Program Officer - Clinical

Risk Level

• Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data.
• Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.
• Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

Program / Department Summary

• With the insurgency affecting North East Nigeria and displacing millions of people, Mercy Corps is to implement a multi-sector response that covers Nutrition, Food assistance, Agriculture, WASH, Shelter and Protection to support the conflict-affected population
• . The nutrition response supports both nutrition sensitive and specific interventions that contribute to prevention, detection and management of malnutrition.
• These include: a Promotion of Maternal, Infant, Young Child Nutrition via support groups, one-to-one counselling and community wide SBC for IYCF; b.
• Provision of supplemental Nutrition Assistance i.e. distribution of Fresh Food Vouchers, backyard gardening and poultry production aiming at improving dietary diversity among targeted households; c.
• Nutrition surveillance activities i.e. community nutrition screening, nutrition surveys and assessments aiming at monitoring the nutrition situation of targeted vulnerable individuals; d.
• Management of children with uncomplicated Severe Acute Malnutrition SAM through established Outpatient Therapeutic Program OTP services, as well as support referral and follow-up of SAM patients with medical complications to Stabilization Centers SCs and children with Moderate Acute malnutrition MAM to Targeted Supplementary Feedin Program TSFP.

General Position Summary

• The Clinical Officer will be responsible for the day to day implementation and delivery of quality Outpatient Therapeutic Program OTP services in Konduga LGA. He /She will provide technical support for medical consultation, outreach EPI, health/ nutrition education, sanitation and child health as per standard protocols/ guidelines. He/ She is expected to provide supervision, technical assistance, build capacity of program staff and all OTP related reporting.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Collaborate with other team member for effective integration between other services like Nutrition and health services
• Collaborate with Local authorities and other partners to harmonize different efforts for better impact and
• Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt the changing situation and context

Program Management:

• Coordinate and facilitate implementation of OTP services, site selection and prepare weekly movement plan.
• Ensure that mobile/ outreach OTP sites have all the nutrition and medical supplies, tools/ items necessary for management of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition.
• Provide basic health services including consultations for SAM cases, emergency services, referral, health education, EPI as per standard
• Ensure admitted SAM patients receive necessary routine medication, immunization is up to date, health and nutrition education
• Ensure admission and discharge criteria for SAM patients are respected as per the national CMAM guidelines.
• Ensure referral of children with complicated SAM to SC and those with MAMare referred to TSFP for appropriate nutrition
• Facilitate training and closely work with MOH staffs at Health centers within the catchment area
• Organize daily, weekly and monthly over view and reports of consultations, EPI and health
• Ensure referral system and linkage between SC, OTP and TSFP services at community and at health facility
• Adherence to medical and nutritional treatment protocols and procedures for children and
• Participate in capacity building training, in health education sessions and IEC/BCC application
• Follow up absentees/defaulters and keep current record of both beneficiaries and the staff.

Team Management:

• Makes sure that team participate on the daily routine work for sustainability and smooth phase out strategy,
• Provide on the job training and capacity building for OTP staff with supports and liaison with the line
• Supports the integration of program activities with those implemented at Health Facilities in the catchment areas, through regular liaison, information sharing and on job trainings and supervisions

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.

Influence & Representation:

• Train and support community nutrition Monitors and make sure they transmit/convey messages clearly to the community.
• Creates and maintain relationship with local health and other authorities to link services with the existing health structure smoothly,
• Always Upholds the image and values of Mercy Corps,

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country

Accountability

• Reports Directly to: Senior Program Officer - Nutrition & Food Assistance
• Works Directly with: Nutrition team.

Knowledge and Experience

• B.Sc in Nursing or MBBS in Medicine with a minimum of two years' work experience in NGO environment in clinical setup
• Previous experience in treatment of patients with severe acute malnutrition is a MUST.
• Familiarity of the intervention areas
• Microsoft Office Skills Outlook, Excel, Power Point, Word.
• Willing and able to be based within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Fluency in Hausa, Kanuri and English

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Mobile/ Outreach OTP team

Success Factors:

• He/ She should be able to work independently, have good interpersonal and communication skills.
• He/ she should have understanding of humanitarian principles and their application to program implementation.
• Must be able to solve problems and multi-task on a range of administrative and programmatic issues.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.