COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Job description

Job Title : COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
Work Location : Based in Baidoa – Somalia.
Start date : As soon as possible
Length of contract : One Year at 100% activity rate (including 3 months probation) – with possibility of
extension
Main Purpose:
Understanding that community and patient engagement should be embedded in all MSF activities as part of a
People Centred Approach (PCA), and in close collaboration with the Field Coordinator and PMR, the objectives
of the Community Engagement Manager (CEM) are: To establish regular participatory dialogue with key
stakeholders (different segments of the community, patients, staff, ..) to involve them in the definition of
problems and identification of potential solutions- as an ongoing process & an approach (not just part of initial
assessment). To design and deliver contextually adapted health promotion and health education that supports
communities and patients’ agency, demonstrates respect for the local culture and that responds to the project’s
objectives and priorities as well as the community’s critical needs. To ensure timely analysis and communication
to coordination team (PM, PMR, Log, ad-min/HR manager) of detected changes/concerns or requests from patients/groups/community which may lead to an adaptation of strategy/improvement of services.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Development and implementation of the community engagement and health promotion strategy and action
plan:
• Co-Defining (updating) the Community Engagement and Health Promotion strategy
• Considers all key stakeholders (communities, patients/caretakers, staff, MoH, other actors)
• Ensures cohesiveness between CEHP strategy and key project components (e.g., crisis monitoring, security
management, medical packages/activities (curative and preventative), WASH, protection, …)
• The drafting and validating of the strategy is a collaborative process lead and facilitated by CEM ensuring input
from PC, PMR, LTL and admin/HR manager, the CEHP strategy is validated by the PC.
Together with PC and PMR, build and maintain relationships with the communities/ key stakeholders,
patients and caregivers (using a variety of methods) in order to:
• Involve the community in the identification of priorities, the definition of problems and the identification of
potential solutions (participatory assessment and/or problem solving), ensuring that the perspectives/interests of
the various segments of the population are taken into account.
• Ensure communities/patients/caregivers’ perspective and participation in the process of monitoring, evaluation,
learning & continuous improvement (formal and informal feedback)
• Improve acceptance, accountability and trust
• Enhance collaboration with key stakeholders
• Knowledge of individuals/groups /associations (networking/actors and service mapping) -> share with FC and Ass
FC and update the relevant tools
Contribute to the deepening of the understanding of the context, culture and populations’ needs
• Implement a system of data collection (quantitative and qualitative) and knowledge management and that draws
from different categories of information and that is received through a variety of channels (formal and informal)
using agreed tools and standards
• Detect risks/safety concerns (for the population and for MSF) and changes in relation to critical needs
• Identify existing protective factors, positive practices, strengths/coping mechanisms and resilience
• Identify factors of vulnerability and how they affect different segments of the community
• Identify and address barriers of access of all segments of the community to MSF services (in terms of ethnicity,
religion, gender, age, various vulnerabilities, etc.)
• Further the understanding of community dynamics, health seeking behaviour, cultural practices, demographic and
geographic specificities, and how the crisis is impacting the population
Health promotion, health education and services promotion
• Ensure the cultural adaptation and the local relevance of the MSF response (based on the understanding of local
beliefs and practices around health, wellbeing, birth, death and dying, violence, identification of strengths and
coping mechanisms, improved tracking of the evolution of perceived needs and priorities)
• In collaboration with medical teams, develop culturally adapted HP/HE materials according to project needs and
operational priorities
• Design participatory methodologies to deliver key messages adapted to audience (consider age, gender, literacy
level…). Consider locally used methodologies for transferring knowledge (oral, through stories, theatre, songs…)
finding balance between creativity, innovation and local preferences
• Ensure pre-testing of activities, methodologies and tools to ensure adequacy, relevance and cultural adaptation
Proactive problem solving:
• Proactively contribute to the detection of issues/concerns/gaps that require active engagement with patients, a
given segment of the community or another key stakeholder (either to resolve the issue or to identify a potential
solution which then leads to an action/adaptation/improvement of the MSF response).
