Pool of IYCF Specialist - Tyre

Action against Hunger is an international non-governmental, private, apolitical, non-religious and non-profit organization created in 1979. Its goal is to combat hunger and dangerous situations that threaten men, women, and children. Currently 500 expats and more than 5,000 employees are working for Action against Hunger in more than forty-six countries working in projects concerning four areas of focus: nutrition, health, food security, water, and sanitation. 

In Lebanon, the Syrian crisis continues to generate political, social, and economic pressure due to the war in Lebanon and keeps more than 1.5 million refugees in a situation of increasing vulnerability. In this environment of political, economic, and social uncertainty, our teams have maintained their high levels of humanitarian response and aid to Lebanon. Likewise, our interventions have been maintained in the Bekaa and northern areas, as well as in the south of the country, with a special focus on working in partnership or in consortium with other organizations and on institutional strengthening of the relationship with both donors. institutional, such as with local authorities and entities.  

 

TENTATIVE VACANCY PENDING DONOR APPROVAL                                                                     

                                                                       

Position Title: IYCF Specialist

Background: Nursing, midwifery, or related medical/health field.

 

Under the supervision of the Health & Nutrition HoP, the IYCF specialist will provide counseling to mothers/caregivers of children under the age two to promote, protect and support optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and nurturing care at household and collective shelters level. The IYCF specialist supports caregivers with the aim to improve early childhood development. The IYCF specialist will complement the other aspects that aim to improve ECD including improved IYCF practices, responsive feeding, responsive care, , timely detection of acute malnutrition through community-based MUAC screening, and appropriate hygiene practices of children under five years, pregnant, and lactating women.

 

Objective 1: Assess feeding support needs by mothers and caregivers of children under two years of age (20 %)

1. Assess mothers/caregivers and their children to identify specific feeding support needs, using rapid and full assessments, with face-to-face observations.
2. Conduct the rapid IYCF assessments for Internal Displaced People (IDPs) and other communities with children 0-23 months
3. Specify route of support to follow and referrals needed while consulting with the team
4. Support in conducting other assessments as needed

 

Objective 2: Provide IYCF-ECD counseling to mothers and caregivers of children under two years of age, (40 %)

1. Assist and support in the coordination with authorities and municipalities to implement activities in allotted areas of intervention and maintain relationships
2. Based on the result of the rapid IYCF assessment provide counselling on IYCF in emergencies for IDPs at community and collective shelters level.
3. Plan household visit to support mothers with one-on-one tailored counseling to pregnant women and caregivers of children under the age of two on optimal IYCF practices and nurturing care mainly ECD. This includes, supporting exclusive breastfeeding for children under 6 months, continued breastfeeding, responsive care and feeding, optimal complementary feeding practices for mothers of children between 6-24 months, and assess for maternal wellbeing with referral when needed
4. Provide tailored one-on-one counselling to caregivers with non-breastfed infants on optimal feeding use of artificial feeding (BMS) after all other feeding options have been explored., following SOPs developed by the nutrition sector and international and/or internal Action Against Hunger standards
5. Based on need participate in other nutrition and health promotion activities linked with the nutrition context.
6. Register and record all relevant data regarding the beneficiaries and the sessions conducted, keeping detailed track of the needed follow-up sessions to plan and needed services expressed on a timely manner.
7. Develop and contribute to development of IEC material, as needed.

 

Objective 3: Capacity Building for Community Health Outreach Workers - CHOWs (20%)

1. Lead the recruitment for CHOWs in close coordination with HoP and HR department
2. Train the CHOWs on Nutrition- Health curriculum and improve their capacity
3. Train the CHOWs on the vulnerability assessment to prioritize the high risk and vulnerable pregnant women
4. Supervise the CHOWs while conducting the nutrition activities to ensure proper implementation
5. Evaluate the CHOWs work and prepare an improvement plan once needed.

 

Objective 4: Conduct referrals (internal and external) based on counseling as expressed by mothers and evaluated by IYCF specialist (10 %)

1. Observe and collect information during activities sessions on the beneficiaries’ needs and vulnerabilities, keeping protection-related needs in mind, and proceed to referrals when issues are not related to nutrition arise.
2. Support team in conducting daily and weekly referrals to ACF staff as expressed by mothers or assessed during counseling and support on needs related to nutrition-vulnerability, including WASH, food security, basic assistance, general health, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, etc.
3. Refer mothers to mother-to-mother support groups, establish any if/where needed and support the activities of these groups.

 

Objective 5: Document and report on all activities conducted on a regular basis detail on target, progress, referrals, challenges, and needs (10%)

1. Using Activity Info (AI), or other chosen tool, compile beneficiary information and other appropriate data collected for reporting purposes. Store hard and soft copies, follow Action Against Hunger internal archiving guidance and following donor requirements.
2. Provide verbal and written reports, on a daily and weekly basis, on conducted activities, including type of support provided, targets reached, progress at work, follow-ups conducted, referrals made, challenges faced, lessons learned and needs
3. Document all forms and files used for mothers/caregivers visited and counseled by keeping an updated register and storing all tablets, data, and documents in secure locations/files
4. Attend debriefing meetings with line manager and other team members, as requested.

 

Objective 6: Security

1. Respect the security rules specified in the mission and base security plan, see to it that the team under his/her responsibility complies with the security plan and perform the security management tasks that can be assigned in its protocols.
2. Communicate to the security managers of the working location any security related information or noncompliance with the security plan.

 

Objective 7: Support humanitarian activities of Action Against Hunger

1. Support the emergency interventions of the organization as per the employee’s abilities
2. Support any activity that helps reaching our humanitarian goals, as per the employee’s abilities
3. Promote gender equality within the humanitarian and/or development work
4. Attend meetings and trainings as needed

 

Objective 8: Gender & Safeguarding (Cross-cutting)

1. Promote safe and equitable environments, through knowledge and application of the protocol against harassment and gender policy.
2. Knowledge and compliance with safeguarding policy.
3. Promote gender equality within the humanitarian and/or development work.

 

Training/ Education: 

Bachelor’s degree/ master’s degree in nursing, midwifery, or related medical/health field .

IBCLC or other IYCF certification is desirable

 

Technical specific knowledge: Preferably to have completed at least the 20-hour training on Infant and Young Child Feeding (provided by MoPH/UNICEF); knowledge on IYCF in emergencies is a plus, experience in providing ECD, IYCF counselling is a plus as well as experience with clinical care. 

 

Previous experience: 1 year of experience as lactation specialist/IYCF counselor is a plus.

 

Humanitarian sector knowledge: Good knowledge of INGOs and donor agencies procedure, guidelines, and intervention in the country and particularly in the South is a plus. Experience in working with Syrian refugees, vulnerable Lebanese and other refugees is desirable

 

Action Against the Hunger Knowledge:  Previous knowledge of Action Against Hunger policies, strategy, and previous interventions in the country is a plus.

 

Languages: English and Arabic (compulsory working languages, fluent spoken and written).

 

IT and specific systems: Good command of MS office (Microsoft word, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

 

Mobility (national/ international): National - Currently in Tyre or nearby area

 

Duty Station: The duty station is officially in Tyre office, from Monday to Friday.

 

Action against Hunger is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work such as but not limited to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and/or financial misconduct; We expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through endorsing our code of conduct and other related policies and only those who share our values and code of conduct will be recruited to work for us.

Eligible candidates are invited to apply the earliest possible as we are screening applications on a rolling basis.

Only the applications received through our website will be taken into consideration.

Apply: https://employ.acf-e.org/index.php/positions/view/12438/Pool-of-IYCF-Specialist-Tyre/