Nutrition Specialist (Cluster Coordination), P-4, Nairobi, Kenya
Vacancy No: E-VN-2014-001383
Duty Station: Nairobi
Country: Kenya
Region: ESARO
Job Level: P-4
Position#: 00063948
Application Close: 03-Jul-14
Contract Type: Long-term Staff (FT)
Purpose of the Position
On behalf of the IASC Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia and UNICEF (as the lead agency for the IASC Nutrition cluster), and in collaboration with the State Authorities, the main purpose of the Nutrition Cluster Coordinator post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent, strategic, and effective Nutrition response in Somalia by a mobilized and adequately resourced group of agencies, organizations, NGOs, local communities etc. The incumbent is to assists the Government of Somalia and state authorities in Nutrition cluster visioning, strategy formulation and the articulation of a 'Road Map' to provide adequate nutritional responses to emergency-affected populations.
Key Expected Results
1. Inclusion of key humanitarian partners:
- Ensure inclusion of key Nutrition humanitarian partners in a way that respects their mandates and programme priorities including OIC, ICRC, UN, INGOs, LNGOs, Government, Civil society.
- Act as focal point for inquiries on the Nutrition cluster's response plans and operations.
2. Establishment and maintenance of appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms:
- Ensure appropriate coordination between all Nutrition humanitarian partners (national and international NGOs, the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, etc), through establishment/maintenance of appropriate Nutrition Cluster/sector coordination mechanisms, including working groups at the national, zonal, and regional levels,
- Promote Nutrition emergency response actions while at the same time considering Nutrition within recovery and development planning through close interaction with the Nutrition Section. Ensure inter-cluster and programme response planning with other Cluster/sector groups specifically in the areas of Health, protection, school feeding, Food security, water and sanitation
- Represent the interests of the Nutrition Cluster/sector in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy;
3. Coordination with national/local authorities, State institutions, local civil society and other actors:
- Ensure that Nutrition humanitarian responses build on local capacities;
- Ensure appropriate links with national and local authorities, State institutions, local civil society and other relevant actors (e.g. peacekeeping forces) and ensure appropriate coordination and information exchange with them.
- Strengthen Government Capacity in Somaliland and Puntland to fully transition to sector coordination mechanisms as well as build the capacity of MoH of Federal Government of Somalia to support and co-chair cluster coordination mechanisms in the regions.
4. Attention to priority cross-cutting issues:
- Ensure integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in Nutrition assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights);
- Ensure effective and coherent Nutrition assessment and analysis, involving all relevant partners.
5. Planning and strategy development
- Developing/updating agreed Nutrition response strategies and action plans and ensuring that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies, such as the Consolidated Appeal process, and Contingency plans.
- Drawing lessons learned from past Nutrition activities, revising strategies and action plans accordingly;
- Developing an exit, or transition, strategy for the Nutrition interventions and key Cluster/sector partners.
6. Application of standards:
- Ensure that Nutrition cluster/sector participants are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government/concerned authorities have undertaken under international human rights law;
- Ensure that Nutrition responses are in line with existing policy guidance, technical standards, and relevant Government human rights legal obligations.
- Ensure all agreed upon guidelines at country level are followed and adhered to in all nutrition response.
7. Monitoring and reporting:
- Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place (with OCHA support) to review impact of Nutrition interventions and progress against implementation plans That is - monitoring indicators (quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost.
- Target population data including desegregation by sex, age etc...) of service delivery which are derived from working towards meeting previously defined standards.
- Ensure adequate Nutrition impact reporting and effective information sharing (with OCHA support) to demonstrate the closing of gaps.
- Ensure the cluster adapts to the current verification, monitoring, reporting and evaluation tools such as mobile technology, third party monitoring, Pictures, etc.
- Ensure that the cluster evaluates own performance on a regular basis and ensure corrective actions hence improved cluster coordination and response.
8. Advocacy and resource mobilization:
- Identify core Nutrition advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the HC, OCHA, UNICEF Government, and other actors;
- Act as the media spokesperson for the cluster/sector highlighting the key issues/concerns/achievements within the cluster/sector to the outside world;
- Advocate for donors to fund Nutrition actors to carry out priority Nutrition activities in the sector concerned, while at the same time encouraging Nutrition actors to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
- Use the cluster bulletin and other regular reports as tools to show onward progress on the cluster response in relation to the workplan/response plan.
9. Training and capacity building:
- Promote and support training of Nutrition humanitarian personnel in areas such as Minimum Standards for Emergency Nutrition and capacity building of humanitarian partners, based on the mapping and understanding of available capacity;
- Support efforts to strengthen the Nutrition capacity of the national/local authorities and civil society.
- Build capacity of the cluster/sector partners in Nutrition in Emergencies, cluster coordination, transformative agenda in order to effectively understand the cluster roles and responsibilities as well as be able to fully support cluster functions.
10. Accountability to Affected Populations:
- Ensuring that mechanisms, agreed upon by cluster partners are in place to consult and involve affected populations in decision-making about programme implementation
- Ensure that there is a system for community/ beneficiary complaints and a proper investigation mechanism is in place and actions drawn in a transparent manner.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
- Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Public Health & Nutrition, Health Sciences, International Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Policy and Management, Family Health & Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, Health & Nutrition Education, Health & Nutrition Promotion and Disease Prevention, Public Health, Health Emergency Preparedness, or other relevant discipline(s).
- Training in gender and in nutrition programmes that promote gender equality an asset.
- Eight years of relevant work experience. Four of which should be in direct Public Health or Life-saving humanitarian activities such as Nutrition, Health, Food Security or Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
- Experience based in the field at a Team Leader/Life Saving programme management level.
- Experience in responding to first phases of an emergency with either the UN and/or NGO an advantage.
- Fluency in English and another UN language desirable. Knowledge of the local language of the duty station would be an asset.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
- Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.
- Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
- Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
- Has good leadership and supervisory skills; co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear.
- Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
- Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
- Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
- Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.
- Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.
Remarks
Please note that this post will be moved to Mogadiscio, Somalia, and the future date is to be determined*
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
