Project Officer, Nutrition at Farming Systems Kenya

Job Description

Farming Systems Kenya (FSK) is a Non-Governmental Organization formed in through the initiative of the Africa Inland Church, Nakuru Region Lay People Fellowship (NLPF). Our main agenda is to reduce poverty through agricultural development, the main focus being the smallholder farmers who constitute 80% of the Kenyan farming community.

Essential Character and Character traits

Born again, result oriented, committed, self-motivated, accountable, good presentation skills and honest. He/she will report to the Project Manager and will undertake the following responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

Effective Project Planning and Implementation 40% Provide field-level technical implementation leadership on maternal and nutrition Ensure nutrition project implemented as per government and donor guidelines Develop quality project work plans with clear targets, budgets and implementation matrices Mobilize communities for project implementation Ensure proper and timely implementation of nutrition interventions in the project as per approved work plans MoH standards and requirements Track, in liaison with Project Accountant, project implementation expenditure levels and manage work plans and budgets; Timely Mobilization and effective communication with communities and stakeholders Ensure effective integration of gender, child protection, disability, Christian commitment, advocacy and environmental protection into Health interventions Ensure participation in Sub-county and County level partnerships with NGOs and other actors working health and nutrition to influence the Maternal and Nutrition agenda Plan and coordinate technical training for Ministry of health staff at County, Sub- County and Community Level such as Community Health Promoters

Quality Assurance – Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation 25%

Develop quality reports (Annual, Semi-annul and Monthly Management Reports) in- line with BMZ reporting guidelines; Ensure monthly monitoring of indicators as per schedule developed together with communities and partners; Analyze and utilize Maternal, Newborn and Child Health data and take appropriate programming measures as may apply; Ensure participatory monthly data collection (involving community groups and partners); Support the utilization of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health DME softwares for accurate data entry and analysis using the standardized tools; Facilitate regular reflections on monitoring practice to make improvements as needed Contextualize and utilize reporting guidelines; Monthly monitor project expenditure and level of implementation and report on any variances to Project Manager for decision making; Identify best practices on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health within the Project for documentation; Liaise for guidance in documentation of best practices

Enhanced Empowerment & Capacity building 10%

Capacity Building of CBOs and Committees to be able to effectively manage and sustain Maternal, Newborn and Child Health interventions Capacity building of community members in programming and implementation of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health projects, empowerment and sustainability issues including Empowered World View. Support preparation and conducting Maternal, Newborn and Child Health projects, empowerment and sustainability training sessions.

Advocacy, Engagement, Networking and Partnerships 10%

Gather and provide quality feedback and data to be used to develop technical papers and recommendations on key issues for external engagement with decision makers Establish and sustain working relationships with Government Health Departments and Agencies relevant to the programme’s focus area at the Ward, Sub County and County levels Participate in the Annual County Government’s Health Planning and Budgeting process and influence resource allocation to the priority needs of the most vulnerable groups within the Programme Area Ensure that Program participants and partners are kept informed of all the Government laws and policies in respect to the Technical Program being implemented and any changes to government laws, policies and budgets Work with partners and coalitions to engage in advocacy activities with the government structures at the County level, to address the needs of local communities and inform national level advocacy initiatives With support from WVK Work with community groups to utilize advocacy approaches such as Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) and Child Protection Advocacy (CPA) to enable service users and local partners to engage directly with local government service providers to improve the quality of government services for children and to generate information and evidence for use in national level advocacy work. Ensure effective mobilization of community groups, youth and children, empowering them to hold their governments to account Support communities groups, youth and children to engage constructively with duty bearers and service providers to improve access to, and quality of, essential services

Resource Acquisition 10%

Provide information to inform fund raising initiatives for Health & Nutrition at all levels Develop timely and accurate funding proposals in line with donor requirements and WVK standards in collaboration with AP Manager and other sector specialists Mobilize the community for community contribution for project intervention

Project integration 5%

Ensure project is integrated to existing WVK and FSK projects Others Perform any other duty as may be assigned by supervisor or designee from time to time Participate and contribute in committees and task forces at the County and Sub County level

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

A degree in Nutrition & Dietetics or its equivalent Minimum three years working experience in a Maternal and Nutrition interventions Registration and Up to date License with KNDI Good understanding of Ministry of health systems, programming models, standards and guidelines Ministries of Health structures at county and national levels Excellent communication and presentation skills in English and Swahili. Experience of working with National and County government structures Experience in dealing with international donors, international organizations, the corporate sector and/or large multi-mandate development NGOs Computer proficiency in use of MS Office (Excel, word, PowerPoint etc) Training, facilitation, mobilization skills and Good relational, analytical and problem- solving skills.