PROJECT SUMMARY
Alive & thrive is an initiative to save lives, prevent illness, and ensure healthy growth and development through optimal adolescent, maternal, infant, and young child feeding and caring practices.
Since 2009, A&T has been working in Ethiopia within the context of the National Nutrition Program (NNP) and the National Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Strategy (NNSAS) to promote maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) across multiple sectors at the federal, regional, woreda, and community levels. The A&T Ethiopia 3.0 investment will build upon successes and lessons learned from previous IYCF efforts to significantly improve MIYCN practices. In this new grant, A&T will provide greater analytical, technical, and systems-building support to bolster the capacity of federal and regional authorities to develop, deliver, monitor, and evaluate quality MIYCN services.
A&T Ethiopia 3.0 will partner with the GOE and others to strengthen multi-sector food and nutrition coordination by supporting the regional Food and Nutrition Coordinating Offices. Alive & Thrive Ethiopia 3.0 is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The initiative is managed by FHI 360.
POSITION SUMMARY
As part of its systems strengthening and capacity building initiative, A&T has planned to support the Government of Ethiopia for the implementation of the Ethiopian food system road map and food and nutrition strategy at national and among regional levels through hiring the National senior food system and nutrition multi-sector coordination advisor. The overarching objective of the recruitment support is to ensure the coordination, linkage, and alignment of the national and regional food system and nutrition implementing actors and planned activities. This position holder is expected to coordinate and lead for implementation of the food system road map and food and nutrition strategy at national regional levels through coordinating and leading the regional food system and nutrition coordinating offices staffโ actors eight regions and two city administration.
He/she will act as a liaison agent between the National food system and nutrition coordination platform, regional FSNCOs, MOH, and the Alive & Thrive country office. She/he would ensure the coordination and alignment of the different coordination platforms for the effective implementation of the Food system road map and FNS. He/she will be based in the Minister of Health under the nutrition coordination lead executive office and will report administratively to the coordination lead executive office LEO and operationally to the Alive and Thrive country program director. He/she will spend 50 % time at MOH and 50 % At the Alive & thrive office.
Essential Job Functions/Roles and Responsibilities:
The senior food system and Nutrition multi-sector coordination advisor is responsible for creating linkages among the MOH nutrition coordination lead executive office, FNS implementing sectors, regional food system and nutrition coordination offices staff, and Alive & Thrive country office support for the government to improve the overall food system and nutrition joint planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at national and regional levels.
Location: Ministry of Health, Addis Abeba
Accountabilities:
- The main responsibilities of the post are:
1) Food system and nutrition planning, monitoring, and reporting at national and regional levels
- Support the national situational analysis and identify key bottlenecks and challenges for the joint planning and implementation.
- Provide support to the recruitment process of regional-level Food System & Nutrition Council experts as per agreed-upon staff composition for MOA, MOH, and each of the eight regions and two city administrations.
- Provide support for the development and endorsement of national food system and nutrition council and technical committee joint plans as well as nutrition-specific and sensitive sectors plans.
- Support joint food system and Nutrition planning and alignment across sectors, regions, and stakeholders.
- Provide support to the incorporation of food system and nutrition interventions into sector strategic and annual plans and SBCC tools.
- Provide technical support for the development, endorsement, and implementation of MOUs and transition plans for the smooth transition of the FSNCO from partner support to government-financed structures at regional levels.
- Support regional and city mayor advocacy for the creation of appropriate FSNCO government structure and government treasury budget allocation for sustaining FNCOs.
- Provide technical support to the regional level woreda-based costed EFS and FNS annual plans.
- Provide technical support for the development of food systems and nutrition-related national strategies, programs, guidelines, manuals, standards, and SBC tools.
- Support the dissemination of the national food system and nutrition-related documents to regions and lower levels.
- Support food system and nutrition-related resource tracking, mapping, and mobilization at national levels,
- Support the preparation of woreda-based costed EFS and FNS annual plan.
2). Support food system and nutrition coordination and linkages at all levels
- Coordinate and lead the rapid assessment of FNCOs status and identify the implementation challenges at the national level for implementation.
- Provide support to the development/ revision of food system and nutrition council and technical committee TORs at national and regional levels.
- Support the establishment of functional Food systems and nutrition councils and technical committees at National and regional levels.
- Provide support to ensure food system and nutrition implementing actors are engaged in the national coordination platform.
- Create linkage and networks among food system and Nutrition implementing actors,
- Provide support for the implementation of food systems and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
- Provide support for the establishment and functionality of different food systems and nutrition steering and technical committees.
- Build and strengthen relationships among stakeholders to for effective food system and nutrition plan harmonization and alignment.
- Participate in any food system and nutrition-related National events.
- Ensure the national food system and nutrition coordination platforms are linked with the regional platforms.
- Ensure effective coordination between the MOH nutrition coordination office and the Alive & Thrive country office.
- Share and validate multi-sector nutrition coordination status assessment report.
3). Lead and coordinate Food system and FNS Implementation
- Support MOH nutrition coordination multisectoral and Seqota declaration desk in the overall planning, implementation, and monitoring activities.
