Project Coordinator (PRO) at Save The Children

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for overall implementation and oversight of UNICEF nutrition activities (CVA, CMAM & IYCF), and will oversee a CVA Officer / 2 Nutrition Officers, who support the day-to-day running of project activities.  The Project Coordinator will also ensure active engagement in capacity building activities including trainings and knowledge transfer to team members, provide training to the nutrition team in IYCF-E, Screening for malnutrition, and other related nutrition focused activities, provide training to the CVA Officer in cash transfer programming and other related activities. 

This position will be based at Katsina with travel to field sites as necessary.

 MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Management

Programme Support (typically will be at field level):

• With support from the deputy operations director and/or other senior programme staff, develop project plans and budgets, contributing towards an overall project implementation.
• Ensure proper identification of beneficiaries with support from CVA officers and MEAL and community committees are in all communities.
• Liaising with Nutrition team to ensure caregivers of children identified with SAM are registered for cash assistance on the program.
• Working with CVA officers and other program staff ensure program beneficiaries have adequate information about the transfer values, modality and complaint mechanism.
• Oversees the implementation of UNICEF nutrition specific activities and ensuring that the quality standards and state of the art are met; 
• Ensures effective start up, management, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the Project.
• Provide support and guidance to the project team and implementing partners; assess training needs, plan & provides training/guidance for staff in setting up new nutrition services.
• Support or Facilitate trainings for nutrition professionals;
• Participating in and/or leading health, nutrition, and/or multi-sectoral assessments as required;
• Manages all Save the Children resources (equipment, supplies, HR) committed to UNICEF nutrition 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 nutrition section;
• Conducts regular field visits and review meetings with government officials to monitor the implementation of UNICEF-nutrition project;
• In collaboration with Field Manager, ensure timely preparation and implementation of phase-out strategy. 
• With the support of DDPO, support project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against log frames, individual performance management work plans).
• Working closely with 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 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 UNICEF nutrition program and participate in internal and external coordination and share up-to-date information to DDPO, Katsina STL and relevant technical advisors
• 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.

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 nutrition 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 and diversity.
• Undertake regular field visits to project sites to ensure technical quality and timeliness of ongoing work.

CORE BEHAVIOURS

Understanding humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles:

• Ensures that programme goals and activities uphold the principles of the key national and international humanitarian frameworks, codes and commitments.
• Integrates beneficiary accountability principles into the approach.
• Participates in disaster coordination mechanisms and interagency cooperation.

Achieving results effectively:

• Ensures efficient and transparent use of resources in accordance with internal controls.
• Establishes staff engagement mechanisms.
• Addresses difficult situations and makes tough decisions confidently and calmly.
• Considers the wider impact of decisions to be made in the short and long-term.
• Continuously provides feedback and updates to achieve improved results.
• Coordinates with stakeholders to avoid duplication and maximise resources.
• Documents lessons learned and applied them to future projects

Maintaining and developing collaborative relationships:

• Actively listens to different perspectives and experiences of stakeholders
• Actively participates in networks to access and contribute to good practice
• Establishes and maintains clear communication and dialogue with disaster and conflict affected people and other stakeholders
• Establishes clear objectives with teams and individuals and monitors progress and performance

Operating safely and securely:

• Identifies and communicates risk and threats and minimises these for oneself and the agency
• Takes measures to do no harm and to minimise risks for partners and the communities
• Reduces vulnerability by complying with safety and security protocols set by the organisation
• Demonstrates an understanding of wider UN/NGO security coordination and how the organisation can benefit from, and contribute to, those mechanisms

Managing yourself in a pressured and changing environment:

• Helps team members to practise stress management through prioritisation of workloads and modelling of appropriate self-care
• Remains effective and retains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations
• Demonstrates personal integrity by using one’s position responsibly and fairly
• Maintains ethical and professional behaviour in accordance with relevant codes of conduct
• Plans, prioritises and performs tasks well under pressure
• Takes responsibility for own work and for the impact of own actions

Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:

• Builds own awareness of the bigger global picture by using a broad range of sources to gather data
• Demonstrates managerial courage by confronting difficult situations and seeking resolution, and stating willingness to champion ideas
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Makes positive statements about work
• Effectively influences others by understanding their interests and showing how they will be met by own preferred solution
• Gives constructive feedback to enhance capabilities and responsibilities to another for the purpose of his/her development

 Qualification and Experience 

Essential

• Substantial experience of working in Nutrition and CVA, including prior emergency based experience
• Education to BSc/BA level in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience or work experience 
• Previous experience of project management and implementation
• Excellent understanding of monitoring and evaluation, nutrition in humanitarian context, CVA, 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
• Some experience of representation and ability to represent SC effectively in external forums.
• 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, preferably Hausa and/or Fulani
• Good computer skills (particularly Excel, Word and databases) 

Desirable

• Experience in nutrition project, data management, cash transfer programing and IYCF programing
• Having an operational experience will be a plus advantage.
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.
• A high level of Communication in Hausa Language 

Closing; 04, July, 2023