BACKGROUND
Ethiopia has made a remarkable progress in reducing child malnutrition with a decrease in national stunting rates among children under five from 58 per cent to 38 per cent over the past 15 years through a concerted multi-sectoral effort. To accelerate this promising progress, Ethiopia made an ambitious new declaration that envisions ending child undernutrition by 2030, named the ‘Seqota’ declaration and Develop Food and Nutrition Policy. The National Nutrition Program is implemented through multi-sectoral approaches, with different sectors playing key roles in executing nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions. In addition, the progress made in food and nutrition has contributed to the reduction of under-five mortality from 166 in 2000 to 67 per 1000 children in 2016 enabling Ethiopia to achieve the Millennium Development goals ahead of time and increase in estimated average life expectancy at birth from 45 years in 1990 to 64 years in 2016.
POSITION SUMMARY
Multi-sectoral nutrition coordinating bodies and technical committees are established at national, regional, zonal and woreda levels to coordinate and mainstream nutrition activities in their respective administrative purviews. The health sector has been responsible for chairing the coordination bodies and technical committees at all levels, but challenged by inadequate engagement from the implementing sectors, some of the limitations includes governance; coordination; monitoring & evaluations; nutrition capacity; and nutrition specific and sensitive interventions information availability and use. To address this, the government of Ethiopia develop food and nutrition policy, which will ensure the accountability of sectors and give legal frame works. To accelerate the implementation of food and nutrition policy and NNP-II, the regional president Advisor will be recruited in regional states to support the regional coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of Food and Nutrition Policy and NNP II. The Regional President Advisor of the Food and Nutrition Coordination Unit is accountable for strengthen Food and Nutrition multi-sectoral coordination at regional level. The Food and Nutrition president advisor will ensure the functionality and success of the multisectoral food and nutrition coordination by ensuring the capacity of a secretariat that feeds the coordinating body with the appropriate information for decision making. In addition, the position will be supporting and strengthening nutrition multi-sectoral coordination, nutrition information systems, and monitoring and quality assurance components of NNP implementation across all regions. Evidence informed decision making in food and nutrition requires the availability of timely multi-sectoral data.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS/ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Summary of key functions: The ‘Regional Food and Nutrition President’s Advisor will be based within the president’s office and work under the guidance of the Regional President Advisor with functional responsibility to the RHB/MOH Nutrition Case Team and Technical Director/Nutrition of the Alive and Thrive Ethiopia. His/her overarching responsibility is maintaining effective coordination and partnership with key stakeholders, as well as ensuring effective communication between NNP implementing sector Bureaus, all woredas, zones, development partners and other stakeholders. She/he would ensure harmonization/alignment and integration of both nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions undertaken by sector bureaus and development partners in the region. Overall, the President’s advisor serves as a liaison between the regional presidents and regional bureaus as well as the zonal and woreda administration to handle issues which needs political and administration decisions.
The main responsibilities of the post are:
1) Programme planning, monitoring and reporting at regional level
· Ensure the regional food and nutrition coordinating body, and sectors nutrition specific and sensitive plan are developed.
· Ensure that appropriate structures for food and nutrition are established, and staffs are assigned at regional, zonal, woreda and kebele levels.
· Ensure the on time regional budget allocation for Food and Nutrition.
· Play the secretariat role for Regional Food and Nutrition coordinating body/ council
· Ensure effective multisectoral nutrition coordination among regional FNP implementing sectors.
· Agenda setting, Minutes taking and sharing role for RNCB/Council meeting together with the regional nutrition secretariats
· Organize high level food and Nutrition advocacy events.
· Ensure sectors mainstream nutrition in their sector strategic and annual plans.
· Ensure the establishment and functionality of regional, zonal, woreda and kebele level Food and Nutrition coordinating body and technical committee.
· Arrange annual, biannual, quarterly performance review meetings of the regional food and nutrition coordinating body.
· Ensure that FNP and NNP implementation and progress are regularly monitored and reviewed with stakeholders and corrective actions are undertaken in a timely manner at sector bureaus, at zonal, woreda and kebele levels.
