MODAM Research Supervisor

Job Description

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

I. Position Summary

Action Against Hunger has received a five-year contract from the Power of Nutrition (PON) to conduct operational research in Ethiopia related to select innovations in the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) that aim to improve the coverage and cost-effectiveness of treatment. The operational research component is led by Action Against Hunger USA alongside partners including UNICEF and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, among others.

The operational research study, or “Modified Dosage for Acute Malnutrition” (MODAM) Trial, aims to address critical gaps in linking knowledge to effective action on acute malnutrition, including how to scale proven innovative approaches to treatment, as well as their implications for the broader policy-level environment. This randomized controlled trial will test a modified dosage of the therapeutic foods used to treat acute malnutrition at health posts (HPs) across each target woreda. As current and projected resources are insufficient to meet the total burden of wasting in Ethiopia, there is need to explore ways to increase the cost-effectiveness of treatment. The use of a modified dosage protocol may contribute to achieving such advances by reducing the cost of product per child treated and cured while maintaining comparable treatment outcomes.

As a key member of the research team, the MODAM Research Supervisor will be responsible for supporting high-quality research project set-up and implementation, as well as supervising service delivery and data collection staff in the research target areas. This role will be based in Teltele, Borena Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

The MODAM Research Supervisor’s purpose, engagement and expected delivery are:

Purpose:

The MODAM Research Supervisor will support the Research Project Team Lead in the set-up and implementation of research activities within their base and the catchment area. They will also be responsible for overseeing community-based research staff and ensuring high-quality technical OTP/TSFP implementation.

Engagement:

Internally, this position will engage primarily with the Roving Research Program Manager at capital level, as well as the MODAM Research Project Team Lead, Field Coordinator, Health and Nutrition Program Manager, Health and Nutrition Program Supervisors, and all sub-national research-specific staff. They will also work closely with the national and base-level logistics, finance, and technical teams. Externally, they will work with health extension workers (HEWs) at health post level and leadership at health centers as necessary for coordination.

Delivery:

The MODAM Research Supervisor will be responsible for supporting the delivery of high-quality research activities and OTP and TSFP programs in the research target areas, including training and capacity building, regular field-level monitoring visits, and troubleshooting. S/he will support the project by contributing to quality reporting to Action Against Hunger donors and stakeholders in line with internal rules and regulations, funding regulations, and core values of the organization.

II. Essential Job Duties

1. Human resource management and staff development

The MODAM Research Supervisor will support human resource management and staff development for woreda-level research-specific project staff, alongside the MODAM Research Project Team Lead. This function is expected to include:

• Supporting the recruitment of research project-specific staff in line with HR procedures and in consultation with the Research Project Team Lead, Field Coordinator and Base Human Resources

• Provide direct line management to the woreda-level research project-specific staff

• Supporting the Research Project Team Lead in conducting staff appraisals and developing work/action plans

• Identifying the training needs of Action Against Hunger teams on the basis of skills assessments and observation in collaboration with the Roving Research Program Manager

• Organizing and carrying out training sessions, on-the-job training, and supportive supervision

• Managing his/her teams motivation, inspiration, commitment and wellness from leadership, capacity and other competency perspectives

• Organizing and leading meetings with the team and individual staff members, on both a regular and ad hoc basis

Project management and oversight

The MODAM Research Supervisor will be the lead focal point for project management and reporting at sub-national level, with support from the Roving Research Program Manager and the Field Coordinator. This function is expected to include:

•  Identifying programmatic challenges and bottlenecks in the overall nutrition program implementation pertaining to the operational research and developing solutions alongside the Research Project Team Lead

• Collaborating with health extension workers (HEWs), research project staff, and technical staff to compile stock reports and manage stocks of nutrition commodities and supplies, and develop accurate supply forecasts to ensure consistent supply provision throughout research set-up and implementation

• Checking procurement requests according to the needs, available stock and budget availability, and submitting to Research Project Team Lead for validation

• Coordinating and ensuring timely delivery of health and nutrition supplies to the health facilities in coordination with zonal and woreda authorities and Health and Nutrition PM

• Ensuring adherence to systems to track progress against delivery and expenditures

• Supporting the Research Project Team Lead to provide regular guidance to research team for budget utilization

• Ensuring that all staff are adhering to the reporting and recording system (beneficiary cards; register books; bin cards; daily, weekly, monthly reports) to facilitate accurate and timely submission

• Taking responsibilities and tasks assigned by Research Project Team Leads and Field Coordinator during RPTL absence

Internal and external coordination

This function is expected to include:

• Coordinating with Health and Nutrition Supervisors and Officers to ensure smooth integration of research-specific activities at health post level

• Supporting the coordination of regular team meetings to identify challenges and track progress of the research project, and develop action plans and follow up accordingly

• Participating in external coordination mechanisms at woreda and zonal level when required in collaboration with Research Project Team Lead

• Providing updates on research-specific activities in the external coordination meetings when required in collaboration with Research Project Team Lead

• Sharing minutes of meetings attended including summary of action points

• Providing support to health and nutrition team during external partners’ field visits (including donor visits, field visits from global and national research partners, and other visits)

Research project quality assurance

The MODAM Research Supervisor will work closely with health extension workers (HEWs) and health post-level research staff to ensure high-quality implementation of the research project at health posts. This function is expected to include:

• Verifying proper informed consent process by research staff at health post level

• Ensuring fidelity to national and study protocol implementation at health post level, including usage of correct admission and discharge criteria, dosage protocols, follow-up, and length of stay

• Supporting HEWs and health post-level research staff to organize and implement regular mass community screenings, successful referrals, and absentee/defaulter tracing

• Collaborating closely with HEWs and health post-level research staff to ensure timely delivery of paper and electronic data to Action Against Hunger’s woreda office for data entry and validation

• Supporting the Research Project Team Lead in providing feedback to woreda-level research staff and HEWs

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

• S/he will act as the direct supervisor for the health post-level research staff.

IV. Fiscal Responsibility

• The Deputy Research Project Team Lead will support in ensuring timely and appropriate budget utilization for the MODAM-specific nutrition activities in collaboration with the Research Project Team Lead, Field Coordinators, and Nutrition and Health Program Managers.

• S/he will provide regular follow-up and support to the woreda-level research staff on ways to efficiently and timely utilize project resources to ensure the quality of expected deliverables.

V. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.

• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the sub-offices if appropriate. While visiting sub-offices, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

VII.   Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information

• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance

• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff

• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status
• Value and respect all cultures

Job Requirement

VIII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Required master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least three (3) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts

• Or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably in public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least four (4) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts
• Good knowledge and practical experience of working with sub-national nutrition and health coordination platforms and various Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
• Practical experience of working in INGOs is preferable

IX. Required Skills

• We are seeking an individual who has good judgement and problem-solving skills, along with strong communication skills and documentation habits.

• This person needs to have excellent interpersonal skills (to develop good rapport with staff, HEWs and other in-country stakeholders), and the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.

• Experience in acute malnutrition treatment program management, including staff supervision, procurement and logistics, and budget management.
• Experience in designing and leading technical trainings related to acute Knowledge of MS Office Suite required and comfortable working with computers with minimal IT support

• Fluent in written and spoken English and Local language( Somali & Oromiffa); Amharic strongly desirable

• Possess strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• Ability to take initiative and prioritize multiple tasks with minimum supervision

• Genuine interest in and commitment to the mission and principles of Action Against Hunger