LGA Facilitator at CTG Global

Overview of Position

• In 2020, Nigeria was declared WPV free for having gone without any WPV case for over four years. However, Nigeria is still experiencing outbreaks of cVDPV2 due low routine immunization coverage, which is further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• In 2021, Nigeria had 603 cVDPV2 cases (AFP, contact and environment cases combined, as of end November 2021) & new trend of prevalence in the southern states is a significant concern.
• Communication and social mobilization are critical components in the routine immunization & polio vaccination. It utilises the Volunteer Community Mobiliser (VCM) network of more than 18,500 members deployed in 12 high risk states in the northern part of Nigeria, working closely with stakeholders, caregivers & the community at large to promote vaccination.
• Members of the network conduct active, community based AFP case search & reporting, house to house visits, organise compound meetings & community dialogues, track new born & under five children, give zero dose polio vaccinations, engage members of polio survivors group, track & vaccinate children at internally displaced camps, refer pregnant women to health facilities & under one children for routine vaccination & systematically track & vaccinate missed & non compliant children during in between rounds activities in their assigned settlements.
• The network is supervised through a comprehensive network of Facilitators at ward, LGA & state levels. The VCM network is a proven catalyst for change & a standard for community engagement at the grassroots level to drive community mobilisation for polio & routine immunization, individual & group health education sessions & promotion of essential family practices.
• State Facilitators & the supportive supervision layers under them, as well as the volunteer community mobilizers, were key actors who raised the community awareness, tracked the new born & their immunization status, changed the behaviour of the caregivers favourably & engaged prominent influences to resolve non compliance & reached out to underserved population since 2012. In the era of post WPV, their intensified communication is expected to contribute immensely to the lingering immunization challenges of Nigeria.
• Our client has the need to sustain & strengthen its support in intensive community engagement & social mobilization with particular focus on ensuring improved coordination & partnership with key community leaders of underserved populations & in very high risk states.
• One of the key approaches in community mobilization is the identification, sensitization & engagement of prominent influencers in underserved & mobile communities. Intensified engagement with the religious institutions in Nigeria is critical to addressing key communication challenges that the immunization programme is facing.
• There are still lingering challenges with small groups predominantly in northern Nigeria; these result in non compliance with a correspondingly high number of children remaining unvaccinated against vaccine preventable diseases.
• These Facilitators will be located at the state level with frequent trips to the LGAs with high numbers of missed children in key wards. Emphasis will be on communication approaches to improve routine immunization & to support emergency non polio SIA, such as COVID-19.

Role Objectives

• Supervise 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 a specified LGA, with its ward & settlement teams 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 LGA social mobilization task team.
• Support LGA Health Educator 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 (micro planning).
• 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 key local level influencers such as district heads, religious leaders, women groups, town announcers, traditional dancers, pharmacists, social & cultural groups & support the planning & implementation of such activities 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 on their adaptability to local reality.
• Spend adequate time working with various community groups & monitor all communication activities so that our clients support to local level communication interventions & their impact can be documented across all of our clients programs (health / polio, WASH, education, nutrition, child protection).
• Track the delivery & efficient utilization of campaign social mobilization funds at LGA level.
• Report on how funds are spent to support various communication activities & facilitate, in coordination with our clients SBC & State Facilitator, the effective use of SocMob funds (channelled through the govt. departments) at the state, LGA & ward levels for polio & non polio SIAs.
• Monitor & report, on a monthly basis, the factual & complete disbursement of honorariums to VCM, PSG & VWS, reporting immediately any misappropriation of funds to our clients Program Manager (Polio) & State Facilitator.
• Actively participate in all state level pre campaign trainings as appropriate.
• Support all SBC activities in respective LGA / wards / settlements to promote child survival & protection.
• Support to different sectors to mark & celebrate global & national days e.g. global hand washing day, day of the African child etc.
• Respond appropriately to health emergencies & disease outbreaks through the risk communication & community engagement committees at 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 tool at agreed timelines.
• Monthly report of activities, outcomes, mission reports & support to other reportin 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, PSGs (where applicable) & VCM's are supervised, mentored & capacity strengthened through solid teamwork & leadership.
• Vaccination barriers identified, analysed & overcome by social mobilization groups & key influencers, number of missed children & non compliances are reduced.
• LGA communication packages on health, polio, routine immunization, WASH, education & nutrition & child protection are developed & implemented.
• Polio, RI & non polio SIAs 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 zero) in the level of missed children (non compliant & / or absent) & zero-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 meeting & use social mobilization data for planning, monitoring & implementation of interventions in polio, routine immunization, health, nutrition, education, WASH & child protection.
• Improved use of social & Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) data in communication strategy development & planning by the LGA team including social mobilization working group members through technical inputs.

Qualifications and Key Competencies

• University Degree in Social Sciences, Communication, Public Health, Community Nutrition, Community Development or related technical field.
• Fluency in English; knowledge in a local language is an asset.
• At least three (3) years progressively responsible professional work experience with national & international humanitarian organisations in program planning, management, M&E of programs.
• At least three years of similar experience in social mobilization, advocacy & communication in health related programs, training / capacity building, team leading & team building.