State Coordinator - Gombe at Options Consultancy Services Limited

Options is a leading provider of technical expertise, short-term consultancy and long-term management services in the health and the social sectors. Established in 1992, Options has evolved into a dynamic organisation with a broad portfolio of work that includes over 900 assignments in 50 countries. We work with a wide range of clients that includes donors, national governments, the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society.

Evidence for Action (E4A) is a programme managed by Options Consultancy Services and funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) until 2016 to improve maternal and newborn survival through a combined focus on evidence, advocacy and accountability across six sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. The E4A consortium brings together experts from academic institutions, internationally recognized advocacy and accountability coalitions and civil society organizations. It works through local institutions in each of the six selected countries which hosts a small E4A Country Team.

In each country and at a regional level, E4A has launched a locally driven programme under an umbrella E4A regional advocacy campaign known as MamaYe! The campaign has a clear focus on survival and positive stories rather than a resigned social acceptance of death in pregnancy and childbirth which is common throughout Africa.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the advocacy work, has committed resources to expand the reach of the E4A program and enable existing and effective models of change to be scaled-up, improving maternal and newborn survival in Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia.

We are looking for a State Coordinator to strategically drive and manage the smooth implementation of MamaYe- Evidence for Action (E4A) activities in Gombe State.

Job Title: State Coordinator

Location: Gombe State

Job Summary

• The State Coordinator for Gombe will strategically drive and manage the smooth implementation of MamaYe- Evidence for Action (E4A) activities in this State in a way that is Value for Money and ensuring that expected results, as laid out in the programme logframe and country strategy, are achieved.
• You will be expected to work with the country director, national coordinator and advocacy and communication advisors, the health correspondent, MamaYe Lead, Budget Advocacy Advisor and other State coordinators to strategically use evidence for strengthening advocacy and accountability for maternal and newborn health, targeting this evidence to relevant audiences (e.g. Non-governmental organisations, advocates, accountability structures, district health planners, policy makers) with the aim of accelerating progress on maternal and newborn survival in Gombe State. A key component of this role is to facilitate evidence based planning and decision making to ensure efficient allocation of resources to MNH in order to improve quality of care for mothers and babies.
• As the State Coordinator, you will be responsible for the overall functioning of MamaYe-E4A in Gombe, providing technical inputs and support in the use of evidence to power advocacy and accountability on maternal and newborn health. Working closely with the MamaYe Lead, you will ensure a strong MamaYe movement grounded in evidence based approaches and tactics. Technical support will be provided to you by Options, specifically the Technical Support Unit and consortium partners, who will help ensure you have the international and national technical support necessary to deliver your objectives.
• You will proactively identify and exploit opportunities for scaling up existing E4A approaches that have proven to be successful. In addition, you will be expected to share areas of learning and come up with new ideas, which will enable the programme to achieve results. You will also be responsible for ensuring that state level work reinforces national level work and responds to changes at the national level.
• You will be expected to work closely with E4A colleagues based in Nigeria and internationally, particularly on technical and work planning issues, contribute inputs to the country operational plan and strategies, and ensure that state level logframe indicators and targets are met.
• You will be based in Gombe State at an organisation selected by Options, which will act as the host agency. It will be important to work closely with staff from this host agency and make sure that capacity at the agency is built where necessary.
• You will report to the National Coordinator, whilst maintaining regular technical communication with other E4A colleagues.
• Team reporting arrangements will be reviewed if any change in team staffing occurs

Responsibilities
Lead Technical Inputs on MNH in Gombe:

• Support the implementation of the MamaYe-E4A strategy at state level
• Support MNH evidence-related strategies/activities in the State;
• Support relevant ministries and others in strengthening maternal death review processes;
• Contribute to the generation, analysis and packaging of evidence to support advocacy and accountability efforts;
• Establish state level accountability mechanisms bringing together a diverse array of partners to push for change on MNCH issues
• Collaborate with stakeholders (i.e. including media, advocates, CSOs) committed to strengthening evidence, advocacy and accountability in Nigeria;
• Track progress in Gombe State against logframe indicators in collaboration with the Evidence Advisor;
• Keep MamaYe websites up to date with relevant evidence, new stories and blogs
• Contribute to the development of workplans and country strategies and their implementation

