Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Contract type: Full time, fixed term contract
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Closing date: Friday, 19 March, 2021

Options seeks a Technical Officer in health systems strengthening to provide technical support to the Nepal Health Sector Support Programme (NHSSP.)

Responsibilities: 

Nepal Health Sector Support Programme (NHSSP) is a technical assistance programme to the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), funded with UK Aid, designed to support the goals of Nepal Health Sector Strategy (2015/16 - 2020/21) and contribute to the MoHP’s efforts to provide quality health services leaving no-one behind. It is implemented by a consortium led by Options, with HERD International and Oxford Policy Management.

The overall purpose of this job is to strengthen health systems at the palika level, particularly for improving the delivery of quality health services in the selected palikas. At the sub-national level, NHSSP’s main objectives are to strengthen the organisational capacities for managing the health services, and delivering on the national and local health priorities as per annual plans, particularly ensuring that LNOB goals are met. A related and important goal for NHSSP at the palika level is to also document and share the lessons from the support provided to local health systems.

The Technical Officer – Health Systems Strengthening will provide technical support to the local health office and relevant palika officials, in the designated palika. The Technical Officer, in consultation and close coordination with the NHSSP team based at the provincial level, will work to support the local level to align relevant health policies, strategies, frameworks, and programmes with those provided by the MoHP, MoSD and other concerned government entities overseeing the health sector programmes. They will also support the local health office and relevant palika officials to effectively implement and monitor these various policies/strategies/frameworks/programmes.

Person specification: 

To be successful in this role, you will have: 

• Master’s degree in Public health, nursing, or a relevant social science subject, or Bachelor's degree In Public health, nursing or relevant social sciences subject with substantial experiences
• Minimum of 3 years of work experience in relevant field
• Previous work experience at sub-national level
• Good knowledge of MNH and SRH/FP issues, in any of the NHSSP thematic areas (Leadership and Governance, Data for Decision-making, Coverage and Quality of Health Services, GESI)
• Familiarity with the planning and budgeting process in the health sector
• Good understand of the operations of the GON, MoHP and familiarity with all spheres of government
• Familiarity with major programme components in the health sector and ongoing reform process
• Excellent writing skills in English and Nepali
• Self-starter, able to work independently or as part of a team
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Excellent planning and organising skills
• Strong internal and external communication and facilitation skills
• Willingness to travel across districts and local levels as per the requirement of job responsibility
• A commitment to the programme’s and NHSSP’s principles of Safeguarding, Do No Harm, and to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights
• The right to work in Nepal