Reports to: ERNE Programme Coordinator

Liaises with: ERNE Programme Coordination Unit staff, Nutrition Advisers in ERNE countries of operation and Nutrition and Health teams in the Strategy, Advocacy, and Learning Directorate. The role involves coordination with the relevant ECHO Technical staff.

Manages: No direct reports

Job location: This is a headquarters based position, however, the location of the role is negotiable for the right candidate

Pay Band: Pay Band 5: (€49,167 - €57,843)

Contract: Fixed term contract ending 31st May 2023

Job Purpose: Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries. Concern is headquartered in Dublin with other principal offices in London, New York, Belfast, Seoul and in each of the countries of operation. We work in partnership with the very poorest people in these countries, directly enabling them to improve their lives, as well as using our knowledge and experience to influence decisions made at a local, national and international level that can significantly reduce extreme poverty.

Concern’s Enhancing Responses to Nutritional Emergencies (ERNE) programme is a multi-country ECHO-funded initiative to pilot a multi-year programmatic partnership with a select number of NGOs who will work closely with ECHO to deliver the programme outcomes. Concern will implement the pilot programme focussing on three pillars of response, preparedness and prevention of undernutrition in conflict affected countries in the Horn of Africa, Sahel and Lake Chad regions. The concept links emergency and development efforts incorporating equality and conflict sensitivity.

The Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Surge approach was first developed and piloted by Concern in Kenya in 2012. The approach complements routine CMAM services by using health system strengthening (HSS) principles to ensure that health systems are able to better anticipate and respond to increases in demand for acute malnutrition treatment services. The CMAM Surge approach is now being implemented in 13 countries across the globe with support from a wide range of NGO and donor partners. Scale-up has been especially rapid and widespread in francophone west and central Africa, There have been now been a range of experiences using the CMAM Surge in different contexts, including some initial pilots in the ‘Health Surge’ approach, that need to be further consolidated and built upon.

The Global CMAM Surge Adviser is a member of the Programme Coordination Unit which has been set up to ensure the effective implementation of the ERNE Programme and liaises closely with the Senior Nutrition Advisor. The purpose of the Global CMAM Surge Adviser is to provide technical support to the set-up, continued implementation and scale up of the CMAM Surge approach with a particular focus on the ERNE countries (Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo in year one, others may be added in subsequent years) but also including other priority CMAM Surge projects undertaken by Concern and partners. This includes capturing learning to date; identifying areas of innovation and contextualization of the approach (including expanding to incorporate a broader ‘health surge’ approach); and leading the further development of practical tools and guidance in close collaboration with a range of stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic direction to the scale-up and adaptation of the CMAM Surge approach globally and at country level by leading the development and revision of CMAM Surge tools and guidance This will include a shift towards a broader ‘health surge’ approach that considers key child illnesses alongside acute malnutrition in its analysis and response. This will be done in close collaboration with the Senior Nutrition Adviser and Senior Health Adviser.
  • Provide day-to-day technical assistance to Concern and partner staff at country level to set up, implement, monitor and adapt CMAM Surge activities. The initial focus will be on Concern programmes in Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, and DRC but will expand to include other Concern countries and partner programmes. This will be done via on-the-ground visits, intensive remote support and in close collaboration with the HQ health and nutrition advisers supporting each country.
  • Synthesise and share learning on CMAM Surge, including coordinating and supporting CMAM Surge learning exchanges and events at country, regional and global level.
  • Develop training materials and lead training and mentoring on CMAM Surge for different audiences in English and French.
  • Support the development of a CMAM Surge monitoring and evaluation framework and related tools and help establish strong M&E systems at country level to measure progress and further adapt programming, in close collaboration with technical advisers at country and HQ level.
  • Regularly compile and synthesise CMAM surge programme data for sharing internally and externally.
  • Lead the Global CMAM Surge Technical Working Group, in consultation with Concern’s Senior Nutrition Adviser
  • Represent Concern and ensure strong collaboration with key stakeholders to promote the further development and scale up of the approach through the Global Technical Working Group, the West African CMAM Surge Task Force, and via other relevant technical mechanisms and partners in close coordination with the Senior Nutrition Adviser and Maternal & Child Health/Health Systems Support Unit in Concern HQ.
  • Serve as a resource person for CMAM Surge within Concern and for the wider humanitarian community.
  • Liaise with the Maternal & Child Health/Health Systems Support Unit in SAL, for mutual learning and advancement of Health System Strengthening in Concern, including on the governance, HMIS and financing building blocks essential for sustainability.
  • Represent Concern Worldwide where relevant in CMAM Surge fora and support Concern staff to present key lessons learned and technical developments externally.
  • Produce regular updates, reports and analysis for the purposes of internal monitoring, donor reporting and dialogue
  • Contribute to ERNE Co-ordination Unit planning and budgeting processes, team meetings and events
  • Any other tasks as directed to ensure effective delivery of the programme.

Skills and Experience Required:

Essential:

  • Minimum Master’s degree in either nutrition, public health, or health systems strengthening
  • At least three years’ experience in a relevant overseas position.
  • Experience in the development and implementation of CMAM Surge or related health systems strengthening approaches in low resource settings
  • Proven record in capacity building of staff of various levels (government staff at national, district, and health facility level, NGOs and other partners).
  • Good communications skills, able to build strong relationships with the various actors at global, regional, and country levels
  • Experience in playing a key role in working groups, task forces or coordination at national and/or regional level
  • Professional level proficiency in spoken and written French and English
  • Ability to work independently, good self-management and working towards tight deadlines.
  • Being pro-active.
  • Experience delivering remote trainings and capacity building
  • Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time

Desirable:

  • Previous experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Experience working collaboratively with diverse actors such as research organizations, NGO head office and country teams, government representatives
  • Experience in evaluating cost-effectiveness of health systems strengthening interventions
  • Experience with project management and donor compliance (e.g. reporting, contract and procurement basics)

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.concern.net/jobs/ireland/vacancy/global-cmam-surge-adviser-1055/1073/description/

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