Associate Health and Nutrition Officer

This opening expired 2 years ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Open positions at UNHCR
Logo of UNHCR

Application deadline 2 years ago: Friday 12 Nov 2021 at 00:00 UTC

Open application form

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The UNHCR Operation in the Republic of the Congo was established in 1982. As of 31st Octo-ber 2019, the operation currently provides protection and assistance to 52,167 refugees and asy-lum seekers from the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Con-go (DRC) and other nationalites. In addition, the Operation provides shelter and non-food items to about.The UNHCR Operation in the Republic of the Congo was established in 1982. As of 31st October 2019, the operation currently provides protection and assistance to 52,167 refu-gees and asy-lum seekers from the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other nationalites. In addition, the Operation provides shelter and non-food items to about 140,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and assistance to persons at risk of statelessness. The Operation has its Country Office in Brazzaville, and two Field Offices in Betou, and Gamboma in Republic of the Congo

Under the direct supervision of Programme Officer), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Accountability: • Take the lead in the assessment and analysis of the health needs of persons of concern by implementing methods like: participatory assessments such as the Age, Gender and Diver-sity (AGD) perspective or joint assessment missions; as well as utilizing objective tools like the multi-indicator nutrition, health and WASH survey; health indicators from the Health In-formation System and Balanced Scorecard approach; and health facility assessments to serve as the basis for planning to effectively address health issues of public health im-portance, based on the principles of Public Health and Primary Health Care. • Ensure that public health programme interventions are reflected in implementing partner agreements in a timely manner; regularly monitor and report on compliance with estab-lished guidelines and procedures. • Pursue collaborative, consultative partnerships in order to ensure quality health planning and sustainable service provision for refugees in all camps.

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results): • Take the lead in monitoring and evaluating health programme implementation in the field (with the support of Nutrition Field Officer and Health Associate), in accordance to work plans co-developed with implementing partners. • Oversee the implementation of the Health Information System from training of health work-ers on data collection, examination of quality of data collected, and providing supervisory support and guidance to IP coordinators. • In collaboration with partners and local authorities, ensure adequate preparedness, early detection and effective response to disease outbreaks. • Ensure all primary health programmes are implemented by IP health workers according to national guidelines by health implementing partners in each refugee health facility – and ensure that mental health care and reproductive health / HIV interventions, are well inte-grated into the PHC services at camp level. • Oversee and regulate medical referral activities from the secondary to tertiary level, and ensure that submissions for Resettlement on the Medical Needs fully satisfy the current cri-teria. • Establish an efficient drug management system that encompasses assessment of essential medicine needs for the refugee operation based on drug consumption, procurement, stor-age, distribution, and rational utilization at the camp health facilities. • Assess training needs of Governmental Organisations (GO) and NGO implementing part-ner staff; ensure that health staff undergo capacity development activities relevant to their posts; and that training activities are well-coordinated and implemented according to agreed work plan timeframes. • Implement capacity development interventions with refugee / host community volunteers utilizing participatory approaches. • Support UNHCR Nutritionist in the conduct of the annual nutrition survey and monitor im-plementation of the nutrition programme, particularly within the in-patient stabilization cen-ters. • Supervise implementation of interventions for malaria prevention and control according to GFATM-UNDP Scaling Up Malaria Interventions project and ensure timely reporting. • Advocate with government line ministries for the transfer of operational responsibility of the health sector from the NGOs to the line ministry (MOH). • Collaborate with UNHCR / MOH / Implementing Partners (IP) engineers on the implementa-tion of projects for upgrading of health infrastructure in the camps or host community areas. • Cooperate with colleagues in the Basic Services / Livelihoods Section on increasing com-munity involvement in health promotion; community mobilization in preparation for the transfer of basic services to the line ministry; and cost-sharing schemes to be adopted in the camps. • Participate in the evaluation of possible health financing schemes to ensure sustainability of health services in the camps. • Lead the process of ensuring the sustainability of health services through the transfer of health facilities to Ministries of Health.

Authority: • Ensure compliance to the updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Medical Re-ferral of Persons of Concern (PoCs). • Institute Drug Management Standard Operating Procedures. • Represent the refugee health sector in coordination meetings and liaise with implementing partners, UN agencies, NGOs, and the Ministry of Health to coordinate health activities in the refugee camps. • Prepare input for information, communication and advocacy on the health and nutrition sit-uation of populations of concern to UNHCR among partners, donors, other agencies and the government; and provide information for funding submissions, appeals or reports.

• In absence of a Nutrution officer, coordinate the refugee nutrition response as well as necessary periodic nutrition assessment such as Standard Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) • Close technical collabotation with WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNAIDS to harness their capacities to synergize UNHCR refugee health response within the framework of global MoUs between UNHCR and such agencies • Ensure country public health approach comply the UNHCR global public health strategy Close technical collaboration with Regional Public Health team and Public Health Section in Geneva

• Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to ap-ply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take owner-ship; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under es-tablished procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, im-partiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confiden-tially; responsive and client-oriented. • Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work envi-ronment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priori-ties and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working

public health nutrition; previous working experience in refugee settings and/or international experience;

  • Demonstrated experience in managing health and nutrition programmes;
  • Experience working with multi-sectorial teams especially UN agencies (WFP, UNICEF) and Ministry of Health is an advantage; prior experience in conducting nutrition surveys and familiarity with SMART/SENS is an advantage.
  • Computer skills: Working knowledge of Word, Excel and basic data analysis skills (e.g. Stata, EpiInfo, SPSS) required.
  • Good Knolewdge of IRHIS (integrated Refugees Health Information System is an advantage .

The incumbent of the position will be required to work most of the time in Brazzaville, though it is expected that she/he would have to go on mission in other regions were UN-HCR operations are unfolding.

Brazzaville is the Republic of the Congo’s capital and largest city. It is situated on the northern side of the Congo River, immediately opposite the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. Since the country is located on the Equator, the climate is consistent year-round, with the average day temperature a humid 24ºC (75ºF) and nights generally between 16ºC (61ºF) and 21ºC (70ºF). The dry season is from June to August, while in the majority of the coun-try the wet season has two rainfall maxima: one in March-May and another in September-November.

Brazzaville is a beautiful colonial city, with a vibrant art scene and welcoming locals. The population is 1.5 million. Accommodation is very and expensive in Brazzaville. There are several Supermarkets in town but consumer items are generally very expensive (as every-thing is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative. Brazzaville is considered family duty station. Transport in Republic of the Congo includes land, air and water transportation. Taxis are a popular mode of transport for getting around the city. The Duty Station was classified B, despite lack of Good health facilities. In the Congo, business culture is influenced by French traditions. French is the language of business. International schools are the preferred option for many expat families in Brazzaville. The Lycee Saint-Exupery offers a curriculum taught in French. The American International School of Brazzaville established in 2012, provides teaching in English. The schools organ-ize a wide range of after school activities, including sports, dancing, crafts and cookery. The unit currency of the Congo is the Franc BEAC (XAF). US dollars and travel checks are ex-changes. Payments by credit cards are accepted in supermarkets and hotels. ATMs are functional. In addition to French, there are two major spoken languages in RoC, namely Lingala and Kituba.

Security issues: The current UN security level for Brazzaville is Level 2 and upon arrival, all UN staff are required to attend a security briefing conducted by both UNDSS Security section. As a reminder, all UN staff members are required to complete the UN security course Basic Security in the Field (BSITF).

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unv.org