CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Tiyatien Health
Country: Liberia
Closing date: 02 Mar 2015

Community Health Specialist - Health Systems Policy and Planning

ABOUT LAST MILE HEALTH

Founded by survivors of Liberia’s civil war, Last Mile Health (LMH) (known in Liberia as Tiyatien Health) is committed to saving lives in the world’s most remote villages. Working in remote jungle communities cut off from even basic life-saving health services, LMH is building a health system that reaches everyone—by bringing health care to villagers’ doorsteps. LMH trains community members to be health practitioners for their villages and connects them with rural health clinics to offer every person access to the care they deserve. These Frontline Health Workers are able to prevent, diagnose, and treat the top ten most life-threatening health conditions. LMH plans to leverage this experience to help the Liberian government design, deploy and sustain a national network of community health workers that can have a transformative impact on maternal and child health outcomes in remote communities.

Over the past six months, an unprecedented Ebola outbreak has demonstrated that weak, inequitable health systems leave everyone vulnerable. To match a historic crisis with an historic response, LMH is launching a significant expansion of the organization’s rural healthcare model, integrated with a package of Ebola treatment and health facility strengthening efforts across the southeast. This project aims to deploy a comprehensive health system—from life-saving essential primary care services in remote communities to inpatient Ebola treatment and tertiary care in health facilities—and to work with the Liberian government to sustain that system and expand it to the rest of the country in the coming years.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

LMH is building a health systems policy and planning team, based in Liberia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) in Monrovia. This team will provide technical support to the MOHSW to marshal a comprehensive Ebola outbreak and transition response that strengthens the overall health system in the long-term for everyone’s benefit – no matter where they live. LMH will help the MOHSW rationalize funding from major international donors to ensure it benefits Liberians living in remote villages. LMH will help design and implement a nation-wide Community Health Worker program and ensure national health system improvements are realized at the community level. To achieve this, a health systems policy and planning team consisting of highly-motivated, diplomatic, and experienced specialists will provide technical advice to MOHSW officials, support the implementation of community health programs in coordination with other NGO and institutional partners, conduct focused capacity-building projects, and provide long-term analysis and thought leadership for the Liberian public health system.

The Community Health Specialist is an experienced and thoughtful public health expert with an intimate understanding of health system challenges at the community level, as well as the benefits and limits of greater decentralization of care. This individual will play a pivotal role in partnering with senior MOHSW decision-makers and key stakeholders on the effective implementation of community health priorities, particularly the opportunity to recruit and deploy 16,000 new community health workers in Liberia.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Accompany MOHSW officials

• With members of the Health Systems Policy and Planning team, work alongside officials within the MOHSW’s Community Health Services Division to provide support for ongoing implementation and monitoring of the National Community Health Road Map.
• Provide technical expertise to the MOHSW, with the support of other Last Mile Health teams, to design policies and implement national general Community Health Volunteer (gCHV) training programs, and ensure the national iCCM plan is underway.
• With closely with the MOHSW to define a national gCHV curriculum, and design the national supervision package that includes tools and training for improved community health care delivery.
• Work closely with officials within the MOHSW’s Community Health Services Division to launch a national incentives structure.

Support the MOHSW in coordinating with key stakeholders

• Support the MOHSW in conducting coordination and planning meetings, developing implementation standards and supporting the MOHSW in establishing needed buy-in among partners.
• Work with key stakeholders within the MOHSW to map and coordinate the work of NGO and technical partners within Liberia through active support and coordination of the Community Health Technical Working Group.
• Participate in gCHV mapping activities and coordinate data collection within LMH and across partners in order to process and analyze the results.
• Support the Incident Management System (IMS) and the national Ebola response as-needed.

Analysis and thought leadership

• Provide the Health Systems Policy and Planning team with technical expertise and analysis to support advocacy efforts to direct funding towards the deployment of a national community health worker program and other key components of the Community Health Road Map.
• Drawing on guidance from the Last Mile Health program and project implementation teams, conduct analysis of key outstanding key community health priorities, particularly those protecting gains made on MDGs and present findings to MOHSW colleagues via presentations, position papers, and other communications.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Director of Health Systems Policy and Planning

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Programs team, including Medical, M&E, and Frontline Health Systems Directors, MOHSW staff and officials

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• MPH or MIA/MPA or similar degree required
• 3-5 years experience in global health and development programs; experience in community-level health systems in developing countries preferred
• Significant program design experience
• Demonstrated success and experience working with government officials, preferably providing capacity building or accompaniment services
• Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills.
• Generosity of spirit, sensitivity/diplomacy, and willingness to make sacrifices in service of the mission
• Commitment to health and social justice
• Excellent writing and communication skills, including across cultures and backgrounds
• Experience working closely with employees recruited in a post-conflict or resource-poor setting
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks at one time in time-sensitive manner
• Comfort working with a casual but high-performing team
• High degree of English fluency required

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Health System Planning Specialist will be an excellent communicator and supporter of government health officials, able to assist the MOHSW in its effort to strengthen remote and rural health systems by sharing the lessons and experiences reflected in the Last Mile Health program model. The specialist must be diplomatic, collaborative, and able to provide technical expertise and guidance through a wide range of relationships and projects.

Commitment: 40 hours/week, Minimum 12-month commitment (24 months preferred)

Location: Monrovia, Liberia

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience; housing, R&R, and medical benefits available

How to apply:

Applications accepted on a rolling basis via Last Mile Health website