Senior Health Officer Senior-PHCS – Action Against Hunger Vacancy Announcement

  I.   Summary of position 

Action Against Hunger (AAH) has received new award to implement a project in tittle “Integrated basic services and livelihoods for refugees and host communities in Gambella regional state”. The project is funded by European Union. It will be implemented in Gambella region, Ethiopia. The project aims to improve the lives of the refugee population and host communities in Gambella regional State, Ethiopia. The project will be implemented by a consortium between Action Against Hunger and ZOA from Relief to Recovery, ZOA being the consortium lead. This action, through an integrated and multi-sector approach, seeks to address the WASH, health and food security needs of refugees and host communities in Gambella Regional State. Activities will focus on improving health, access to safe WASH, agricultural production to improve access to food, animal products and market access. This will be addressed with a particular focus on women, as their work burden, vulnerability and protection risks have disproportionately increased. Action Against Hunger will implement the health aspect of the project.

As a Senior Health Officer-PHCS, and specific focal point for the ‘Integrated basic services and livelihoods for refugees and host communities in Gambella regional state’ project in the camp and host community supported Woredas, supervisor will be responsible for follow up and guide the primary health care provision and support activities are implemented based on the national protocol and UNHCR guidance in the selected implementing nutrition centers in the refugee camp and selected health facilities in the host community. The Senior Health Officer-PHCS will coordinate with the Community Mobilization supervisor based in the camp, health care workers in health facilities and partners smoothly strengthen the referral linkages. The role will be to provide supervision, follow up and technical support and guidance to the health officers-PHCS, AAH supported health facility health care providers and other AAH health and nutrition staffs.

The Senior Health Officer-PHCSs under the direct supervision of the Project Manager-Primary Health Care Support for EU funded integrated project. S/he ensure that the objectives of integrated primary health care support project are met and supervise the health program implementation in the refugee camp and supported Woredas. S/he will also make sure that quality RMNCAH services (ANC, PNC, SRH, CMR, IMNCI) and ETAT has delivered to all beneficiaries in line with standard guidelines, principles and protocols. S/he will also lead and participate in the designing and implementation of BEmONC/IPLS/CMR and other capacity building activities in close consultation with line managers, health and Nutrition team and project stakeholders. S/he is expected to establish and maintain productive working relationships with line managers, project staff, local government authorities, health facility health care providers and beneficiaries. Moreover, s/he will represent Action Against Hunger in local level Health coordination platforms.

Purpose: Provides technical support and supervision to PHCS team on the services and support provision and     analyses the implementation of activities to improve service delivery quality in the camp and host community Woredas supported by AAH.

Engagement: Collaborates with PHCS team, health and nutrition team and partners to amplify our work in quality primary health care provision and support as well as building synergies with nutrition activities and other sectors to promote a multispectral approach to provide comprehensive care for the beneficiaries. Engages with health related technical working groups within camp and in the host community Woredas and represents AAH’s health efforts externally.

Delivery: Leads the day to day activities in the camp/Woreda , provide supervision and monitoring to the team, produce report and support the coordination and ensure the beneficiaries has got the appropriate service.

      II.   Essential Job Duties

Objective 1: Ensure the smooth and accurate running of the RMNCAH (ANC/PNC/SRH/CMR/IMNCI) Program in the refugee camp and host Woredas

•  Ensure that protocols are strictly followed and implemented;
•  Develop plan for each primary health care provision and support activities in the center and ensure that the objectives are reached;
• Ensure the smooth-running of the sites under any expected circumstances and in case of any staff’s gap and propose solutions or improvements as well to ensure the smooth running of the project
•  Coordinate the activities with other services of AAH and the others partners to ensure appropriate and timely beneficiary referral/linkage
• Manage the products flow within the team with proper documentation and handling
• Carry out project monitoring, follow the project’s progress and write relevant reports;
• Identify and inform the Head of Programme of any problems or constraints;
• Coordinate activities and sensitize local partners in the field.
• To provide technical support, interventions and engagement with health and nutrition team about over all primary health care provision (ANC, PNC, SRH, CMR), support (ANC, PNC, SRH, CMR,IMNCI and ETAT) and integration activities.
• Ensure and monitor all beneficiaries had provided key health message before service/during provision at waiting area with close integration of project staff.
• Ensure necessary materials, formats and IEC materials are in place
• Develop practical and workable action plan for health and nutrition team and follow implementation accordingly.
• Ensure service integration between AAH nutrition service and primary health care service via beneficiary linkage and between other partners complementary services through referral/linkgae
• Make sure that all PHCS intervention are adapted to COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and adequate risk communication and community engagement activities as essential mitigate and control measures.

