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Position Title: Regional
Technical Advisor – Health: nutrition & maternal, newborn and child
health, and nutrition MNCH
Department/Country: CARO
Reports To: DRD/PQ
Location: Bujumbura,
Burundi- Central Africa Regional Office (CARO)
Band: D
FLSA: Exempt
Job Summary:
The RTA will provide technical assistance in the area of
Health with a particular focus on maternal, newborn and child health, and
nutrition for the 6 countries in the Central Africa Region: Burundi,
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, and
Rwanda.
The RTA for Health will focus primarily on Nutrition &
MNCH, and will have significant experience in the application and use of
proven behavior change models. S/he will work closely with his/her
counterpart RTAs in other sectors to ensure close integration of activities
to jointly advance the regional strategy agenda.
Key Health projects in the Central Africa region currently
include prevention and management of malnutrition; water, sanitation and
hygiene; strengthening community-based organization’s engagement in health
services, and a few disease-specific projects. All CRS projects
include significant behavior change components. The Health RTA
will be the focal point for behavior change programming across sectors.
The region is increasing its focus on Nutrition and MCHN
while continuing to implement and pursue funding in other areas of Health,
such as Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, Health System and
Community System Strengthening, support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children,
vaccination campaigns, etc. as determined by country strategies.
Primary Functions:
· Promote
the application of Agency Program Quality standards for Health programs in
the region.
· Participate
in project monitoring and evaluation, analysis and course-corrections to meet
objectives.
· Support
funding acquisition by leveraging existing results, identifying and
cultivating opportunities, and pursuing these through proposal and concept
note development.
· Create
linkages between all sectors to positively influence health outcomes.
· Integrate
the use of health behavior change models into other sectors to sustain
project results.
Specific Job Responsibilities:
Technical Assistance, Training and Program
Monitoring
Provide technical assistance to CRS Central Africa country
programs in the development, implementation, and monitoring of Health related
programming. This shall include, but not be limited to, the
following responsibilities:
· Provide
overall technical assistance in Health to country programs in the Region to
ensure high quality programs.
· Assist
programs in the development of quantitative and qualitative assessments
including baseline surveys, participatory rural assessments, operations
research and analysis of results, if needed.
· Assist
in technical direction and content to project proposals, and in writing
proposals in Health.
· Provide
guidance in the use of relevant agency policies and frameworks in the
development of regional and country level programs and project proposals,
especially the Integral Human Development framework and the CRS Global Health
& HIV Strategy.
· Share
lessons learned from CRS evaluations of Health projects, within and outside
the region, including in formal settings.
· Participate
actively in the recruitment of country program Health staff and serve as a
mentor to them.
· Conduct
assessment in training needs and skills gaps for health program managers and
partner staff across the region to inform strategic investments in human
resource development.
· Build
capacity of relevant health staff through formal training, on-the-job
mentoring and coaching.
Leadership in Health
· Provide
vision for Health programming in CARO with particular emphasis on Nutrition
and MNCH.
· Contribute
to strategic program plans in Health for country programs in the region with
particular emphasis on Nutrition and MNCH.
· Spearhead
innovations in Nutrition and MNCH programming including the use of
appropriate technologies, including ICT4D, to enhance quality and access for
health services across CARO.
· Assist
country programs in the development of appropriate monitoring and evaluation
methodologies that support both quantitative and qualitative performance
tracking and reporting on Health indicators through the review and input into
Terms of Reference and Scopes of Work for evaluations, support for the
identification and selection of consultants, identification of appropriate
survey instruments and technology, among others.
· Assist
with the testing of new Health tools developed by the field or headquarters.
· Work
closely with other RTAs to promote integration of Health programming and use
of proven Behavior Change Communication models across multiple sectors.
· Liaise
closely with Senior Technical Advisors in Program Impact and Quality
Assurance (PIQA), especially those specialized in nutrition and MNCH.
· Lead
the processes of systematic documentation of evidences from the field for
sharing with wider audience including in the form of journal articles and
professional presentations.
· Liaise
with CRS Regional Health Technical Advisors from other regions through
virtual and in-person meetings to ensure the sustenance of cross-regional
learning for high impact programming in CARO.
· Create
and facilitate an interactive platform for exchange of experiences and
innovations across CARO and beyond.
· Be
familiar with donor Nutrition and MNCH-related strategies and serve as a
regional resource person on all aspects of Agency Nutrition and MNCH
strategies and policies, as well as on funding related information from relevant
donors.
· Conduct
regular technical visits to country programs to support effective management
of ongoing Health projects.
· Collaborate
with CRS/headquarters and country programs to find appropriate new Health
funding opportunities.
Networking and Alliance-Building
· Network
with appropriate organizations to build CRS’ profile particularly in
Nutrition and MNCH in Central Africa and to build alliances that further
strategic objectives.
· Develop
and maintain strong linkages with international donors and partners.
· Inform
country programs of regional and country-specific activities and funding
opportunities.
· Facilitate
and attend workshop in core areas related to Health organized by
headquarters, consortia and country programs.
· Share
lessons learned and educational opportunities with country programs.
· Facilitate
communication between country programs and HQ departments in matters
pertaining to Health.
· Attend
international health conferences, preferably as a presenter of CRS work. Prepare
abstracts for conferences and assist country programs in preparing their
abstracts.
· Represent
CRS CARO and actively participate in donor and professional workshops,
meetings, and working groups on Nutrition and MNCH.
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles
of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities
and to achieve the desired results.
· Serves
with Integrity
· Models
Stewardship
· Cultivates
Constructive Relationships
· Promotes
Learning
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Deputy
Regional Director for Program Quality, CARO Regional Technical Advisors
(RTAs); CRS Country Representatives; CRS Heads of Programming; country Health
Program Managers and other country staff; CRS HQ Technical
Advisors in headquarters; CRS Health technical advisors in other regions.
External: Collaborate with host
country government health ministries, other national and international NGOs,
UN Agencies, USAID and EU missions, local bilateral institutions, other
funding agencies, WHO, local and US Catholic agencies.
Qualifications:
· Advanced
degree in nutrition, public health, Society and Behavior Change or
health-related field.
· Minimum
of 10 years experience in international health development either as a
technical advisor or health program manager, preferably in Africa.
· Experience
in program design/management, program quality and performance assessment as
part of ongoing efforts to improve aid effectiveness.
· Experience
applying Behavior Change Communication models.
· Experience
in community participation in development projects. Experience
with adult learning methods and tools.
· Strong
analytical skills, sound judgment and the capacity to think and plan
strategically.
· Excellent
leadership and coordination skills and capabilities with high level of
personal motivation and initiative.
· Strong
interpersonal skills, including cultural sensitivity and taking initiatives
to create an environment of dynamic professional communications.
· Solid
monitoring and evaluation skills.
· Ability
to work with local church, and experience collaborating with local NGOs
preferred.
· A
good team player and ability to effectively work well in a multi-cultural
environments.
· Fluency
in oral and written communication French and English, including
representation, liaison and negotiation skills.
· Computer
literacy and familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint
presentations, and Excel spreadsheets and budgeting. Experience
with SPSS, STATA, or other statistical analysis program.
· Willingness
to travel extensively and at short notice.
Travel:
The position will be based in Bujumbura, Burundi. Working
from a home-base that allows for frequent travel to CARO is negotiable. The
position will require extensive travel (at least 40%) throughout Central
Africa and trips to CRS headquarters in Baltimore, as necessary.
Disclaimer:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the
skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
EOE/M/F/D/V
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