- Ensure the food system and nutrition council are approving the national joint plan and supporting the implementation.
- Initiate and lead the regular food system and nutrition council and technical committeesโ meetings and ensure all actors are actively involved and participate.
- Ensure the regular Food system and Nutrition council and technical committee meetings are documented and shared for next actions.
- Provide technical support for the multisectoral food system and nutrition joint supportive supervision.
- Provide multisectoral nutrition coordination training for EFS and FNS implementing sectors.
- Provide nutrition leadership training to FNC/FNTC members, nutrition program managers, and nutrition focal persons across FNS implementing sectors.
- Provide food system and nutrition advocacy and social mobilization events at national and regional levels.
- Provide technical support for the regular food system and nutrition data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Document and share best practices and lessons from FNS, FSNCOs, and SD implementations.
- Organize and lead local experience-sharing visits.
- Collect regular food system and nutrition coordination reports from regional FNCO teams and provide appropriate feedback,
- Facilitate and support annual, biannual, and quarterly food system and nutrition performance review meetings at all levels.
- Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the regional Health bureau head.
Competencies and critical success factors
Functional Competencies
Technical Expertise:
- knowledge of national Nutrition strategy, national Nutrition program, food and nutrition policy, food and nutrition strategy, and other nutrition-specific and sensitive programs
- Theoretical and practical knowledge of multi-sectoral nutrition coordination platforms.
- Push decision-making to the right level within the technical committee and beyond.
- Be able to successfully apply data and evidence of the multi-dimensional effects of malnutrition and the importance of adopting a multi-sectoral and integrated development approach to nutrition interventions.
Knowledge Management and Learning:
- Shares multisectoral food system and nutrition knowledge and experience.
- In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.
Development and Operational Effectiveness:
- Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting.
- Ability to go beyond established procedures and models and propose new approaches, which expand the range of programs.
- Ability to work with minimal supervision; and
- Works in a typical government office setting; working conditions include extensive travel to different regions and lower levels.
Leadership and Teamwork:
- Leads teams effectively.
- Works well with a diverse group of people.
- Focuses on impact and results and responds positively to critical feedback.
- Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity innovation; and
- Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.
- Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests.
- Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in an area of work; and
Diplomatic and conflict resolution skills; and
- Strong understanding of the implementing sector mandates regarding food and nutrition-related politics.
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the Government of Ethiopia's values and ethical standards.
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the Government of Ethiopia's Food System and Nutrition policy & strategy.
- Displays cultural and gender sensitivity adaptability; and
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Negotiation skills:
- Capacity to work with diverse partners including Government, development partners and civil society.
Partner/Sub-Award Management:
- May be daily POC (Point of Contact) with clients for some projects on technical matters.
Capacity Building, Training and Supervision:
- Develops and implements technical training and capacity building interventions.
- Identifies strategies to address training gaps.
- May supervise or provide technical guidance to staff members locally and in the region.
Operations Management (Finance, HR, etc.):
- Manages the processes, services, planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling of all technical resources for a project.
Project/Program Reporting:
- Drafts sponsor financial and technical reports.
- Collates and uploads output and deliverables data to sponsor data systems.
- Prepares and delivers presentations to sponsors on progress.
- Helps in the development and review of work plans.
- Creates technical content, owning the content, true experts at an advanced level (maybe the most senior technical person).
- Serves as the primary author for technical deliverables (e.g., reports, presentations, manuscripts).
- Gathers and aggregates data to provide a summary / high level overview.
Quality Assurance:
- Ensures technical deliverables are consistent with best practices in the industry / subject and meet client / funder contractual obligations
- Identifies areas for improved efficiency or effectiveness within prescribed parameters, and institutes enhancements to procedures.
Applied Knowledge & Skills:
- Ensures appropriate and timely technical support for field projects.
- Ensures the quality of implemented technical activities and systems at all levels.
- Conducts routine coordination with employees and consultants, on-site and in the field.
- Strong knowledge and skills in a specific technical area/function and general understanding of concepts and principles of related technical areas/functions.
- Solid knowledge of standards for the technical area/field, operational processes and procedures, work, and task flow.
- Has the ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities.
- Proficient writing and verbal communication skills.
- Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office).
- Ability to manage their own work to job and performance standards.
- Must be able to read, write and speak fluent English fluent in host country language.
Competencies:
There are 31 FHI 360 development competencies, of greatest focus for this particular job will be:
- Project Management (Planning and Time Management) - Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks (sets objectives/goals/measures). Breaks down work into steps, schedules, task/people assignments. Marshals people, time, and resources efficiently. Arranges information in a useful manner and orchestrates multiple activities at once.
- People Management (Making Others Great) โ Facilitate professional development of staff by providing challenging, learning assignments and opportunities. Shares and solicits feedback monthly at the very least. Helps establish compelling development plans. Assigns responsibility and accountability for tasks/decisions. Monitors process, progress, and results. Creates a climate in which people want to do their best.
- Creating and Managing Systems and Processes โ Recognizes the need for standardization and balances client and organization need in systems design. Anticipates the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.
