Technical Officer (2 Posts) Smart Start Initiative Project at Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET)

About the Position

• This position reports to the Project Coordinator, the County Lead will play a pivotal role in advancing the goals and vision of the Project within the context of Target Counties of (Kakamega-Vihiga and Kisumu-Nyamira), Kenya.
• He/she will be responsible for leading the local implementation and coordination of the SSI activities, working in close collaboration with the County government leadership, health providers, schools, local stakeholders, and community members. The position contributes to creating enabling environments for the success of SSI Project, ensuring that children thrive by receiving responsive and quality care with enhanced caregiver support.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Project Coordination:

• Provide strategic leadership for the implementation of Smart Start Initiative in the target counties (Kakamega-Vihiga and Kisumu-Nyamira).
• Oversee the successful rollout and scaling of the SSI Initiative within the County.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including local government officials, community leaders, healthcare providers, parents, and relevant organizations.
• Facilitate regular communication and engagement sessions to gather insights, address concerns, and ensure the Initiative's relevance to local needs.
• Collaborate with local partners, government agencies, NGOs, and community organizations to ensure effective coordination and alignment of efforts.
• Collaborate with a local partner to lead the County and Technical working groups to influence the SSI’s agenda.

Capacity Building and Training:

• Implement SSI training programs for HCWs, CBOs and Support groups, ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care and early childhood mums,
• Work with respective County departments to lead and further institutionalize integration of NCfECD into maternal, newborn and child health services; support operationalization of cost-effective capacity building strategies including OJTs, and CMEs.
• In collaboration with the departments execute targeted mentorship to implementation sites, ensuring that HCPs are adequately supported to deliver quality Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (NCfECD) services.

Community Mobilization:

• Work closely with CHPs and community based and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of Nurturing care and its impact on child development and family well-being.
• Working within established Community Health Strategy structures, work with Community Health Assistants (CHAs) to train and mentor Community Health Promoters to integrate NCfECD into regular household visits targeting teen-mums, caregivers and their children.
• Support delivery of quality play box services; ensuring use of age-appropriate play items in health facility waiting areas using a play box guide.
• Organize community events, workshops, and outreach activities to promote the Initiative and foster community engagement.
• Work with CBOs to promote community participation in governance, using the Community Conversations (CC) Methodology to empower communities and families to demand for quality NCfECD services and uptake.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Support the M&E and Learning team to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the impact and effectiveness of the SSI Initiative in the target County.
• Support the MEL team to collect and analyze data to track progress, identify challenges, and make data-driven adjustments to the Initiatives implementation.
• Write and submit weekly, monthly, quarterly and donor reports and as maybe needed.

Government Engagement and policy influence:

• Collaborate with county governments to advocate for policies’ dissemination and implementation that entrench Nurturing care growth and sustainability.
• Provide insights and recommendations based on the Initiatives outcomes to inform policy decisions.
• Support operationalization of the Multisectoral Coordination Teams at the County
• Collaborate with the County Governments through advocacy to budget for NCfECD basing on generated evidence.

Qualifications

• Degree in Education, Social Sciences, or any Health-related field.
• Proven experience in project management, community development, or related roles, with at least five (5) years of relevant experience.
• Strong understanding of Nurturing care concept, early childhood development, childcare systems, and community dynamics, stakeholders/public sector work with a development agency, or government sector.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with the local context, culture, and stakeholders in target County.
• Experience in designing and delivering training programs preferred.
• Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Program Management systems, utilizing them for data management, analysis, and reporting purposes.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to relate respectfully with staff at all levels, ages, genders, and orientations as well as across work areas, with government relations skills.