CMAM Officer at Plan International

Location: Maiduguri, Borno

Role Purpose

• The purpose of this role is to coordinate and lead community engagement and mobilization activities for the nutrition response programs in Borno states.
• The post holder will be supervised by nutrition in Emergencies Specialist and expected to work very closely with other members of the nutrition team.

Dimensions of Role

• The post holder will coordinate the community mobilization part of CMAM programming by facilitate the community outreach programme through promoting the efficient and effective sensitisation and mobilize the community with other programme team members for the assigned LGA emergency nutrition programme.

Key Roles/Responsibilities

• Design and facilitate community mobilization/sensitization campaigns in collaboration with Community based management of Acute malnutrition officer, IYCF officer and other staff.
• Supervise the activities of community nutrition volunteers on location to ensure quality implementation of activities and ensure communities are sensitised to the programme as quickly as possible.
• Identify, report and provide on-the-job training to staff members related to community mobilization part of CMAM;
• Plan and organise weekly and monthly the Community Outreach programme for the local government area.
• Orientate community nutrition volunteer, community health extension workers and health worker on community mobilization part of CMAM.
• Ensure community nutrition volunteers clearly understand admission criteria to the CMAM programme and inform their communities and any carers of the children that they refer that they need to attend the SC, OTP/SFP for further measurements that will determine finally if the child will be admitted to the programme for treatment.
• Train community nutrition volunteers to use MUAC tape accurately, and know how to check for oedema.  Check accuracy periodically.
• Ensure home follow up of all absentees, defaulters, deaths and children “at risk” is carried out by to the relevant outreach worker and post visit feedback is given to the OTP health worker.
• Provide ongoing training for community nutrition volunteers and care givers about the program, - both whilst present at the OTP/SFP site and through occasional workshop days.
• Ensure liaison with existing community structures, groups and individuals where possible
• Liaise with the supervisor and health facility and LGA Ministry of Health staff to ensure comprehensive community mobilisation, health education and treatment. Check that all messages given to carers, community groups, leaders, authorities are consistent and fully understood.
• Mobilize and sensitise the IYCF and child protection activities at LGA level and the community to involve the activities.
• Identify the poor and very poor groups and those beneficiaries that have hygiene and sanitation problems in the community.
• Submit a weekly and monthly report of all Community Outreach activities and statistics
• Report progress and any problems in a timely manner to the Supervisor.
• Using systematic approaches gather information through the community about the program strong and weak side, on the week side take immediate action to solve.
• Attend regular nutrition meetings with the team.
• Perform any other project related duties as specified by the nutrition specialist

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree or equivalent in Social Science, Social Work, Psychology, anthropology, nutrition, Public Health, or related fields
• Minimum of 3 years relevant working experience under nutrition prevention including CMAM and response programming, humanitarian affairs or human rights.
• Experience working in emergency settings
• Experience working with refugees and other vulnerable populations (ideal)
• Experience in Community Based management of acute malnutrition and infant and young child feeding
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Hausa
• Strong experience providing counselling services that are gender-sensitive and child friendly.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong skills in monitoring, evaluation, research and conducting participatory, community-led assessments. Experience working with case files and databases and providing regular documentation.
• Excellent community mobilization skills
• Ability to work individually and within a team with limited supervision. A self-starter.
• Good analytical, problem solving and project planning skills
• Able to communicate clearly and strategically with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of Plan. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills.
• Strong capacity building/training/coaching/mentoring skills with communities and internal and external staff
• Computer knowledge - Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• Strong command of both written and spoken English.