The U.S. Mission in Accra, Ghana is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual for the position of Senior Project Management Specialist - Health System Strengthening, in the USAID/Ghana Health, Population and Nutrition Office.

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

The position is located in the USAID/Ghana Health, Population and Nutrition Office. Incumbent of this new position will serve as the Senior Health Systems Strengthening Specialist to implement key aspects of a major USAID program to improve the overall health system, with a focus on commodity logistics and supply system; health financing including the National Health Insurance System, and decentralized management of health services. The Senior Health Project Management Specialist will serve as the Ghana project manager for Deliver II, a $12 million dollar project per year. Incumbent will also provide technical support to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for an expected value of $3.3 million per year. This project requires close and delicate coordination between officials of the NHIA and the Health Population and Nutrition Office (HPNO). Incumbent will also provide advice and support for strengthening of decentralized health systems as part of several bilateral health projects, as well as Technical Assistance and oversight for USAID direct funding to several Regional Health Directorates. The specialist will represent USAID in substantive and complex discussions with senior Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service officials related to health system strengthening; s/he will be directly responsible for an annual budget of $12 million and will have significant management responsibility for at least an additional $8 million per year.

The Senior Health Systems Strengthening Specialist is supervised by the Health Systems Strengthening Advisor. S/he must exercise extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks; resolvechallenges and conflicts, and meet deadlines. The incumbent is required to work with a minimum of supervision, and in harmony with other professional and must produce high quality work and keep supervisor apprised of progress of assigned tasks.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:% OF TIME

OVERVIEW

Health system strengthening (HSS) is identified as a key component of the health portfolio in the Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). Health system weaknesses affect performance of all technical areas of the HPNO portfolio (malaria, family planning, maternal, neonatal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, TB). In particular, a dysfunctional supply chain for health commodities makes service delivery erratic; lack of coverage for health services reduces access to basic health services; poor quality of care can be addressed by tightening reimbursement guidelines of the NHIA. Weak leadership and management of health services at regional and district levels hamper availability of high quality health services throughout Ghana. The Senior Health Systems Strengthening Specialist must provide high quality project management, technical advice and leadership in HSS.

Advisor for Health Systems Strengthening:(50%)

•   Lead collaboration across numerous technical teams to identify, analyze, formulate, and implement activities to strengthen key systems (leadership, financing, logistics, and information systems) that support delivery of high quality health services.
•   Provide technical guidance to the Ministry of Health Technical Working Group for Supply Chain Management, identifying evidence-based approaches that are contextually appropriate to reform the overall Health Commodity Supply System in Ghana.
•   Provide technical guidance to the National Health Insurance Authority, identifying evidence-based approaches that are appropriate to improve coverage and adjust benefit packages, communicate changes to stakeholders, monitor performance of providers, and increase accessibility to accredited provider.
•   Provide technical guidance to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service and the Health Human Resources Observatory; identify evidence-based approaches to improve production, deployment, and performance of human resources for health in Ghana.
•   Work with the Health Office Director to manage short- and long-term technical assistance required for the successful design and implementation of activities for which S/he is responsible for; identify implementation options, make recommendations to HSS advisorand participate in the review of technical proposals for new activities under the integrated health program.
•   Coordinate with other partners and support efforts to address health system strengthening gaps and help build technical and managerial capacity within the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Performance Management Specialist:(50%)

•   Serve as the Ghana activity manager working with the Contract Officer’s Representative (based in Washington DC) to manage and monitor performance of the Deliver II project in Ghana, valued at $12 million annually, including the review and approval of annual work plans, finances, performance of local staff and consultants.
•   Serve as the activity manager working with the Health Officer to manage and monitor performance of the National Health Insurance Authority under its direct financing arrangement with USAID, estimated at $3.3 million annually including the review and approval of annual work plans, oversight of contractors, finances and verification of performance.
•   Serve as the Ghana activity manager working with the Agreement Officer’s Representative (based in Washington DC) to manage and monitor performance of various HSS instruments in Ghana, estimated at $1 million annually including the review and approval of annual work plans, finances, performance of local staff and consultants.
•   Develop and maintain the data base for relevant aspects of the Health Program’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) and its management and reporting systems; 2
document programmatic achievements for inclusion in annual reports and semi-annual portfolio reviews, including the analysis of progress toward achieving health program indicators and targets.
•   Provide technical guidance to Mission, host-country and U.S.-based counterparts on program monitoring and performance management requirements.
•   Ensure quality of performance indicator data; arrange for and oversees the conduct of validity checks or verification reviews of data collection systems and information provided by partners, in accordance with USAID policy guidance.
•   Keep abreast of challenges that affect activity progress across this portfolio, and assist partners in revising activities and plans, as necessary, in the light of changing circumstances; must be responsible for all trouble shooting with assigned grantees and implementing partners; answer a broad range of implementation questions and initiate official communications to and from assigned partners.
•   Oversee implementation of assigned activities through periodic field visits and report to team on progress, implementation challenges, and community service delivery technical assistance requirements of the Health SO.
•   Prepare reports, analyze trip reports and partner status reports, review-meeting summaries, prepare and amends Action Memoranda, MAARDs, grant program descriptions and scopes of work and accompanying budgets for assigned activities;and contribute to preparation of semi-annual activity implementation reports.
•   Perform any other duties that may be assigned.

Qualification Required & Experience

•  Masters Degree in the health sciences or health economics or public financial management, or related field is required.
•  A minimum of seven to ten (7-10) years of progressively responsible professional-level experience in public health and program management; specific experience in health commodity logistics, health financing, institutional capacity building or other relevant areas of HSS is required.

Post Entry Training:

•   PFA, AOR/COR, Financial Management Overview, OTJ in USAID program management as well as any relevant training available in-house or elsewhere.

Language Proficiency:

•   Level IV English (proficiency) is required. Skill in writing professional reports in English is required.

Job Knowledge:

•   The position (HSS) requires strong understanding of key components of health systems and different approaches to strengthen their performance; knowledge of national health policies, priorities, strategic directions and overall health priorities that are affected by these systems; extensive knowledge of Ghana’s health system structure and roles and responsibilities of different actors in Ghana and specific in-depth and good understanding of particular logistics and health system financing/health insurance systems.

Skills and Abilities:

Interested individual must have strong inter-personal skills and ability to work effectively with superiors, subordinates, colleagues and partners both inside and outside the Mission and must be a strong analytic writer and computer literate. Samples of written work may require diplomatic approach but firm in dealing with high level Ghanaian officials, from the National Health Insurance System and from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service at the national and regional levels.

Salary Range: GH ¢41,978.00 – GH ¢62,966.00 p.a. (depending on qualification and experience)

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Interested individuals should submit cover letter and curriculum vitae with references to:

Human Resources Office
American Embassy, Accra
P.O. Box GP194, Accra

by Email to:-

AccraHRO@state.gov

Closing Date: 22 January, 2014

Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

USAID/West Africa anticipates awarding one Personal Services Contract (PSC) regarding this announcement. Please note that this does not constitute any guarantee that a PSC will be awarded as result of this announcement.