Job Description

Internal/External vacancy for Social Behavioral Change Coordinator _ Immunization

LOCATION:  Jig-jiga FO

GRADE:  3B

Vacant Position: 3

POST TYPE: National

Child Safeguarding:

Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.           

Activity Overview

Immunization is one of the key life-saving interventions the government of Ethiopia has scaled up to address under five mortality. There are noteworthy successes through EPI. Ethiopia is certified for polio free since 2017 and maternal and neonatal tetanus are eliminated. Coverage from successive Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey revealed a positive rise in the coverage of vaccine antigens. The magnitude and trends of vaccination inequalities in Ethiopia persists by equity markers despite steady improvement in overall coverage. The major variation in coverage is geographic where there is high variation in coverage among different regions in the country. According to the Ethiopian mini DHS 2019, there are over 1.2 million zero dose and under immunized children in Ethiopia. 

For over two decades, Save the Children has been supporting immunization program in Ethiopia to contribute for the reduction of child mortality from vaccine preventable diseases. Through the different projects that have been implemented over the years, Save the Children supported expansion of access for immunization services, supported demand generation for immunization in the community and has supported an enabling environment for equitable service delivery and improved financing for immunization. Currently, Save the Children is implementing a GSK funded Immunization Program in Ethiopia that supports equitable and sustainable access to life-saving immunization and essential healthcare by focusing on zero-dose and under immunized children for a new phase of the partnership with GSK during the period of 2023-2027. Save the Children partnered with GSK to create an innovative partnership to help reduce preventable deaths and illness in children under the age of five, from vaccine preventable diseases by combining Save the Children’s vast experience in supporting children and mothers’ health in communities around the world with GSK’s research and expertise in partnership with Ministries of Health, local and academic partners. The program is expected to ensure equitable and sustainable access to life-saving immunization and essential healthcare, working together with local communities and partners and leveraging on Save the Children’s and GSK’s joint expertise to reach zero-dose and under-immunized children. The GSK funded immunization program is multi country and will be implemented in Ethiopia and Nigeria. This post is for the Program in Ethiopia to support the SBC interventions to generate demand for immunization in the community. 

Position Overview

Save the Children is looking for highly qualified and motivated Social Behavior Change Coordinator for Immunization with high caliber to facilitate and support the SBC components of the GSK funded Ethiopia immunization programme at the field level. S/he will be responsible to support, follow up, and ensure SBC interventions of the project are tailored, implemented, monitored, supervised and reported.  S/he will be responsible to support assessments designed to understand specific socio cultural and gender related barriers for utilization of immunization service, and closely work with the Project team both at the Country Office and Field Offices. S/he will be providing technical assistance for government partners at Regional/Zonal/Woreda level on SBC related to immunization and to strengthen the capacity of field project staff, s in the area of SBC and demand generation for immunization. S/he will facilitate and support the development of SBC strategies that is aligned with government community mobilization strategies, to address those barriers to immunization service delivery and utilization. S/he will contribute to the development and review of IEC/BCC messages / materials in collaboration with Sr. Technical Specialist for SBC and other program staff and relevant stakeholders. S/he will facilitate and support implementation of SBC interventions to address individual, social, and environmental determinants (factors) that can affect utilization of immunization service. S/he will lead/facilitate and contribute to the documentation of lessons, evaluation/ documentation of the impact of BCC activities in collaboration with Sr. Technical Specialist SBC, project staff and other relevant stakeholders.S/he will facilitate and support and closely follow up on the implementation of new/adopted SBC approaches in the learning woredas of the project and document and share learnings for adoption/scale up. S/he will build and maintain strong working relationships with government and partner agencies in the implementation region/zones and woredas, on SBC on immunization though active engagement in the communication TWG and different taskforces and related platforms and promote adoption of evidence-based project SBC strategies and approaches to raise demand for vaccination in underserved communities with high zero dose and under vaccinated children. Will be responsible for the development of SBC plans, updates, case stories, regular progress update and reports. for immunization program, for improved commitment and 

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to:  Health, Nutrition and WASH Program Manager

Staff directly reporting to this post: Community Mobilization and Engagement Officer . 

Staff reporting to this post: N/A

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

SBC Technical Support

• In collaboration with Sr Technical Specialist SBC, facilitate and support the development of SBC strategy for the project through consolidating evidence from grassroot level and stakeholder consultation.
• Facilitate, Support and contribute in the development, dissemination, and implementation of immunization SBC work plans, approaches, activities, SBC tools and materials;

• Support in the conceptualization, development, and production of tailored and effective immunization SBCC content, materials and messages, and media products.

