District NSG Coordinator

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Date: 21-Apr-2023

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Company: Plan International

Organization Background

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-governmental organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.  We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Working in Zambia since 1996, Plan International Zambia’s development and humanitarian programmes focus primarily on Inclusive Quality Education, Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Early Childhood Development and Gender Responsive Child Protection. Child protection is key in all that we do. Plan International Zambia has Programme Areas (PAs) in; Central, Luapula, and Eastern Provinces including in Lusaka, where the Country Office is located.

Location: Lusaka

Reports to: SUNII – National Projct Manager

Grade:  D1

Closing Date: 5 May, 2023

Position Description:

The primary responsibility of the District Nutrition Support Group (NSG) Coordinator is to coordinate NSG activities in the district. S/he is responsible to provide technical support and supervision to the Sub-district NSG Supervisors in the implementation of multi-sectoral Social Behavior Change (SBC) activities, in particular health and nutrition activities using the NSG Model. S/he will oversee the conducting of NSG trainings and rolling out of the NSG Model and provide oversight in the supervision and monitoring activities related to the Model at district level. In addition, District NSG-Coordinator will also support NSG Sub-district Supervisors to create key linkages between NSG beneficiaries across sectors in the district.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinates with program partners, staff, and other stakeholders regarding NSG upcoming activities at district level.
• Collect and analyse data from the Sub-district NSG Supervisors and report monthly and timely to the National Project Manager/Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer.
• Maintain an organised filing system for both soft and hard copies of NSG program reports so that they are easily accessible.
• Manage the project’s NSG performance monitoring plan and ensure the project reaches its targets.
• Oversee the documentation of best practices, lessons learned including success stories for publication.
• Supervise and mentor sub-district NSG Supervisors at least twice a month to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.
• Establish the need for and support the acquisition and distribution of Social Behaviour Change (SBC) materials and tools and other logistics for the NSG program at district level.
• Provide oversight to the NSG program components including undertaking field visits to monitor activity implementation and provide on-site feedback on required improvements, and generate field visit reports with timely and appropriate follow up on action points.
• Build the capacity of Project staff, partners and their frontline workers in NSG, including organizing NSG training programs and providing regular technical guidance.
• Under the supervision of the National Project Manager, liaise and maintain relationships with Sectors/Partners at district level with whom the Plan International has joint ambition/plans on Scaling Up Nutrition (SUNII).
• Represent Plan International at NSG/SUNII related meetings such as District Nutrition Coordinating Committee Meetings (DNCC) and other meetings relevant to health at district level.
• Ensure timely, quality delivery on assigned activities, including management of workplans and budgets related to NSG activities.
• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusions (GEI) policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that Programme staff are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Public Health, or a relevant field of study as well as equivalent experience in public health and Nutrition.
• Master’s degree in applied Nutrition, Public Health or related fields is a plus.
• 4 – 5 years of work experience in a similar position, in an INGO/NGO environment
• Training in Nutrition Support Group (NSG) is highly desired.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a multi-faceted health program in collaboration with district MOH personnel as well as other key partners.
• Strong analytical, facilitation skills and coordination.
• Ability to transfer knowledge through trainings.

Competencies:

• Demonstrate understanding in the operational of Nutrition Support Group Model.
• Demonstrate how the Nutrition Support Group inter link with other community interventions.
• Demonstrate why Scaling up Nutrition focuses on children who are under 2 years of age.
•  Measuring and monitoring the nutritional situation

• Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, with competing priorities and minimal supervision
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Leadership skills to motivate, teach and encourage co-workers

Plan International provides equal employment opportunities to qualified and experienced women and men, Women are especially encouraged to apply.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.  

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.