• Ensure that data collected is analysed in a timely manner, that it is channelled to the people in the team that need
to know, that it contributes to project reporting, and that it is used to inform key strategic decisions
Transversal collaboration and strategic contribution
• Actively contribute to ongoing strategic exchange/sparring with the project coordination team
• Regular collaboration and coordination with the PMR and MSF medical team, to (1) ensure the optimum delivery
of Health promotion and health education activities throughout the continuum of care (2) ensure optimum
articulation of community engagement in DMC activities and at any other medical actions done at community level
(e.g. vaccination campaigns, surveillance)
• Collaboration with logistic teams to ensure optimum engagement with communities around WASH, NFI,
distribution and/or other logistical activities in the community and in MSF facilities
• Support the Project Coordinator in stimulating transversal collaboration
• Suggest topics for discussion (and assist in the framing of the conversation) in project coordination meetings
• Contribution to strategic design, monitoring/evaluation, learning and continuous improvement
Team supervision, training and role in broader coordination of community-based teams/activities
• Supervising the CE/HP team and their activities, in and outside health facilities, reporting difficulties and progress
as well as adapting format and content when necessary in close collaboration with medical and logistical teams
(depending on the content). Planning and supervising the HR associated processes (recruitment, training,
evaluation, development and internal communication) of the CE / HP staff of the project. This will be done in close
coordination with the HR department, the administration manager, PMR and project coordinator and according
to MSF vision, values and procedures.
• Regular training/coaching of MSF teams (and where relevant also MoH staff) on community/patient engagement
to integrate the PCA approach transversally in all positions (the curiosity, the empathy, the listening, the
accountability, etc.)
• Proactively contribute to the coordination of all community-based teams tomaximize synergies, avoid duplication,
improve duty of care and simplify management (even if individual team members are hierarchically under different
activity managers/coordinators)
On request
 Participate in field assessments or exploratory missions, Emergency response (focus on understanding the
consequences of the crisis on the population, their priorities and preferences as well as strengths and coping
mechanisms).
MSF SECTION/CONTEXT SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Community engagement in areas of operations:
 Focal person for community acceptence in relation to MSF operations and the services provided.
 Continious advisory for Project coordinator in approaches, changes of plans and people centered
approach interventions. And daily practices in MSF facilities that enhance suitability of intevrnetion to
community and patients.
 Plays a key role on safeguarding standards in operations, People centered approach, and patients
centered approach.
 Engagement and work along with different activity managers on activities conducted in community,
evaluate, monitor and adjust.
Health promotion in the BRH, Health Posts and Community.
• With specific attention for FGM and Fistula prevention & referrals, MHPSS and violence survivors’ referrals, develop
culturally adapted health promotion and community sensitisation materials tailored towards the context
(messages, posters, audio and video).
• In collaboration with the project epidemiologist, develop the PESS survey concept note and train the community
health workers’ supervisors and community health workers in conducting semester patient exit survey activities at
the Bay Regional Hospital (BRH). Analyzing the result of this activity with the support of the epidemiologist and
discussing and sharing the report with the PMR and PC for onward action.
• Follow up with the implementation of the patient charter in MSF-supported services at BRH and the health posts.
• In close collaboration with the relevant managers, participate in coordinating health days sensitization and
engagement activities in the BRH, health post or at the community level.
Contribute to the understanding of the context, culture and populations’ needs in Baidoa.
• Revise the system of data collection (quantitative and qualitative) in the project.
• Update, manage and share regularly the HPCE feedback tracker with the PC and PMR.
• Contribute to the community-based surveillance, alerts investigation, active case findings, identification of
protection concerns, referrals and any emergency responses within the targeted communities
Training and Capacity Building.
• Planning and supervising the HPCE human resource associated processes (training, evaluation, development and
internal communication) of the project. This will be done in close coordination with the HR department, PMR and
the project coordinator and according to MSF policies in the Somalia mission.
• Provide training, guidance, and supervision for the community health workers and supervisors in health education,
community-based surveillance, context data collection and feedback data collection in the communities.
• Provide training and supervision to the community health workers and supervisors in conducting qualitative data
collection via focused group discussion with the various community groups and stakeholders. Analyzing the result
of this activity and sharing the report with the PC and PMR for onward action.
• Provide any other training related to health education and health promotion as directed by the line manager.
Others:
Participate in any other activity geared towards the success of the project implementation as directed by the line
manager.

How to apply