Community Engagement and Monitoring Assistant at World Health Organization (WHO)

Background:

• The circulating Variant Poliovirus Type 2 (cVPV2) outbreak in Nigeria requires a community engagement strategy that also considers gender dynamics to ensure an inclusive and equitable response.
• The Community Engagement Monitoring Officer will play a critical role in monitoring and evaluating community engagement activities with a gender lens.

Objectives:

• To monitor and evaluate the implementation of community engagement activities in response to the cVPV2 outbreak in Nigeria, ensuring their effectiveness and alignment with outbreak response objectives with a gender lens.
• To strengthen community participation and ownership in polio eradication efforts by promoting collaboration and dialogue between key stakeholders, including communities, local leaders, healthcare workers, and other relevant partners.
• To support and guide community mobilizers and volunteers, ensuring their effective implementation of community engagement strategies and activities.
• To collect and analyze gender disaggregated-data on community perception, knowledge, and attitudes related to polio eradication efforts, facilitating evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning.

Description of Duties:

• Collaborate with national and sub-national polio eradication teams to develop a demand generation and community engagement plan with a monitoring framework, outlining the objectives, indicators, and methodologies for monitoring the implementation and impact of community engagement activities.
• Support the development and implementation of communication strategies that promote Polio vaccination, including social media campaigns, targeted messaging, and public relations efforts.
• Conduct regular field visits to support and monitor the quality and effectiveness of community engagement activities, ensuring their adherence to established protocols and guidelines.
• Organize and facilitate feedback sessions with community members, healthcare workers, and other stakeholders to gather insights and recommendations for improving community engagement strategies and activities.
• Support the training and capacity building of community mobilizers and volunteers, providing guidance on effective communication techniques community mobilization strategies, and promoting key messages related to polio eradication.
• Work closely with the social mobilization team and other relevant stakeholders to ensure coordination and synergy of community engagement activities with other outbreak response interventions.
• Collect and analyze gender-disaggregated data on community perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes related to polio eradication efforts, using appropriate tools and techniques, and contribute to regular reporting.
• Provide regular updates and reports on the progress of community engagement activities and their impact in supporting outbreak response efforts.
• Collaborate with partners and local stakeholders to identify and implement innovative approaches for community engagement, considering local contexts and cultural sensitivities.
• Contribute to developing and implementing behavior change communication strategies and materials, ensuring their cultural appropriateness and effectiveness in driving desired behavioral outcomes.
• Deliverables:
• Demand generation and community engagement plan including a monitoring framework, outlining objectives, indicators, and methodologies for monitoring the implementation and impact of community engagement activities.
• Regular field visit reports, documenting observations, challenges, and recommendations for improving community engagement strategies and activities.
• Updated training materials and resources for community mobilizers and volunteers, promoting effective communication and community mobilization strategies.
• Gender disaggregated analysis reports on community perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes related to polio eradication efforts, informing decision-making and strategic planning.
• Regular progress updates and reports on the implementation and impact of community engagement activities in supporting outbreak response efforts.
• Reporting and Accountability:

The Monitoring Community Engagement Officer will be under the overall technical guidance of the demand generation officer at the WHO Country Office (WCO) and the supervision of the state coordinator. He/she will also report to the state EOC Incident Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public health, communications, or related field
• At least 3 years of experience in community outreach, demand creation, or related field
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience working with vulnerable population
• Knowledge of public health and vaccine-related issues
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment