Position: Senior Technical Officer (Health)
Number of Positions: 5
Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening
Location: Rupandehi, Nawalparasi (west), Kapilvastu, Banke, Bardiya, Dang and Pyuthan of Lumbini Province
Type: Full-time
Reports to: Province Head, with technical reporting to provincial health specialist and Programme Management Unit (PMU)
Start Date: 01 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor)
End Date: 31 March 2026

ORGANIZATION PROFILE

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory firm that works with governments, international development partners, and the private sector to deliver long-term, transformative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Operating across more than 30 countries, ASI specialises in governance, economic reform, climate resilience, and inclusive development - applying rigorous analysis, technical expertise, and locally led strategies to achieve sustainable impact.

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services.

This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Technical Officer - STO (Health) will serve as a technical advisor for Local level Governments of Rupandehi, Nawalparasi (west), Kapilvastu, Banke, Bardiya, Dang and Pyuthan of Lumbini Province of Lumbini Province, providing embedded technical assistance to the local level governments in the implementation of health-related components of the programme. S/he will work to strengthen the capacity of local level governments in health planning, budgeting, effective service delivery, quality of services andmonitoring. S/he will provide strategic and technical guidance to foster inclusive, equitable, and evidence- informed health governance.

The Senior Technical Officer (Health) will emphasise on collaborative engagement to build resilient, responsive, and sustainable health services that address the diverse needs of the population while enhancing accountability and ownership at the local level. S/he will require to work in close collaboration with the elected representatives of the local government, municipal health officers, frontline health workers, and provincial counterparts to improve health planning, budgeting, service delivery, and monitoring at the cluster level.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Technical Support and Health System Strengthening (60%)

• Provide continuous, evidence-based technical assistance to local-level governments and health sections in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of municipal health interventions, with a focus on enhancing service delivery and institutional performance.
• Support review, and refinement of Local Health Plans (LHPs), including the development of governance systems, realistic and equity-oriented budgets, performance targets, and resource mobilisation strategies.
• Facilitate the effective implementation of essential health service packages, with particular emphasis on respectful and quality service delivery in women’s health.
• Promote the institutionalisation and routine use of local health governance instruments—such as planning guidelines, service quality protocols, and accountability frameworks—aimed at strengthening municipal health systems.
• Provide technical inputs and backstopping to health and other thematic teams operating across clusters and local governments, as needed and in response to emerging programme priorities.

Coordination and Government Engagement (15%)

• Serve as a technical liaison between the Samartha programme and the local level governments, ensuring coherent integration of programme objectives within local health systems and governance structures.
• Support local governments in establishing and maintaining effective coordination mechanisms with provincial and federal health institutions, particularly in areas of reporting, supervision, and performance review.
• Facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration among relevant sections working in education, WASH, women, children and social development, planning, finance, resilience — to foster integrated, multisectoral responses to community health needs.
• Coordinate the strengthening and expansion of gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response mechanisms, working closely with One-Stop Crisis Management Centres (OCMCs) and relevant stakeholders at provincial and local levels.
• Assist municipal governments in aligning their health programming and strategic priorities with overarching national and provincial health policies and strategies, thereby reinforcing policy coherence and implementation commitment.
• Facilitate coordination between the Samartha’s federal technical team and provincial/ cluster/ municipal stakeholders to promote effective communication and shared understanding.
• Support joint planning, implementation reviews, and learning dialogues with provincial and local stakeholders.
• Coordinate with other British Embassy Kathmandu funded programmes and with other development partner programmes 

Evidence Use, Innovation and Learning, and Adaptive Management (15%)

• Strengthen local health information systems through technical assistance in data collection, validation, and utilisation, with a particular focus on enhancing the functionality and completeness of the Health Management Information System (HMIS) and related reporting platforms.
• Facilitate regular review and interpretation of key health indicators, including service coverage and quality metrics, at the municipal level to support evidence-informed planning, prioritisation, and performance monitoring.
• Promote and institutionalise data use in decision-making processes by integrating routine data, survey findings, and community feedback into the municipal health planning cycle and budgetary processes.
• Lead the documentation of implementation experiences, including good practices, innovations, and systemic challenges, to support adaptive programming and the continuous refinement of intervention strategies based on real-time evidence.
• Support digitalisation efforts aimed at improving health data management and accessibility, including the deployment and effective utilisation of electronic systems for tracking service delivery, human resources, and commodities.
• Collaborate with the IEL team to monitor the effectiveness and inclusiveness of health sector interventions, and support course correction as needed.
• Prepare regular technical reports that assess progress against predefined programme milestones and deliver a nuanced analysis of implementation barriers, bottlenecks, and enabling factors at the ground level, including actionable recommendations for course correction.

Capacity Building and Community Engagement (10%)

• Identify capacity and service delivery gaps at the municipal and facility levels through structured assessments and stakeholder consultations.
• Strengthen the competencies of municipal officials, health facility staff, and governance bodies through targeted training and peer learning.
• Support for regular mentoring and on-the-job coaching to frontline health workers to improve clinical practices and foster respectful, responsive, and inclusive care.
• Conduct sensitisation sessions for service providers and facility-level actors on their role in promoting equitable, gender-sensitive, and rights-based health services.
• Sensitise and capacitate actors at health service delivery points on how to effectively articulate and advocate for their priorities within local government planning, budgeting, and decision-making processes, thereby strengthening accountability and responsiveness.
• Facilitate participatory platforms—such as HFOMCs, community dialogues, and social audits—to strengthen accountability and local ownership.
• Promote integration of gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles across capacity development and service delivery efforts.
• Support the development and contextualisation of technical tools, operational guidelines, and training materials that reflect the needs and realities of subnational health governance in Lumbini.
• Undertake any other tasks as assigned to support the effective delivery of the Samartha programme in Lumbini Province.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Professional Background

• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Policy, or a related field
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in public health programme implementation, preferably in federal context of Nepal
• Proven experience of working with local level governments across diverse set of stakeholders and knowledge of Nepal’s health governance structure
• Prior experience with donor-funded programmes focusing women’s health and health system strengthening is highly desirable

Skills and Competencies

• Strong technical knowledge of health systems, policy frameworks, and delivery mechanisms.
• Robust field-level experience in current governance, health systems strengthening, quality of care and programme implementation at the subnational level.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to interpret health data and inform decision-making
• Proven skills in stakeholder coordination, policy engagement, and technical advisory
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences
• Excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills in English and Nepali; knowledge of local languages (e.g., Tharu, Awadhi or Bhojpuri) is an advantage

Other Requirements

• Based in Lumbini Province with extensive travel to local governments and health care facilities
• Flexible to be assigned to another cluster of Lumbini province as and when required
• Strong commitment to inclusive development, local ownership, and equitable health service delivery
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments
• Candidate with a valid driving license is a distinct advantage.

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR)

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.