District Coordinator

The District Coordinator at Shifa Foundation plays a pivotal role in overseeing and managing district-level operations to ensure the smooth execution of projects and initiatives. This role demands strong project management capabilities, effective communication, and proficient stakeholder engagement to foster collaboration among diverse groups. The coordinator leads a team of two, guiding and supporting them to achieve project goals while ensuring timely and accurate reporting and comprehensive documentation. A critical aspect of this position involves resolving conflicts and managing documentation meticulously to facilitate transparency and accountability in all district activities. This position requires a minimum of five years of experience in related fields, emphasizing leadership in managing small teams and advancing project objectives in community or organizational settings. The coordinator collaborates closely with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that project milestones are met according to strategic plans. Effective communication and documentation skills are essential to capturing progress, challenges, and outcomes that inform continuous improvement and successful district operations.
Responsibilities

Terms of Reference (ToRs) for District Coordinator

MMS Scale Up Project Punjab

Position Title: District Coordinator Layyah– MMS Scale Up Project

Location: Layyah

Reporting Line: Reports directly to National Project Manager MMS Project with a dotted line with Senior Project Officer (SPO) and Provincial Coordinator.

Role Dimensions: Strong working relationship with the project implementation and technical team, MEAL Officer, and other technical staff at Nutrition International (NI).

Background & Broad Function:

The District Coordinator (DC) will support MMS Scale Up Project of Nutrition International, by collaborating with District Offices including The Deputy Commissioner’s Office, District Health Authority, IRMNCH & Nutrition Program Office, i/NGOs and other key district stakeholders in implementing MMS Scale Up Project that is aligned with Government of Pakistan’s Maternal Nutrition Strategy 2022-27.

The main aim is to support the Provincial Coordinator, Senior Project Officer (SPO), and Program Lead i.e., National Project Manager (NPM) at the Country Office level to implement, monitor and report on MMS Scaleup project for maternal Health and nutrition program supported by GF. The program is based on prevention of maternal anaemia through improving antenatal care (ANC).

Job Description:

1.1  Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop/strengthen coordination mechanisms within the intervention district between Health Department and key stakeholders including District Health Office, LHWs Program, Integrated Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health IRMNCH and Nutrition Program; NGO/INGO partners and UN agencies for improved program implementation in Layyah district.
• Ensure strategic planning under the guidance of the Provincial Coordinator for timely implementation of the Annual Work plan activities, including M&E activities, meetings including reviews, and visits to program area and facilities.
• Retrieve a monthly plan from all field staff/implementing partners engaged in the implementation of the program at the district level.
• Provide feedback to the PC, SPO/NPM on any modification required in the monthly plan.
• Participate in important government planning meetings to further the mandate of the organization.
• To work for prevention of anaemia in pregnant women by rapidly expanding and enhancing coverage of intervention in the district, both through facility and community action plans.
• Maintain constant effective communication with key health managers at the district and provincial level for timely sharing of program-related information highlighting gaps and challenges.
• Advocate with the relevant district authorities to create an enabling environment for scaling up the intervention throughout the district.
• Ensure regular liaison with the Senior Project Officer, MEAL Officer and National Program Manager to ensure the MMS Scaleup project work is coordinated and in line with the objectives of the project.
• Coordinate for the arrangement of logistics for all the meetings, events, activities etc. at the district level as per the Workplan of MMS Scaleup Project.

1.1.2.      Planning & Management

• Ensure strategic planning under the guidance of the Provincial Coordinator for timely implementation of the Annual Work plan activities, including M&E activities, meetings including reviews, and visits to program area and facilities.
• Retrieve a monthly plan from all field staff/implementing partners engaged in the implementation of the program at the district level.
• Provide feedback to the PC, SPO/NPM on any modification required in the monthly plan.
• Compile & submit the district plan of training activities for different cadres after receiving the same from the government/ partners/IPs to your Provincial Coordinator.
• Participate in important government planning meetings to move further the mandate of the organization.

1.1.3.      Capacity building

• Consolidate district training plans in coordination with the partners, IPs, and relevant health departments promptly.
• Ensure timely implementation of all training initiatives at the district level.
• Ensure that the technical teams in the field undertake regular on-job capacity building of relevant government functionaries through review meetings and frequent field visits.

1.1.4.      Strengthening supply and delivery system 

• Ensure timely delivery of supplies to the district in coordination with your supervisor and the Country Office team i.e. SPO/NPM.
• Facilitate and ensure smooth and effective maintenance of supply chain mechanism for uninterrupted supply and distribution, regularly to the program sites of MMS tablets and Training instruments and communication material.
• Ensure that the district maintains logistics and uninterrupted distribution of the commodities; ensuring to highlight any issues that may impede the regular distribution of commodities at the district level.
• Monitor the commodities supplies transfer, storage, and distribution at the district level.

1.1.5.      Support on data collection

• Responsible for reviewing the monthly data collected from project sites, ensuring its reliability, and that the project database is updated, initial analysis is undertaken and shared with the Senior Program Officer & MEAL Officer at NI country office. Provide support in data analysis and reporting.

1.1.6.      Assessment, Monitoring and Supervision

• Conduct ongoing monitoring of the MMS Scaleup Project against objectives outlined in the program using methods and tools developed/ shared by NI.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports for the Provincial Coordinator and organize and carryout bi-weekly/monthly program review meetings with your supervisor. Ensure that standard procedures and protocols are practiced by field staff.
• Supervise, monitor the work of data entry operator, review the clean data and submit to PC, SPO and NPM.
• Undertake field visits for regular monitoring to ensure strict compliance and utilization of commodities by end users in close coordination with DHO Office, LHWs Program, IRMNCH Program and NGOs/INGOs providing services in project sites.
• Prepare monitoring reports for sharing with your supervisor regularly. Coordinate with MEAL Officer in this regard for technical guidance.
• Identifying clearly bottlenecks and challenges highlighted during monitoring visits and utilization of commodities by end users in close coordination with the District Health Department.

1.1.7.      Others

• Maintain strict punctuality and regular office attendance from Monday to Friday, adhering to the project’s daily reporting and work schedule.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

1.2  Qualifications and Experience:

• Education: Master’s degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Social Sciences or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in program support, preferably in public health, MNCH, nutrition, or a related sector. Experience of project/program management at the district level in Punjab and coordination with the Health Department would be an advantage.

Skills and Competencies:

a.      Knowledge of maternal, newborn, adolescent, and child nutrition issues in Pakistan.

b. Strong advocacy, negotiation, stakeholder engagement, communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

c.   Proficiency in data analysis, monitoring and reporting; familiarity with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

·         Local Context & Networks: 

Demonstrated experience in coordination with the DHO Layyah Office will be considered a strong asset. Fluency in local languages (Urdu/Punjabi) and English.

1.3  Key Deliverables:

a.  Effective coordination and communication among district stakeholders to support   program implementation.

b.  Successful organization of stakeholder meetings, trainings, and workshops and ensure maximum attendance.

c.   Timely submission of key documents including all plans, expenses, attendance etc. and important reports including monthly, quarterly and annual program reports.

d.  Ensure all planned activities are done as per the approved Annual Work Plan.

e.  Ensure district targets for MMS distribution are met with zero stockouts for MMS.

f.   Ensure accurate district data is shared with tracking of program activities and contributions to monitoring and evaluation reports.