Nutrition Coordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION: Nutrition Coordinator

LOCATION: Islamabad, with extensive travel to all filed sites

RESPONSIBLE TO: Health Director

WORKING WITH: Operation Coordinator and Nutrition Teams

START DATE: Immediate

DURATION: 12 months, with further extension based on the performance

Context and Background

Founded in 1998 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Poverty Eradication Initiative (PEI) is a Pakistani non-political, non-partisan and non-profit organization with the vision of eliminating poverty by working at both the policy and community level through partnerships with people, government, business and local groups.

PEI has a broad range of programming including in health, hygiene, emergency response, shelter, education, and capacity building valued at $54 million and implemented by 48 staff members. PEI’s public health expertise includes maternal health, child health, hygiene, training, medical supplies, reproductive health, and awareness raising with the aim of empowering rural women and eliminating preventable disease as a mean to reduce poverty.

PEI currently operates in 18 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven districts of Baluchistan and is signing an MOU with the government of Punjab to work in 15 districts, including the proposed project area. PEI has also signed MoU with FDMA (FATA Disaster Management Authority) Government of Pakistan and provided medical supplies to 80 health facilities of FATA.

Through a $32 million program funded by Hope International Development Agency for the Medical Support Program, PEI conducted a comprehensive health facilities assessment of 362 health facilities of 10 districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and 172 health facilities of four districts in Baluchistan and 259 facilities of FATA. Based on that assessment, PEI provided medical and surgical supplies worth $9.4 million to 118 health facilities of KP, 83 health facilities of Baluchistan and 80 facilities of FATA, which improved the functionality of health facilities, patient care, reduce MMR and IMR, control infection diseases, better hygienic conditions in health facilities and capacity building of the health services providers. PEI is currently coordinating with the government of Punjab and extending its operation to 15 districts of Punjab. PEI consistently is adding new facilities under the banner of Medical Support Program.

Overall Objectives (Scope):

· Plan, implement, monitor and coordinate proposed nutrition activities in the field, based on the CMAM strategy

· Provide technical support to nutrition programs including capacity development of the staff through thematic trainings and on-the-job-mentoring

· Contribute to the overall strategic directions of Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) nutrition programs in Pakistan

· Represent Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) to national authorities and other involved stakeholders, as and when required

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Programme oversight & Management

• Oversee the overall implementation of the nutrition components in all areas of operation, following CMAM strategy, including changes of project direction or priorities in collaboration with CMT and PCs/PMCs/DNCs and relevant nutrition staff
• Assist in preparing and implementing nutrion project operational and action plan in timely manner, in collaboration with CMT and PCs/PMCs/DNCs and relevant nutrion staff.
• Implement proposed project activities in timely manner and to ensure that objectives are achieved and resources are well utilised.
• Investigate and implement appropriate nutritional initiatives, with particular reference to advancing community nutrition approaches in coordination with donors
• Liaise closely with the Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator, Project Medical Coordinators in all field sites as well as the programme/project coordinators to ensure an integrated nutrition approach across sectors
• Oversee the overall management of acute malnutrition and provide technical guidance and training to the nutrition team as well as ensure protocols are being adhered to and the SFP’s and OTP’s are operating within quality indicators
• Coordinate nutrition programme M&E with an emphasis on quality, implementation, impact and cost-effectiveness, and provide guidance to strengthen and improve the programme as appropriate;

Research/Assesment/Report and Propose on Nutrition and Humanitarian needs

• Assist in current and future assessments of nutrition and humanitarian needs as determined by the CMT
• Preparation of donor proposals and reports and other monthly/periodic reports for Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) internal utility and/or for other stakeholders in collaboration with the PCs/PMCs/DNCs and CMT.
• Review existing Nutrition information system and ensure that effective and efficient nutrition information is established that facilitate timely identification of priority nutrition needs.
• Establish mechanisms of providing regular updates on nutrition activity status to local/provincial MoH including feedback on NIS statistics to the Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) Satff, epidemiological surveillance and to ensure that NIS has been used as a management tool

Capacity Building/Staff Training & Deveopment

• Improve the quality of the present activities through supervision of key staff, analysis and dissemination of M&E data and lessons learnt, and review of best practice guidelines;
• Design/organize and implement thematic capacity building plans for DOH and Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) staff, using the training needs assessment approach
• Design and implement follow-up-after training plan including on-the-job support to identify and rectify the gaps in program implementation, using supportive supervision tools
• Travel as required to areas of operation to supervise, build capacity and provide technical guidance to the Field Nutritionists (FN) and their teams for the direct implementation of the nutrition interventions

Representation

• Coordinate with DoH representatives at and donors and facilitate participation of DoH in programme planning, implementation and M&E;
• Represent Poverty eradication initiative (PEI) at national nutrition cluster and coordination meetings, and participate in nutrition working groups for policy formation;

Requirements (Person Specification)

• Medical doctor with post graduate qualification in public health
• Minimum 07 years experience in Public Health and at least 3 years experience of SFP/CMAM programmes as well as in management/coordination position with international organisations/agencies/UN agency;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural environment;

• Fluent spoken and written English, Pashto and Urdu

• Effective problem analysis and problem solving skills;
• Understanding of security management and willing to live and work within difficult and remote environments, including conflict affected areas (FATA, DIK, Tank, Malakand Division and Balochistan)
• Proven training and capacity building skills

Desirable:

• First-hand knowledge of the area
• Experience of donor liasion
• Where relevant, second langauge skills.