PUBLIC HEALTH PROMOTION (PHP) OFFICER

ABOUT OXFAM

Oxfam is a global community that believes poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s rights activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers, and more.

And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of the international confederation Oxfam.

OUR VALUES AND COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity, and financial misconduct; and is committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organization.

OUR WORK IN ETHIOPIA

Since the early 1970s, we have been working to address the underlying causes of poverty and marginalization by focusing on developing sustainable livelihoods, providing water and sanitation, agriculture, climate research, gender, and humanitarian issues.

TEAM PURPOSE:

Oxfam has been intervening in Gambella Region since 2014 and its main areas of intervention are WASH program with the integration of gender, protection and safeguarding. In response the call for expression of interest by UNHCR/RRS Oxfam has been selected to implement and lead the WASH activities in the entire Gambella 7 refugee camps Including new selected Lock Dong refugee centre, there for the profession pursue and ensure the delivery of basic WASH services which meets an international standard.

JOB PURPOSE:

Public Health Promotion (PHP) Officer is responsible to be an active part of the Oxfam GB Hygiene promotion team in close coordination with the Public Health Engineering (PHE) team and to strengthen Oxfam’s response to the South Sudan refugees in Gambela region by providing effective management and high-quality technical planning and implementation inputs for schedules of work and monitoring against agreed indicators.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme implementation

• As part of a multi-disciplinary team, carry out assessment of the public health risks and analysis of the threats to life, health and dignity faced by the refugees. Make recommendations for actions which are consistent with Oxfam’s policies and guidelines.
• Work closely with engineering colleagues (PHEs) to implement and monitor Oxfam’s water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH) interventions ensuring an integrated behaviour change communication (BCC) approach to the public health needs of programme activities.
• Organise and conduct training for the identified community groups which may include Hygiene Community Outreach Agents (HCOAs), water point attendants, latrine cleaners, etc as applicable or as needed by the project.
• Ensure where possible an empowering approach to working with communities is employed.
• In collaboration with other actors develop necessary materials including IEC materials relevant to context and needs.
• Depending on the situation, the post holder may be asked to perform other tasks as requested by the line manager (PHP Team Leader/WASH Coordinator).

Programme approach

• Ensure that all work is carried out in a way that is sensitive to community needs and gender issues, as outlined in the PHP strategy. In particular, to promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of the work and to ensure that Oxfam’s Programme is an opportunity for peace making, rather than community division.
• Ensure that the programme is accountable to beneficiaries through promoting their participation providing them with information about programme activities and ensuring the beneficiary feedback is used effectively to adapt programme.
• Ensure that work aims to meet SPHERE minimum standards and adheres to Oxfam’s emergency guidelines and protocols including Oxfam Minimum Requirement (MR) in WASH and Core Humanitarian Standard.

Programme monitoring and reporting

• Work closely with MEAL officer, to implement context appropriate MEAL activities and ensure that data collected is timely analysed and reported to inform programme progress and management action/decision.
• Ensure that relevant complaint and feedback mechanisms in the community are established and monitored.
• Write regular reports adhering to OGB reporting formats at agreed intervals (weekly, monthly etc).

Staff management

• Participate in recruitment and supervision of public health promotion assistants. This may involve their work schedules, training plans, performance management – objectives setting, appraisals and staff management issues relating to Oxfam’s code of conduct.
• Carry out informal and formal staff training sessions and evaluate the impact.
• Develop work plans with staff to ensure effective implementation of the programme.

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who meet Oxfam are as safe as possible

Essential

• Relevant qualification, degree in public health promotion or other relevant areas (e.g. Environmental Health, Nursing, Community Development, Adult Education).
• At least 3 years practical experience in appropriate community health and environmental programmes, especially in emergency refugee programmes.
• Experience and understanding of community mobilisation in relation to water and sanitation activities in humanitarian programmes.
• Demonstrated experience of programme integration and commitment to humanitarian principles and action to crosscutting issues including gender, protection, diversity, HIV and AIDS into public health promotion programme.
• Understands different approaches to community mobilisation and Information, Education and Communication (I.E.C.).
• Strong assessment, analytical, planning, negotiation, oral and written reporting skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and in response to the changing needs.
• Good spoken and written English.

Desired

• Experience within the NGO sector in refugee camps.
• Ability to communicate fluently in a Nuer local language and one other commonly used language such as Amharic.
• Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills.
• Experience of working effectively within a large international agency including, in refugee response setting would be an added advantage
• Skills and experience of using AUTO-CAD, WATER-GEMS and other relevant software.
• Good knowledge of supervision techniques