SRH Community Mobilization Assistant

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict-affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri, Monguno, and Gwoza of Borno state, Damaturu of Yobe State, Sokoto state, Zamfara (Gusau, Anka and Tsafe) and Katsina states, northwest Nigeria. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs for primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, economic recovery, and development.

The country program developed a strategic plan in the first half of 2021. IRC aim to provide the best possible impact for some of the most vulnerable children, women, and men. In all that we do, IRC strives to deliver through IRC’s core values of Integrity, Accountability, Service and Equality.

Program overview

The IRC's Impact@Scale (I@S) for Contraception & Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) project seeks to scale up high-priority, cost-effective sexual and reproductive health interventions in fragile and conflict-affected settings. The program focuses on expanding access to quality contraception and strengthening PPH prevention and treatment through facility, community and mobile outreach platforms while working through government systems to promote sustainability.

The program uses three complementary approaches:

• Scale OUT: Expanding access to quality FP services.
• Scale DEEP: Addressing social norms, attitudes, behaviors and community barriers.
• Scale UP: Strengthening health systems, policies and government ownership.

Scope of work

The SRH Community Mobilization Assistant will support the implementation of community-based activities aimed at increasing awareness, acceptance, demand and utilization of voluntary family planning and other SRH services among women, adolescent girls, men and boys in Anka.

The position will work closely with health facilities, CHWs, community volunteers, women and youth groups, community leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen community-facility linkages, FP referrals, demand generation and continuity of care.

The role will contribute particularly to the program's Scale DEEP and Scale OUT strategies.

Major Responsibilities: Under the technical supervision of Health Manager, the responsibilities of the Community Mobilizer include but are not limited to the following:

Community Mobilization and Demand Generation

• Conduct community assessments to identify barriers, misconceptions, social norms and unmet needs related to family planning.
• Develop and implement community mobilization activities based on identified needs and program priorities.
• Mobilize women, adolescent girls, men, couples, women's groups, youth groups and other community structures to improve awareness and utilization of FP services.
• Conduct culturally appropriate health education sessions on family planning and contraceptive methods, method choice and informed decision-making, benefits of birth spacing, postpartum family planning, maternal and newborn health, sTI prevention, referral and care-seeking.
• Address common myths and misconceptions surrounding contraception through appropriate SBC approaches.
• Support male engagement activities, including engagement of male champions and influential community members.
• Support adolescent-responsive FP information, referral and community engagement activities.
• Identify hard-to-reach and underserved populations and develop appropriate mobilization approaches.

Community-Facility Linkages and Referral

• Establish and strengthen linkages between communities and supported health facilities.
• Mobilize and refer interested clients to appropriate FP services at designated facilities or outreach points.
• Follow up on referrals, where appropriate, to support completion and continuity of care.
• Work with CHWs and facility staff to track community referrals while maintaining client confidentiality.
• Identify barriers preventing clients from accessing FP services and communicate these to the Health Manager and facility teams.
• Support linkages for clients requiring LARC, DMPA-SC, postpartum FP and other services not available within the community platform.
• Ensure that community mobilization activities are aligned with actual availability of services and commodities.

Engagement of Community Structures

• Engage traditional, religious and other community leaders to build support for voluntary FP and SRH services.
• Organize community dialogues, meetings and sensitization sessions with relevant target groups.
• Support the identification and engagement of community health volunteers, CHIPS agents, peer educators, women group representatives, male champions, youth representatives.
• Participate in the orientation and capacity building of community structures on FP/SRH messages, referral and community mobilization.
• Support community structures to promote respectful, non-coercive and informed FP decision-making.

Support to Scale DEEP

The assistant will contribute to addressing social and behavioral barriers to FP utilization by:

• Identifying community myths, misconceptions and negative perceptions about contraception.
• Supporting community dialogues addressing social and cultural barriers to FP.
• Engaging men and influential community members in supportive FP messaging.
• Supporting adolescent and youth engagement activities.
• Working with community leaders and networks to promote positive attitudes towards voluntary FP.
• Documenting emerging community concerns and behavioral trends and sharing them with the program team.

Community Volunteer Supervision

• Support the recruitment and orientation of community volunteers, peer educators and male champions.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to assigned community volunteers.
• Monitor implementation of community mobilization activities.
• Conduct regular field visits to community volunteers and provide feedback.
• Ensure community volunteers use approved messages and referral procedures.
• Track volunteer activities and performance.
• Escalate performance, safeguarding or operational concerns to the Health Manager.

Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation

• Maintain accurate records of all community mobilization and sensitization activities.
• Document participants disaggregated by sex, age and relevant program categories.
• Maintain records of FP referrals generated through community activities.
• Compile weekly community mobilization summaries.
• Contribute to timely monthly program reports.
• Collect and submit community-level data according to program tools and reporting requirements.
• Participate in routine data quality reviews.
• Identify trends, gaps and barriers from community data and communicate them to the program team.
• Document success stories, lessons learned and community feedback.
• Support the use of community data to improve program implementation.

Community Feedback and Accountability

• Ensure community members understand available FP services and referral pathways.
• Promote awareness of available feedback and complaints mechanisms.
• Collect and appropriately communicate community feedback on FP services.
• Identify concerns relating to quality, access, confidentiality or respectful care and report them through appropriate channels.
• Ensure all interactions with community members uphold dignity, confidentiality and informed choice.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with Community leaders, religious leaders, women's groups, youth groups, CHWs/CHIPS Agents, health facility staff, LGA health authorities, other relevant stakeholders
• Participate in LGA and community coordination meetings as assigned.
• Support advocacy activities addressing barriers to FP access and utilization.
• Represent the programmed professionally during community engagements.

Other Duties

• Support timely distribution and documentation of approved community mobilization materials.
• Maintain records of materials received, distributed and used.
• Contribute to program assessments, surveys and reviews.
• Participate in training, workshops and program learning activities.
• Perform other duties related to the program as assigned by the supervisor.

Key Working Relationships

Reports to: Health Manager/Project Manager

Directly supervises: Community SRH/PHC Volunteers, CHIPS Agents, Peer Educators and Male Champions as assigned.

Internal: Health/FP team, Midwives, Community Health Workers, WPE team and other IRC program staff.

External: LGA health authorities, facility in-charges, community leaders, religious leaders, women's and youth groups, PPMVs and other community stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Registered Nurse/Midwife, Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW), Junior CHEW or equivalent relevant health qualification.
• Additional training or qualification in community mobilization, family planning, SRH or health promotion is an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years' experience in community mobilization, health promotion, SRH, family planning or a related position.
• Experience working with community structures and volunteers.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and community dialogue.
• Experience working in humanitarian, fragile or hard-to-reach settings is an advantage.
• Experience supporting FP demand generation and referral activities is desirable.
• Experience with routine data collection and reporting.

Languages: Fluency in English and fluency in Hausa and/or relevant local languages in Anka is highly desirable.

Computer / Other Tech Requirements: Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Ability to Travel: 10% ability to travel to field locations.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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