Project Coordinator- Katsina – Nigeria – M/F

The ALIMA SPIRIT: ALIMA’s purpose is to save lives and care for the most vulnerable populations, without any discrimination based on identity, religion, or politics, through actions based on proximity, innovation and the alliance of organizations and individuals. We act with humanism, impartiality and respect for universal medical ethics. In order to access patients, we are committed to intervening in a neutral and independent manner.

THE VALUES and PRINCIPLES of our action, inscribed in our CHARTER :

1. The patient first
2. Revolutionizing humanitarian medicine
3. Responsibility and freedom
4. Improve the quality of our actions
5. To trust
6. Collective intelligence

ALIMA promotes and defends the principles of fundamental human rights. ALIMA has a zero-tolerance approach to perpetrators of gender-based and sexual violence and to inaction in the face of suspected or actual violence. The protection of those who benefit and are impacted by our intervention is our top priority in everything we do. Everyone who collaborates with ALIMA is committed to :

• Respect the charter, the code of conduct, the institutional policies including the policy of protection against abuse of power and gender and sexual violence, the policy of prevention of corruption and fraud;
• Report violations of policies, framework documents, and procedures to a supervisor, manager or referral agent or to alert@alima.ngo

CARING – INNOVATING – TOGETHER:

Since its inception in 2009, ALIMA has treated more than 6 million patients, and today deploys its operations in 12 countries in Africa. In 2019, we have developed 41 humanitarian medical response projects to meet the needs of populations affected by conflict, epidemics and extreme poverty. All of these projects are in support of national health authorities through 330 health facilities (including 28 hospitals and 300 health centers). We work in partnership with local NGOs whenever possible to ensure that our patients benefit from expertise wherever it is available, whether in their country or in the rest of the world. In addition, to improve the humanitarian response, we conduct operational and clinical research projects, particularly in the areas of malnutrition and viral hemorrhagic fevers. ALIMA also conducts operations in response to the covid-19 pandemic in all our missions.

OUR PROJECT THEMES:

Malnutrition, Sexual and reproductive health including gender-based violence, Primary and secondary health, Pediatrics, Malaria, Epidemics (Hemorrhagic fevers, meningitis, Cholera, Measles, Dengue, Covid-19).

OUR COUNTRIES OF INTERVENTION

Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, South Sudan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Ukraine.

ALIMA IN NIGERIA/KATSINA Context

Nigeria’s northwest region – particularly the State of Katsina – is facing a nutrition emergency aggravated by multiple crises. ALIMA conducted a rapid needs assessment mission in Katsina State during the month of December 2020 and 4 nutrition surveys between March to May 2022.

The very acute malnutrition prevalence found before the lean season coupled with multiple crises (violence against civilians, armed conflict, COVID consequences, and inflation leading to food insecurity and collapse of nutrition programs) in the State, makes us fear an unprecedented number of SAM cases and associated deaths among children under 5 during this 2021 year. Based on these surveys and population figures in Kaita LGA we can expect for the next 6 months nearly 10,000 children at immediate risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition, including 2,000 who will require hospitalization for intensive care. It requires an immediate surge of national and international support to Katsina State MOH before the lean season to reduce mortality through:

• Immediate scaling up of RUTF coverage (current shortage) and urgent validation of RUTF factory in Kano
• Immediate scaling up of outpatient therapeutic program to catch up on as much as SAM cases as possible in Kaita LGA
• Immediate increase of inpatient care for complicated SAM cases in Kaita LGA

ALIMA proposes to focus on the outpatient and inpatients program, in close collaboration with the Katsina ministry of health, by deploying a dedicated emergency team in the targeted areas of intervention to deliver life-saving health care during the lean season, from June 1st to September 30th.

Mission Location: Nigeria, Katsina State

PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Level 3: As part of his/her duties, the incumbent will visit programs and come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Therefore, a criminal record check or a certificate of good character will be required. In situations where a criminal record or character reference is not available, a statement of good character will be required.

