Zonal Program Coordinator for Sidama

Nutrition International (NI) has been supporting Ethiopia develop and successfully implement health and nutrition policy and programs. NI’s project has strong focus on cost-effective high impact nutrition intervention including Iron Folic Acid supplementation to pregnant women, Vitamin A supplementation to children 6 – 59 months, Zinc supplementation for the management of childhood diarrhea, promotion of optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices for infant and young children (0 – 24 months of age), wheat and edible oil flour fortification and salt iodization.  NI AMNCHN program focuses on critical periods including:

During pregnancy: improve ANC 4 coverage, improve IFA 90+ consumption, counseling on maternal nutrition & monitoring maternal weight gain

During labor & childbirth: promotion and support of skilled birth attendant, timely initiation of Breastfeeding, promotion and support of clean cord care, timely cord camping,

Early postnatal period:  Postnatal IFA, counseling on breastfeeding and maternal nutrition during lactation

Infancy and childhood – promotion of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) until 6 months of age, promotion of VAS services to children 6 -59 months and adherence to VAS schedule and improve bi-annual VAS coverage; improve Zinc & ORS utilization for treatment of childhood diarrhea, and promotion of timely care seeking for childhood diarrhea and adherence to treatment.

Adolescent girls (10 – 19 years): provision of Weekly IFA supplementation and nutrition education

Specific Duties and Responsibilities of Zonal Program Coordinator:

Project Development 

• Support NI Ethiopia country office program team in gathering relevant information from the Zones & woredas on context and landscape to inform MNCAHN programming decisions.
• In liaison with the Senior Program Officers (SPOs) and MoH to select a showcase PHCUs and spread PHCUs to form Mentoring and Spread model in the woreda, to identify gaps, prioritize interventions and support project design processes

Project Implementation

Work closely with health and education sectors at zone & woreda level to develop annual, quarterly and monthly work plans and budgets in line with the approved grant

Ensure that planned activities are implemented as scheduled and as per approved budgets, challenges are identified, communicated to NI and recommended corrective actions provided in a timely manner

In collaboration with ZHD/RHB, WoHOs, & WoEOs conduct site monitoring of the planned activities at health facility, schools and community levels with strong focus on motivational supportive supervision conducted by HC to catchment HPs and schools, Weekly IFA distribution, monthly QI team meeting, monthly PWC sessions, monthly outreach VAS schedules,   quarterly WoHO & WoEO joint performance review, quarterly PHCU level PRQI

Every two month, conduct coaching/mentoring/supervision visits to ensure the implementation of mentoring and spread model

Together with woreda QI coaching team support showcase PHCUs to implement their QI plans to ensure MNCAHN services provided according to national standards and protocols

While coaching/supervision showcase PHCUs, mentor and capacitate the WoHO family health team staffs to use the Performance Review and Quality Improvement coaching guide to coach/supervise remaining PHCUs in the woreda (spread PHCUs).

Guide the ZHDs, WoHOs and PHCUs to institutionalize QI initiatives within ZHD, WoHOs and health facilities, to use management tools (Gantt charts, SWOT & variance analysis, monitoring scorecard/dashboard…) to improve programming

Work with ZHD, ZED, WoHOs and WoEOs to ensure dissemination and utilisation of MNCAHN protocols, guidelines and job aids at facilities, schools and community levels

Support and quality assure annual regional collaborative QI learning sessions and quarterly cluster based zonal collaborative mini-learning sessions to ensure that learnings and bottlenecks are adequately discussed, improvement areas are identified, and change ideas shared between collaborating PHCUs

Work with ZHD, WoHOs, PHCUs, school and cluster schools supervisors to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential supply including prenatal IFA, IFA for WIFAs, 4% CHx gel, Zinc & ORS, VACS by 1) improving the  capacity of  WoHO and PHCU staffs on stock management using standards forms (RRF, IFRR, HPRRF)  2) monitoring implementation of supply &logistics  management plan 3) monitoring information exchange between PHCUs /WoHOs, ZHD /RHB & PFSA hubs, and 4) organizing progress review meeting with  managers in the logistic and supply management system