- Employees are expected to possess or have high potential for the development of these three fundamental competencies.
Problem Solving & Impact:
Demonstrates the ability to assess needs within agreed upon duties and considers course of action best to meet those needs.
- Effectively applies knowledge of technical area to solve a range of problems.
- Demonstrates the ability to develop solutions to problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.
- Faulty decisions/ recommendations /failures to complete assignments will normally result in serious delays to assigned projects resulting in considerable expenditure of additional time, resources, and funds.
- Decisions and actions impact primarily workflow, project processes and timeframes.
- Problems encountered are varied, requiring review of practices and precedents to resolve.
- Problem solving involves evaluating and resolving discrepancies with data, analyses, processes, etc. within prescribed guidelines.
- Policies or guidelines exist for most problems; others must be referred to by a supervisor or more senior professional.
Supervision Given/Received:
- May supervise junior staff members.
- Coordinates own workflow and sets individual priorities.
- Works under general guidelines for completion and accuracy as determined by the supervisor.
- Accomplishes results through lower-level staff managers or through experienced staff who exercise independence in their assignments.
- May manage a centralized functional area of activity.
- Serves as mentor to more inexperienced technical staff.
- Typically reports to a Director.
Education:
- Masterโs level degree in a relevant discipline (applied human nutrition, public health nutrition, food science and nutrition, agriculture and nutrition, and related disciplines)
- Project Management (PM) Certification preferred.
Experience:
- Proven subject matter expert with a broad understanding of the nutrition space, including Food Security, Agriculture, Maternal and Child Health and nutrition (MCHN), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Social Protection, Education, and Broader Development issues.
- At least 10 years of experience in multisectoral food and nutrition multisectoral coordination and linkages with progressive managerial and coordination responsibilities at regional or national levels.
- At least 5 yearsโ experience in analytical and practical work in such areas as (a) working with government institutions, public service or equivalent; and (b) institutional analysis and design, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation systems and processes, and development programs.
- Thorough understanding of the Ethiopian and regional government's context and of program management within these contexts.
- Detailed understanding of the National Nutrition Program, Food and Nutrition Policy& strategy, Ethiopian food system, Nutrition sensitive agriculture strategy, and the Government of Ethiopia's response to Malnutrition through the life cycles
- Ability to think critically and analytically to draw sound conclusions based on evidence and data
- Strong written and verbal communication skills (in Local language and English).
- Proven track record of building and maintaining strategic relationships, influencing complex processes, working in partnership is essential.
- Proven track record of designing, appraising, and implementing programs is highly desirable.
- Experience in identifying and delivering business process improvements; and High level of quantitative skills.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Willingness to travel extensively to zones, woredas, and communities within the region. Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite is a critical requirement.
Key working relationships
- With MOH decision-makers
- MOH nutrition coordination lead executive office LEO.
- Multisectoral and SD coordination desk lead
- Nutrition coordination leads executive office staff.
- Regional food system and nutrition president and city mayor advisors
- Regional food system and nutrition coordination office staffs
- Food system and Nutrition implementing sectors.
- Regional Food system and Nutrition implementing partners.
- Alive & thrive national and regional staffs.
Typical Physical Demands:
- Typical office environment.
- Ability to spend long hours looking at computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard.
- Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
Technology to be Used:
- Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.
Travel Requirements:
- 10% - 25%
Date Revised: 9/13/2021
This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.
FHI 360 is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
Our values and commitments to safeguarding: FHI 360 is committed to preventing any type of abuse, exploitation and harassment in our work environments and programs, including sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment. FHI 360 takes steps to safeguard the welfare of everyone who engages with our organization and programs and requires that all personnel, including staff members and volunteers, share this commitment and sign our code of conduct. All offers of employment will be subject to appropriate screening checks, including reference, criminal record and terrorism finance checks. FHI 360 also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), facilitated by the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response. In line with the MDS, we will request information from job applicantsโ previous employers about any substantiated findings of sexual abuse, exploitation and/or harassment during the applicantโs tenure with previous employers. By applying, job applicants confirm their understanding of these recruitment procedures and consent to these screening checks.
FHI 360 will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.
FHI 360 will never ask you for your career site username or password, and we will never request money, goods or services during the application, recruitment or employment process. If you have questions or concerns about correspondence from us, please email CareerCenterSupport@fhi360.org.
FHI 360 fosters the strength and health of its workforce through a competitive benefits package, professional development and policies and programs that support a healthy work/life balance. Join our global workforce to make a positive difference for others โ and yourself.Please click here to continue searching FHI 360's Career Portal.
- 10% - 25%
- Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.
- Manages the processes, services, planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling of all technical resources for a project.
- May be daily POC (Point of Contact) with clients for some projects on technical matters.
- Capacity to work with diverse partners including Government, development partners and civil society.
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the Government of Ethiopia's values and ethical standards.
- Strong understanding of the implementing sector mandates regarding food and nutrition-related politics.
- Leads teams effectively.
- Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting.
- In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.
- Shares multisectoral food system and nutrition knowledge and experience.