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Job Title: Coordinator- CORE Group Partners Project (FARID Project) 

Reports to: Somalia Secretariat Director

Location: Kenya/Somalia

Grade:

Dhobley And Kismayo, Somalia

About FARID Project

The FARID project isfunded by GatesFoundation andimplemented by CORE Group PartnersProject (CGPP) among other partners. The FARID project is supporting immunization efforts in hard-to-reach and access compromised areas including polio eradication initiatives.     This project is intended to improve immunization coverage and community-based disease surveillance in hard-to-reach and security compromised inaccessible areas of South-Central Somalia.

Polio eradication is a top priority for Gates Foundation, and as a major supporter and partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), Gates Foundation contributes technical and financial resources to accelerate targeted vaccination campaigns, community mobilization, and routine immunizations. BMGF works with partners to improve polio surveillance and outbreak response; develop safer, more effective vaccines; and galvanize financial and political support for polio eradication efforts

The project is implemented by Vision corps initiatives (VCI). The overall objective of the VCI Somalia Program is to prevent death and alleviate human suffering among affected internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the settlements and host communities where we work. VCI implements WASH, Health, and Livelihood activities in Somalia and in Kenya. VCI has fully-fledged offices in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Dhobley, and Dollow and other program offices in Nairobi and other counties in Kenya.

Job Summary

The coordinator will manage the planning and implementation of the CGPP FARID project in Somalia, while providing technical support to the NGO implementing partners. He / She will be responsible in developing, maintaining and strengthening the project’s relationships with key partners and stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health for Somalia and other GPEI partners. In fulfilling these roles, the coordinator will ensure that: (a) FARIDProject activities address stated projectobjectives and contribute to the achievement of national and international polio eradication goals; and (b) the needs and concerns of participating NGOs and of the communities they serve are communicated to decision-makers at all levels.

Specific Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Partnership and Coordination

• IncoordinationwiththeSecretariatleadership (Director andDeputy director),manage communication with Federal, State, and international stakeholders as well as GPEI partners working in Somalia. Maintain close formal and informal networking and communications, to ensure NGO and community needs are communicated. Ensure feedback on technical advances, policy changes, and other relevant information to all CGPP and other partners. Participate & represent the interests of the CGPP FARID project and its partners in meetings with stakeholders and provide feedback to the Secretariat team.
• Support the quarterly meetings with partners and stakeholders to review the FARID progress, address challenges, and share successes and lessons learned.

• Lead the development, consolidation and maintenance of the region-specific information repository on core polio program indicators (e.g. NPAFP rates, stool adequacy, polio vaccination coverage etc.); updated population estimates (resident, displaced, refugees), standardized indicators and values used by partners for monitoring needs and response as well as vulnerability mapping.
• Collaborate with technical partners to design, surveillance guidelines, protocols, surveys and monitoring/surveillance systems for detection, verification and response to polio transmission. Ensure efficiency of data collection, correlation, analysis, interpretation, timely reporting and coordinating the work with Federal and State monitors, while providing technical guidance to the MOH/partner technical personnel, as required.
• Convene regular meetings with the NGO partners to share lessons learned, disseminate information, discuss challenges, and solicit feedback not less than quarterly.
• Represent CGPP FARID project in Somalia Federal/State coordination meetings and provide timely feedback to the Secretariat and partners.
• Participate in national and international coordination platforms including Annual Task Force on Immunization, InteragencyCoordinatingCommitteemeetings,and relevant polio/vaccine-preventable disease meetings convened by the FMOH, Gates foundation, WHO, UNICEF and other key health stakeholders representing the interests of the CGPP FARID project and its partners
• Prepare and circulate briefing notes on meeting outcomes to the FARID project partners and Secretariat. Notes should include key discussion points, strategies, policy updates, events and decisions, andtechnicalrecommendations relevant topolioeradication,andtheir implications toother CGPP programs.

Technical support and monitoring

• Assist with technical support to CGPP Secretariat team and its FARID project partners in developing work plans, training materials, and IEC materials.
• Assist in the development of technical priorities and strategic plans for the project, ensuring that they contribute to high quality, robust acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance; improve the quality and coverageof supplemental immunization activities;and increasethe utilizationof routine immunization services
• Monitor all activities to ensure alignment with the project goals and objectives of the FARID project. Monitor and review field operations performed by NGO partner staffs to ensure quality implementation. Suggest necessary program adjustments.
• Oversee the implementation of project activities, including baseline assessment, mid-term evaluation/review, and guide the interpretation of analyzed data. Review the partners’ quarterly progress reports and provide feedback to partners and the Secretariat team.
• Adapt, review, and ensure the NGO partners’ utilization of supervisory guidelines and checklists.
• Monitor progress toward FARID project immunization goals including polio eradication initiatives and strategies and, in coordination with the Secretariat Director and Global Director, suggest necessary adjustments to ensure project activities contribute to the national and global eradication of polio.
• Support and monitor FARID project training (on AFP surveillance, routine immunization, social mobilization, risk communication and community engagement, data collection, and reporting tools and techniques) and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure field staff at all levels receive appropriate training.
• Strengthen the capacity of NGO partner staff through targeted support and training opportunities based on observations made from monitoring activities.

• Track performance on established indicators at all level (input, activity, output, effect, and impact) to measure achievement and track progress towards intermediate results and overall program strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with Federal and State MOH and implementing partners to process, analyze and use this information to improve management, make necessary adjustments, and assess trends.
• Conduct spot checks at health facilities and community level to evaluate/assess the adherence to programming standards and visually verify information reported through the standard reporting systems.
• Coordinate cross-border health activities between CGPP and its partners as well as Ministries of Health in Somalia and Kenya, to ensure synchronized immunization, disease surveillance, and information-sharing across border areas

Grant/partner management

• Contribute to the development of the annual NGO partners budget and work-plan. Support/monitor the implementation of the work-plan to ensure activities are on course and track the NGO expenditure pattern by reviewing monthly and quarterly financial reports. Suggest/make recommendations for corrective action if required.
• Assist/guide the development of and approval of the NGO partners’ budgets and work-plans prior to submission to the Secretariat. Monitor partners’ adherence to the approved budgets and work-plans, with support of the GF – CGPP Team, and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure work-plans are completed within budget.
• Identify and respond to partners’ needs for training, technical assistance, and capacity strengthening. This may include, but not limited to, organizing, developing, and/or facilitating training on program management.
• Support the organization of regular review meetings with partners, according to all relevant sub-grant guidelines.
• Undertake field visits to partners’ project sites to solicit partner and community feedback on project progress and challenges, to address partner queries, and to identify solution to improve project delivery.
• May be requested to facilitate partner training or workshops.

Reporting and documentation

• Support the timely preparation of FARID project quarterly and annual reports as well as monthly/weekly updates, and any other additional reports required.
• Review partners’ quarterly and annual reports prior to submission to the Secretariat. When required, assist partners in developing high-quality reports by making suggestions for improvement.
• Document success stories, best practices and lessons learned, journal articles on FARID project work for publication in conferences, and reputed public health journals.

Desired Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in public health; Community Health & Development; Social Sciences or a related area of study
• Three to five years of experience managing health projects
• Experience working with the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, donors, and NGOs
• Good leadership, social interaction skills and the ability to work with a wide range of individuals and organizations
• Experience and knowledge of budgets and budget management

• Strong computer skills in word, excel, and data management software such as Epi Info or SPSS • Experience working in security compromised environments required
• Experience and knowledge of polio eradication is required • Strong written and verbal English language skills
• Fluency in Somali language skills is also required

Disclaimer:

This job description is not an exhaustivelist oftheskill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with theposition.