Project Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation

• Follow up with ZHD to ensure quality and timely submission of both technical and financial reports to RHB and then to NI
• In liaison with M&E SPO, participate in planning, coordination and execution of Monitoring and Reporting activities including M&E capacity assessment, capacity building, performance review at regional, zonal and woreda levels.
• Collect, compile and submit to the CO MEAL SPO on a monthly basis routine monitoring data from woreda health offices, woreda education offices, the ZHD and ZED
• Collect Most Significant Change Stories from program beneficiaries (final and intermediary) on a quarterly basis.
• In liaison with M&E SPO, support the ZHD, WoHOs, WoEOs PHCUs and schools to integrate MNCAHN indicators and implement data quality assurance mechanisms
• Compile monthly QI indicators report from showcase PHCUs, VAS and WIFAs coverage reports, and provide monthly woreda QI implementation and performance progress update using QI coaching summary report form that includes improvement progress, implementation of plan changes and planned actions
• Support ZHD to compile quarterly service reach report from DHIS-2 and PWC report, WIFAS report, coaching/supervision reports
• In consultation with SPO, M&E officer ensure proper documentation and dissemination of achievements, lessons learnt, and best practices throughout the program implementation

Financial oversight

• Provide guidance to assigned ZHD to ensure activities are implemented in accordance with approved budget. And, ensure utilization of accounting system put in place to track spending/utilization.
• Facilitate financial plan & report exchange within MoH including 1) timely budget forecast and financial statement submission to RHBs, 2) timely disbursement of budget from ZHD to WoHOs, and 3) timely liquidation and financial settlement by WoHOs.
• Provide an additional layer of review for all NI related financial transactions and reports based on the agreed ZHD work plans.
• Liaise with SPO and Finance Officer (FO) on any unforeseen budget re-alignment and variations

Advocacy

• Identify priority advocacy issues related to health and nutrition at the assigned Zone in consultation with SPO.
• Support planning and coordination of NI advocacy activities at the assigned Zone
• Support execution of follow up of actions at the Zone level as agreed during advocacy events

Representation & Networking

• Participate and represent NI in various nutrition and health coordination forums including Technical Working Group meetings and other multi-sectoral forums at zonal level ensuring NI visibility and identifying leverage opportunities
• Facilitate development and execution of functional multi-sectoral nutrition coordinated structures at Zonal and woreda levels
• Build and maintain good collaborative relationship with MoH (RHB, ZHD, WoHOs, health facility and community levels) and other partners by promoting information sharing and spearheading the MNCAH advocacy agenda

 Remuneration

The Zonal NI Program Coordinators are offered LoE payments based on agreed rates upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables.

Deliverables

• Monthly activity work plan submitted to supervisor by 1st of every month (Template provided)
• Monthly Activity report submitted to the supervisor by 30th of every month (Reporting template available)
• Zonal project activity report (coaching / supervision, workshops (learning session, performance review meeting, planning workshop, and training workshop), SBCC materials distribution, advocacy and external relationship…) per the template given
• Facility and community-based monitoring survey data per the protocol given
• Monthly QI indicator report from showcase PHCUs and monthly QI coaching summary report submitted to supervisor assigned by 15th of every month
• Quarterly Zonal program reach report submitted to M&E SPO and immediate supervisor within the stipulated timelines aligned with NI contracts with RHB
• Bi-annually zonal program reaches reports (technical and financial) submitted to immediate supervisor within the stipulated timelines aligned with NI contracts with RHB

Program Coordinator (ZPC) will be responsible for a zone s/he is assigned. Each ZPC will be based at ZHD offices. The PC may also be assigned other related duties outside the Zone s/he assigned as may be required.

Reporting Lines

The ZPC directly reports to Senior Program Officer responsible to manage grant given to the specific RHB and will also be expected to work closely with the ZHD management teams and staffs in assigned Zone.

Contract Period: 1^st of Feb 2023 and 31^st of March 2024.

Qualifications:

• BSc degree in Public Health, MPH with clinical background is preferred
• At least 8 years of proven experience in managing an integrated health and nutrition projects
• Demonstrated experience in documenting best practices and lessons learned to government officials, implementers, and key stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; very good presentation skills; very good report writing skills; Excellent team working skills
• Experience of working in the government system in the region is an asset 
• Local language skill is a plus