LGA Facilitator at Committed To Good (CTG)

Overview of position:

• In 2020, Nigeria was declared WPV free for having gone without any WPV case for over 4 years. However, Nigeria is experiencing outbreaks of cVDPV2 due to low routine immunization coverage & population immunity. In 2018, Nigeria experienced a major outbreak leading to about 34 cases. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with partners have ensured the overall planning, implementation & monitoring of the polio eradication program in 19 northern states & a few Southern states where the spread was recorded. As of 2018 the number of cases reduced to 18 but about 4.3 million children are still unimmunized (18%, MICS / NICS 2021).
• Routine immunization performance in Nigeria has remained suboptimal for over 10 years according to the National Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS) of 2003, 2008, 2013 & 2018, hence communication & social mobilization are critical components in routine immunization & supplementary immunization campaigns for polio vaccination & other vaccines. The Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) network is one of the strongest community structures that support 12 high risk states in Northern Nigeria, working closely with stakeholders, caregivers & communities to promote vaccination. These volunteers organize community dialogues & compound meetings, track newborns & children under 5 years for polio vaccination & refer pregnant women to health facilities for antenatal care. The network is supervised by a network of Facilitators at the LGA & state levels.
• The engagement of State & LGA Facilitators across these states has ensured no wild polio case has been reported for the past 3 years, after the last polio case was reported in August 2016 from Borno state. Enhanced awareness of the community about the polio campaign, on average, remained at 94%.
• Strengthened monitoring of the program in addition to routine monitoring of the program is jointly done by all polio partners. Support rapid surveys implementation to generate additional data, national level review, planning & capacity building events for members of VCM network held & data quality assurance mechanism in place.

LGA Facilitator:

• The LGA Facilitators will be located at the state & LGA with frequent trips to wards & settlements to provide that essential link between the community structures in the assigned LGA of implementation, serving to coordinate and supervise polio / RI activities at the LGA level.
• S / He will be responsible for supervising the day to day implementation of polio / RI activities across our client supported implementation sites.
• S / He will also supervise the daily operations of the Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) network, with a specific focus on ensuring quality implementation & data reporting.
• The LGA Facilitator will also play a prominent role in reporting on the changing humanitarian situation (Borno / Yobe States) within their LGAs &will enable our client & their partners to adapt in a timely & appropriate response to the changing situation.
• In the context of increasing insecurity with limited travel to implementation sites by our clients staff, LGA Facilitators’ presence in the field provides a much needed means for program monitoring to ensure the maintenance of the quality of implementation according to national & international protocols as well as an independent layer of accountability.

Role objectives:

• Supervise a team of Volunteer Ward Supervisors (VWS), Polio Survivor Group (PSG) & Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) in his / her area(s) through regular monitoring, capacity building & supportive supervision.
• Work within specified LGAs, ward & settlement to ensure deeper ward / settlement analysis, planning & implementation of strategic communications interventions.
• The specific communication interventions to be implemented in each area will be informed by local knowledge, social data & unique characteristics of the wards / settlements.
• Consult with our clients SBC & State Facilitator to mobilize & ensure the effective organization & functioning of the LGA social mobilization task team.
• Support LGA Health Educators in meetings of the LGA social mobilization team to plan, implement & report on communication interventions in support of the polio & non polio SIA programs & targeting high risk wards within the state.
• Conduct regular community mapping exercises to identify vulnerable groups, hard to reach communities, strategic communication & mobilization delivery points & channels for messaging, advocacy & public education (microplanning).
• Identify training needs / gaps of various groups & seek support from our clients SBC & State Facilitator to implement capacity building activities to fill knowledge gaps & address deficiencies.
• Identify & engage key local influencers such as district heads, religious leaders, women groups, town announcers, traditional dancers, pharmacists & socio cultural groups & support the planning & implementation of such activities such as majigis, mop up activities, use of local town announcers & special events, to create high levels of public awareness, to resolve non compliance & reduce missed children.
• Monitor the relevance & use of IEC materials & make specific recommendations to our clients SBC & State Lead on their adaptability to local reality.
• Spend adequate time working with various community groups & monitor all SBC activities so that our clients support to local level interventions & their impact can be documented across all of their programs (health / polio, WASH, education, nutrition, child protection).
• Track the delivery & efficient utilization of campaign social mobilization funds at the LGA level.
• Report on how funds are spent to support various communication activities and facilitate, in coordination with our clients SBC & State Facilitator the effective use of social mobilization funds (channelled through the government departments) at the state, LGA & ward for polio & non polio SIAs.
• Monitor & report, on a monthly basis, factual & complete disbursement honorariums to VCM's, PSG's & VWS's reporting immediately any misappropriation of funds to our clients Program Manager (Polio) & State Facilitator.
• Actively participate in all state level precampaign trainings as appropriate.
• Support all SBC activities in respective LGA / wards / settlements to promote child survival & protection.
• Support different sectors to mark & celebrate global & national days e.g., global hand washing day, day, day of the African child etc.
• Respond appropriately to health emergencies & disease outbreaks through the risk communication & community engagement committees at the LGA level.

Expected output:

• A detailed work plan at the beginning of the contract & monthly work plans thereafter.
• Sharing & uploading of data to ODK & other data tools at agreed timelines.
• Monthly report of activities, outcomes, mission reports & support to other reporting as requested.
• One end of contract report including detailed handover notes delivered to SBC & State Facilitator.

Expected results:

• Nigeria community engagement plan implemented at all levels by all stakeholders.
• Facilitation of implementation of state & LGA social mobilization & High Risk Operational Plans (HROP).
• VWS's, PSGs (where applicable) & VCM's are supervised, mentored & capacity strengthened through solid teamwork & leadership.
• Vaccination barriers are identified, analyzed & overcome by social mobilization groups & key influencers & the number of missed children & non compliances is reduced.
• LGA communication packages on health, polio, routine immunization, WASH, education & nutrition & child protection are developed & implemented.
• Polio & RI & non polio SIAs Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) reports are available at state, field office & Abuja levels.
• Contribution to other reports made & shared as requested.

The primary outcomes will be:

• Quality implementation of all polio & non polio IPDs / supplemental immunization activities leading to reduction (to almost 0) in the level of missed children (non compliant & / or absent) & 0 dose children.
• Increased commitment from LGA officials, traditional leaders & religious leaders through frequent LGA Facilitator feedback & engagement on all SBC activities for our clients programs.
• Social mobilization working group & committees at LGAs hold regular meetings & use social mobilization data for planning, monitoring & implementation of SBC interventions in polio, routine immunization, health, nutrition, education, WASH & child protection.
• Improved use of social & Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) data in communication strategy development & planning by the LGA team including social mobilization working group members through technical inputs.

Project reporting:

• This role reports to the line manager.

Education:

• University Degree in Social Sciences, Communication, Public Health, Community Nutrition, Community Development or related technical field.

Language:

• Fluency in English; knowledge of a local language of the duty station is an asset.

Work experience:

• At least 3 - 5 years progressively responsible professional work experience at state / LGA level in program planning, management, monitoring & evaluation in immunization programs.
• Experience in social mobilization, advocacy & communication in health related programs, polio eradication campaign, IEC materials development, training / capacity building, team building.

Required competencies:

• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies as well as programming policies & procedures in international development cooperation.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan, execute ideas as well as impart knowledge & tech skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multi cultural environment & establish harmonious & effective working relationships both within & outside the organization.