Senior Program Officer at International Medical Corps

Program Background

• In Kano and Borno, IMC is a consortium member of the Core Group Polio Project in Nigeria. This is a five year Polio Eradication program in covering 6 LGAs in Kano and 10 in Borno. IMC is implementing this project in partnership with CSADI and AHIF in Kano and Borno respectively
• IMC is utilizing a three-pronged strategy to implement the Project to increase rates of routine immunization and supplementary immunization activities for children under 5 years of age, focusing especially on polio vaccination. The project 1.) re-enforces the Ministry of Health’s routine immunization program to improve its performance, 2.) strengthen supplemental polio immunization efforts, and 3.) improves community mobilization in support of child immunization and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance.
• This is to improve the Expanded Program on Immunization services contributing to CGPP’s goal of polio eradication in hard-to-reach communities.

The senior program officer will be responsible for:

• Coordination and technical implementation of the Initiative for Supporting Polio Eradication in Northeastern Nigeria (ISPENN) five-year USAID founding project, by ensuring program quality, completion of activities within allocated funding and project period.
• Field level activity planning, supportive supervision and problem solving will be among his/her key responsibilities.
• Supervising the project staff and training government and partner organization staff,
• Interact and liaise with representatives from CGPP, NPHCDA, SMoH, WHO, UNICEF, CDC and other stakeholders.
• Problem identification and problem solving, program reporting, capacity building of staff and partners, resolving conflicts and undertaking representation activities as needed.
• Ensure correct use of programmatic resources, including management of project budget line items such as project input (supplies and activities), equipment, and direct project hires. Understanding of project award agreements and donor standards, compliance requirements and regulations (including those related to procurement).
• Organize and coordinate regular project reviews, financial pipeline inputs and close-out meetings with CBO.
• To support and build capacity of local CBO that are working in partnership with IMC

Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Program Finance, Logistics and Administration:

• Lead the field planning activities in consultation with the CGPP Secretariat and in collaboration with the local health authorities.
• Participate in program review meetings, and partnership and coordination meetings, and contribute to increase program visibility.
• Develop and manage program work plan to ensure timely completion of all project activities.
• Ensure all deliverables are completed and submitted in a timely and satisfactory manner.
• Monitor project activities to ensure high quality of outputs, and identify areas for improvement.
• Supervise the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (MEO), Social Mobilization officers, Surveillance officer and Finance and Administrative Officer (FAO), as well as collaborate with the partner organization (CBO) Project Coordinator. Conduct their performance appraisal.
• Train CBO, government and partners staff on immunization related activities.
• Interact with officials at the CGPP Secretariat, State Emergency Operations Centre, SMoH, WHO, UNICEF and other stakeholders and represent the ISPENN project to external audience at the state levels.
• Supporting Kano state and providing technical assistance including on capacity building of program staff and other government health workers for effective implementation of thematic areas of immunization programme.
• Developing and implementation strategic framework for all programmatic thematic areas of International Medical Corps project in Kano state.
• Act as primary point of contact between the organization and government and non-government stakeholders in Kano state.
• Resolve conflicts and problems for ensuring smooth project operations.
• Manage all organization related security operations issues in Kano state
• Contribute to long term new program development efforts.
• Developing Work plan and Budget for program activities
• Prepare a detailed weekly/monthly activity and budget plan for CGPP activities and ensure implementation of planned activities according to the work plan adhering to the budget according to IMC standards.
• Work with logistics and administrative/finance to conduct training, coaching and supervision of health facility staff
• Personnel management and capacity building
• Assist and support State Polio Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in planning polio programme.
• Support the Social Mobilization officer to follow up and document regular meetings with key influencers
• Document monthly quality, action-oriented monthly review meetings at State level.
• Participate in planning events & meetings Support the local CBO and provide analytical and constructive feedback to monthly reports from CBOs
• Conduct regular and frequent supportive supervision to CBOs to improve program quality and accountability

Representation:

• Represent International Medical Corps at all relevant coordination meetings at state level as appropriate.
• Create and maintain smooth relations and open collaboration with Government and local stakeholders and serve as the health resource person
• Program Implementation and Development
• Work closely with the M&E officer to ensure robust and comprehensive reporting systems and data flow mechanisms
• Ensure proper functioning of reporting systems for regular assessment, monitoring and evaluation of the program against its objectives and expected results.
• Conduct critical monitoring of all aspects of the project identify areas of concern. Prepare and implement workable solutions for identified challenges
• Follow up of project implementation to review progress towards objectives through organizing regular review meetings, update and experience sharing meeting among staffs.
• Oversight of IMC staff across the field sites. Provide technical support and direct supervision of field site support staff and collaboration with district medical team on proper implementation of the service.

Reporting:

• Work with the M&E officer to implement and evaluate data quality assurance measures and ensure appropriate follow up.
• Ensure that the community based feedback mechanism is integrated in all LGAs sites where IMC is implementing the CGPP activities. Utilize this mechanism to provide response and feedback to target communities.
• Prepare and submit timely project reports to CGPP Coordinator in Abuja for onward transmission to CGPP Secretariat.
• Prepare and provide regular weekly, monthly, quarterly & annual progress reports of project interventions in coordination with the M&E Officer
• Provide CBO and IMC staff monthly detail implementation work-plan update

General International Medical Corps code of conduct and ethics:

• Actively promote PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and amongst beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps.
• Ensure application and compliance of security protocols and policies ; serve as security focal point in the field sites

Compliance & Ethics:

• Promotes and encourages a culture of compliance and ethics throughout International Medical Corps. As applicable to the position, maintains a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards.
• Conducts work with the highest level of integrity. Communicates these values to staff and to partners and requires them to adhere to these values.
• The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all inclusive

Qualifications And Experience
Education:

• A degree in Medicine, Nursing, Environment Health with an advanced university degree Public Health, Epidemiology is required.
• Certified training in project planning and management, monitoring and evaluation, is an added advantage
• Data management, data analysis, and information operations.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible public health project management work experience
• Experience in high-risk environments required, experience in L3/L2 emergency is preferred.
• Experience in remote management
• Experience of facilitation of training review meetings and workshops
• Experience on budget and administration logistics and Human Resources management
• Experience on writing / developing project proposals including implementation reports
• Knowledge of North Eastern Nigeria as well as speaking Hausa language is preferred but not required.
• Ability to cope with stress; hardship; patience and flexibility and willingness to work additional hours in order to meet tight deadlines;
• Ability to work effectively with government, community leaders, international/national organizations, donors, partners and other International Medical Corps relationships.
• Advanced proficiency in the use of MS Office, and other computer applications
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability and willingness to travel and work in rural areas where the project is implemented
• Demonstrated experience and skills in ensuring community participation and gender issues in humanitarian programming
• Ability to provide technical support for IMC staffs and government health workers on proper implementation of the service.