HEALTH & NUTRITION HEAD OF DEPARTMENT – (National Position)

Created in 1979, Action contre la Faim is a non-governmental organization that fights against hunger. Its charter of humanitarian principals- independence, neutrality, non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, professionalism, transparency – has been part of its identity for more than 40 years. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of under-nutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations linked to conflicts or natural disasters. Action contre la Faim focuses its actions on 5 main areas of expertise: Nutrition and Health – Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Protection – Food Security and Livelihoods – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – Advocacy. In 2021, Action contre la Faim provided aid to 25 million people in more than 46 countries worldwide. www.actioncontrelafaim.org

After nine years of conflict, the situation in Libya remains critical. Overall, 1.3 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Since April 2019, the conflicts related to the capture of the capital Tripoli by the Libyan National Army during almost a year and a half, have contributed to the deaths of civilians and damage to civil infrastructure (health facilities, schools and water infrastructures). Furthermore, the COVID-19 outbreak also overwhelmed the already weakened health system and conducted to doubling the number of people with most severe needs of health assistance in 2020 (up to 1,2 million).

Action against Hunger has been operating in Libya since 2020 and is present in Tripoli (West), Sabha (South-West), and Benghazi (East) . AAH focuses its intervention mainly on Health, Mental health, Care Practices, Gender and Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene and Food Security & Livelihoods

Overall Objective

This is a local position for Libyan nationals.

Define the strategy for intervention and coordinate the activities of Action Againt Hunger in the fields of Health and Nutrition (Focusing on the long-term strategic direction of the organisation and humanitarian sector). Develop Health and Nutrition programming, coordinate effective technical programs implementation and play an active role in AAH strategic engagement with the relevant working groups.

1. Provide technical support and recommendations on programme development at all stages of the project cycle;
2. Designing, monitoring and reporting program activities
3. Representing AAH Libya’s Nutrition and Health department during working group meetings local and national level.

The N&H HoD should ensure the quality of current and future health and nutrition and health programmes and compliance with ACF protocols and national/international guidelines. The N&H HoD work closely with other sector HoDs, operationals and supports, to ensure mission strategic objectives are achieved, with the technical support from H&N Health Adviser at HQ. The N&H HoD is also incharge to develop research strategy and support the implementation, in collaboration of the reseach department at HQ

Objective 1

Define and develop the Health and Nutrition strategy and tools for Libya mission.

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• Developing a sound analysis of the Health and Nutrition context in Libya including understanding of health system dynamics and environmental factors.
• Collect and analyse survey, studies and/or operational research based as provided by AAH and other partners (NGOs, UN agencies, governmental departments);
• Carry out indepth stakeholder mapping and analyse (SWOT,…) , and identify potential partners and collaborations;
• Build a long term strategy for H&N taking into account the mission’s overall strategy (taking a sustainable approach with a view to enabling partners to achieve autonomy),
• Develop a Plan of Action (PoA) with a relevant and realistic timetable,
• Identify challenges and propose initiatives, research projects and innovative approaches in the field of Health and Nutrition;
• Define a country-specific strategy for technical advocacy in link with the Country Director and HQ

Objective 2

Design, develop and evaluate actions in the field of nutrition and health as well as the advocacy actions in the field of intervention

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• Ensuring the monitoring and analysis of national Health policies, medical protocols, epidemiological data and Health activities from key Health actors in the country (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, NGOs etc.)
• Drafting of new proposals for intervention in H&N programme areas for submission to funding bodies in collaboration with the coordination team;
• Engage in a multidisciplinary approach with Heads of Departments of other technical areas to develop an integrated approach;
• Liaison with finance and logistics departments to establish budgets for new programmes in nutrition and health;
• Control, validate and monitor the resources and budget used by the programmes in order to make procurement requests and undertake quality control;
• Support the implementation of programmes in coordination with partners and authoritites
• Set a common strategy and action plan with partners up on specific projects
• Provide technical support and training if needed for the partners
• Collaborate with partners by the ongoing provision of useful information and regular meetings
• Negotiation of agreement protocols with the programme partners
• Whenever necessary, updating the agreement protocols to secure the efficient functioning of the programme (eg structural change in the partner agency, redefinition of roles)
• Linking up with partners and taking part in meetings with other agencies (WFP, Unicef, other NGOs etc) with a view to defining partnership agreements
• Establishing MoU to define the terms of various partnership with national/sub-national Government and Non gouvernemental partners
• Elaborate communication tools for disseminating information on AAH and the nutrition and health dimensions of its programmes;

Objective 3

Provide technical training and support to the Health and nutrition programme teams

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• Assess the technical knowledge of the existing health and nutrition teams in field
• Customized and implement tools for Health and Nutrition activities and provide orientation training to the teams
• Ensure essential drugs, medical and nutrition supplies availability, distribution and dispensation according to the relevant SoPs. Supports the preparation, validate and share drugs and medical supply planning, monitoring and orders at national and when needed at international level in collaboration with pharmacist, PM and and Logistic teams.
• Provide functional technical support to the project manager for Health and Nutrition activities of the mission
• Manage the overall planning and dispatch the work for the H&N team
• Design and up date individual action plans for the H&N team
• Identifying the training needs among the team members
• Create, organise and lead training sessions for technical teams he/she is responsible for
• Encourage his/her teams to identify new programmes*;*
• Sets up technical coordination mechanisms and organizes technical supervision of the mission’s Health and Nutrition teams at least on a weekly basis
• Supports in the definition of all the job descriptions (JDs) of the mission’s Health and Nutrition team, including the definition of the TORs for any Health or Nutrition Consultancy
• Provides an active technical support to the Project Managers for the recruitment of senior national technical profiles in Health and Nutrition (definition of Job Descriptions, tests, recruitment interview grids).
• Within his/her team, ensures that each person benefits from an appraisal in writing at least once per contract or per year, and at least before s/he leaves his/her position. S/he supports line managers in the appraisal on technical issues.