Delivery of Operational Plan:

• Develop country operational plan in Gombe State, coordinating activities of the programme team and consultants (and engaging in trouble-shooting where necessary) to support the smooth implementation of the programme;
• Work with MamaYe-E4A staff to regularly review and develop the political strategy to overcome barriers and build on supportive factors to ensure the successful implementation of the E4A workplan in Gombe State.
• Provide technical input to the overall E4A strategy, using best practice on what works to achieve change in health outcomes;
• Ensure sound technical implementation of the operational plan in Gombe State;
• Quality assure evidence related outputs;
• Monitor progress of operational plan to ensure activities in Gombe State are on track and regularly report on progress to the National Coordinator;
• Proactively anticipate and participate in identifying technical assistance (TA)/subcontracting needs relating to evidence, advocacy and accountability areas or wider work in focus states, in conjunction with Options, and management of TA including development of TORs, contracting of TA and monitoring of TA outputs;
• Oversee financial management and reporting in Gombe State and submission of timely and accurate financial reports to Options;
• Oversee financial management and reporting for the Gombe office’s budget;
• Actively look for opportunities to drive forward E4A’s work in Gombe and opportunities to collaborate with other in-country stakeholders
• Lead on coalition building with regard to accountability mechanisms in Gombe, helping to ensure that E4A makes the right connections and supporting the development of E4A as a platform in line with E4A’s strategy;
• Work in conjunction with the Health Correspondent to build the MNH capacity of Nigerian journalists, opinion-formers and decision-makers in line with the E4A Nigeria work-plan.
• Information Packaging, Dissemination, Advocacy, Accountability and Sharing of Lessons Learned
• Identify the information needs of target audiences and package/tailor evidence according to formats which are most relevant and meaningful to each one;
• Develop tactful strategies to promote the effective use of evidence into action (policy, programme, advocacy, accountability) among different stakeholders;
• Work with advocates and those working to strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure they have the evidence required to be more effective;
• Use evidence to support the development and populating of accountability tools to track MNH progress and commitments;
• Package complex scientific information for a range of stakeholders in an easily understandable and appropriate format for non-scientists, and disseminate as appropriate;
• Identify opportunities for sharing lessons learned and tools, and dissemination of the programme result
• Attend Advisory Committee meetings as required to provide updates on E4A’s work in Gombe State;
• Work with and leverage efforts by other development partners in the State, and with their networks to mobilise greater public and political support for advocacy efforts;
• Work with the MamaYe Lead, Communications Specialist and Advocacy Coordinator to develop advocacy materials (i.e. stories, campaign materials) and ensure that the E4A/MamaYe Nigeria campaign website is a useful tool for delivering the advocacy strategy.

Requirements

• You are passionate about maternal and newborn health issues and have a track record of mobilising, communicating and catalysing social change in Nigeria.
• You are a prominent leader in civil society and an activist for women and children in Nigeria
• You have experience leading and managing a team.
• You have strong relevant networks and experience in coalition building.
• You are skilled at developing health strategies and cultivating partnerships with diverse stakeholders including government, private sector, non-governmental and civil society.
• You have an astute understanding of and effectively employ strategies within the political, social, cultural and economic landscape in Nigeria when designing and implementing advocacy campaigns and initiatives.
• You are a strong writer, communicator, team player and connector with the ability to make change happen.
• You have an understanding of the political, social, cultural and economic landscape in Nigeria

Remuneration
Commensurate with experience

Application Closing Date
21st December, 2014

Interview Date
23rd December, 2014

Duration
January 2015 - March 2017

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should email their CV and covering letter to: [email protected]

Click here to download Role Profile

Note

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview
• Early submission of applications is recommended as shortlisting will be an ongoing process as applications are received