Job Title: Emergency Health Technical
Advisor (ETA)
Place of Work: Based in Nairobi
supporting emergency programmes in Somalia and Somaliland (PL, SL and SCS)
Grade: 3
Contract Length: One year with possibility of extension
Coordinate with: The post holder coordinates with all the Humanitarian Response
Section as well as with Area Representatives and Technical Manager/Coordinator
Budget Responsibility: No direct budget holding responsibilities
but may be deputized to do so on occasion
Child Protection
Level: 3. The
responsibilities of this post may require the post-holder to have one to one
contact with children or young people
Background
The combined effect of
ongoing conflict and drought crisis in Somalia continues to devastate the lives
of affected communities more so displaced women and children. According to
FSNAU (23rd April 2012), the nutrition situation in south and central Somalia
remains “Likely Very Critical”, with malnutrition rates being slightly elevated
compared to seasonal trends. Nutrition data from health facilities in southern
regions for the period January-March 2012, indicates a high proportion
(>15%) of children visiting the clinics as acutely malnourished.
This trend has also
been characterized by increased morbidity and disease outbreaks going by
surveillance data from World Health Organization (WHO). The health services
provided by a host of humanitarian actors are limited in scope and reach due to
access and security constraints. Limited access to safe water and sanitation,
overcrowding and high malnutrition rates continue to expose the population to
diseases and death.
Although latest
figures do not suggest a major epidemic, there are serious concerns of an
increased risk of cholera outbreaks in IDP concentrations particularly in urban
centres. Sub-optimal infant, young child and maternal feeding and care
practices, low dietary diversity, poor hygiene, lack of water and sanitation,
high morbidity coupled with inadequate access to health care are key determinant
of the prevailing humanitarian crisis in Somalia.
Save the Children in
Somalia
Save the Children (SC)
is an international organisation that has 27 member organisations across the
globe. It is united by a common mission and brand but, to some extent, has
until now been working independently from country to country.
Through Unified
Presence, Save the Children aims to create a stronger voice for children by
unifying the operations in all countries where more than one Save the Children
Member have programmes. This will result in one organisation at the
national level in each country and a unified programme delivery structure for
all Save the Children International Members.
Save the Children
works in all three “regions” of Somalia: Somaliland, Puntland and Central South
Somalia (CSS). Due to constraints on security, and the need to liaise with UN
agencies, other NGOs and donors the country office is based in Nairobi and
senior managers and directors are expected to travel extensively to monitor and
support programme work in all parts of Somalia that are accessible and where
security threats are being effectively mitigated.
Save Children has been working in central Somalia, since the early 1990s. SC is currently running programmes which encompass emergency response, education, health, and water and sanitation in south and central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland. In response to the current humanitarian crisis in Somalia, SC is scaling up its emergency health intervention within its operation areas and beyond.
Job Purpose
In order to better
coordinate and provide an advisory role to the emergency health support
programme to Somalia/Somaliland, Save the Children requires a high level
technical support, coordination and guidance through provision of guidance to
managers and staff involved in managing and/or implementing emergency health
project. This support includes, among others, identifying opportunities for
funding and learning through networking with donors and other agencies.
This is an international post based in Nairobi. While working from Nairobi, the post-holder will be required to provide support to the emergency health team remotely and may travel to Somalia (Puntland, Somaliland and Mogadishu for the south), for short monitoring and support visits.
Barring security clearance to travel to central Somalia, the health technical adviser will be requested to travel to Somaliland on a regular basis for support, monitoring and management meetings with the CSS health team.
Key Accountabilities
- Produce
programme plans and master budget in accordance with the emergency
strategy plan
- Assist
in the dissemination of the findings and results of surveys and ongoing
analysis both within Save the Children and the wider community.
- Co-ordinate
emergency health surveys, including training, planning, data analysis and
report writing. Guide Save the Children emergency health response as
indicated by the results of surveys/situation analysis and related data.
