Somalia: Community Outreach Supervisor

DIAL is a non-governmental organization that has grown from a small grass root organization to a vibrant organization over the past decade. The organization works in the Horn of Africa especially in Somalia implementing projects in Nutrition, Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security and Conflict resolution.

With a clear commitment to the target communities, donors and other partners, DIAL is guided by strong regard for humanitarian operating standards and the passion to assist the neediest while always looking at ways to improve its projects.

Since inception, the organization has been carrying out various projects to address the humanitarian challenges faced by the local communities in South, Central and Puntland regions of Somalia. The organization has offices in various locations in Somalia and in Nairobi and receives funding from various donors. DIAL seeks to fill the position of Community Outreach Supervisor for a new donor funded Integrated WASH, Health and Nutrition project in Kismayo, Lower Juba in Somalia.

Position Description

The position will be implementing activities which must build off and link to other ongoing program addressing malnutrition in Kismayo.

Purpose:

• Contribute to reducing the risk of acute malnutrition in Kismayo.
• Prevent mortality associated with acute malnutrition through the capacity building of communities in the CMAM approach in Kismayo District.

Objective 1: Community based assessments and community profiling

• Conduct community mobilizations for Primary health, nutrition and WASH for this project.
• Contact the key leaders, community groups and community members and identify health and nutrition needs in each community at each site in Kismayo Town.
• Develop messages to pass to the community members and other target groups according to these needs ( mothers, fathers, youth, etc)
• Support implementation of community approach through regular contact and exchange with the community, collect information on the community organization and identify key persons for the building of case-finding and referral network, communication channels for sensitization

Objective 2: Identification of key community members and training of community health volunteers

• Under the responsibility of the Field Program Manager and the Health &Nutrition Coordinator and in cooperation with health facility staff, Nutrition Supervisor and Health Supervisor, Community leaders and village leaders, identifies the community volunteers to be trained for acute malnutrition case identification and referral as well as public health promotion activities.
• Under the responsibility of the Program Manager, participates in the design and implementation of training workshops for the community volunteers.
• Conducts regularly the supervision of volunteers in the field and to evaluate the adherence of the trained volunteers to the correct nutritional screening, referral of cases and dissemination of public health promotion topics which includes mentoring and on the job training.
• Ensures the community sensitization on relevant topic related to the trainings.
• Continuous on job trainings of the community volunteers in public health topics (case by case).

Objective 3: Ensuring community nutritional screening is functional and linking to health facilities

• Ensures the supervision and monitoring of the implementation of active screening activities by the health facility staffs in the first phase of the program (detection of cases, referral, follow-ups). The Community Outreach Supervisor will work together with the community leaders in the first phase of the project to do active screening in order to monitor the skills of the community volunteers and to introduce the concept and the community volunteer to the community who do all awareness in an integrated manner.
• Assists in the supervision and monitoring of the implementation of home visits of beneficiaries by community actors (community health workers and community leaders) for follow-up of non-respondents, defaulters and potential defaulters
• In collaboration with the community volunteers and community leaders and as needed the health facility staffs, mobilizes the community for nutrition activities (detection of case, referral, follow-up). Active screening in phase one of the project which proceeds to community volunteers implementing passive screening in the second phase of the project.
• Supports the community volunteers in the building up of the community mobilization network system in communities and follow-up implementation of activities
• Supervises community volunteers conducting screening and home visiting in the centres and communities
• Under the responsibility of the program manager identifies key areas of training for the community actors
• Informs the Program Manager of training needs
• Follow up the community volunteers and be sure that they are conducting public health promotion and nutrition education in the community (a wide variety of activities according to the identified needs, for example one-on-one, screening days, school groups etc.)
• Assist the program manager to work with the logistic and admin departments to plan, procure appropriate supplies and follow up community based activities
• Ensure proper records are kept of all expenditure and usage of materials

Objective 4: Facilitate information exchange and cooperation with all interventions and stakeholders in the district:

• Collaborate with all other organizations involved in the project to ensure the project is integrated.
• Work in collaboration with the communities and local leaders at all stages of project implementation.
• Provides timely coherent analysis of the community situation in relation to nutrition, health, food security, WASH situation to the Health and Nutrition coordinator.

Objective 5: Monitoring and evaluation of community based program, with the program manager in collaboration with the Nutrition supervisor and health supervisor and other relevant actors.

• Follow up with the various community groups, in their communities and assess for behavior change.
• Do follow up and monitoring and evaluation of the DIAL community activities.
• Fill in the developed monitoring and evaluation tools accurately.
• Ensure that records of all participants, distributions and community activities are up to date and correct.

Objective 6: Reporting

• To provide reports according the requirements of the program.
• Including, but not limited to: Compiles weekly and monthly reports and ensuring timely submission of such written reports (in English) to the Program Manager
• Assists the Programs Manager and the Nutrition Supervisor in preparing progress and monthly reports.
• Any other duty assigned by the Health and Nutrition Coordinator in the life of the project.

Requirements

1. Experience working directly with community members or in a community outreach role.
2. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
3. Able to work independently and in a team environment.
4. The ability to effectively collaborate with co-workers and community members face-to-face and in meeting settings is required.
5. Fluent in English; Fluency in Somali is a strong advantage.
6. Experience in relief and development field is required.
7. Experience in technical advocacy/collaboration with various departments.
8. Ability to have a sound understanding of the Nutrition programs with vision of integrating different aspects.
9. Computer proficiency in word processing, database, spread sheet and graphics presentations.
10. Ability to work in a highly sensitive environment needed.

If you feel you are the right candidate for this position, kindly send your application stating the position applied for in the subject line along with an up-to-date CV (including 3 referees and their current contacts) by email to: vacancies@dialafrica.org by 29th, September, 2013.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. DIAL is an equal opportunity employer.