Zambia: Senior Health Technical Advisor

Global Health Fellows Program
Technical Advisor III: Senior Health Technical Advisor
USAID/Zambia
Location: Remote
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP-II-P6-246

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with Global Health Corps, GlobeMed, Management Systems International and PYXERA Global. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

GHFP-II’s goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by addressing the Agency’s immediate and emerging human capacity needs. The program seeks to accomplish this goal first through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels. These program participants include fellows, interns, corporate volunteers and Foreign Service National professionals. The program then provides substantial performance management and career development support to participants, including annual work planning assistance, and ensures that professional development opportunities are available.

Looking to the future, GHFP-II also seeks to establish a pool of highly-qualified global health professionals that will ensure the Agency’s ongoing technical leadership and effectiveness. This objective is supported by an extensive outreach program that brings global health opportunities and specialized career advice to a diverse range of interested individuals, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the field of global health.

BACKGROUND:

Operating in a challenging and dynamic environment and in close cooperation with the US Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Department of Defense (DOD), US Peace Corps, and the Zambian Government (GRZ), USAID/Zambia has one of the largest Mission Health programs in Africa. The country is a focus, priority, pilot or emphasis country for nearly every US health initiative, as well as a number of international and multilateral initiatives. With the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) contributing nearly $306 million each year, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) contributing $25 million and other health activities a further $25 million, the USAID/Zambia portion of the health and HIV/AIDS program is extremely robust.

The overall USAID/Zambia program is implemented by over 100 staff assigned to five technical offices, bolstered by four support offices. The Health Team, comprised of 45 staff, manages a multifaceted program addressing maternal and child health (MCH), reproductive health/family planning (RH/FP), infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria), health systems strengthening and human resources issues. Three approaches guide the overall program of improving health status of Zambians: Strengthening Health Systems and Accountability, Improving Health Service Delivery, and Improving Community Health Practices. Success is measured by achieving progress towards an AIDS free generation, making strategic investments in women, saving mothers and ending preventable childhood death.

INTRODUCTION:

The Senior Health Technical Advisor (Senior Advisor) will work in the Health Office of USAID/Zambia and provide support to its long and short term health efforts both autonomously as the lead while also facilitating teams or operating as an active team member providing support to efforts led by other senior staff. If not based in Zambia, the incumbent will be expected to travel to Zambia approximately 25-35% of their time.

S/he will work closely with and receive technical guidance from the Health Office Director as his/her onsite manager. The Senior Advisor will work across the six divisions of the Health Office and will professionally engage closely with all divisions and the Deputy Directors as well.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Health Technical Advisor will be responsible for:

Program Support and Activities design, implementation, and reporting (37%)

· Exercising intellectual leadership, operational support, and coordination to align USAID health projects with other social protection programming sectors such as vulnerable populations and early childhood development. Given the Office’s focus on a lifecycle approach to development, working efficiently across Offices, including Education, Feed the Future, and Economic Growth Offices.

· Analyzing emerging health problems, planning and conducting formative research, feeding results into strategy and planning discussion. Working across Divisions and Offices, and implementing partners when needed, to convene and lead meetings that address project or activity issues.

· Contributing technical input to the development of cooperative agreements, contracts, and/or task orders and requests for proposals, reviewing of proposals and the conduct and quality of work performed, and monitoring an approval system for clearing cross-cutting communication and marketing projects, research, and messages.

· Providing technical assistance to Project Design Teams in drafting waivers, activity checklists, pre-obligation checklists, and other required pre-obligation documents.

· Serving as a technical advisor on issue papers for review meetings and contributing to Action/Approval memoranda and project authorizations.

M&E&R Support and promotion of learning (27%)

· Planning, establishing, and directing a wide range of organizational interventions (special studies, After Action Reviews, implementing partner and stakeholder meetings, conducting organizational learning surveys, on-line engagements) to advance the collaborations and shared learning.

· Working with the Monitoring and Evaluation Division to ensure that the increased analytical needs of PEPFAR are being appropriately conceived and executed, while taking into consideration other technical areas within USAID programs.

· Supporting the interpretation and incorporating program M&E findings into on-going and future activities. Disseminating salient findings in appropriate and accessible formats to the wider Health Office Team, and beyond. Ensuring the links between data and teams are made to encourage programing that is responsive to data and facilitate understanding of data, programing, and future steps.

· Conducting extensive research of data from diverse sources and extracting and assembling information before developing reports or presentations.