- Lead on
or provide high level technical support in writing integrated emergency
health project proposals/concept notes that will assist Save the Children
respond to emerging crisis in Somalia
- Contribute
to the development of a further high quality programme proposals for Save
the Children’s health response in Somalia to more appropriately address
the health impact of drought and conflict in Somalia
- Identify
opportunities for funding and learning through networking with donors and
other agencies with focus on organizational capacity to respond to
emergency health in crisis and also feed into a longer term strategic
heath program development
- In
collaboration with the technical health manager, and technical health
coordinator(s), participate in emergency health coordination meetings and
ensure co-ordination with other emergency health providers in the country,
avoiding duplication and sharing learning. Coordination to be undertaken
through relevant fora in Nairobi and locally, when security allows
- Maintain
inter sectoral linkages and actively coordinate synergy and integration
between health programmes and other emergency sectors (e.g. WASH,
nutrition and Shelter)
- Plan
and organize joint field visits with other sectors.
- Provide
leadership and co-ordination of emergency health activities and their
scale up in the program sites, ensuring that emergency health response
activities are in line with SC policies and plans
- Guide
managers and staff involved in managing and/or implementing emergency
health projects through provision of technical support on specific emergency
health issues
- Sharing
relevant guides and tools needed for implementation and monitoring of
emergency health response plans
- Play
technical advisory and support role, working closely with the other
thematic managers/advisers.
- Ensure
that appropriate and consistent health and nutrition education messaging
to mothers and other care takers at facility and in the community are
developed in line with Save the Children values and principles
- Feed-in
to monthly internal and donor reports, ensuring that the emergency health
component of reports is high quality, accurate, reliable and available in
a timely fashion as per plan
- Together
with M&E Manager, establish and support the development of standard
indicators to help monitor work progress, measure quality and impacts on
the target population
- To
perform any other assignment required by the line manager (agreed
according to workload)
Person specification
Essential
- Masters
in Health / Public Health or equivalent
- Substantial
emergency health experience of ( at least 5 years) including emergency
health programme design and implementation at international level and
under complex emergency context
- Substantial
and proven experience in providing high level technical advisory role in
emergency health
- Proven
capacity to supervise, train and coach national staff.
- Experience
and ability to represent Save the Children's emergency health work in
external meetings.
- Willingness
and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult
and frustrating working conditions.
- Demonstrable
ability at report writing and excellent communication skills
- Experience
of working safely in hostile and insecure environments
- Self-motivated
and enthusiastic personality, commitment to understanding and improving
the lives of children in an emergency context
- Ability
and willingness to frequently travel and stay in the field
- Ability
to work under extreme pressure and meet deadlines with minimal guidance
- Fluent
written and spoken English
Desirable
- Awareness
and understanding of food security and livelihoods programming options and
other generic programming options for addressing health needs in emergency
- Experience
of distance management of staff/resources in a remote location
- Somali
language skills
- Knowledge
of the region – Horn of Africa in general; Somalia especially
- Coaching
and training skills with a view to capacity strengthening of staff and
partners
- Experience
of participative processes involving children, and ability to coach staff
in mainstreaming good practice
Child Safeguarding Policy
As an employee with
Save the Children you are required to comply with the practices and principles
as stated in the organizations Child Safeguarding Policy, both in the course of
your employment and in your private life. The Child Safeguarding Policy aims to
ensure that all children who come into contact with Save the Children are safe
from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm of all kinds.
As an employee within
Save the Children you are committed to uphold these standards and to report
according to local reporting procedures if you suspect that a child we work
with are put in any risk of being harmed or abused as a result of the
organizations actions. You are further obliged to undertake induction and
training on the Child Safeguarding Policy.
Code of Conduct
Because Save the
Children's work is based on deeply held values and principles, it is essential
that our commitment to children's rights and humanitarian principles is
supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children's Code of
Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.
Applications should be
forwarded to: vacancies@scsom.org.
Application Closing
Date: Will be Sunday 24th
June 2012. However, the closing date may be earlier than this date due to the
urgency in filling the position.