Vacancies: Three (3)

Location: Birendranagar and Bheriganga Municipalities of Surkhet District and Gurans Municipality of Dailekh District, Karnali Province

Supervisor: Technical Officers - Health Systems Strengthening/Health Information Systems (HSS/HIS)

SSBH provides strategic technical support for USAID’s Health Direct Financing Project. In Karnali Province, this activity is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Health Services Directorate and selected municipalities across four districts (Surkhet, Jajarkot, Salyan and Dailekh). Technical support interventions are tailored to the needs of the province and municipalities, focusing primarily on evidence-based planning and budgeting, management and oversight for delivery of quality health services, overall strengthening of health systems, and coordination between all three levels of government for effective implementation of the government-to-government (G2G) support in health.

Under the supervision of Technical Officers - Health Systems Strengthening/Health Information Systems (HSS/HIS), the Health Systems Officer (HSO) will be responsible to support municipal health officials to plan, implement and monitor utilization of USAID’s G2G funds. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Assistance – Health Systems and Governance

• Provide support to municipal level policymakers on strategic planning and budgeting; resource allocation; annual operation calendars; budget execution; monitoring and evaluation; human resource management; and other health systems issues in relation to G2G funding.
• Collaborate with HSS/HIS and MNCH/FP Technical Officers to support the preparation and dissemination of health-related program implementation guidelines and protocols.
• Work with municipal officials to enhance governance, transparency and accountability, and citizen engagement in health service delivery and health management.
• Facilitate coordination between municipal, and district health authorities to ensure continuous supply of essential medicines, commodities, and supplies at health facilities. And provide support to inter-municipal relation and cooperation to operationalize the resource mobilization. 
• Support periodic and annual reviews and planning meetings at municipal level, ensuring Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) concepts and issues related to unreached or underserved populations are incorporated in planning and implementation of health interventions. 
• Empower Health Facility Operation and Management Committees (HFOMCs), Social Development Committees (SDCs), and Municipal Health Committee (MHCs) to make them responsible to monitor delivered health services. 
• Facilitate discussion in municipality in identifying/recognizing the health emergencies, and support them to prepare, implement, and monitor Health Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Response Plans (HEDPRP). 
• Collaborate and work together with MNCH/FP Technical officers to enhance the functionality of quality assurance mechanisms at municipal and health facility level.
• Collaborate with HSS/HIS Technical Officers to identify and strengthen municipality level clinical and non-clinical mentors for the sustainability of coaching and mentoring activities.
• Support municipalities in timely financial recording and reporting.
• Support municipalities in utilizing health information systems and software to collect, analyze, and utilize data for developing evidence-based interventions in health.
• Work closely with MNCH/FP Technical Officers to support municipalities and health facilities to identify unreached and underserved populations and develop evidence-based micro-plans to increase their access to health services.
• Develop visualization and documentation of municipal level health data (progress tracking - but not limited to, dashboards, infographics, reports, etc.) and assist municipal health sections to disseminate data through appropriate communication channels.

Program Management and Coordination

• Ensure timely and accurate documentation, recording, and reporting of project interventions in SSBH database and other platforms.
• Ensure accurate and timely submission of required technical and financial reports and deliverables, including lessons learned and exemplary practices, in relation to G2G activities.
• Actively engage with external development partners, stakeholders, and private sector service providers at district level to create synergy and reduce the duplication of work.
• Assist with the planning of project meetings, training sessions, and collecting additional information from municipal and district level as needed and assigned.
• Assist in logistical arrangements for project team travelling to their assigned municipalities.
• Represent SSBH team in selected technical working groups and planning and review meetings at district and municipality level.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, or other health relevant fields.
• At least three (3) years of relevant professional experience in enhancing health governance and/or health information systems. Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning is a plus.
• Understanding of health care delivery system in all tiers of Nepal Government, including service availability, utilization, and quality assurance.
• Experience of working with USAID programs and other health related projects preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills, good judgment and problem-solving abilities, and ability and willingness to work collaboratively as part of a high-functioning team, even in remote areas.
• Report writing, communication, and advocacy skills, including oral presentations and public speaking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office package. Experience of using statistical software (SPSS, STATA) a plus.
• Excellent written/oral skills in Nepali and English.
• Applicants who are from and/or working in Karnali Province will be given preference.   

SSBH is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and culture. Women and Individuals from minority groups and differently-abled persons are encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further selection process. Canvassing at any stage of the process shall lead to automatic disqualification.