Mercy Corps Social, Structural, & Behavioral Change Advisor for Nutrition Resilience Programme 2023

The Position Summary

The Nawiri Social, Structural, & Behavioral Change (SSBC) Advisor for Nutrition will provide strategic leadership in the design, development, and execution of a coherent SSBC for Nutrition Resilience Strategy that crosscuts all areas of the project. During the first phase of Nawiri, s/he will ensure the program’s research and learning agenda is designed and routinely iterated to build a robust evidence base for informing strategic investments for driving social, structural, and behavioral change. This will include championing a determined search for interventions that address social and structural determinants of persistent acute malnutrition that are both amenable to change and scalable, with particular attention to identifying opportunities for testing modifications to existing interventions or platforms. Working across all program areas, and in close collaboration with the Learning and Research Teams, s/he will support the Nawiri team to routinely analyze emergent findings of research and learning activities through a systems lens with focus on implications for risks and opportunities related to SSBC. The SSBC for Nutrition Resilience Advisor will also provide technical support across all of Nawiri’s strategic learning areas that will be reflected in Nawiri’s SSBC for Nutrition Resilience strategy and approach.

The SSBC Advisor will report directly to the Deputy Chief of Party and provide strategic and technical guidance across the program, ensuring teams work in harmony to produce desired program results. The SSBC for Nutrition Resilience Advisor will have dotted technical support lines to SSBC personnel and functions embedded within implementing teams at the county levels.

 Essential Job Responsibilities

VISION AND STRATEGY

• Support the Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP) by providing vision and strategy to the program approach and how SBCC integrates into the overall technical direction and implementation.
• Forge strong, institutional linkages and maintain a productive working relationship with USAID, Government of Kenya, the CRS consortium, PREG Partners, and other relevant partners in economic and market-related activities.
• Assist in defining and analyzing Nawiri practices and priorities across all partners; identifying opportunities for integration and synergies within other sectors such as nutrition, health, water systems, and governance.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed; promote and model a culture of learning and adaptive management.
• Ensure that cross-cutting aspects of the program such as gender equality, social inclusion, youth, climate adaptation, and resilience are included and well integrated and cut across all activities
• Collaborate with different program components including research, implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and learning to drive overall effectiveness and coherence of program strategy from inception to scale up.

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

• In close collaboration with all Nawiri stakeholders, lead in the design, development, execution and iteration of a risk-informed SSBC strategy for improving nutrition resilience that is evidence-based, tailored to local realities, and responsive to risk and opportunities.
• Provide SSBC technical leadership for Nawiri consortium members and county partners, including frequent travel to Samburu and Turkana to provide on-site capacity building and technical assistance.
• Lead in the identification and development of innovative approaches for changing the attitudes, perceptions, and practices around decision-making for health and nutrition outcomes, at multiple levels and scales (e.g. individual, HH, community, public and private sector institutions, etc.)
• Develop comprehensive behavior change tools and SBC campaign activities using evidence-based theories and methodologies, in close collaboration with external stakeholders.
• Support in the design community-level interventions that target caretakers of children, household and community decision makers, farmers, and community members at large to increase demand for nutritious, diverse, and safe diets.
• Provide oversight of SBC activities implemented by Nawiri partners.
• Manage the work of external agencies (research firms, advertising agencies, public relations experts, production vendors, community mobilizers, and/or consultants hired by the program) to assist with SBC. This includes building capacity of local implementing partners to implement quality and successful SBC work.
• Ensure that SBC materials are pre-tested, proven effective, and used efficiently.
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager to measure and document progress and impact of SBC activities.

PROGRAM SUPPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Provide leadership and oversight in the development of risk-informed and shock-responsive SSBC tools, materials, and communication channels.
• Provide strategic, technical guidance and direction to the program, ensuring alignment with latest technical information, evidence and approaches in the SSBC field;
• Oversee programmatic and technical aspects related to SSBC activities ensuring SSBC efforts are evidence-based and coordinated, and in line with the Nawiri goal and principles.
• Function as the “lead learner” (e.g. equivalent to “principal investigator” for research) on at least one of Nawiri’s strategic learning areas; provide leadership and management in all aspects of the activity.
• Support in the development of research and learning agenda and activities; provide strategic support across all research and learning activities, including by identifying and actioning strategic opportunities for rapidly testing and adapting innovative approaches for addressing social and structural determinants of persistent acute malnutrition
• Transfer capacity of SSBC frameworks and approaches within the consortium and across the larger community of practice.

TEAM MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION

• Work closely with the Systems Strengthening and Institutionalization Lead and team to cultivate county leaders’ commitments to policies and programs that support nutrition resilience and promote changes in social and structural conditions that contribute to persistent acute malnutrition.
• Work closely with the Strategic Learning Lead to drive the learning agenda within Nawiri and other partners in Turkana and Samburu, and the wider community of practice
• Work with other team leads to coordinate reporting to the donor
• Represent Mercy Corps and Nawiri at strategic meetings, events, and conferences.
• Develop case studies and other products to communicate key program learnings related to SBC
• Contribute to the design and implementation of M&E activities, including any baseline, end-line, or other activities related to SBC.
• Assist in the development of all program reports, work plans and budgets as appropriate.
• In accordance with the Deputy Chief of Party, take on representation role on specific coordination forums. Communicate effectively to ensure the program is accurately represented.
• Any other task, as identified in consultation with supervisor

Security

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to promote and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members. Ensure that gender specific needs and interests of program staff in relation to safety and security are identified and responded to appropriately.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. 

Minimum Qualifications & Transferrable skills

• A Master’s degree in Behavioral or Social Sciences, Public Health, Social Psychology, Communications, Marketing, Health Communication, Behavioral Economics, or other relevant behavioral/social science field or Bachelor’s degree with at least 7-10 years of additional relevant experience.
• At least 7-10 years of demonstrated experience in designing and implementing SSBC activities, preferably in northern Kenya. Demonstrated success in generating and executing innovative and effective social, structural and behavior change solutions.
• Experience applying a range of SBC approaches, including social marketing and nudges, or a willingness to learn to apply a range of new and innovative SBC approaches.
• Knowledge and understanding of local cultural practices, social networks, and gender and age dynamics in northern Kenya
• Experience collaborating with county officials and leaders, building community capacity and leading community mobilization.
• Experience building capacity of civil society and/or government entities in social and behavior change.
• Demonstrated success in building and managing relationships with various donors and implementing partners.
• Ability to deliver quality work within deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members
• Systems thinker with strong analytical skills; flexible and creative in planning and problem solving
• Ability and willingness to travel to the field (Samburu and Turkana) at least 50% of the time.
• Professional fluency in English; Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrates patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination and a sense of humor
• Excellent written and persuasive oral communication skills in English required.
• Ability to travel for field missions for 30-50% level of effort as needed.