State Facilitator, Nutrition - Niger at Nina Jojer Limited

Job Summary

• The UNICEF Nutrition Programme aims to deliver good quality prevention and treatment services at a scale to build resilience and protect the most vulnerable, particularly during the First 1000 Days of Life. The focus, in keeping with UNICEF Nigeria’s new Country Programme Strategy (2023-2027), is to: (i) strengthen the enabling environment, including data, to inform policy and programming; (ii) strengthen systems, especially the health, food and social protection system to deliver high-quality services; and (iii) address social and behavioural practices that influence diets and practices. UNICEF works with the federal and state governments and partners to advance children's rights to good nutrition. This involves the creation of the enabling environment for policies, strategies and public financing of nutrition actions, including multi-sectoral coordination; systems strengthening for the delivery of high-impact nutrition interventions through the health system whilst leveraging the social protection and food systems for the delivery of nutrition-sensitive interventions that ensures access to good nutrition by households whilst promoting the optimal nutrition practices and consumption of healthy and nutritious foods in both development and humanitarian contexts. UNICEF has prioritized 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory for targeted services and programmes as part of its current country programme. The nutrition programme aligns with the prioritized states, but all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory benefit from national programmes such as micronutrient supplementation for children and pregnant women, as well as work related to enabling the environment for nutrition. As the provider of last resort in humanitarian settings, UNICEF works with government and partners to deliver preventive and lifesaving interventions in the country's six humanitarian states (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara). Despite the significant investments and scale-up of nutrition programmes, coverage gaps remain across all programme areas, especially preventative and life-saving interventions. The health system remains weak with limited integration of maternal and child health nutrition services. The irregular supply of essential nutrition commodities, including disruptions in last-mile distribution, limited capacity at the community and LGA levels, and inadequate numbers of health workers, contribute to the low coverage of nutrition services. These factors also lead to inadequate follow-up of the programme implementation, especially at the lower levels. Nutrition staff in the Country Office and Field Offices oversee programme implementation, including technical support for designing and implementing context-specific programmes and interventions, on-the-job coaching, mentorship, strategic advocacy and supportive supervision and monitoring. Some of the areas in these states are currently inaccessible, making it difficult for field staff to have visibility on programmes and aid distribution. In line with the government’s decentralization agenda, the national flagship N774 Programme will activate a multi-sectoral, accelerated and scale-up response to the nutrition crisis in the country with a focus on scaling up support to the poorest, excluded and most marginalized households across all 774 LGAs. This places additional human resource needs on the field offices to ensure more efficient delivery of the acceleration plans for nutrition, strengthening the monitoring of activities, community mobilization and provision of the requisite technical support both at the state and LGA levels. The Child Nutrition and Development Section, therefore, seeks the services of state and LGA nutrition facilitators to provide support for the delivery of maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions in the targeted states and LGAs, including conducting programme monitoring and last-mile distribution.

Job Details

Main Responsibilities and Tasks:

• The nutrition facilitator shall work under the direct supervision of the Field Office Nutrition Manager/Specialist or an assigned focal person. He/she will provide technical support to the assigned state or LGA and facilitate the delivery and monitoring of nutrition programmes. 
• The roles and tasks will be adapted as required based on the location and needs (this will be discussed and reflected in the monthly or quarterly work plans). The state or LGA facilitators are expected to work alongside UNICEF and government staff, as well as state and LGA structures, by playing a facilitative and supportive role in the delivery of the nutrition programme.

Support to programme development and planning at LGA and state levels:
 

• Provide technical support to the states and LGAs in designing context-specific nutrition programmes and activities in line with the approved UNICEF/Government work plan, such as preparing state or LGA work plans, micro plans, and annual operational plans.
• Support state and LGA nutrition focal persons in preparing memoranda, requisitions, and approval of work plans by principals.
• Support to plan and conduct periodic progress meetings with implementing partners, including the governments and other nutrition stakeholders.
• Facilitate and participate in the domestication of state/LGA strategies, job aids and guidelines, as well as support multi-sectoral nutrition coordination programmes and activities.
• Participate in nutrition sector coordination meetings at the state level to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the design and implementation of nutrition programmes. 

Technical and operational support to nutrition programme implementation at the state and LGA levels:

• Facilitate the implementation of planned activities and programmes in line with approved work plans at the states and LGAs.
• Support states and LGAs in community mobilization, implementation and reporting on activities in collaboration with other nutrition partners/stakeholders in line with the approved plans.
• Support UNICEF field offices in coordinating nutrition responses and programmes, especially in hard-to-reach areas and
  communities.
• Support UNICEF field offices in the processing of funds for planned activities, verification of direct payments, beneficiary or payee lists and any other related tasks.
• Facilitate the development of Nutrition Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) and Memorandum of Understanding at the field level by providing the requisite support to partners.

Nutrition supplies management and last mile distribution

• Support state and LGA nutrition focal persons and respective health facilities in properly planning and distributing the nutrition supplies.
• Provide monthly updates/reports on nutrition stock utilization and balances at the state, LGA and health facilities levels to ensure an intact supply chain system for optimal delivery of services.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to the communities and health facilities for nutrition commodities’ last mile distribution to ascertain the frequency, quantity and quality of commodities distributed as well as document beneficiary satisfaction and feedback.
• Provide on-the-job training for the health facilities staff, storekeepers and staff involved in the management of nutrition supplies.
• Provide timely reports on suspected aid diversion, pilfering or diversion of nutrition supplies, including negative beneficiary feedback, bottlenecks, and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.

Capacity building and programme monitoring

• Facilitate capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of state and LGA staff and communities to implement nutrition programmes and interventions.
• Facilitate the timely submission of monthly programme and inventory reports by states, LGAs and health facilities, as well as other nutrition-related information.
• Undertake regular programme field visits and monitoring with partners/stakeholders to assess the progress of implementation of activities and provide the requisite technical support, take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution.
• Facilitate regular monitoring and evaluation exercises, programmes and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess nutrition programs/projects.
• Assist UNICEF field offices in collecting and reporting on key performance indicators from the states and LGAs periodically.

Deliverables:

The nutrition facilitator shall undertake key activities as outlined above (but not be limited by them) to ensure the submission of the
deliverables detailed below:

• Weekly updates on the humanitarian situation and any relevant changes in the situation -influx, disruption of services (limited to the six humanitarian states – Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Niger, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara).
• Monthly nutrition progress report based on agreed-upon activities by the supervisor with recommendations.
• Monthly stock reports using approved templates (State, LGA and health facilities levels).
• Monthly monitoring reports or Trip reports and summary of the action points from the field visits. 
• Other programme-related reports in line with the work plan whilst flagging issues requiring urgent attention (e.g., nutrition supply stockouts, pending payments or accountabilities, etc.).
• Report on state and LGA coordination meetings related to nutrition (including humanitarian) highlighting key discussion and action points.
• Monthly supply request for each state or LGA for nutrition supplies.
• End-User monitoring report.
• Final report summarizing programmatic observations, areas of improvement and recommendations (at the end of the contract)

Requirements

Education:

• A first degree in food and nutrition, public health-related field.
• Must be computer literate.

Language:

• Fluent in English and knowledge of the local language will be an asset

Work Experience:

• At least three years of work experience in nutrition, health/Public health program management.
• Experience in working in an emergency is an advantage.
• Experience in working with communities in nutrition and other health-related programs