Project Overview

Emergency health, nutrition, protection and WASH projects targeting displaced, war affected and vulnerable populations in north-east Congo. Key components of the Community Engagement strategy for Medair include approaches aimed at increasing community participation, accountability, and ownership to improve public health outcomes and longterm behavior changes. Community engagement activities have a strong focus on behavior change communication implemented at the household and community level,   to positively change social and core behaviour of beneficiaries and communities and to directly reduce morbidity and mortality of children under 5 years of age and pregnant and lactating women in all project areas where Medair DRC implements its programme. Medair’s teams work with Community Health Volunteers or Care Group Volunteers, depending on the approach selected for the intervention zone.  

Key Activity Areas

Coordination 

• Represent Medair at BCC meetings,   other workgroups and with local authorities, partners, and other NGOs as part of the community activities. 

Health and Hygiene promotion 

• Supervise the implementation of Community Engagement strategies; including Behavior Change Communication, Accountability to affected populations, and Participatory activities in Medair’s project areas throughout Eastern Congo. 
• Ensure all activities are implemented and managed in the same way by different bases and sectors.  
• In collaboration with Sector PMs, CEA Specialist and Advisors, identify target behaviours for barrier analysis or focused group discussions (formative research). 
• Ensure focus group discussions and other methods of gathering qualitative data are taking place at critical times in the proposal cycle as agreed with advisors and M&E. 
• Implement and supervise household mapping in Medair project areas.   
• Provide support and coordinate with field teams as they work with local community leaders and beneficiaries to oversee selection of Lead mothers or Community Health Workers  
• In collaboration with PMs and Advisors, ensure key behaviour change messages chosen to be communicated tocommunities are in line with the health, nutrition,  and WASH logframes.  
• Liaise with relevant technical staff to study and learn technical aspects of the behaviours to be taught to the communities  
• Work with CE teams to understand and resolve community issues. 
• Teach the chosen behaviours to community project staff using adult learning techniques and ensure all teaching passed on to community members is of high quality. 
• In collaboration with PMs and Advisors write and submit monthly and quarterly work plans including selection of community engagement activities and behaviours to be prioritized. Provide support to  expansion of iCCM and community nutrition components like IYCF and nutritional screenings as well as  kitchen garden activities.  

Project Management 

• Develop work and monitoring plans and monitor the progress of community project staff’s activities according to the needs of the project. 
• Propose lines of intervention and new activities for health promotion intervention according to the needs on the ground.  
• Train and supervise the community project staff in their activities on the ground. 
• Ensure high communication and coordination with all stakeholders.  
• Ensure all relevant staff receive training, advice, and coaching regarding community engagement to be applied to their sector as needed. 
• Develop and update activity tracking tools in collaboration with the M&E manager. 
• Ensure all community project staff are compliant with Medair guidelines, policies, and procedures, and adherent to any applicable donor guidelines. 

Logistics and finance 

• Structure the different budgets with lines for community level work to make the best possible use of it by starting multisectoral community projects. 
• Ensure team have relevant material necessary to do demonstration during BCC sessions. 
• Assist relevant field staff in management of CE programme budget ensuring all expenses are managed through Medair’s financial procedures.  

Team Spiritual Life  

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts. 
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement. 
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

This job description covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary. 

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in the humanitarian sector or other relevant field. Health, social work, or psychology background or education (community health, social worker, nurse, midwife or doctor), or Public Health degree desirable. 
• Strong working knowledge of English and French (spoken and written). Swahili desirable. 

Experience

• 2 years’ post-qualification professional experience. 
• At least 1 year humanitarian experience where you worked with or observed health programming. 
• Strong written and verbal skills in French. 
• Able to take initiatives and speak confidently. 
• Knowledge of humanitarian principles, Sphere and HAP Standard. 
• Understanding of Community Engagement and Accountability  

All new deploying international staff to Medair’s country programmes (and other roles which require field travel) should be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID vaccine, supported with a COVID vaccination certificate as evidence.