Community Mobilization Officer – Population Services International (PSI) Vacancy Announcement

Position Title: Community Mobilization Officer  

Portfolio: Integrated Program

Function: Adolescent and Youth Family planning

Department: Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Heath

Division: RISE

Level: TBD

Reports to: Integration Advisor – RISE

Vacancy type: Internal & External
Required number: Three (3)

Based in: Berahle, Abaala and Afdera Woreda health offices.

Duration of contract: Indefinite based on performance and availability of funds.

Remuneration: As per organization pay scale plus other PSI/Ethiopia staff benefits.

Application Deadline: March 11, 2024

Who we are?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds – from the medical industry to the music business – all with unique skills we bring to the job.

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care to the front door.  We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality care closer to communities, schools, and homes.   We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities.  We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage.

We are looking for a Community Mobilization Officer for a Smart Start Scale up Program called RISE (Roadmap to Integrate Smart Start in Ethiopia) whose primary aim is to mobilize and facilitate active participation of beneficiary married adolescents, husbands, families, religious leaders, community leaders and other stakeholders in project activities, conversation meetings of target population to participate in planning, monitoring and implementation and evaluation of project initiatives in Afar region.

Key Result Areas:

·      Ensure community engagement for smart start utilization on initiation of contraception for married adolescents

·      Manages the Family Circle Navigator

·      Institutionalization of smart start in the district’s annual plan, Supportive supervision checklists, and woreda level review meetings

·      Works across 3 woredas

·      Ensure quality of services, embedment, and integration of smart start at districts level.

Sounds like you? Read on!

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

·      Coordinate the mobilization of the community members for use of smart start on initiation of contraception for married Adolescents.

·      Support the health extension workers and family circle navigators to map and mobilize married adolescents

·      Assist HEWs and family circle navigators in organizing family circle sessions

·      Facilitate community engagement and dialogues to identify key community needs that can be addressed through the community strengthening initiatives; Support the communities to implement and monitor the progress of family circle.

·      Assist with execution of woreda health office annual work plans within established budgets and timelines.

·      Develop a work plan, implement, and monitor all activities related to community strengthening activities; Supervise the community mobilization team (Health Extension Workers and family circle navigators).

·      Liaise closely with district leaders and AYH/FP staff to help strengthen the link and partnership between communities and facilities.

·      Develop and maintain a good relationship with woreda level task forces and organize periodic meetings with the committee members.

·      Participate in woreda level review meetings, trainings, and supportive supervision activities

·      Develop and implement service delivery strategies for accessing hard-to-reach married adolescents, including mobile FP outreach services.

·      Provide mentoring, capacity building and follow up supports to Health Extension workers using smart start discussion guide to counsel married adolescents.

·      Develop and maintain effective working relationships with woreda health office to establish and organize AYSRH/RISE steering committee and TWG.

·      Prepare activity reports, monthly reports and make inputs to quarterly and final narrative reports.

·      Work collaboratively with other project team members to ensure necessary project planning, and management activities function smoothly and efficiently.

·      Offers hands-on support to the woreda to oversee Family Circle, including as part of the annual planning, regular supportive supervision, commodity supply

·      Provide technical support to health post in strengthening referral linkage with catchment communities and health center

·       Mentor health post staff in delivering quality family planning and SRH services.

·      Support woreda health office in strengthening PHCU linkage

·      Implement the quality assurance/improvement and training of PSI/E’s Roadmap for Integration Smart Start in Ethiopia (RISE) project jointly with the regional and/or district level health bureaus.

·      Ensure the proper and timely implementation and quality of Smart Start Family Circle trainings and deliverables

·      Support the integration of smart start training into the HEWs IRT and pre-services training curriculum

·      Assess training gaps and recommend

·      Assess quality of smart start training provide technical assistance

·      Ensure that the PHCUs and woreda health offices own and integrate smart start training into their plan.

What it takes to succeed

–       Knowledge on the context:  knowhow and experience to work with and for the region-specific Primary Health care system is Key to effectively deliver under the role.

–       A self-starter: You can work independently with minimal supervision; you are someone who is proactive in looking for new opportunities.

–       Consistent and determined: Influencing system is time taking and labor intensive which requires to understand people and their interest in doing their routine. Someone who is determined and always look at the bigger picture regardless of the challenges on the daily basis is needed

–       Eager and Passionate to serve young people: RISE is for and with the young people in general and married adolescent girls/couples.

–       Communicator: who has excellent interpersonal and written communication skill

–       Evidence based decision Maker: capable to interpret both qualitative and quantitative data, transform it into compelling communication material to influence both minds set, and skill sets as system is all about infrastructure as well as people.

–       Flexible: who is capable to see other alternatives when trail/attempts fail; someone with strong conviction that CHANGE is possible!

Background

Qualification and Experience:

·      Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Health Education and Communication, Nursing, Health Officer, Psychology, or a related field with four (4) years of demonstrated experience in the field of community work, particularly with AYSRH and family planning

OR

·      Diploma in Nursing, Environmental Health, Education, Psychology, or a related field with five (5) years of demonstrated experience in the field of community work, particularly with AYSRH and family planning

What would get us excited:

·      Proven experience in community mobilization, facilitation skills, and focus group discussion

·      Experience working at woreda level in Afar region

·       Knowledge and experience on Family planning and Adolescent and Youth Health.

·      Proven capacity to oversee development/implementation of work plans, monitoring and evaluation activities, and reports.

·      Experience in working at SRH programs, flexible and agile partnership management.

·      Good written and verbal communication skills in English, Amharic, Afari language.

·      Demonstrated ability to work independently and with limited supervision.

·      Excellent interpersonal skills and good team spirit.

·      Willingness to travel up to 50% time away from his/her base place.

·      Ability to follow deadlines, accuracy, and attention to detail.

·      Ability to deliver in time under stressful situation without compromising quality.