· Oversee the implementation of regional food and nutrition strategy and program at regional, zonal, woreda and kebele/community level and provide political and administrative leadership and coordination for effective implementation.
· Address problems and challenges faced in the implementation process which are beyond the capacity of the secretariat/RNTC in consultation with the regional president.
· Schedule and facilitate regular RNCB meetings with external stakeholders.
· Ensure that program implementation and financial utilization reporting are timely communicated to all stakeholders.
2) Representation and coordination (internal and external)
· Facilitate effective ongoing communication and coordination among the regional Food and Nutrition and NNP coordination body/council members, Sector Bureaus, zones & woredas, development Partners and other stakeholders.
· Build and strengthen relationships among stakeholders to ensure that the FNP and NNP are harmonized with sector strategies and programs (PSNP, AGP, NSAS, SLM, Livestock master plan, one wash program, school health and nutrition strategy, Health sector transformation plan etc) and other Donor funded programmes that facilitates government leadership and ownership;
· Perform any other relevant duties assigned by the Regional President
Expected Deliverables
· The regional food and nutrition coordinating body and, sectors nutrition specific and sensitive time bounded plans.
· Play the secretariat role for Regional Food and Nutrition coordinating body/ council
· Effective multisectoral nutrition coordination among regional FNP and NNP implementing sectors.
· Meeting Agenda, Meeting Minutes and sharing
· High level food and Nutrition advocacy events and specific asks.
· Sectors which mainstreamed and implemented nutrition in their sector strategic and annual plans.
· Annual, biannual, quarterly performance review meetings of the regional food and nutrition coordinating body.
· Regular RNCB meetings with external stakeholders.
· Timely communicated program implementation and financial utilization reporting.
· Regional budget allocation for Food and Nutrition.
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES
Technical Expertise:
· Proven knowledge and experience in the areas of nutrition, public health and program management;
· Diplomatic and conflict resolution skills;
· Strong understanding of political dynamics in government, civil society and implementing partners in the region.
Knowledge Management and Learning:
· Ability to share knowledge and experience;
· Ability to provide top quality expertise on Monitoring and Evaluation;
· 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, propose new approaches of Project Management;
· Ability to work with minimal supervision;
Program management and teamwork:
· Work with 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 and innovation;
· Interact with teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
EDUCATION:
· Postgraduate level degree in relevant discipline (Health Economics, Health Management, Business Administration, Economics, Agriculture, Nutrition and related disciplines)
EXPERIENCE:
· 10-15 years’ work experience and at least 5 years’ experience in the management of social and/or economic sector with progressive managerial and coordination responsibilities at regional or national levels.
· Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a wide range of partners with varying interests and priorities in food and nutrition;
· Good understanding of the Ethiopian context and of Program management within this context;
· Good understanding of the Food and Nutrition Policy directions/ National nutrition program and other nutrition sensitive strategies and programs, the Government of Ethiopia’s multisectoral response to child undernutrition;
· Previous work experience with the government of Ethiopia will be a distinct advantage;
· Ability to think critically and analytically to draw sound conclusions based on evidence and data;
· Strong written and verbal communication skills (in English);
· Knowledge of local language/Afarigna language is required;
· Strong inter-personal and relationship building skills;
· Effective management of people;
· Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues to achieve team goals;
· Willingness to travel extensively to zones, woredas and community within the region; and
· Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (at least word, excel and power point) is a critical requirement
SKILLS:
· Have a strong partnership skill and working with diverse stakeholders;
· Strong initiative and self-motivation required, with a commitment to teamwork and effectiveness within the RHB context;
· Ability to work effectively in a team consisting of people with different technical backgrounds and with varying levels of technical training and expertise;
· Ability to assess priorities, and manage variety of activities while communicating, connecting, and collaborating with the RHB and A&T staff, a broad coalition of government, NGO, and international partners;
· Demonstrated supervisory and interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate relationships and partnerships, interact effectively with government and partner staff, and mentor junior technical staff;
· Strong organizational skills;
· Excellent written and spoken communication skills, including strong presentation skills to report results to regional stakeholders;
· Good knowledge of offices: word, excel, PowerPoint presentations.