Community-Based Surveillance Officer – Galkacyo 54 views1 application

JOB Announcement– Community-Based Surveillance Officer

Job Grade:

Band 4

Location

Mudug region, Galkacyo

Reports To:

Community Health Officer

Direct Reports:

None

 Background

The Somali Red Crescent is the oldest and largest national humanitarian organisation in Somalia and one of the only institutions to operate across the whole country. SRCS is a member of the International Red Cross Red Crescent (ICRC) Movement. The ICRC is an international humanitarian institution which has a mandate to protect victims of international and armed conflicts i.e. the wounded, refugees, civilians, prisoners and other non-combatants.

About Community Based Surveillance – a component of the Community Health Project:

SRCS has secured funding with support from Norwegian Red Cross, to implement a Community Based Surveillance Program between August 2020 to December 2023.

Community Based Surveillance will be an integral part of the community health promotion activities enabling community volunteers to collect and report real-time disease surveillance data allowing for early detection and early response to avoid a disease outbreak in hard to reach areas. The project is implemented in Mudug region, within the catchment area of the seven SRCS health facilities.

Job Summary: 

The Community Based Surveillance (CBS) Officer for CBS implementation will be responsible for:

• Supervising supportively the implementation of the community based surveillance program in the communities in Mudug region;
• Coordinating and reporting on data flow from field based volunteers and supervisors to branch level.
• Supporting the Galkayo branch in development of work plans, budgets and monitoring plans for the implementation of CBS program in the communities;

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Proactively support the implementation of CBS for disease outbreaks in collaboration with the Community Health Officer in the selected communities in line with the CBS protocol;
• Provide proactively feedback to the CBS strategy and functionality in the field;
• Ensure through supportive supervision that CBS guidelines, protocols and monitoring systems are adhered to by the volunteers and supervisors for timely and correct data collection and reporting, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of information/alerts on disease outbreaks; supported by data collection officer and community health officer
• Work closely with the community health officer and branch health officer, the volunteer supervisor, volunteers and communities to formulate functional early detection, prevention and health emergency response to epidemics and pandemics
• Offer technical support to build the capacity of volunteers and communities for preparedness of epidemics through a system of early detection and early action to mitigate the impact of epidemics – provide trainings and on-the-job trainings, conduct workshops, support community meetings, awareness campaigns etc.
• Review the CBS platform Nyss daily in collaboration with supervisors, volunteers and the community health officer to early identify potential health risks in the community, to ensure timely warning to health authorities, to follow up and document on the actions taken, to monitor support needs and activities by the supervisors and volunteers, to provide input into necessary adjustments of the CBS platform to be a useful tool for the CBS activities etc.; ensure data protection is ensured at all times
• Work with SRCS branch staff, volunteers and supervisors to document the functionality and effectiveness of CBS, guided by accurate data collection; provide input into reports, publications on the project and advocacy, support communication to authorities in collaboration with branch staff
• Conduct data cleaning and analysis, prepare a visual representation of data for reporting and information sharing
• Ensure accurate information sharing with all relevant stakeholders in a timely manner
• Prepare and submit periodic activity reports- weekly, monthly, and quarterly in line with program work plan and donor requirements;
• Conduct regular meetings with Community health officer, branch health officer, NorCross health delegate and CBS delegate to ensure CBS is implemented effectively and to continuously improve, to align CBS within the whole community health programme
• Support health assessments and mappings in the community
• Report immediately on any challenges (incl. security concern, emergencies) occurring in the community to community health officer and branch health officer or branch secretary
• Perform any other incident-specific duties assigned to you, as may be required by the functional supervisor.