CARE International is a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to saving lives and ending poverty. We work in over 94 countries around the world to provide over 1000 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects.
we are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Clinical / Community Engagement Assistant
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full Time
Job Summary
CARE Nigeria is seeking the engagement of Clinical / Community Engagement Assistant for the implementation of the Adolescent Mothers Against All Odds (AMAL) project and ensure quality implementation of the ASRH program, monitoring and evaluation of sexual and reproductive health activities in the supported communities and Health Facilities.
The Clinical / Community Engagement Assistant will be responsible for quality implementation of community dialogue and communication activities for social behavioural change in the community in collaboration with community partners and HF officials and will also be responsible for monitoring and evaluation of community dialogue and communication activities on sexual and reproductive health services in the supported Facilities and Outreach Service Areas (FOSAs).
S/He will provide quality clinical lifesaving SRH communication services to beneficiaries in the host communities, with particular emphasis on hard-to-reach areas.
S/He will also work in active collaboration with primary health facility staff and community engagement facilitators to create demand for the uptake of services and facilitate timely referral of complicated conditions to secondary health care facilities.
Responsibilities and Tasks
Technical and Program Support to Health Facilities /Outreach Services Areas (25%):
Provide technical and program support to ensure quality implementation of comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights activities with focus on LARC& PAC in the FOSAs
Provide technical assistance and ensure quality implementation of community dialogue and communication activities for behavioral change in the community in collaboration with community partners
Together with key stakeholders in the community, identify potentially changeable health behaviors and practices, barriers to the use of family planning services, and post-abortion care, and develop strategies and approaches to overcome barriers and increase demand
Advocate with local partners to implement strategies to reach all levels and categories of the population
Establish a Community Facilitators' Committee around each supported health facility to ensure community dialogue sessions and client referrals.
Identify the needs of the community partners and provide them with the necessary technical and material assistance
Develop a weekly work plan and movement plan for activities in the FOSAs
Develop, Training TOR, Budget, and Contract and Advance request guided by work plan, budget and liquidate expenses after training with support from the PM
Provide on the job coaching and mentoring for community facilitators
Strengthen local coordination meeting and attend state coordination meeting on request by supervisor to advocate for Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights Services in the State
Support the establishment and effective delivery of SRHR outreach services in target communities
Initiate and write concept notes and proposal for new SRHR activities and project at community level
Support in development of project work plan, budget, expenditure plan for SRHR community activities
Quality Control and Assurance (25%):
Conduct regular Facilitation Skills Assessments for all the community engagement facilitators for competencies in facilitation and develop coaching plans for the non-proficient facilitators
Request for relevant and up to date IEC/SBCC materials and job Aids for all FOSAs to be use during reflective dialogue sessions
Ensure all aspects of patient/client record are properly documented using appropriate and relevant tools and well stored in a private and confidential key and lock cabinet
Ensure quarterly plans are developed and reviewed, and monthly reflective dialogue activity plan and roaster is place on the wall in all FOSAs in collaboration with CSO
Account for all community facilitators and ensure they perform their duties when assigned
Ensure that weekly reports are submitted to the PM on community dialogue activities
Effectively supervise all community facilitators in the performance of their duties
Proactively address performance issues through regular, constructive and honest feedback and coaching and suggest replacement of community facilitators who are persistently underperforming or cannot perform duties due to any reason to local Partners and PM
Identify necessary volunteer’s development and career development opportunities for direct reports.
Educate and share CAREs vision, mission and core values with community facilitators and CSO partners
Report any bridge in the vision, mission, and core values or any behavior or attitude that is against the local law, or that is capable of destroying CARE’s reputation.
