Project Officer - CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) - Horn of Africa (HoA) (Ref.2015/04)

About CRS:Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background:The CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) is a consortium project of CORE Group NGOs awarded by USAID Global Health in 1999 to contribute to global polio eradication. The CGPP operational approach employs an establishment of a country secretariat and sub grants to NGOs to implement the project. The country secretariat provides the oversights to implementing partners (IP), and represents CGPP to national and regional polio eradication stakeholder forums. CRS is a key CGPP partner, supporting three of four global project team including Deputy Director, Technical Advisor and Regional Polio Team Leader. At present, CRS hosts the CGGP Secretariat in the HOA and Nigeria. In addition, CRS is an implementing partner of CGPP in Nigeria, India, Ethiopia and the HOA. In 2013, the CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) completed thirteen years of polio eradication work in Angola, Ethiopia, and India, and three years in South Sudan. The project has also launched new project activities in Nigeria, one of the three remaining polio endemic countries. While the project has continued to build on their successes, the outbreak in the Horn of Africa and the ongoing transmission in northern Nigeria have presented major challenges in 2013. In Angola, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and South Sudan, the CGPP contributes to polio eradication by supporting strong Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs), enhanced routine immunization, AFP surveillance, partner coordination, and the use of good data.

More than half of the 362 global wild polio virus (WPV) cases in 2013 were reported in the Horn of Africa due to the outbreak in Somalia (186), Kenya (14), and Ethiopia (6) with a total of 206 confirmed cases. There have been numerous smaller outbreaks in the Horn of Africa over the last ten years, the most recent in 2009. These outbreaks highlight the continued vulnerability of the region to importations and subsequent epidemic outbreaks due to the ongoing transmission in Nigeria, political instability in some regions of the Horn and weak or insufficient routine immunization systems. The ministries of health and the spear-heading partners have done an impressive job of containing the current outbreak, largely managed from the UN compound in Nairobi, Kenya. The CORE Group Polio Project has contributed an important role in outbreak response in Ethiopia and South Sudan where the CGPP coalition of partners have well established programs. The CGPP was not active in the response to the outbreak in Somalia or Northern Kenya despite the presence on the ground of CORE Group partner organizations in areas where community level assistance to outbreak response would be very helpful. This was due primarily to a lack of polio specific funding to support NGO engagement in the outbreak response and the lack of coordinating staff in the regional planning hub of Nairobi.

In order to contribute to the ongoing outbreak response and to lay the foundation for outbreak prevention, CGPP has established a Horn of Africa Regional Secretariat at CRS EARO office led by Regional Polio Team Leader who is supported by project officer and M&E officer. The regional team coordinates the CGPP projects in Kenya and Somalia as well as to providing support to other CGPP countries in the region.

2) Job Summary:Reporting to and with strategic guidance from the Regional Polio Team Leader, CGPP HOA, the Project Officer (PO) will be responsible for CGPP’s scope of work for the HOA with a focus on Somalia. S/he will serve as the key technical officer for the Somalia projects and will manage relations between the implementing partners (IPs), the Government of Somalia (GOS), WHO and UNICEF Somalia to ensure that the projects’ activities are implemented in line with international and national standards. The PO will ensure that the implementation is done through and with GOS structures at national, county, sub-county and community levels. The PO will also ensure that implementing partners are provided with appropriate technical assistance, mentorship and support supervision to implement quality interventions.

3) Specific Responsibilities:

A) Strategic Planning, Coordination, and Reporting:

· The PO will be responsible for providing IPs in Somalia with technical assistance on project planning, implementation, routine support supervision, assessment, and policy adherence as per the CGPP HOA program frameworks.

· Review and advise IPs work plans and ensure stakeholder inputs to it.

· Develop social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) strategies, and training and IEC materials for CGPP and provide TA to IPs in the implementation.

· Organize review sessions with partners to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.

· Coordinate with CGPP HOA Regional M&E Officer for development and implementation of project M&E system and plan

· Keep abreast of the polio eradication situation in Somalia and inform RPTL opportunities for CGPP expansion in Somalia

· Maintain working relations with relevant government line ministries and local NGOs to foster better collaboration.

· Strengthen the capacity of implementing partners’ system, structures and skills and enhance opportunities for shared-learning with partners

· Develop and submit an individual work plan

· Ensure timely submission of project progress reports

B) Training:

· Design and facilitate Training of Trainers workshops, in coordination with partner organisations and the relevant government agencies.

· Build the capacity of partner staff on planning, implementation, management and monitoring of the program.

· Stay abreast of new developments in Polio, Routine Immunization and Disease Surveillance and Social and Behaviour Change Communications and participate in relevant technical working groups and related forums.

C) Monitoring and Evaluation:

· Support the Regional M&E Officer, to develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan for the CGPP IPs in Somalia.

· Monitor the quality of the implementation of activities by IPs through regular field visits.

· Lead quarterly project reviews with IPs using the MIS data

· Develop evidence based reports, case studies and share with RPTL

· Document and file all project data, products, and documents in hard copy and/or electronic copy for audit and public dissemination purposes.

D) Learning Agenda:

· Support the IP and Regional Polio Team Leader to develop annual learning agendas for the Polio Project.

· Ensure analysis of data from the field and produce customized reports for various applications/ interventions

E) Cross project responsibility:

· PO will spend 10% of time in supporting other CGPP countries as deemed necessary by RPTL

4) Working Relationships & Contacts:

· S/he will work closely with CGPP HOA M&E Officer

· S/he will work closely with GoS staff on the Polio Project

· S/he will work closely with WHO and UNICEF Somalia and other polio stakeholder

· Will act as a liaison between IP and Regional Polio Team Leader

5) Required Qualifications and Experience:

A) Education:

· A Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine, Nursing, Public Health or related field. A Master’s Degree in these fields will be an added advantage.

B) Experience:

· Have solid working knowledge and practical skills in Polio Eradication Initiative, Immunization Program and Social mobilization

· Experience in dealing with a multifaceted project and integrated programming that endeavours to address holistic human need

· At least 5 years progressive experience implementing health programs in Somalia/ Kenya, preferably in an NGO setting.

· Have a good understanding of GOS Health Policy and Guidelines

· Have a good grasp of challenges working in insecure areas

C) Language, Skills and Abilities:

· Proficient in English, Somali and local languages in Somalia

· Proven ability to transfer skills and facilitate trainings

· Good report writing skills

· Good computer skills on word processing and data management

· Ability to travel to project sites at least 50% of the time

D) Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity

• Models Stewardship

• Cultivates Constructive Relationships

• Promotes Learning

• Supervisory Responsibilities

e) Supervisory Responsibilities*(if none, state none):*

· The PO will supervise the implementing partners of CGPP in Somalia which includes program implementation and staff performance using a standard checklist

· Document supervision data and results of supervision

Disclaimer:

This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.