Food Security & Livelihood Coordinator at Save The Children

Location: Konduga, Borno

Role Purpose

• The FSL Coordinator will be responsible for overall implementation and oversight of FFP food security activities (FSL component), and will oversee a FSL Officer, who support the day-to-day running of project activities along with SCI partners. 
• The Coordinator will also ensure that complementary nutrition activities are fully integrated into food assistance programming and ensure coordination with both unit. Engage in capacity building activities including training to the food security and livelihood team in cash transfer programming and other related FSL activities.
• This position will be based at Maiduguri with travel to field sites as necessary; and reports to the FSL Manager
  

Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Support (typically will be at field level):

• Support field level technical assessments in coordination with the FSL Manager, FFP Program Manager and other SC thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.
• With support from the FSL Manager, FFP PM and/or other senior programme staff, develop project plans and budgets, contributing towards an overall project implementation.
• With support of FSL Officers ensure adequate supervision of all FSL activities in communities with proper community mapping and identification.
• Ensure proper identification of beneficiaries and baseline with support from FSL Officers, MEAL, Community Mobilization and community committees are in all communities.
• Liaising with Nutrition team to ensure caregivers of children identified with SAM are registered for food vouchers on the program.
• Working with FSL Officers and other program staff ensure program beneficiaries have adequate information about the food voucher program including location of vendors, prices of items and checking balancing and complaint mechanism.
• Working with Nutrition team to ensure the implementation of FFP nutrition specific activities and ensuring that the quality standards are met;
• Ensures effective start up, management, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of integrated Nutrition to food security  projects;
• Provide support and guidance to the project team and implementing partners; assess training needs, plan & provides training/guidance for staff in setting up new FSL services;
• Participating in multi-sectoral assessments as required;
• Manages all Save the Children resources (equipment, supplies, HR) committed to FFP program activities;
• Conducts regular field visits to provide supportive supervision to the projects;
• Leads the development of work plans, POPs, budgets, and other required program documents for FSL section;
• Conducts regular field visits and review meetings with government officials to monitor the implementation of FFP programs;
• In collaboration with FSL Manager, ensure timely preparation and implementation of phase-out strategy
• With support from the FSL Manager, FFP PM and/or other FSL Officers, support with inputs in development of high quality concept notes and proposals.
• With the support of FSL Manager, support project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against log frames, individual performance management work plans).
• Working closely with FSL Manager and FFP PM and/or other senior programme staff, support timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SC requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Ensure success stories that have been identified on the program are documented with good practices shared among staff.
• With support from the Monitoring & Evaluation team support the M & E plan implementation within the FSL projects, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• With support from the Accountability Lead ensure accountability is enforced in all project activities as well as ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design/implementation
• Work closely with partners and their staff to ensure project activities are implemented in time and within the stipulated quality.
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Representation and communication:

• Represents FFP and participate in internal coordination and share up-to-date information to Humanitarian Nutrition Manager.
• Documents findings and recommendations of field visits for follow-up actions; shares as appropriate.
• Oversees and leads the development and submission of program reports, ensuring completeness, accuracy and timeliness.
• Documents lessons learned in specific technical areas.

Policy Analysis, Policy Engagement and Advocacy for Policy Change:

• Contribute to learning and research that supports the sector advocacy objectives and lead the implementation research necessary for evidence-based advocacy.
• Represent the organization at all relevant technical external task forces, working groups, seminars or other meetings as approved by the sector head and use these meetings to negotiate strategic, project and advocacy positions.
• Advise the Head of Nutrition and Humanitarian Nutrition Manager on the technical and policy content of advocacy plans and support their implementation.
• Develop good relations with other NGOs, development and UN agencies working in the sector and where possible forge alliances to influence key actors around advocacy objectives.
• Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by government and other stakeholders in the sector of thematic area covered.
• Ensure that the voices of children guide advocacy and policy change objectives and related activities.
• Compile, analyze and interpret FSL response data and provide regular updates to government and NGO coordination bodies as requested, and use the information to justify decisions on further resource allocation.
• Participate in identifying, coordinating, and implementing operational research studies to pilot and scale-up effective direct interventions in coordination with the PDQ FSL team and MEAL team.

Programme Quality and Effectiveness:

• Ensure that project officers are meeting both internal and donor technical standards and requirements. This includes oversight of implementation quality, reviewing, editing and signing-off donor reports to ensure they are of an acceptable technical and presentational quality.
• Participate in field-based project monitoring and review meetings.
• Liaise with Programme Operations staff to identify technical support needs of projects and staff, and jointly agree on specific and time bound support needs of projects and staff in relevant technical areas.
• Provide technical training to ensure that the project staff have the necessary skills to technically implement the project.
• Assist project staff in the use of FSL and cross-cutting tools and guidelines to ensure the quality of work. These include, among others, child participation, child right programming and mainstreaming of gender, diversity and HIV/AIDS.
• Prepare annual work plans, in consultation with FSL Manager and FFP PM.
• Undertake regular field visits to project sites to ensure technical quality and timeliness of ongoing work.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Other:

• The post holder may be responsible for additional tasks and duties as and when required to support the overall Country Programme, regional and head office priorities.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• Minimum first degree qualification - B.Sc/BA/HND in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience or works experience
• Minimum of 4 years post NYSC progressive experience of working in FSL and Nutrition, including prior emergency based experience
• Previous experience of project management and implementation
• Excellent understanding of monitoring and evaluation, nutrition in humanitarian context, FSL, CMAM, IYCF, or any other related topics.
• Knowledge of institutional donors and experience of developing proposals
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Experience in working with government counterparts and other partners at various levels -
• Excellent understanding of the relevant thematic sector in Nigeria at both field and policy levels; including the national nutrition program and well as CMAM programming
• Proven experience in emergency food security and nutrition projects
• Practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities in realising children’s rights in Nigeria, in relation to thematic area
• Understanding of advocacy and representation within the nutrition sector
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Experience of training and capacity building staff
• Excellent communication and strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Skills:

• Excellent spoken and written English and local language (North east of Nigeria)
• Good computer skills (particularly Excel, Word and databases)

Desirable:

• Experience in food security and nutrition project, data management, cash transfer programing and IYCF programing
• At least 2 years proven experience in Cash/ voucher transfers, Income Generation Activities and Backyard Vegetable Gardening
• Experience in report writing
• Able to speak fluent Hausa language
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision
• Highest standard of ethics and integrity
• Having an operational experience will be a plus advantage.
• Knowledge of EMMA and market analysis tools
• Familiarity with FSL and nutrition surveys
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts
• Experience in gender mainstreaming within FSL programming.