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
Reporting to: Emergency Programme Manager
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.
