LGA Facilitator

CTG overview:

• CTG staff and support humanitarian projects in fragile and conflict-affected countries around the world, providing a rapid and cost-effective service for development and humanitarian missions. With past performance in 17 countries – from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, we have placed more than 20,000 staff all over the world since operations began in 2006.
• CTG recruits, deploys and manages the right people with the right skills to implement humanitarian and development projects, from cleaners to obstetricians, and mechanics to infection specialists, we’re skilled in emergency response to crises such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Key to successful project delivery is the ability to mobilise at speed; CTG can source and deploy anyone, anywhere, in less than 2 weeks and have done so in 48 hours on a number of occasions.
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• Visit www.ctg.org to find out more

Overview of position:

• In 2020, Nigeria was declared WPV free for having gone without any WPV cases for over 4 years. However, Nigeria is experiencing outbreaks of cVDPV2 due to low routine immunization coverage & population immunity. In 2018, Nigeria experienced a major outbreak leading to about 34 cases. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with partners has ensured the overall planning, implementation & monitoring of the polio eradication program in 19 northern states & a few southern states where the spread was recorded. As of 2018, the number of cases reduced to 18, but about 4.3 million children are still unimmunized (18%, MICS / NICS 2021)
• Routine immunization performance in Nigeria has remained sub optimal for over 10 years; according to the National Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS) of 2003, 2008, 2013, & 2018 communication & social mobilization are critical components in routine immunization & supplementary immunization campaigns for polio vaccination & other vaccines. The Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) network is one of the strongest community structures that support 12 high risk states in northern Nigeria, working closely with stakeholders, caregivers & communities to promote vaccination. These volunteers organize community dialogues & compound meetings, track newborns & children under 5 years for polio vaccination & refer pregnant women to health facilities for antenatal care. The network is supervised by a network of Facilitators at the LGA & state levels.
• The engagement of State & LGA Facilitators across these states has ensured no wild polio case has been reported for the past 3 years, after the last polio case was reported in August 2016 from Borno state. Enhanced awareness of the community about the polio campaign remained at 94%.
• Strengthened monitoring of the program & routine monitoring of the program is jointly done by all polio partners. Support rapid survey implementation to generate additional data, national level review, planning & capacity building events for VCM network members & a data quality assurance mechanism in place.
• The LGA Facilitators will be located at the state & LGA with frequent trips to wards & settlements to provide that essential link between the community structures in the assigned LGA of implementation, serving to coordinate & supervise polio / RI activities at the LGA level. S / He will supervise the day to day implementation of polio / RI activities across our client supported implementation sites. S / He will also supervise the daily operations of the Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) network, with a specific focus on ensuring quality implementation & data reporting. The LGA Facilitator will also play a prominent role in reporting on the changing humanitarian situation (Borno / Yobe states) within their LGAs & will enable our client & their partners to adapt in a timely & appropriate response to the changing situation. In the context of increasing insecurity with limited travel to implementation sites by our clients staff, LGA Facilitators’ presence in the field provides a much needed means for program monitoring to ensure the maintenance of the quality of implementation according to national & international protocols as well as an independent layer of accountability.

Role objectives:

