Uganda: Maternal/Child Health & Nutrition Advisor - Uganda

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps drives high quality, analytical work in tough places. We have been operating in Uganda since 2006 and currently implement development programs across Uganda with funding from USAID, SDC, DFID, Private foundations. We partner with a range of private, public and civil society actors to systemically broaden opportunity. In 2012 we were awarded a 5-year USAID/Food for Peace-funded program working in the northern half of Karamoja. The project, called the Northern Karamoja Growth, Health and Governance (GHG) program, aims to support the immediate needs of program beneficiaries while promoting long-term development by spurring systemic improvements in key economic sectors of northern Karamoja.

GHG has three strategic objectives (SOs):

• SO1: Pro-poor market development;


• SO2: Improved health for children under five years of age;


• SO3: Improved security and governance

Under SO2, GHG is accountable for improvements in nutrition and increased access to quality health services. Overall success will be measured by a reduction in the prevalence of stunting among children under five in the region, among other determinant indicators. The need for change is significant; Karamoja has the poorest outcomes in the country for nearly all Maternal/Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) related indicators, including maternal and infant mortality, wasting, underweight, and access to improved water and sanitation. In order to drive improvements, the program uses a PM2A approach, providing preventative rations to pregnant women and children under two, conducting extensive community mobilization to increase uptake of healthy behaviors, and working closely with the local government to improve delivery of health services and increase access to improved water and sanitation. Activities are integrated across sectors, leading to a comprehensive package of interventions at the household and community level.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The MCHN Officer will support the delivery of GHG’s high quality MCHN activities. These include behaviour change programming through mother care groups, community dialogues, interventions to improve health system accountability, gender equality programming focused on engaging male role models and building life skills of women and sanitation promotion activities. The MCHN Officer will also support coordination between sectors and among partners, including World Vision as well as overall technical competency of Mercy Corps implemented activities. The MCHN Officer will work with staff to capture learning from the field and to support strategy and make tactic adjustments as needed. S/He will support all SO2 M&E related activities, including report writing, rapid assessments (as needed), analyses, stories and other learning to articulate the work of GHG in the health and nutrition sector.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Program

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  Support the implementation of health system governance activities and behavior change interventions across the three districts of Northern Karamoja, with a focus on high quality program delivery

  
  


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  Provide staff training in key technical areas with follow up support through on-site field mentorship

  
  


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  Design and implement standardized monitoring and periodic research activities to inform program quality reviews and strategy adjustments in coordination with other staff

  
  


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  Ensure an integrated approach to program implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy between the staff and different MC partners

  
  


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  Provide strategic support to team members to help them deliver their activities as per agreed work plan and achieve scale

  
  


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  Recommend program priorities and explore, evaluate and present new opportunities with high potential for impact in the areas of health, nutrition and gender

  
  


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  Advocate for health priorities in line with GHG strategy at key district, regional and national events, working with partners and team leaders

  
  

Partnership Management

• Support partnership oversight ensuring complementarity, compliance and integration of GHG partners, esp. World Vision and WHAVE


• Establish and maintain productive working relationships with sub-county and district leaders, soliciting their participation in all activities where appropriate

Team Leadership

• Participate in the recruitment of new staff, establish effective supervision structures, identify and meet training needs and ensure adherence to Mercy Corps’ performance management system within the team;


• Encourage an adaptive management learning culture in which evidence is continuously generated and lessons learned are actively shared across the consortium for maximum impact


• Work together HQ and national office staff to strengthen operations, identify and pursue complementary programming

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Support a dynamic program environment that promotes inquiry, together with the MCHN Manager and SO2 team leaders;


• Support coordinated data collection systems and reporting formats between partners, with integrated communications to ensure sharing of lessons learned and foster an supportive environment driven by achievement


• Analyze project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program success and provide timely recommendations


• Support external evaluations by research partner Feinstein International Center and other organizations where needed

External Representation and Coordination:

• Maintain strong working relationships with communities, village councils and local government in Abim, Kotido and Kaabong, Karamoja target areas.


• Support and coordinate visits from regional and HQ based staff and external visitors, such as donors and media, in collaboration with CoP and MCHN Manager.


• Support coordination of key actors as relevant for program implementation –government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector partners – and establish mechanisms for contacting local community organizations and partners and other local NGOs/CBOs in line with key GHG areas of work


• Advocate at local, regional, and where possible national platforms for GHG supported strategies for health and nutrition.

ORGANISATION LEARNING

As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES:

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: The MCHN Officer will not have any direct reports but will provide technical support to Strategic Objective 2 under the GHG program.

ACCOUNTABILITY

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: MCHN Manager, GHG

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: SO2 Team Leaders and field staff, SO1 and SO3 Team Leaders, Gender Advisors, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning Advisor, Deputy Chief of Party World Vision, Whave Program Manager, other Mercy Corps program and operations staff

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• A Master’s Degree or equivalent in public health, with advanced training and/or experience in nutrition, maternal and child health and Behavior Change Communication; prior experience with Mother Care Groups and community dialogues a plus


• At least three years of experience, preferably with experience in developing countries and living in a difficult environment


• Prior experience managing MCHN related program activities


• Demonstrated understanding of health systems strengthening, preferably with an understanding of the facilitative approach to development


• Superb English verbal and written communication and presentation skills required


• Strong understanding of data analysis and statistics


• Ability to communicate with donors, private sector and civil society partners and host government representatives


• Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually adaptive within a dynamic working environment


• Self-starter, with strong capacity for critical thinking and problem solving


• Ability to focus on day-to-day tasks at hand while also working towards longer-term objectives with an understanding that these will change continuously


• Willingness to travel frequently and extensively in remote areas with basic services

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

This position is based in Kotido town in Karamoja. Kotido has basic health services. The town is small but there is an INGO presence with some expatriate staff. Running water is periodically available and Kotido is still off the national electric grid so power is supplied by solar and generators. The position requires frequent travel to field sites around Karamoja. Mercy Corps has a large, well equipped field office in Kotido, and the expatriate communal residence is located in a well built house on the office compound. The MCHN Advisor will share the residence with other staff. The field location is ineligible for family members.