Nutrition Working Group Information Management Officer
As the Syrian conflict approaches its fourth year, the United Nations estimates that at least 6.4 million people have been displaced within Syria with a further 2.9 million refugees in neighbouring countries. A combination of direct and indirect factors has led to an excess of 10.8 million people being classified as in need of humanitarian assistance.
The Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) level pre-crisis in Syria was 9.7%, although large variances were seen across Governorates with the average GAM rate in Hama shown as 13.5%. The level of stunting was also high at 22%. Pre-crisis micronutrient deficiencies were high- 39% of pregnant women presenting as anemic. Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices were also poor prior to the crisis.
Since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, very little data has been collected to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in Syria, yet as the Syrian conflict continues, nutrition coordination is essential to mitigate the potential of an escalating nutrition emergency. There is also need to enhance the nutrition sector response by improved coordination amongst humanitarian actors. With limited data available on current nutritional status, improvement of surveillance data and information sharing is essential to determine areas with high prevalence of acute malnutrition and improve referral mechanisms, and ensure a coordinated coherent response, through strengthened and engaged humanitarian actors. Concurrent to this, given the large Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) response into Northern Syria, which, at the working group level has extremely limited nutrition expertise, technical nutrition support is essential to complement and improve the FSL response. As the conflict continues, ensuring the correct nutrient composition of food baskets is increasingly important. To date, the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) Rapid Response Team conducted a scoping mission to Southern Turkey in 2013 to assess the nutrition situation and potential nutrition sector information-sharing mechanisms. In February it was estimated that four partners were currently implementing nutrition activities and a further nine organisations (possibly more) are implementing IYCF activities. Reports of distributions of breast-milk substitutes have increased.
Job Purpose:
The Nutrition Working Group Information Management Officer (NIMO) will work closely with the Nutrition Working Group Coordinator to ensure that essential nutrition information is accessible and applied to the context. The Nutrition Cluster IM manager is responsible for i) sharing information relevant to all actors within the cluster, including agencies of the national authority, UN agencies, NGOs and others; ii) supporting inter-cluster information sharing; and iii) ensuring adherence to global (while taking into account national) information management (IM) norms, policies and standards. The Nutrition IMO will work within the Humanitarian Principles and the Principles of Partnership.
Key Duties
Identification of key partners
- With the Nutrition Working Group Coordinator, carry out capacity mapping of all current and potential actors (international and national organisations and local health care structures) to determine coverage of nutrition programme activities, strengths and areas of required support particularly in the areas of IYCF and management of acute malnutrition.
Maintenance of appropriate coordination mechanisms
- Support the NWG Co in organizing the logistics of the Nutrition Working Group by setting date, time, location, maintaining mailing lists and disseminating meeting information. Encourage participation by stakeholders in preparing inputs into the agenda, taking minutes and information sharing.
Information Sharing
- Improve nutrition surveillance by collating routine programme data from existing monitoring systems of organisations and sharing results as appropriate.
- Coordinate mapping of nutrition sector response through collation of 4W reports, in coordination with OCHA’s current mapping protocols. Analyse coverage and gaps in the nutrition sector and ensure there is no duplication, which will further inform resource mobilization amongst agencies.
- Establish standardised templates for IYCF-E data collection in collaboration with partners to collate programme data in a regular and standardised manner, based on core IYCF-E indicators.
- Working with Partners and WG members to assist in the Ccompilation of information on breast milk substitute (BMS) donations, distribution sources and channels and estimated number of children beneficiaries and document any violations of the International Code of Marketing of BMS.
Training and capacity building
- Provide the leadership to develop distance learning materials (training slides in Arabic) on key relevant nutrition topics (including treatment/prevention of acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, surveillance and IYCF) that NWG member organisations may use to conduct trainings or send on to Syrian staff and partner organisations.
- Support the development of standardised nutrition tools, guidelines, protocols, training and IEC materials, targeted to the response for Northern Syria particularly IYCF materials.
Planning and Strategy Development
- Provide leadership, training and technical advice on standardised assessment and monitoring approach for nutrition surveys, to ensure timely, reliable data is available for decision-making and comparability.
- Participate in Interagency Multi-sectoral Needs Assessments to ensure that the needs of the nutrition cluster are represented in the assessment.
- Provide technical support to agencies as they carry out nutrition surveys and provide nutritional advice to actors as they develop nutrition programme responses.
Advocacy
- Advocate at multiple levels to ensure all actors are familiar with the Operational Guidance on IYCF-E (embeds International Code of Marketing of BMS) and Sphere standards on IYCF-E. Widely disseminate the Joint Statement on IYCF-E in Northern Syria response and the Operational Guidance on IYCF-E.
- Any other responsibilities assigned to the Nutrition Working Group.
Person specification
- Nutritionist with a Masters in Public Health or similar.
- Three years + experience in humanitarian nutrition response at international and national level.
- Three years + experience with nutrition surveys and assessments.
- Previous experience of cluster participation at international and national level.
- Strong understanding of nutrition sector and cluster approach.
- Strong interpersonal, management, coordination and negotiating skills.
- Strong presentation and analytical skills and database management.
- Strong planning and organisational skills.
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Ability to work independently.
- Fluent in English and some Arabic also an advantage.
Post a Comment