and feeding back to the line managers.

Logistics

§    Support the logistics activities of project staff, particularly in relation to the purchasing of medicines, supplies and equipment

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

Quality Management

§    Ensure project is implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with Candlelight and other relevant standards.