Introduction:
The ‘Health Consortium Somalia’ is a consortium of five international non-governmental organisations implementing an integrated health programme in target areas throughout Somalia. The programme is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), United Kingdom. Population Services International (PSI) is the lead agency in the consortium and currently seeks candidates for a new position of Technical Consultant (part time).
The candidate will provide high quality, independent technical support to PSI and all consortium members at regular periods over each year at pre-agreed times (to coincide with quarterly reporting and annual reviews). The successful candidate will have strong cutting edge technical knowledge as well as experience in programme management especially in the area of reproductive and maternal and child health. They will have experience working with the public and private health sectors, strong communication skills and proven analytical abilities in programme monitoring and evaluation. S/he will have innovative ideas and must demonstrate a true ability to work effectively with a variety of audiences and organizations. The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to Somaliland and Puntland. The job holder will report to the PSI Somaliland Country Representative.
To apply, please email CV and cover letter to somjobs@psi.org. Please note “Attention: Shazina Masud” in the subject line.
Objective:
- To provide high quality technical support to the five international non-governmental organisations, the Health Consortium Somalia (HCS), implementing an integrated health programme in target areas throughout Somalia.
Recipient:
- Population Services International (PSI) on behalf of the HCS, the Somali Health Authorities, the people of Somalia, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) as the principal funder of the programme, and participating donors including the relevant UN Agencies.
Responsibilities: Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
i. High quality technical support and guidance to the consortium members to ensure the HCS takes an informed, evidence based and joined-up position, on key health and nutrition policy issues.
ii. Technical support to consortium members to monitor progress against logframe indicators and milestones, and indicate revisions to the milestones where appropriate. iii. Contribute to the preparation of the HCS quarterly reports and to the DFID annual review by ensuring high quality technical inputs, data and analysis. iv. Assist the PSI Somaliland Country Representative in coordinating the Annual Review. v. Represent the consortium at appropriate technical meetings, to be pre-determined in consultation with DFID and PSI. vi. Ensure routine (quarterly and annual) analysis of VfM indicators by the HCS, in coordination with other health programmes, providing training as required. (Other short-term consultancy inputs could be provided if required throughout the period of the programme.) vii. Assist in documenting and sharing findings, evidence and lessons learned with relevant stakeholders to inform future health programming across Somalia. viii. Share lessons from global best practices with consortium members as well as with the wider health sector through the established health sector coordination mechanisms ix. Other potential technical support areas that may arise during the tenure of the consultancy.
Skills required:
A Masters Degree in Public Health or equivalent (eg. epidemiology; health planning and finance; health economics).
The applicant must demonstrate: -knowledge and application of epidemiology and public health -understanding of the global health context including international health architecture; -knowledge based on experience of health service delivery in a developing country context, including of health systems development challenges -knowledge and application of the wider determinants of health -knowledge and application of evidence, innovation and evaluation
This includes demonstrating understanding of epidemiology and its role in measuring and monitoring health and its determinants including: • health inequalities and gender issues • population issues and demography • communicable disease control including pandemics, HIV, TB, malaria, neglected tropical diseases • reproductive, maternal and child health, and nutrition
• chronic disease prevention and management • behaviour change communication and health promotion
- Demonstrating an understanding of: structure, policy and approach of key multilaterals and global funds (WB, UN, EC, GFATM, GAVI) major bi-lateral development agencies, foundations, academics, private entities, civil society. • The global architecture for nutrition (spanning health, food security, development and humanitarian) • Finance for development in health; including domestic sources, results based financing; demand side • Practical challenges of delivering healthcare in resource (financial and human resource) constrained environments • Impact of public sector reforms, including financing, decentralisation, and constraints • non-state (private and not-for-profit) finance, providers and service delivery,
• Approaches for quality measurement and improvement in service delivery • Human resource planning and management, including CHWs
• conflict and post-conflict contexts and other hard-to-reach populations, • social/cultural/economic/gender exclusion, disability • environmental health ; water and sanitation • Access, equity and gender issues
The applicant should have:
• At least five years work experience in a developing country, preferably in Somalia or a fragile and conflict affected state • Experience working with both the public and private sectors is desirable. • Experience of having worked for a Consortium will be an added advantage. • Ability to negotiate and network. • Innovative and able to demonstrate the ability to work effectively with a variety of audiences and organizations.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills • Fluency in spoken and written English • Excellent interpersonal communication skills • Ability and willingness to travel to Somalia is essential (PSI carries the responsibility for Duty of Care).
Desirables:
• Experience working in and familiarity with the context Somalia • Experience in coordination, preferably with the UN system and donor agencies
Reporting:
- The position reports to the PSI Somaliland Country Representative, acting on behalf of all the Consortium members.
Timing:
- The position is to be filled as soon as possible, but no later than January 2012 for a period of 160 days a year until March 2015 (extendable based on performance and funding availability).
Background – DFID’s health programme for Somalia 6. Despite relatively high levels of health spending, Somali health indicators are amongst the worst in the world. The inefficiency and low impact of health spending reflects a) poor donor coordination, b) the inherently high cost of delivering humanitarian support, c) under-funded and dysfunctional public health facilities, and d) the heavy reliance of the Somali people on unregulated private pharmacies. Successful health system reform will address these public sector and private market failures, improving both the efficiency and benefits of health spending. 7. DFID is currently funding a Maternal and Child Health Programme through a Health Consortium (the HCS programme) at £13m over 3 years to support a coherent health systems strengthening programme. An extension to this for an additional 2 years is currently under design and will scale-up interventions considerably, if approved. The programme provides an essential package of health services (EPHS) to increase the range, quality and use of services and contribute to community stability in targeted areas in three political zones (Somaliland, Puntland, and South Central) through an NGO consortium. The EPHS will: i. bring rapid improvements in maternal health care and family planning; ii. improve standards of health workers through training and certification; iii. increase the range and availability of health supplies;
iv. enable donors to work more effectively to respond to health priorities. 8. The goal of the programme is “Improved survival and health status of Somali people”. The purpose is: “Somali people, especially women, children and the most vulnerable in target areas increase utilisation of quality health services contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1, 4, 5 and 6”. 9. The five outputs are designed around four strategic levels of implementation in Somalia: 1) institutional strengthening; 2) staff development and deployment; 3) service improvement; and 4) citizen-service engagement. The fifth output will improve coordination and harmonisation among donors and other stakeholders in the Somali health sector in Nairobi. 10. The EPHS programme is expected to save a minimum of 58.6 mothers lives and 5,400 children’s’ lives annually (totalling 16,376 over three years) in the three political zones, at an average cost of £458. Support for trained medical workers who will be operating in other facilities would contribute to the nationwide efforts of other partners to reach national goals of reducing maternal deaths and infant mortality. This could indirectly save the lives of an additional 115 mothers’ and 6,360 under 5’s annually. 11. A further programme which supports a single joint proposal from UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA to donors is currently under design. This is a potential new four year health programme from January 2012 to end December 2015. The programme supports the recently approved UN Somali Assistance Strategy (UNSAS) 2011 to 2015, led by the UN Country Team, and a strong recommendation for a joint health programme for Somalia to improve the delivery of a coherent and complementary health programme.
To apply, please email CV and cover letter to somjobs@psi.org . Please note “Attention: Shazina Masud” in the subject line.
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