Director, VCA Services 320 views0 applications

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Program Delivery (PDEL) – Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Program Delivery Team, contributes to realizing this purpose by: Forging smart partnerships and treating all people with dignity and respect; Applying organizational policies and regulatory compliance appropriately and consistently; Facilitating team spirit among colleagues and promoting the organization through communications; Influencing decision makers through focused, relevant communications; Continually striving to learn and share knowledge and find small ways to make the workplace more enjoyable for all; Cultivating and harvesting innovation; Contributing to the organization’s ability to think and act strategically at all times; Inspiring and spreading our desired organizational culture across the global enterprise.

Position Overview

Pact is recruiting an OVC Director for an upcoming five-year, USAID-funded vulnerable children and adolescents (VCA) program – Service Delivery for Vulnerable Children and Adolescents (SDVCA). SDCVA seeks to improve the resilience and health outcomes of vulnerable households in four provinces in Zambia with the highest HIV burdens, while strengthening the Government of the Republic of Zambia’s (GRZ) social protection platform so that the GRZ eventually provides the majority of services to VCA. The program is intended to provide evidence-based services that will deliver measurable results for VCA and their caregivers in the following activities:

1. Health: Improve children and adolescents’ access to health services with a focus on high impact HIV services
2. Education Support: Increase school access, attendance, and progression of VCA
3. Psychosocial Care and Support: Structured, evidence-based interventions that support VCA to build self-efficacy and enable them to navigate the social and psychological vulnerabilities of adolescence, especially those focused on sexual and reproductive health and prevention of HIV and sexual violence
4. Household Economic Strengthening (HES): Structured, evidence-based interventions that reduce the economic vulnerability of families, strengthen their resilience, an empower them to provide for the essential needs of the household
5. Child Protection: Prevent and respond to child abuse, neglect, and exploitation, with particular focus on prevention of sexual violence for 9-14-year-old adolescents
6. Capacity Building: Capacity-building and systems strengthening intervention

The Director of VCA Services will be the lead technical expert for the quality provision of health, social and child protection services to VCA and their families, and lead technical capacity building and mentoring of local implementing partners. Responsibilities include strengthening linkages and coordination between social service and health workforces as well as enhancing bi-directional referral systems to improve both health/HIV and social service delivery. S/He will strengthen implementation of comprehensive, HIV-inclusive case management system with a focus on strengthening the GRZ child and welfare system’s standards and processes and building the capacity of district-level GRZ officials and community-based volunteers. This position is contingent upon award.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Working knowledge of the GRZ Child and Welfare System both on the community and statutory level.
• Supervision and capacity building across different skill levels.
• Functional knowledge of children’s services across the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the district-level and other various donor initiatives (i.e. USG, UNICEF, EU).
• Case Management including screening, assessment processes for VAC, and post violence care.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership in developing high-quality, evidence-based strategies and interventions to improve the quality and responsiveness of community-based prevention and mitigation interventions for children, adolescents, and caregivers, within the context of HIV prevention, care and treatment, and the GRZ child and welfare system
• Provide technical support and oversight to local partners to support and advance the implementation of capacity development interventions to relevant local government and community structures, CSOs, and social workers to implement the project’s violence prevention and response strategy, as needed.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and monitoring of capacity development interventions to enhance local partners’ technical, financial and administrative capabilities and provide technical assistance throughout the transition to ensure successful graduation of award(s)
• Facilitate problem-solving and action planning among CSO, the GRZ and private sector stakeholders to address critical challenges and barriers to health services and education access, and enhance household resilience and child protection
• Ensure the project’s violence prevention and response interventions are gender and age-sensitive, address cultural norms, and are appropriate for multiple populations and age groups.

Basic Requirements

• A minimum of Bachelor’s degree and 11 or more years experience in Social Work or Public Health with a focus on public health, social sciences, or related field;
• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in a technical advisory role for large-scale family and community-based programs;
• A minimum of 3 years of experience serving in a technical advisory role for PEPFAR-funded activity, with a focus on improving the wellbeing of OVCA and HIV prevention among AGYW;
• Demonstrated role in strengthening coordination and linkages between clinical and community stakeholders, health and social service workforces; and operationalizing integrated service delivery models;
• Demonstrated working knowledge of PEPFAR Technical Guidance for OVC and Prevention;
• Demonstrated written, presentation, communication, and organizational skills in English.
• Professional experience in sub-Saharan Africa is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Zambian work experience preferred. Zambian National preferred.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.