• Supervise a team of Volunteer Ward Supervisors (VWS), Polio Survivor Group (PSG) & Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCM) in his / her area(s) through regular monitoring, capacity building & supportive supervision.
• Work within specified LGA(s), ward & settlement to ensure deeper ward / settlement analysis, planning & implementation of strategic communications interventions. The specific communication interventions to be implemented in each area will be informed by local knowledge, social data & unique characteristics of the wards / settlements.
• Consult with our clients SBC & State Facilitator to mobilize & ensure the effective organization & functioning of the LGA social mobilization task team.
• Support LGA Health Educators in meetings of the LGA social mobilization team to plan, implement & report on communication interventions supporting the polio & non polio SIA programs & targeting high risk wards within the state.
• Conduct regular community mapping exercises to identify vulnerable groups, hard to reach communities, strategic communication & mobilization delivery points & channels for messaging, advocacy & public education (Microplanning).
• Identify training needs / gaps of various groups & seek support from our clients SBC & State Facilitator to implement capacity building activities to fill knowledge gaps & address deficiencies.
• Identify & engage key local influencers such as district heads, religious leaders, women groups, town announcers, traditional dancers, pharmacists & socio cultural groups & support the planning & implementation of such activities such as Majigis, mop up activities, use of local town announcers & special events, to create high levels of public awareness, to resolve non compliance & reduce missed children.
• Monitor the relevance & use of IEC materials & make specific recommendations to our clients SBC & State Lead on their adaptability to local reality.
• Spend adequate time working with various community groups & monitor all SBC activities so that our clients support to local level interventions & their impact can be documented across all our clients programs (health / polio, WASH, education, nutrition, child protection).
• Track the delivery & efficient utilization of campaign social mobilization funds at the LGA level. Report on how funds are spent to support various communication activities & facilitate, in coordination with our clients SBC & State Facilitator, the effective use of social mobilization funds (channeled through the government departments) at the state, LGA & ward for polio & non polio SIAs.
• Monitor & report, every month, factual & complete disbursement honorariums to volunteer community mobilizers, polio survivors group & volunteer ward supervisors, reporting immediately any misappropriation of funds to our client’s Program Manager (Polio) & State Facilitator.
• Actively participate in all state level pre campaign trainings as appropriate.
• Support all SBC activities in respective LGA / wards / settlements to promote child survival & protection.
• Support different sectors to mark & celebrate global & national days, e.g., global hand washing day, day, day of the African child, etc.
• Respond appropriately to health emergencies & disease outbreaks through the risk communication & community engagement committees at the LGA level.

Expected output:

• A detailed work plan at the beginning of the contract & monthly work plans thereafter.
• Sharing & uploading of data to ODK & other data tools at agreed timelines.
• Monthly report of activities, outcomes, mission reports & support to other reporting as requested.
• One end of contract report, including detailed handover notes, delivered to SBC & State Facilitator.

Expected results:

• Nigeria community engagement plan implemented at all levels by all stakeholders.
• Facilitation of implementation of state & LGA social mobilization & High Risk Operational Plans (HROP).
• Volunteer ward supervisors, PSGs (where applicable) & Volunteer community mobilizers are supervised, mentored & capacity strengthened through solid teamwork & leadership.
• Vaccination barriers are identified, analyzed & overcome by social mobilization groups & key influencers & the number of missed children & non compliance is reduced.
• LGA communication packages on health, polio, routine immunization, WASH, education & nutrition & child protection are developed & implemented.
• Polio & RI & non polio SIAs Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) reports are available at the state, field office & Abuja levels.
• Contribution to other reports made & shared as requested.

The primary outcomes will be:

• Quality implementation of all polio & non polio IPDs / supplemental immunization activities reduces (to almost zero) missed children (non compliant & / or absent) & zero dose children.
• Increased commitment from LGA officials, traditional leaders & religious leaders through frequent LGA Facilitator feedback & engagement on all SBC activities for our clients programs.
• Social mobilization working groups & committees at LGAs hold regular meetings & use social mobilization data to plan, monitor & implement SBC interventions in polio, routine immunization, health, nutrition, education, WASH & child protection.
• Improved use of social & Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) data in communication strategy development & planning by the LGA team, including social mobilization working group members through technical inputs.

Project reporting:

• This role reports to the line manager.

Key competencies:

• University Degree in Social Sciences, Communication, Public Health, Community Nutrition, Community Development or related technical field.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of the local language of the duty station is an asset.
• At least 3 – 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the state / LGA level in program planning, management, monitoring & evaluation in immunization programs.
• Experience in social mobilization, advocacy & communication in health related programs, polio eradication campaign, IEC materials development, training / capacity building, team building.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies as well as programming policies & procedures in international development cooperation.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan & execute ideas, as well as impart knowledge & tech skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multi cultural environmentand establish harmonious & effective working relationships both within & outside the organization.

Team management:

• This role has no team management responsibility.

Further information:

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.