• Facilitate and support the implementation of new/adopted SBC approaches in the learning woredas such as CAC and PDQS, and other community engagement approaches, and regularly document progress and learnings for adoption, revision and scale up.
• Facilitate and support implementation of SBC interventions to address individual, social, and environmental determinants (factors) that can affect utilization of immunization service.
• Develop and review weekly plans and progress update for SBC interventions and track implementation and spending in line with the forecast.
• Organize, facilitate and support tailored and fit for purpose grass root social mobilizations, community engagement activities, and communication interventions; Identify appropriate community-based facilitators according to developed criteria, train them in the required capacity, and engage them in planning, implementation, and monitoring of project activities.
• Provide technical guidance and training for field project and government staff at zonal/woreda levels in collaboration with Sr Technical Specialist SBC and other CO project team,  
• Provide updates and summaries in the areas social and behaviour change, promoting gender equity and addressing social norms that affect zero dose and under vaccination.
• Prepare/develop standardized periodic (monthly, quarterly, annual) project SBC progress reports and donor reports.
• Contribute to the development of project deliverables, including workplans, quarterly and annual reports, and success stories.

Evidence and Learning 

• Support and facilitate SBC related studies including the Formative Study, and develop dissemination plans to translate the evidence and recommendations to inform program implementation and policy advocacy. 
• Document and in consultation with Sr. Technical Specialist SBC and CO project team, disseminate immunization SBC best practices, lessons learned, success stories, updates, and photos/videos across the project stakeholders.
• Support SBC interventions in key immunization related Global moments such as Africa Vaccination week to improve utilization of immunization service as well as advocate for enabling environment including allocation of resources for immunization.

Capacity Building, networking, and representation 

• Assess the capacity of field team and immunization service providers and provide capacity building interventions for project staff and government in designing and implementing high-quality immunization SBC interventions. In collaboration with Sr Technical Specialist SBC, organize capacity building sessions on SBC skill building trainings such as Human Cantered Design for Immunization, Inter-Personal Communication (IPC)Training, Community Engagement and Social and Behaviour Change.
• Provide mentoring and support to community mobilisation officers, partners, and SC staff on SBC, encourage the development of peer networks and learning opportunities, including review meetings.
• Lead and facilitate establishment or strengthening of Immunization SBC platforms including TWGs and Taskforces and follow up on functionality through having TORs, regular minute meetings and action points with regular follow ups to improve SBC interventions.
• Participate in regular immunization technical working groups, review meetings, joint supervision, and other national level MOH led SBC activities relevant to immunization program.

General 

• Any other related tasks assigned by the supervisor.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary capacity to improve performance and applying appropriate measures when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for himself/herself (and their team).
• Takes responsibility for his/her own personal actions and encourages others to do the same.
• Widely shares his/her personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future-orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, his/her team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency.

Experiences and Qualifications

To be successful, you will bring/have: 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education 

• First degree in public health, social psychology, health communication or other relevant behavioural science field. 

Experience and Skills: 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in technically leading, managing and implementing SBC on Immunization and child health projects
• Formal training in and demonstrated understanding of theories and frameworks relating to individual behaviour change and broader social change, the evidence base for social and behaviour change interventions and best practices, and familiarity with the current SBC and research and evaluation literature. 
• Hands-on experience designing, planning, implementing, and evaluating behavioural interventions is essential.
• Experience in vaccine demand-related programming highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations.
• Experience in coordinating with and providing technical support on immunization communication TWGs at regional, zonal and woreda levels for regional health bureaus, Zonal Health Office, and Woreda Health Offices
• Experience in organizing and facilitating trainings and other capacity strengthening activities for regional, zonal and woreda level government and project staff/ participants. Trainings including Human Cantered Design for Immunization, Inter-Personal Communication (IPC)Training, Community Engagement and Social and Behaviour Change.  
• Experience in developing good relationship working with technical working groups, working with government partners, with partner agencies.
• Results focused, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets.
• Excellent communication skills, skills in organizing group discussions and workshops, and presentation skills.
• Good computer skill (MS word, MS excel, and other data generating tools)
• Commitment to the values, missions, aims and policies of Save the Children.
• Excellent command of communicating and writing in English.

Attitudes:

• Works well with teams.
• Conscious of child protection issues 
• Non-discriminatory and gender sensitive
• Willingness to work in remote, rural locations.  

Skills Required

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