Project Development Officer (Community Health) at SEED Madagascar 76 views0 applications

Position Overview

Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the southeast of Madagascar, this post will provide support to the community health projects run through the NGO. The successful candidate will work within a combined Malagasy and International team to assist in developing projects, writing the proposals to secure funding, supporting with the implementation of projects and evaluating their success. The role is predominantly office-based, and the diversity of activities undertaken will provide a wide-ranging experience for a development professional who can effectively and efficiently deal with a comprehensive range of tasks related to the complex world of overseas development work.
Initially an internship for the first 3 months, this exciting post would suit someone with some experience or a passion to learn, and would be essential in-country experience for anyone wishing to begin a career in international development.

Title: Project Development Intern for initial 3 months; change of title and responsibilities to Project Development Officer subject to passing probationary review.
Location: Fort-Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar
Timeframe: 12 months extendable
Contract: Voluntary, unsalaried with SEED Madagascar.
Reporting to: Head of Project Development (Community Health, WASH and Construction)

Primary responsibilities:
Development of new projects (including funding searches); preparation and editing of proposals and reports; information formatting; monitoring and evaluation of current projects; researching international best practice; liaison with the London project development team and local staff.

Core duties and responsibilities:

1. Compile funding proposals based on past evaluation, team discussion and International best practice in an engaging and professional manner
2. Conduct internet searches for potential donors to fund the programme and relating projects
3. Write project reports that clearly demonstrate the successes and challenges of the projects, learning from the project and give clear budgetary information
4. Work alongside the Head of Project Development and Head of Finance in developing and managing the budgets relating to projects
5. Assist in developing monitoring and evaluation tools for projects and to work with the team in the field on implementing these
6. Conduct research into International best practice with regard to health programmes and take the lead in discussing these with the team
7. Take a leading role in ensuring accuracy of all statistics relating to the projects
8. Work with the Malagasy team in increasing their skills and capacity, providing mentoring or training where appropriate
9. Take an active role in project management meetings, leading these where appropriate
10. Analyse data and be able to clearly and concisely present to the team, with demonstrable ability in gathering and assimilating information from various sources, identifying lessons learnt and best practice
11. Take the lead in writing social media and website content for the health-related projects
12. Maintain a database of projects and funders alongside the UK team in London
13. Maintain the database of photographs for projects
14. Form part of the team representing projects when required
15. Liaise with the UK team in London ensuring clear communication at all times
16. Take an active part in international team meetings and the support to other members of the team
17. Complete any other tasks required by the Head of Project Development or Director of Operations and Heads of Departments commensurate with this role Person specification:
18. Hold a relevant undergraduate/Master’s degree in or with elements relating to international development or community health, or have equivalent experience
19. Demonstrate sound knowledge and a keen interest in community health and its interface with international development; previous experience of community-based work would be an asset
20. Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for the organisation at all times
21. Have passion, curiosity and motivation for the job and the ability to enthuse others
22. Have the ability and desire to build capacity and share skills across cultures, and work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers
23. Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations
24. Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity and respect
25. Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO
26. Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard
27. Have a flexible and patient attitude
28. Have excellent problem-solving skills
29. Be able to work both independently and as part of a team Practicalities:

The successful candidate will be able to financially support themselves for the full duration of this post and possess a laptop computer (non-tablet).

Country and organisation background:

Madagascar is one of the most impoverished and least developed countries in the world, ranking 151/187 on the UNDP 2013 Human Development Index. Compounded by inadequate government investment in the health sector, numbers only serve to highlight the devastating health outcomes caused by inadequate service provision. For example, in the remote southeast Anosy Region, less than 35% of people have access to clean water, (WHO/UNICEF, 2015), causing diarrhoea and perpetuating other significant health issues. Approximately 50% of pregnant women with untreated syphilis will transmit the infection to their unborn child, resulting in profound adverse outcomes.
SEED Madagascar is a British registered charity partnered with a Malagasy NGO which has been operating in the impoverished Anosy Region for over 15 years. SEED works with, and in support of, urban and rural communities in southeast Madagascar, aiming to tackle the immediate effects of extreme poverty, support long-term development and protect the environment. Its central mission is to build the capacity of individuals, organisations to lead and support sustainable conservation and development initiatives, with the objective of securing local community access to quality health, education and livelihoods assets, and increasing local capacity to conserve and manage natural resources including unique but greatly endangered forest environments.

SEED’s health projects are predominantly focused on helping families to safeguard the maternal and child health, increasing students’ awareness of sexual health and STIs and supporting communities to build clean drinking water wells and safe sanitation. Research is also undertaken into community perceptions of the intersections between family planning, natural resource management and livelihoods, with the aim of strengthening SEED’s Population, Health and Environment (PHE) approach to project development.

How to apply:

Application procedure:

Interested applicants should send a CV and covering letter outlining how their skills and experience match the requirements in the role description criteria to Rachel Mather by email on [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Long-listed applicants will be contacted for an initial informal chat with Madagascar based staff and short-listed applicants will then be offered a face-to-face interview with the London team in-person.