Case Management for Nutrition Resilience (CMNR) Program Manager at Mercy Corps

General Position Summary

Working across all program areas, and in close collaboration with the Program Quality and Reporting, M&E, Strategic Learning and Research Teams, the CMNR Program Manager will oversee the design, operationalization, and quality assurance of the CMNR process. The CMNR Program Manager will focus on adapting and strengthening the Nawiri Case Management approach using standardized interventions and tools for assessment, identification, case plan development, service provision and/or referral, monitoring, and follow - up of acutely malnourished (including relapsed) and ‘at risk’  children and other nutritionally vulnerable groups in the Nawiri program. The position will work closely with the Nawiri technical leads and County Field Directors, Sub - Office Field Coordinators, and implementation coordinators to ensure that critical information and learning generated through the case management system influences system strengthening efforts and is used to link program participants to complementary interventions and services facilitated by Nawiri, government, and other stakeholders. S/he will be responsible for providing technical guidance to strengthen multi - directional linkages and referral mechanisms between nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions to enhance sequencing, layering and integration of multi - sectoral interventions and eventual reduction of incidence and prevalence of acute malnutrition. These will include identification of successful referral models within Kenya, developing and providing training in relevant guidance, delivery mechanisms, and promising practices.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership and guidance in the planning, assessment, and implementation of activities to strengthen case management for nutrition resilience, including improving multi -directional referral mechanisms to nutrition-specific and nutrition - sensitive services within and outside the program
• Lead the roll out and dissemination of updated guidance, standard operating procedures, and relevant job aids to facilitate case management for nutrition resilience at the household and community levels.
• Support the development of a multi-dimensional household case plan tool and process guide based on MC-Nawiri’s ‘Five Pillars of Nutrition Resilience’.
• Work closely with the M&E and Strategic Learning Teams to develop and lead the implementation of an adaptive learning plan for CMNR that will ensure gaps and opportunities are swiftly identified and used to continuously refine and contextualise CMNR strategy and implementation.
• Assess the existing case management processes and referral networks; ensure engagement of the county government teams in planning, and all steps of the CMNR processes.
• Work closely with the relevant County technical working groups for the coordination, networking, linkages, and communication among multi-sector actors in supporting case management for nutrition resilience.
• In coordination with technical leads, oversee development and implementation of strategies, approaches, and tools aligned to relevant national and County policies to strengthen case management for nutrition resilience among the relevant nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive stakeholders.
• Work closely with Nawiri technical leads, program field staff and stakeholders to build and strengthen collective capacity to implement, inform learning, and adapt CMNR approach including building capacity of frontline field staff.
• Identify, document, and share promising practices and lessons learned to inform capacity strengthening activities for frontline staff and stakeholders and program quality.
• Oversee quality improvement initiatives and learning exchanges related to CMNR with GOK and other relevant stakeholders.
• Develop scopes of work and oversee consultancies and short-term technical assistance as needed in relation to CMNR.
• Provide timely inputs to Nawiri weekly, quarterly, annual planning, monitoring, reporting, and budgeting processes.
• Promote a culture of accountability and learning through regular monitoring and learning visits; documentation of project results and impacts including media stories, promising practices, lessons learned and case studies among others.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING 

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Ensure that Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) is operationalized within the Nawiri program to ensure the harmonization of messaging.

Working with the CARM focal points and MEL, ensure CARM is appropriately incorporated into overall implementation strategy and program activities including proactively informing program stakeholders of the program CARM feedback channels.

Knowledge and Experience

Basic Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree required, preferably in Nutrition, Public Health, Nursing or social work
• Minimum seven years’ experience in a project management role in relation to integrated management of acute malnutrition and/or nutrition or public health programming, including expertise in case management system and referral network design, assessment, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; familiarity with SMART survey, IMAM/ Health surge model and use of organizational network analysis in relation to referral networks a plus.
• Experience implementing IMAM protocols and multi - sectoral nutrition projects.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and test user-friendly guidance, tools and standard operating procedures for use at the health facility and community levels, and the ability to provide training, technical assistance and mentorship on their use.
• Experience working in both healthcare and community settings.
• Demonstrated ability to design and conduct training and mentorship programs for multi - disciplinary teams, CHVs and other community resource persons.
• Knowledge of GOK and USAID programming, process, guidance, and frameworks is strongly preferred.
• Experience in conducting data collection, data analysis and quality audits preferred.
• Capacity to work closely with, understand, and support diverse partners including but not limited to government actors, civil society, and faith-based organizations, as well as health care providers, other frontline nutrition - sensitive service providers, CHVs and community resource persons.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage complex and sensitive organizational relationships, particularly between health facilities and community-based providers of social services.
• Strong analytical, negotiation and mentoring skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook; familiarity with network analysis software a plus.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion including gender equality.