Health Technical Advisor 90 views0 applications

SUSTAINING TECHNICAL AND ANALYTIC RESOURCES

FELLOWSHIP TITLE: Health Technical Advisor

HOST ORGANIZATION: Health Office, United States Agency for International Development

LOCATION: Niamey, Niger

POSITION LEVEL: Mid-Career Technical Advisor

STAR-P1-069

TRAVEL: 15% estimated travel

STAR PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) is a project of the Public Health Institute (PHI) supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health (GH) Bureau. Its purpose is twofold: (1) Through individual fellowships, STAR will help strengthen the capacity of diverse American and low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) health professionals at all levels to make innovative contributions to global health (GH); and (2) STAR will create ground-breaking opportunities for both US and LMIC GH academic institutions and other groups, including professional associations, to create systems for open-access knowledge sharing, resulting in effective partnerships. STAR’s individual and institutional participants are contributing to the development of self-sustaining systems and tools that will produce global citizens with the full spectrum of relevant health competencies. STAR is managed by the Public Health Institute and implemented in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH).

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

The STAR Fellowship is a two-year global health and learning opportunity with:

· Individualized, tailored support to enhance the fellow’s achievement personal and professional goals

· Personalized learning plans and access to learning resources (courses, conferences, mentoring) based on fellow’s learning style and preferences.

· Access to broad professional networks to enhance peer learning and knowledge sharing.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Background:

USAID/Niger has been designated a limited presence country, however, USAID is now in the process of establishing a Mission in Niger, expected by the end of 2019. In 2017, Niger was selected as a President’s Malaria Initiative focus (PMI) country given malaria is one of the leading causes of death in Niger. This 18-million-dollar program will focus on four major areas: entomology, commodities, health-system strengthening at the central level, and implementing a comprehensive and integrated package of life-saving interventions in Dosso and Tahoua. In 2017, Niger was also designated as a Feed the Future focus country. In 2018, Niger started receiving both maternal/child health (MCH) ($2,000,000), as well as family planning (FP) funding ($2,000,000). Furthermore, regional activities funded by the Global Health Bureau, the Senegal Regional Office (Senegal), and the West Africa Regional Mission (Ghana) also operate in Niger.

USAID/Niger’s health programming works to expand the impact of maternal child health, family planning and nutrition activities in coordination with a multi-sector resilience focus. USAID is anticipating developing an MCH/FP community-based strategy, which will integrate these other activities with a goal of strengthening the capacity of Nigerien society in the journey to self-reliance. The team will be conducting an assessment to better understand the current healthcare environment in Niger, including the participation of the donors, government, opportunities and constraints which exist and contribute to their low placement on the Human Development Index. A component of the mini-strategy will include USAID taking a leadership role in supporting and maintaining thematic clusters comprised of donors and technical advisors in the areas of FP, MCH, malaria and community health, as there is currently a lack of coordination on key health issues.

Niger’s health funding will also contribute to the Sahel Regional Health Services Delivery (HSD) activity designed to increase equitable access to quality health services, strengthen linkages between communities and health facilities, and increase utilization of quality health services in insecure areas of the Sahel, especially in Niger. HSD is part of an integrated approach to enhance resilience, the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) II project, and will additionally contribute to an integrated, regional project that seeks to reduce vulnerability to violent extremism in northern parts of Niger. Through HSD, USAID will train health clinic workers and community health workers, mobilize communities to create citizen health-services oversight committees, conduct campaigns on healthy behaviors, coach local governments and the MOH on budgeting and resource management to support health services, and provide small grants and infrastructure to equip and rehabilitate clinics.

Introduction:

The Health Technical Advisor (Advisor) will advise on the planning, implementation and evaluation of activities related to maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. The diversified health portfolio allows frequent interaction with the Ambassador and other members of the Country Team, and as such the advisor may be called on to contribute ideas and offer informed opinions on technical expertise and knowledge. The Advisor will also be responsible for advising, monitoring and managing performance of ongoing health, population and nutrition activities funded by the regional office in Dakar, Accra, and the Global Health Bureau. Likewise, the Advisor will ensure close coordination with Food for Peace staff and activities operating these zones of influence. Niger will soon become a Mission, and is a Presidential Malaria Initiative focus country. The Advisor will liaise with the Senegal Regional Office located in Dakar, Senegal and the West Africa Health Office located in Accra, Ghana.

Reporting structure:

The Advisor will work closely with and receive technical direction from the Mission Director/Country Representative, who will serve as their Onsite Manager.

Essential Duties and outcomes:

Increase technical capacity of health, population and nutrition (HPN) activities in Niger:

· Collaborate with the in-country team, the Embassy, USAID-funded partners, international organizations and appropriate Government of Niger officials to provide substantive technical and programmatic leadership in health programming.

· Contribute technical and programmatic knowledge and offer informed opinions on health resilience activities (Health Services Delivery Implementing Mechanism), and bilateral maternal and child health/family planning activities (such as central health system strengthening support in key areas).

· Take part in site visits, advise on development of annual work plans, performance metrics, and budgets.

· Contribute ideas on team budget planning, execution, and annual performance assessments, including distilling lessons learned, documentation, and their dissemination.

· Collaborate with mission leadership in identifying and resolving both policy and implementation issues.

· Informally mentor and provide guidance to in-country health office staff.

Improve the coordination of HPN activities in-country:

· Act as a technical advisor in key Government of Niger and donor technical working groups.

· Contribute to USAID’s leadership, with a wide range of partners and stakeholders within the Ministry of Health, local governments, the World Bank, the Global Fund, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other NGOs dealing with issues related to health programming.

· Serve as a technical resource in collaborative relationships with the Regional Health Officers in West Africa, Senegal, and Global Health Country Team for programming updates and portfolio management.

· Ensure close coordination across regional and bilateral health activities and DFSA activities.

Anticipated learning outcomes: * Required 10% time

· Demonstrate proficiency across the core global health competencies defined as development practice, cross cultural awareness, communication, capacity strengthening, ethics of public health, health equity, gender equality and global burden of disease that is necessary for persons practicing in global health.

· Apply maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene knowledge to strengthen program.

· Apply and distinguish international standards within technical/content area to support programming.

· Cultivate leadership skills based on the STAR GH mentorship curriculum to effectively facilitate capacity building and knowledge sharing activities amongst staff and peers.

· Expand access to knowledge and resources through networking and collaborative practice within global health.

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Required:

· Minimum 7 years of relevant technical experience with master’s degree or a minimum 9 years of relevant technical experience with bachelor’s degree.

· Proven knowledge and experience with international public health program management in such areas as policy development, program planning, design, and oversight.

· Demonstrated technical leadership, program management, and strategic planning on issues related to maternal child health, and/or voluntary family planning and reproductive health, and/or health system strengthening.

· Strong interpersonal skills and excellent oral communication and writing skills.

· Strong teamwork, team-building, and networking skills.

· Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment.

· Proficient ability to multi-task and creative problem solving skills working in complex projects in a sensitive environment.

· Demonstrated proficiency/fluency in oral and written English (Level 4).

· Demonstrated proficiency/fluency in oral and written French at the 2+/2+ level.

· Ability to multi-task, maintain or build a network within global health, and interact easily with other senior donor and government officials.