Program Assistant (Child Survival)

Job Description

JOB TITLE: Program Assistant (Child Survival)

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Health, Nutrition and WASH

LOCATION: Adado

GRADE: 5

TYPE OF CONTRACT: National

Duration: 12 Months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

Child Survival Program Assistant, will work on the day-to-day activities in the field and is responsible on the direct planning and coordination of all sector activities for health, nutrition, and WASH.

He/she will closely work with relevant line ministries for ease of coordination, information sharing, implementation, and quality services delivery. He/she will report on the progress of activities on weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to the line manager.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Program Officer-Child survival.

Dimensions: Save the Children operates across all zones in Somalia and currently has three main area offices and additional 11 field offices. Programmatically Somalia is a large Country Office with more than $110million annual budget and staff over 700 staff.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None.

Precise objectives will vary between assignments. The core areas that the position holder will be expected to deliver on are as follows:

· Project assistants will be the key frontline staff of Save the Children in the field with direct interaction, with the communities.

· With the support of programme officer conduct program awareness, mobilization, enrolment drives,

· sensitization and beneficiary selection through community meetings at the beginning of the programme

· Assist programme officer in procurement, distribution and utilization of respective programme supplies.

· Organize community meetings and facilitate selection of programme community structures.

· Provide Weekly Progress Update Report as requested by the line manager

· In collaboration with the programme officers, participate in collection of case studies to demonstrate programme impact.

· Ensure proper filling and documentation of relevant program documents.

· With the support of programme officer ensure timely implementation of planned interventions, as per the work plan, budgetary standards and programme quality.

· Support and ensure the implementation of cross cutting issues (Participation, gender, safeguarding,

· and disability inclusion) by identifying risks, concerns and mainstreaming to programme

· implementation.

· Promote and advocate children’s rights, document and report child right gaps within the scope of the programme at community level

· Prepare detailed action plans and ensure that Program is implemented in accordance with the work plans with the involvement of partners and concerned stakeholders at all levels.

· Liaise directly with community elders and local authorities, as well as other agencies operating in targeted programme sites regularly to ensure coordination and effective implementation of activities.

· Work closely with the Water and Sanitation Engineering team to mobilize communities to support the construction and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities, such as water points, latrines, and bathing areas.

· Assist the Engineer in monitoring the installation process of solar-powered systems, rehabilitation of permanent latrines in health facilities, and installation of water points.

· Assess the water, sanitation, and hygiene needs in health facilities.

· Maintain detailed, up-to-date records for project activities and water/latrine at Health/Nutrition target sites as per instructions and formats provided by the Project Manager.

· Work closely with targeted communities to solve and mediate any conflicts that may arise within the course of programme implementation.

· Ensure timely procurement, development, distribution, and utilization of respective programme supplies.

· Identifying programme related training gaps, planning, implementation, ensuring quality of the training and write training reports.

· Produce and implement monthly and quarterly plans in line with (Detailed implementation plan, procurement plans and phased budgets)

· Provide field reports with regards to the programme implementation and challenges encountered to the respective line manager to ensure timely action is taken.

· Support the collection and documentation of the needs, impact, and success stories.

· Support preparation of IEC materials for accountability, visibility, and communication, with the purpose of promoting and disseminating of messages

· Promote and advocate children’s rights, document, and report child right gaps within the scope of the programme at community level.

· – Technical and thematic Responsibilities

· Supervise and guide the hygiene promotion campaigns at program target villages and ensuring that community hygiene volunteers share the monthly report on time.

· Carryout practical handwashing demonstrations at the target villages as well as promoting handwashing practices at five critical times.

· Lead and organize interactive door to door hygiene promotion campaigns that will be carried out at the program target locations.

· Promote better hygiene and sanitation practices including proper solid waste disposal, accessing latrines to stop open defecation and dissemination of public health risks including waterborne related diseases.

Facilitate cross-sectoral programming, particularly to promote excellent communication and referral between inter and intra thematic sectors through integration model. Participate preparation of active case finding (screening) within communities,
· Supervision

· Ensure weekly/monthly and quarterly program monitoring and prepare field visit report for decision making purposes.

· Ensure all line ministries staff are familiar with their duties and take the necessary measures.

· Work closely with the child survival teams to ensure standard and correct criteria are understood and used effectively across the programs.

· Ensure adequate availability of all supplies at the point of distribution and proper documentations and guidelines are used.

General

· Comply with all Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child protection, health and safety, fraud, whistle blowing, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.

· Account for SCI’s assets and interests and safeguard from loss arising from fraud, waste, weak administration, or poor value for money.

· Carryout the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children in accordance the Child Protection Policy.

· Within reason, implement additional actions and responsibilities, as requested by your line manager.

REALM Responsibilities

· Facilitate and monitor implementation of community level activities.

· Ensure proper filling and documentation of relevant program documents.

· Provide support to the REALM team to effectively implement thematic quality benchmark, IPTT, monitor ongoing programme activities and report progress.

· Work with REALM team in collecting information on needs assessment, baselines and post distribution monitoring ensuring the highest level of professional conduct by those collecting data to ensure data integrity.

· Produce timely programme quarterly monitoring and supervision reports and ensure the documentation and dissemination to the concerned parties, using standards checklists, monitoring tools such as QBMs.

· Support the line manager in addressing MEAL issues and update action plan trackers.

· Prepare field visit plans and supervision and use standard checklists in during the field trips.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Creates a managerial environment to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding.
Ambition:

· Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.

· Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

· Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.

· Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.

· Ability to take direction.

· Ability to work in a team environment.

· Having Communication Skills

Creativity:

· Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.

· Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach.

Integrity:

· Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence.

· Displays consistent excellent judgement

Skills and Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

· Ordinary National Diploma in Public Health, Community Health, community development or social studies

· Excellent verbal and written communication

· Have good engagement with community & experience in community mobilization

· Good understanding in local language and culture practises.

· Ability and willingness to frequently travel and stay at the field

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in diverse team

· Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy

· Commitment to the aims and principles of, a good understanding of the SCUK mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

· Computer literate

· A moderate level of written and spoken English and good communication skills in Somali.

Desirable

· Knowledge of the operating context in South and Central Somalia

· Experience of and ability to represent SCI work in external meetings.

· Knowledge of Somali language and its different dialects

· Experience of community mobilisations, distributions, and hygiene promotion

· Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands-on implementation capacity.

· The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible, working away from home, and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.

· Influencing skills and experience in advocacy.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be.

required to carry out additional duties with respect to their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities

and Diversity policies and procedures. The post holder must commit to work in an international

agency that respects racial diversity and fights racism in all forms; and to model positive behaviors.

and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Adult Safeguarding

The post holder is required to perform the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment.

policy, all employees are also expected to perform their duties in accordance with the SCI.

protection from sexual exploitation abuse policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies.

and procedures.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,

At SCI, we uphold the principle of equal rights and opportunities for all our employees. In our commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace and addressing gender gaps, we have implemented additional efforts aimed at supporting female qualified candidates: –

· Maternity leave (6 months)

· Annual Leave 30 working days

· 10% *gross salary. (female allowance)

· 1.5 flexible working hours for lactating mothers

Qualified candidates with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply
Please apply in English saving your CV and cover letter as a single document. To see a full a job description, please visit our website at https://somalia.savethechildren.net/career

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent.

Application will be closed on 19Th August 2024

We need to keep children safe, so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Employment is subject to our Child protection standards including background checks and adherence to our Child Safeguarding Policy

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent.