Health & Nutrition Project Officer

Job Title: Health & Nutrition Project Officer
Location: Agago, Uganda
Reports to: Project Manager

Application Deadline: 20 February 2025

Job Summary

GOAL is seeking a passionate individual to work as Health & Nutrition Project Officer in Agago District to support the implementation of our health portfolio projects. This includes a demand driven approach to improving health outcomes and service utilisation, integrated approaches to improving maternal, child and newborn health and nutrition and health-oriented emergency response.

Job Functions:

1. Health & Nutrition Portfolio Support

• Participate in project planning, including developing workplans, submitting funds requests, procurement of project supplies and equipment and development of activity budgets.
• Contribute to business development for Health and Nutrition opportunity, including training curriculums and materials and guidance notes. multisectoral IEC materials across health, nutrition
• Support the implementation of emergency and humanitarian response activities as they arise

1. Project Implementation

• Support in delivering all project components and trainings, community advocates on PCA , Community conversation facilitators of CC , DHMT meetings, and People Centered Advocacy.
• Support in preparing engagements for district health management team and health personnel (health workers, VHTs) to increase responsiveness of the supply side in addressing health concerns within the district.
• Support partners in follow up dialogues ensuring that action plans/social contracts developed by health centre staff and community participants are SMART.
• Provide technical support in implementation of anticipatory action planning to track actions of the community
• Take lead in monitoring and following up community conversation sessions in the priority communities
• Assist in animating community PCA workshops for developing district advocacy strategies and lead delivery of all four steps for developing district advocacy strategies.
• Assist in mentoring community advocates to deliver PCA feedback to other community members and other field assignments during the development of district advocacy strategy
• Assist in mentoring community advocates during the implementation of their district advocacy plan and monitoring plan in both pilot and rollout districts – mentoring support visits
• Assist in animating monthly advocacy review meetings for community advocates to review progress of plans (message delivery and monitoring plans) in PCA pilot and rollout districts.
• Assist in organizing and participating in Participatory Data Analysis (PDA) sessions for community advocates to make sense of data, trends and changes associated with the PCA process in their district.

1. Project monitoring, learning and documentation

• Ensure consistent and accurate records are taken and kept for all project participants, VHTs and Health Assistants in the project monitoring tools as required
• Guide participatory data collection as part of the people-centered process
• Use appropriate reporting tools and templates accurately for effective documentation and reporting
• Prepare weekly and monthly plans and reports and share with the Health & Nutrition program Manager
• Ensure that all activity reports are submitted to the Manager within 3 working days after the implementation of an activity
• Conduct follow-up and spot check on on-going activities for quality control
• Assist in documenting community successes and failures for project learning and reporting to other stakeholders
• Assist in collecting outcome harvesting stories taken from the implementation of community dialogues, DHMTs meetings, community conversations, people-centred advocacy activities etc
• Prepare periodical (Monthly, Weekly, ) reports: update indicators, achievements, activities and results according to the project log frame
• Provide inputs and support on the development of learning documents including learning reviews, success stories, story of change
• Participate in program reviews, learning and planning processes
• Attend weekly team preparatory meetings and feedback sessions

1. Networking, coordination and outreach

• Meet with community, sub-county, and district leaders to explain project objectives and keep them appraised of project(s) activities being implemented in the target area
• Work closely with community volunteers, local government representatives, VHTs, Health Assistants and other relevant sub-county and district stakeholders into the implementation of health portfolio projects.
• Coordinate volunteers, VHT and Health Assistants review meetings
• Participate in and attend local, parish, sub-county or district meetings and events as assigned.
• Assist in updating WDWW tool within the district focusing on health advocacy & accountability interventions that may influence the results of the project.
• Network and represent with other agencies and government on GOAL’s health related activities as directed.

Essential criteria:

• University degree in human nutrition, public health, Environmental Health, Social Sciences, or related discipline. Experience may substitute for qualifications, but not the other way around.
• Minimum 3 years working experience of community health or nutrition with a strong focus on participatory and accountability related activities
• Possession of a riding permit (Class A) and ability to ride a motorcycle

Desirable criteria:

• Ability to implement an intervention with multiple components with strong measures for quality assurance
• Work experience in Uganda, with the accordant knowledge of civil society operating environment, trends in health sector, etc
• Soft Skills in coordination and networking with stakeholders including district and local government, WASH sector actors, NGO partners and community leaders.

GOAL

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency, with a global team of 2,400 personnel, dedicated to alleviating the needs of the most vulnerable communities. Currently operating in 14 of the world’s most vulnerable countries, GOAL delivers a wide range of humanitarian and development programmes, ranging from humanitarian relief in disaster situations, to focusing on nutrition, food security, and building greater resilience and sustainable livelihoods

General description of the country programme:

First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition programming); and a market based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behaviour change and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL works on a district focused approach and uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with GOAL as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Accountability within GOAL

Alongside our safeguarding policy, GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has a set of integrity policies. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

GOAL Uganda has a skilled team of approximately 130 personnel and manages an annual operating budget of approximately €9.7 million (2024). GOAL is currently operational in the North, South, East and West of Uganda with six established offices in Kampala, Lira, Mbale, Kabarole, Moroto,  Kaabong and Agago Districts. GOAL Uganda country programme is funded by a number of donors who include Mastercard, charity water, Irish Aid and some small foundations.

Our package includes a competitive salary, health insurance cover for up to 3 dependents, comprehensive 24-hour personal accident cover, terminal benefits equivalent to one month for each completed year of service, a flexi-work arrangement and our working hours provide for a half day on Fridays.  GOAL promotes a learning and development environment with training & study opportunities aligned to our staff development policy.