· Collaborating with the Monitoring and Evaluation Division to assist USAID/Zambia’s health evaluation efforts, defining areas of study and considering evaluation approaches, managing evaluation plans, reviewing approaches, and co-evaluating study results with others for determining conclusions and organizational programmatic implications.

· Drawing on study and evaluation results, as well as implementation experience, ensuring that project indicators and targets are grounded in evidence, while also working to expand USAID’s and partners’ ability to capture and measure types of evidence that typically elude traditional M&E approaches.

· Advancing USAID knowledge management and learning opportunities to ensure rapid, effective sharing and application of learning in areas of keen interest across the portfolio (e.g., local capacity development, Government-to-Government assistance, increasing women’s influence in households, nutrition and agriculture, private sector-led approaches to social services and development, and public-private partnerships).

· Developing guidance, processes, and practices to support USAID staff in engaging with implementing partners, civil society, academic and research institutions, other donor agencies, and the Government of the Republic of Zambia collaboratively as “knowledge peers.”

Health Communications Development (29%)

· Providing writing and editorial assistance to the Health Office to ensure high quality, accurate and effective technical reports and health communications. These could include: formal documents and reports, draft manuscripts for publication, abstracts, protocols, SOPs, guideline reports, other technical communications as well as targeted newsletters, articles, brochures, posters, fact sheets, success stories, case studies, talking points, speeches and presentations.

· Analyzing current contexts or situations (including Web analysis); identifying gaps in knowledge about specific health issues, emerging local health issues and problems, collecting information and feeding results into the planning and development of health interventions and providing information and insights on how best to anticipate or tackle issues or better target the use of development resources.

· Preparing materials for campaign or program work for diverse audiences including professional audiences and the public through social and news media, and presenting health communications briefings or presentations to various groups.

· Conceptualizing, coordinating, facilitating, and contributing to the Health Office’s contribution to the Mission Portfolio Reviews and leading the preparation of the annual Performance Plan and Report in cooperation with the Health Office team.

International and domestic travel approximately 25-30%.

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (7%)

· Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in the fields of health communications and monitoring and evaluation and reporting.

· Deepening knowledge of health communications and monitoring and evaluation and reporting.

· Participating in interagency and intra-agency working groups as appropriate to the scope of work.

· Participating in professional continuing education and skills training within the purview of GHFP-II.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree or higher in organization learning, public policy or administration, business administration, management, international relations, development administration, knowledge management, political science, economics, agriculture or agricultural economics, public health, education, African Studies, or other fields closely related to international development.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in progressively responsible, professional-level experience in program/project development, technical writing, and/or M&E with at least three (3) years’ experience in an international or resource challenged setting.

· Formal training or experience in one or more of the following areas: M&E; Program/project design; Project management (focused on international development projects); Leadership, teambuilding; Website development, social media; Knowledge Management; USAID policies and procedures.

• Experience with a wide range of health and broader health development issues such as program evaluation, gender, agriculture, livelihoods, democracy and governance, nutrition, and education.
• Expert knowledge of the project development process and principles of good project design.
• Expert knowledge of program performance monitoring and reporting; procurement policies and procedures; strategic planning; and evaluation of programs/projects/activities.
• Experience working for the USG or another international development organization or non-governmental organization in an overseas context, preferably in Africa.
• Knowledge of the objectives and operations of the USG, or program activities of other international donor or non-governmental organizations, in Africa is highly desirable.
• Good understanding of USAID Forward and other foreign assistance reforms that directly affect project design, performance management, and evaluation policy.
• Demonstrated involvement in strategic and program planning; project and activity design; and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Ability to accurately analyze and summarize performance data in the field of health.
• Excellent technical writing skills with the ability to synthesize complex information and write clearly, quickly, and succinctly and produce professional-quality analytical pieces.
• Good broader communication skills with the ability to interpret, organize, and present data in an easily accessible manner to a variety of audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate and work diplomatically and effectively in a multi-cultural team environment, and with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Strong oral communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to make effective presentations.
• Ability to exercise significant, independent professional judgment with minimal supervision and guidance.
• Ability to prioritize work and accomplish tasks in a fast-paced, complex organizational environment.
• Computer skills, including the development and management of spreadsheets and tracking systems, proficiency in PowerPoint, ability to conduct and search for evidence, good practice and innovations using desk research skills and the ability to develop and manage website content.
• Experience in impact and program evaluations.
• Ability to travel internationally.
• Ability to obtain medical clearance.
• US citizenship or US permanent residency required.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs.

TO APPLY:

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II’s online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by May 22, 2017 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.

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