FUNCTIONAL AND HIERARCHICAL LINKS

Report to (Direct): Head of Mission

Report to (Functional): Head of Mission

Staff Reporting to him: 4

MISSION AND MAIN ACTIVITIES

The Project Coordinator is responsible for ALIMA’s operational response to the Project. In close collaboration with the mission coordination team, define and plan the project objectives and priorities, identify the population’s health and humanitarian needs, analyze the context and the humanitarian issues at stake, the risks and constraints and calculate human and financial needs. Coordinate, in close collaboration with the Head of Mission, its implementation in order to efficiently ensure the goals as well as to improve the targeted population’s health conditions and humanitarian situation.

• Monitor the political and humanitarian situation in the project’s area in order to ensure that ALIMA’s charter, policies, and image are respected with regard to national employees, populations, authorities, and partners.
• Together with the project team, evaluate needs by identifying the population’s health status, by analyzing the context (environment, actors involved, negotiations for access etc.), networking, and associated risks and constraints in order to define priorities and projects goals and to calculate material, human and financial resources needed.
• Together with the project team and the Head of Mission monitor the security situation in the area of intervention, propose security guidelines and guarantee their implementation in order to ensure the security of the project team.
• Propose and carry out exploratory missions, according to the Head of Mission’s indications, in order to better comprehend context, priorities, constraints, and population needs.
• Ensure a data collection and epidemiological surveillance system, in agreement with the Medical Coordinator, in order to define medical and technical programs and preventive protocols for the targeted population.
• Steer and supervise the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project in collaboration with the project team and according to the internal and donor indicators in order to evaluate the level of achievement of the project objectives.
• Provide reporting to the coordination team on the project’s evolution and propose corrections if needed.
• Elaborate on the Project’s institutional memory, keeping written records (and filing them) on its development, in order to broadcast ALIMA achievements and improve awareness.
• In coordination with the Administration Manager and Activity Managers, plan and organize the organizational charts, plan and distribute tasks and workload among the teams, guiding their understanding of the issues linked to the Project and the Mission through regular working meetings and feedback, in order to ensure an efficient deployment of the resources and the achievement of the expected goals.
• Inform the field team on the instructions given by the mission coordination promoting fluent, smooth written and oral communication and information flow and ensuring confidentiality and full compliance with security rules and medical ethics.
• Supervise the full implementation of safety and health protocols, reporting the Medical Coordination on risky behaviors, in order to ensure safe working conditions for the project staff.
• Be responsible for the proper application of HR policies and associated processes (recruitment, training, briefing/debriefing, evaluation, potential, detection, staff development, and internal communication) in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required for the activities he/she is accountable for.
• In coordination with the Administration Manager and Activity Managers, identify training needs, provide individual follow-up and coaching, carry out an end-of-mission evaluation of the team members and lead internal communication initiatives in order to facilitate people’s integration and professional development and to maximize their capabilities and commitment to ALIMA values and project’s goals.
• Supervise the project material resources put at ALIMA’s disposition in order to ensure correct use and longevity.
• Supervise all orders (medical and logistical) and the Project’s purchases as well as the financial indicators, with the support of the coordination, in order to ensure efficiency and early detect deviations and their causes.

Implementation of preventive measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence

• Ensures that his/her team, partners, and community members are aware of ALIMA’s policy and have access to information (complaints mechanism, focal point…).
• Facilitates the organization of training and awareness sessions.
• Applies standards relating to the prevention of abuse of power, gender-based violence, and sexual violence.
• Ensures that the members of his/her team and those of the partners involved in the project (Ministry of Health, national partners, etc.) follow the training and awareness-raising sessions and apply the rules for preventing abuse.
• Contributes to creating and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment for his/her team, community members, and partners involved in the project.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• University degree or paramedical diploma/degree desirable.
• Previous experiences in humanitarian aid
• Experiences with international medical NGOs & experience in project management are desirable.
• Experience in security management is highly desirable.
• English Speaking, reading, and writing are mandatory. French is an asset.
• Essential computer literacy (word, excel & internet).
• Negotiation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills

CONDITIONS

• Contract term: Contract under French law; contract length: 6 months, renewable.
• Position to be filled: ASAP
• Salary: depending on experience
• ALIMA pays for:
  • Travel costs between the expatriate’s country of origin and the mission location

accommodation costs

• Medical cover from the first day of the contract to a month after the date of departure from the mission country for the employee and his/her family
• Evacuation of the employee