Objective 4

Ensure the Monitoring and Evaluation of programmes in the fields of health and nutrition

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• Production of good quality health and nutritional situation analysis reports
• Production of good quality mission technical reports [with reference to context evolutions and with reference to Activity Performance Reports (APRs)];
• Launch if appropriate of nutritional surveys in liaison with the Country Director;
• Engage with M&E department in reviewing and technical validation of methodology of Baseline/Endline surveys and reports related to health and nutrition.
• Support Nutrition and Health Assessments as needed (SMART/Rapid SMART/SQUEAC/SLEAC etc.) and analysis of prevailing context of nutrition and health in country;
• Ensure quality control and monitoring of programmes and proposals
• Monitoring programme quality by using APR indicators qualitative and quantitative reports submitted by nutrition and health Programme Manager;
• Building recommendations arising from assessments and ensuring the tools and follow-up for implementation
• Produce activity reports for funding bodies on medical and nutritional aspects of the programmes;

Objective 5

Represent Action Contre la Faim and its positioning in the field of health and nutrition

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• Representing AAH in dealings with national and international authorities on matters of health and nutrition;
• Representing AAH in meetings with the health authorities and other agencies (e.g. Health cluster) and participate in national networks on nutrition;
• Dissemination of the AAH nutrition and health strategy at country level to partners and funding bodies ;
• Developing and maintaining a network of collaborative relationships with national representatives and programme partners (funding bodies, other NGOs, etc)
• Develop and maintain relations with current and potential donors (visits to projects, presentations of AAH and its work, requests for funding);
• Influencing the definition of national protocols through collaboration with representatives of partner structures (notably the Ministry of Health) with a view to disseminating AAH’s technical standards;

Objective 6

Oversee MHCP/MHPSS internal and external coordination (in absence of MHCP/MHPSS Head of Department)

The Head of Health and Nutrition Department is responsible for:

• To coordinate identification of needs and formulation of project proposals
• To support implementation and carry out reporting on programmes/projects
• To ensure the active involvement of AAH in the national sectorial coordination and the technical platforms (i.e. MHPSS WG)
• To act as functional/technical manager for the teams
• To promote capitalization, development, technology and research in the MHCP department
• To ensure gender and protection mainstreaming for all sectors

Note: all of these tasks will be realised in close collaboration with (and under supervision and validation of) the MHCP/MHPSS regional technical advisor

Additional responsibilities

• This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and is responsible for reporting and communication of progress and achievement of the specific assigned task;
• The employee should be flexible and adaptable with regard to the implementation of the daily work/activities;
• The employee is expected to conduct all duties in a professional manner following AAH Libya mission staff regulations and charter including the promotion of gender equality

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIP

Internal

• Nutrition and Health Advisor: Technical supervision, exchange of information, technical support, validation of information, and work plan.
• Country Representative: line management, exchange of information and collaboration;
• Nutrition and Health Team: exchange of information, coordination.
• FSL HoD, MHCP HoD, WASH HoD, Finance HOD, Log HOD, Grants, MEAL: exchange of information and collaboration.

External

• NGOs and INGOs particularly those with whom we have partnerships;
• Donors and UN;
• Libyan authorities representatives
• Health facility team/Community leaders: exchange of information, coordination

REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Technical Monthly Report to be submitted on monthly basis;
• Activity Progress Reports to be submitted on monthly basis;
• Annual Beneficiary count and progress report;
• Proposals to be prepared as and when required;
• Donor-related reports as per requirement;
• Adhoc Assessments and Surveys as required;
• Rapid assessments as required;
• Emergency response assessments as required;
• Governmental Reports and partnerships (including Clusters) as per requirement;
• Workplans and task lists submitted as requested;
• Development and follow-up of H&N strategy.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

Advanced Degree in Medicine, Nursing or Public Health

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

• Libyan national or resident with valid working permit;
• Minimum of 5 years of previous experience working with NGOs specifically in nutrition and/or health;
• Proven management and coordination skills (HR, projects, and stress management);
• Proven ability to translate analysis and evaluation into operational planning and strategy;
• Experience with Heath System Strengthening ;
• Experience with external representation and knowledge of Nut & Health Cluster mechanisms;
• Advanced knowledge of N&H guidelines and procedures including those of donors and international standards;
• Good diplomatic and negotiation skills;
• Disciplined and able to work and arrive at decisions autonomously and with minimal guidance;
• Fluent in English (professional English);
• Excellent verbal and written skills;
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to the field sites.

PREFERRED

• Experience in insecure context;
• Experience in conflict-related displacements and nutrition crisis contexts;
• Familiarity with donors (BMZ, GIZ, UNICEF, AICS, CDCS, SDG) reporting and regulations;
• Understanding of Social Behavior Change and nutrition sensitive programming;