Objective 2:  Participate and supervise RMNCAH Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) activities: 

•  Support monitoring and evaluation processes and contribute to providing, quality data for monitoring and evaluation purposes within the specified deadlines.
• Ensure activity has running with recommended Indicators, put action plan, and suggest any other solution toward program achievements.
• Evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of the intervention in view of the evolution of the context and needs (contradictory results, nutritional value, cultural habits, etc.)
• To produce weekly/monthly report as necessary.
• Ensure proper documentation.

Objective 3: Manage the team and Ensure teamwork

• Supervise daily the activities of the team. (Work performance/ working time);
• Ensure good communication within the team;
•  Identify training needs and coordinate with PM to ensure on going capacity building of the team.
• Organize weekly meetings with the team;
• Follow absences, late coming and/ or leaves and report them to the Programme manager;
•  Ensure technical support to the team.
• Work in companionship, mutual respect and under the humanitarian principles with all Action Against Hunger staff, project team members, with government health care workers, project beneficiaries, and with others.
• Report encountered problems in the intervention areas and/or within the project team and report to the line manager and others concerned aiming at rectifying issues timely in amicable manner under the spirit of teamwork and propose solution.

Objective 4: Documentation and Reporting

•   Follow clearly appropriate protocols, guidelines and templates on recording and reporting – National, RRS, UNHCR, ZOA and ACF Internal.
• Ensure that data collected are complete, reliable, relevant, timely and valid.
• Ensure that weekly/ monthly data compilation and  reporting of activities  for internal and external consumptions are submitted to PM in a timely manner
• Evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of the intervention in view of the evolution of the context and needs (contradictory results, nutritional value, cultural habits, etc.)

Objective 5: Supervise the supply chain and management of drugs, supplies and medical equipment

• Manage the products flow within the team with proper documentation and handling in collaboration with logistics
• Making sure of proper prediction/estimation and provision of the needed supplies for the sites in a timely manner;
•  Ensure the sustainability, accuracy and timeliness of the Supply chain in integrated sites;
• Check that the medicines and non-medical items supplies are delivered on time;
• Check the coherence of the state of the stocks with the orders;
• Consolidate the monthly consumption report;

Objective 6: Ensure the hygiene in the Center and supported health facility

•   Ensure that there is enough water for the number of beneficiaries and staff of the service provision sites;
• Check that the containers for washing hands in the waiting and medical area is full and are located in a proper position;
• Ensure that the water tanks are cleaned and disinfected regularly and that chlorine is added;
• Ensure that the dirty water buckets are empty regularly;
• Make sure before leaving the site that the wastes are properly collected and disposed.

Objective 7: Liaise with the authorities/partners:

• Communicate the program’s activities to the authorities/partners on the site.
• Represent Action against Hunger in zonal and woreda as well as refugee camps level health technical coordination meetings.
• Close follow up of the overall situation and interpretation of different indicators such as direct follow up of health status, outbreaks, and general nutrition status and refugee flow.
• Propose timely responses in case of new health and nutrition emergencies.
• Promote project activities and innovations to the various local partners and stakeholders.
• Upholds the image and values of Action Against Hunger at all times and place.

Objective 8: The Senior Health Officer-PHCS is accountable for:- 

• Respecting all Action Against Hunger policies and procedures (HR, Logs & IT and Finances etc.)
• Implementing project committed interventions,
• Alerting project team and others concerned on all issues that have an important impact on the project performance and its overall objective.
• Creating good working relations between Action Against Hunger and government health and nutrition staff and other partners.

    III. Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Senior Health Officer-PHCS will supervise Health officer-PHCS in each corresponding intervention area.

    IV.  Fiscal Responsibilities

• None

      V. Physical Demands

•  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, record reviewing, typing and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a super busy Nutrition center with different claims from beneficiaries and staff.
• He/she will be required physically fit to walk and supervise in the community for long distance in the stressful environment.
• Reasonable accommodations and conducive working environment may be made available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    VI.   Working Environment and Travel condition

• The duties of the job requires regular job attendance.
• Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as needed or required by partners.
•  While in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.
• The candidate must be able to travel to remote locations, often over poor road conditions.

  VII. Gender Equality Commitments

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
•  Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Sexual exploitation and abuse-SEA

•  Beware of minimum operating standards of SEA
• Protect and prevent others from SEA.
•  Report SEA.
• Strictly comply with AAH child protection and SEA policies.