Nutrition Specialist

Organizational Background

The Ethiopia Somali Development Association (ESDA) was established in April 2012 by the Somali communities in the region as non-governmental, no-profit making association registered under the Ethiopian civil society charity organization number 3122 with a view to mitigating the humanitarian and development problems of the region by mobilizing local and external resources. ESDA support the development endeavours of the people of Somali region in the areas of Health, Basic education, food security and livelihood, protection, Water, hygiene and sanitation, livestock health, peace building, income generating activities for women and youth, and other related development activities through mobilizing resources from volunteer members, Diaspora communities and institutional donors.

After four consecutive failed rainy seasons over the past two years, communities in parts of southern Ethiopia including the Somali region, have been severely affected by a prolonged drought. This resulted in significant economic losses, mainly due to the effect on agricultural productivity. In the Somali region, the population is highly dependent on natural-resource based livelihoods and is very vulnerable to drought. The Ethiopia Somali Development Association (ESDA) will implement a project titled “Digital Voucher for Nutrient-Dense Foods for Stunting and Waste Prevention” in Mula, Erer, Harshin, Degahbur, Gode, and Kebridehar woredas funded by the World Food Program (WFP). The project focuses on households with pregnant and lactating women and/or children under 2 years of age (6 to 23 months). The project beneficiaries will receive a voucher that can be used to purchase fruits, vegetables and certain animal source foods (such as eggs and milk). To ensure that the markets can respond to the increased demand, the FFV project will actively engage with fresh food traders in the intervention areas. The FFV project will include a large behavioral component where beneficiaries will be given information about the importance of a diverse diet, along with other social behavior change communication (SBCC) initiatives such as practical demonstrations on the proper usage of nutritious foods. Overall, the project has two objectives. First, it aims to improve dietary diversity among children between 6 and 23 months of age and among pregnant and lactating women (PLW).

Role Purpose:

The Nutrition specialist will be responsible for providing strategic support for Somali Regional Health Bureau in multi-sectoral action for Nutrition in the region as well as in the implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Strategy in Somali region.  She/ he will liaise with regional government and provide support for FFV regional team in developing and implementation of Nutrition Sensitive Strategy, to address food security, food safety, food quality and post-harvest management, as well as other systemic issues, including Nutrition multi-sectoral approaches and institutional arrangements for food and nutrition governance. The specialist will support the development and implementation of nutrition-specific and sensitive implementation programs, guidelines, protocols, and operational plans, in the Somali region.

 Job Responsibility 1:  Planning and Implementation of Program Activities

•  Provide technical support to the RHB in all Nutrition policy related issues and implementation of FFV project through full support of Regional Health Bureaus
• Advocate for and work with the FMOH and Nutrition Technical working group in the assessment, review, and updating of relevant guidelines, strategies, training materials and job aids; ensuring that multi-sectoral action is reflected as intended in the National Nutrition Program, and at a regional level.
• Closely engage with the RHB and Other regional bureaus to provide technical support to strengthen the Nutrition Coordination Unit/Team with the aim of facilitating effective functioning of the National Nutrition Coordination Committee (NNC) in the Somali region
• Encourage and facilitate multi-sectoral linkages to endure nutrition become a cross-cutting issue with in regional government sectors and department.
• Uphold the image and values of government of Ethiopia and ESDA at all times.
• Participate in a joint gap analysis and support the development and implementation of capacity building plan for RHB & other key actors when indicated.
• participate & facilitate relevant multi-sectoral meetings, conferences, workshops and exchange visits, document and share proceeding reports, minutes
• Promote international attention and exchange of ideas and ‘best practice’ for nutrition, maximise the benefits for the Somali region and Ethiopia.
• Maintain a close and smooth working relationship with all government offices, funding agencies and community.
• Ensure that regional priorities and decisions of the government relevant to FFV are communicated to FFV partners as appropriate.
• Coordinate & participate in relevant multi-sectoral meetings, conferences, workshops
• Conduct supervision visits and provide technical assistance to ESDA regional teams.
• Provide advice /support to the FFV regional team for the establishment and strengthening of Regional Nutrition Coordinating body (RNC) and Woreda nutrition multi-sectoral coordination mechanism
• Participate in FFV regional team meetings, training and coordination events as required.
• Closely work with the FFV partners to ensure complementarity and that grassroots lessons and experiences are fed into national level discussions and decisions.
• Build the capacity of regional Health Bureau staff members  to manage and plan nutrition programs
• Assist in any other tasks, as requested.

Job Responsibility 2:  Provide technical assistance, monitoring and supervision

• In consultation with the PM and Woreda Coordinators, prepare annual plans and budgets; supports and coordinates capacity building needs assessment for woreda partners, kebele and village level community institutions in relation to FFV Project package implementation strategies, methodologies, and activities;
• Provides technical support for scaling up Nutrition specific and Nutrition sensitive interventions
• Support the development and roll of contextualized SBCC strategy in the region
• Collaborate with nutrition team  to address the nutrition problem of most vulnerable household in the to link  household in coordinated and sustainable way
• Organizes and facilitates joint participatory monitoring programs with the  regional team and woreda partners and community groups, both technical and management bodies, document lessons and provide feedback to the project;
• Conducts regular review meetings with the  regional team and record lessons and provide feedback to the participants and to the project;
• Proactively identify and resolve technical problems/and other issues relating to fodder/livestock/milk productivity that field workers and partners

Job Responsibility #4:  Reporting

• Develops appropriate reporting formats together with the Woreda coordinator, MIYCN Officers, Field Monitors, and other relevant technical staffs;
• Collects weekly, monthly and quarterly performance records and reports from the field staff
• Checks and confirm the correctness of the records and reported activities from field staff;
• Reviews and summarize the weekly, monthly and quarterly records and reports from Field staff and submit to the immediate supervisor and project office.

Duty station Jig jiga with frequent travel to field

Reports directly to: Project Manager – Fresh Food Voucher