Monitoring and Learning (25%):
Ensure the regular data collection using appropriate tools (VCAT, RCCE, SAA) from the supported FOSAs, and entry into the DISC in the database for analysis of the data collected in order to make recommendations to the supported health structures and the Project Manager
Identify problems with the DISC and flag it to the M& E officer/PM, also suggest ways of improving data collection, storage and use for decision making
Participate in monthly tripartite meetings bringing together FOSA providers, community facilitators, CARE staff and the Health District to analyze the data, identify the difficulties encountered and help them find solutions
Conduct monthly supportive Supervisions to all the FOSAs in collaboration with the SPHDA LGA RH focal persons /SMOH officials
Supports monitoring and evaluation initiatives at selected facilities/communities including analysis of supply chain system in the state to strengthen existing system and suggest best practices
Establish and use strong compliant and feedback systems to track and report compliant and feedback to support effective delivery of SRHR service In collaboration with the ward / facility committee members
Periodically review performance metrics with the Monitoring & Evaluation officer and employ use of data for decision making that promotes high quality clinical care services
Identify and document and dissemination of appropriate success stories, experiences, best practice and lessons, at least one every 3 months
Encourage sharing of learning and experience with the team, across the organization and with like-minded/peer organizations
Assist in data entry and validation of all mobile clinic data
Relationship with Staff / Management (20%):
Develop a good communication and interpersonal relationship with other project staff and CARE staff to avoid creating a tense environment in the work place
Manage and resolve problems amicably following appropriate communication channels and procedures
Listens and accept constructive criticism
Understand CARE’s vision, mission and practice the core values of CARE
Cultivate good working relationships with service providers, community, MOH staff, local CSO , INGOs , UN agencies etc.
Foster teamwork among supervised staff and with staff from other units/departments
Represent CARE at coordination meetings in their location
Organizes community sensitization health talk through the community linkage structures (VHTs, Extension workers).
Perform any other Duties Assigned (5%):
Not only limited to:
Ability to willingly accept and take up additional responsibilities
Ability to share knowledge and skills for the purpose of knowledge and skill transfer to other staff
Carry out any other duties and responsibilities, which may be assigned by the management from time to time
Communication / Reporting:
Provide regular feedback to the Assistant Project Manager on the clinical/community engagement activities.
Participate in the development of work plans and reviewing them on a monthly basis with the Assistant Project Manager
Budget / Grants
Participate in proposal writing and budget development
Supervision
Supervise nurses/mobile team staff activities.
Ensure monthly reports are compiled and is if of good quality.
Qualification and Experience
The Clinical / Community Engagement Assistant (CEA) shall have a suitable combination academic qualification, experience and relevant trainings in the following technical and programmatic requirements for the post:
Registered Nurse, Nurse or Midwife (female preferred), with enormous experience in Reproductive Health issues
A qualification in Public Health will be an asset
Expert level knowledge and at least three years of practical clinical SRH in Emergency programming, preferably essential lifesaving RH/MISP package implementation with refugees and / or internally displaced populations
Training in project management, planning, monitoring and evaluation is an asset
At least 3 years field experience in working with health facility providers, community health workers and coaching and mentoring on the job preferred
Ability to plan training sessions, provide formative supervision, monitoring and evaluation of medical activities
Ability to ensure quality data collection, compile and analyse data to formulate relevant recommendations
Ability to write quality reports in English and submit them on time
Disciplined, organized, respect for deadlines, adaptation in a multicultural working environment, tolerance, respect for CARE's core values and gender
Strong relationship building skills and ability to work in complex environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Ability to multi task and prioritize activities.
Must be a good team player that is able to work independently with minimum supervision.
Exemplary customer service and people skills
Leadership abilities that have been proven in small and large scale arenas
Problem solving skills that lead to feasible resolutions for the future
Disciplined, organized, respecting deadlines, adapting to a multicultural work environment, tolerance, respect CARE's Core values.
Ability to enhance good interpersonal relationship.
Good knowledge and application of Microsoft word, Excel and Power Point.
Required Competencies:
Application of technical skills and program support
Good reporting skills
Quality and timeliness of support provided;
Observance of policies and procedures;
Maintenance of relationships;
Communication and interpersonal skills.
Work Conditions
The position is in Maiduguri with daily supervisory visits to the locations to support, plan activities and update the APM on progress of activities in the field (100% of project locations).
It involves liaising with and coordinating activities with providers, community leaders, Local Government authorities, implementing partners, other humanitarian actors and stakeholders within the areas of operation.
It is essential that the Clinical/Community Engagement Assistant maintain active presence in the field to ensure proper technical support, implementation and supervision of clinical SRH service delivery by both health providers and community engagement by the community engagement facilitators.