Senior Program & Health Promotion Officer

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damatru of Yobe State. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods

Job Overview/Summary

This project employs a, Community engagement, health promotion, health system support and strengthening approaches to provide a high-quality primary health care service and Psychosocial First Aid.

Under the direct supervision of Senior Health Manager, the senior program and health promotion officer will be responsible for developing education, mobilization and sensitization activities and strategies related to health promotion for IRC health program in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. S/he will also be the focal point for risk communication and community engagement in case of disease outbreaks and other events of public health importance. The main goal of the position is to transform attitudes and adjust health seeking behaviors through community mobilization, sensitization, advocacy, and health education. S/he will be working closely with the Health Team to ensure that the IRC’s health project interventions are guided by the Nigeria Country Program SAP Implementation Plan.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead the development/review of health promotion activities and community mobilization strategies including the specific strategies to reach the hard-to-reach communities/ populations and innovation of SBCC strategies for health programs.
• Work with the community mobilization team to designs and adapts health promotion /community mobilization work-plans that adapt the shifting needs and gaps in knowledge of communities. He/She supports in organizing culturally sensitive educational and promotional activities to improve community participation in health service provision and raise awareness on health / reproductive health services such as immunization, family planning, antenatal / postnatal care, hygiene promotion, STIs and other communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases.
• Lead the conduct of regular communities’ assessment: discussions, meetings, interviews, focus group discussions as to assess the needs and gaps in knowledge of the targeted communities.
• Support in formulating key advocacy targets and messages from lessons learned, assessments, research and evidence gained through project implementation.
• Contribute to proposal and strategy development through input on needs for health promotion and community engagement activities.
• Liaise with service providers at IRC / IRC- supported government facilities to ensure strong linkages between services and communities.

Grant Management and Program Support:

• Ensure project activities are implemented according to the detailed implementation plan and within the allocated budgets.
• Responsible for management of health promotion and community mobilization budget lines
• Manage sector procurement plan, contribute to item forecast development and follow up with supply chain to ensure timely delivery of the sector supplies.
• Contribute to integra BVA report and provide recommendations/interventions to correct any identified deviations that impact budget adherence.

Staff Management:

• Develop continuous education programs and build the capacity of community mobilisers, community volunteers, Community Health Influencers Promoters and Services (CHIPs) agent, and traditional birth attendant to deliver organizational objectives on SBCC including health promotion and community mobilization for service utilization SBCC.
• Routinely monitor supervised staff performance according to their job description and provide written feedback in a timely manner.
• Supports in the administrative management of the team of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), CHIPS and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) (letters of agreement, payment of stipends, in-kind incentives etc).
• Monitor staff daily attendance to duty posts and ensure time sheets are correctly filled and submitted monthly.

Reporting:

• Responsible for compiling and keeping records of all the health education/promotional sessions (number/ gender/ age segregated).
• Work with M&E team to analyze data on a weekly/monthly basis, feeds information back to the program, and adapts strategies accordingly.
• Ensure accurate project documentation, including collection of monitoring data and tracking of progress on output indicators; utilize data to contribute to reports as requested by management.
• Provide weekly/monthly activity reports to the sector.
• Attend meetings concerning overall health program issues.
• Supervise and regular review and revise training manuals to maintain consistency with the acceptable protocols.

Key Working Relationships

Position reports to: Senior Health Manager

Position directly supervises community mobilization officers and support to health program officers/assistant.

Indirect Reporting: Health/Reproductive Health Managers, Senior Managers and Health Coordinator

Internal: Health (Outreach Staff, Midwives, program managers) and other sectors (WPE, M&E, Governance, Finance, Supply Chain

Key External Contacts: MOH, SPHCDA, UMTH, SSH, Umaru Shehu Specialist hospital and other INGOs (e.g., possible collaborative partners), Community leaders, health facility management team and CHIPS Agents.