COUNTRY PROGRAM MANAGER

Background

The Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP) is a regional organization providing a platform for Christian health Associations and networks in Africa. ACHAP brings together more than 40 national level faith-based networks providing health services through faith-based health facilities and programs in 32 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to share resources, establish technical working groups (TWGs), and provide ongoing training and technical assistance (TA) to its members. In addition, governments see ACHAP members as critical players and in many African countries partner with them to provide health support services, even to government facilities, and at the community level.

Position description

ACHAP is recruiting Country program managers for an anticipated immunization project Reaching and Adapting Immunization Services Effectively for Zero-Dose Children (ZDC) in the Sahel Region (RAISE 4 ZDC in Sahel). ACHAP will lead project implementation in three of the seven project countries in the Sahel region namely: Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, The project Consortium for the Gavi 5.0 EAF MC partnership is led by World Vision Inc. (WVUS), with its Consortium partners, African Christian Health Association Platform (ACHAP), Food for the Hungry (FH), and CORE Group.

“Gavi’s 2021-25 Strategy (Gavi 5.0) focuses on “leaving no one behind with immunisation”. Today, many children who do not receive any routine vaccine, “zero-dose children”, live in fragile and conflict settings, often outside of government reach. An estimated 1.3 million zero-dose children live in these settings in 12 countries across the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.” Through this project, Gavi will work with The Consortium to reach zero-dose children and missed communities in these fragile settings, which include areas plagued by conflict.

ACHAP member country offices in each of the three countries (CHAN-Nigeria, AEST-CHAD, CBCHS-Cameroon) will provide in-country leadership for the project. The PM in each country will therefore be seconded to the country office and work closely with them while coordinating with the project structure and the ACHAP secretariat office.

Key responsibilities

The Program Managers will represent RAISE 4 ZDC in Sahel in Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon to provide technical leadership in all aspects of project planning and implementation, maintain and enhance the project’s relationship with key partners and stakeholders including the Government of Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon, Ministry of Health, GAVI, UNICEF, WHO, USAID and other key donors, and partners in the Inter-agency coordinating committee towards reaching zero dose children (ZDC). In fulfilling these roles, s/he will also ensure that; a) Gavi 5.0 activities to reach ZDC address the stated project objectives, support national, regional and international immunization objectives, b) are consistent with Gavi, WHO and national immunization objectives, and c) the voice of, needs and concerns of communities, participating non-government/local organizations they serve are communicated to communities and decision-makers at all levels.

The Program Manager in coordination with Gavi 5.0 team will:

1. Guide the development of the technical priorities and strategic plan for the project, ensuring that they contribute to the quality and coverage of supplemental immunization activities, utilization of routine immunization services and activities to reach ZDC in communities and at cross-border points/movement.

2. Monitor implementation of the project annual work plan and budget.

3. Guide the development of and approve the Project and in-country partners’ work plans and budgets before they are submitted to the Gavi 5.0 headquarters staff.

4. Monitor the in-country partners’ adherence to the approved budgets and work plans and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure work plans are met within budget.

5. Monitor the field operations performed by the project and partners staff and make necessary program adjustments to ensure quality implementation.

6. Review and approve all training work plans and training curricula developed by the project technical staff.

7. Monitor training received by field staff in community-surveillance, social mobilization, communication, data collection and reporting tools and techniques and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure appropriate training is received.

8. Monitor Gavi 5.0 immunization goals and strategies; make necessary adjustments to ensure they contribute to the national and global goals and to the quality and sustainability of routine immunization services.

9. Maintain close formal and informal networking and communications with sub-national, national and international immunization partners and stakeholders, ensuring that community needs are communicated to them, and innovations lessons from Sahel Gavi 5.0 countries, technical advances, policy changes and other relevant information are communicated to all country consortium Gavi 5.0 partners/team.

10. Manage all communications with national and international stakeholders and partners working in Insert country.

11. Ensure the timely completion of monthly data updates, produce quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports, and other reports as required.

12. Produce and disseminate memos documenting the key discussion points and decisions taken at Gavi 5.0 partners meetings, and at stakeholder meetings including meetings country-led immunization technical consultative groups, Technical Advisory Group(s) etc.

13. Monitor the implementation of project monitoring and evaluation activities, including the planned Gavi 5.0 evaluations and guide the interpretation of the analyzed data.

14. Convene regular meetings with the in-country consortium Gavi 5.0 partners to share lessons learned, disseminate information, discuss challenges, solicit feedback, etc.

15. Mentor and direct the work performed by the (country) consortium project staff.

16. Preparation of briefing notes

17. Represent the interests of the country consortium Gavi 5.0 partners in meetings with Gavi and other donors and stakeholders, and report on those meetings to Gavi 5.0 headquarters staff, in-country consortium and local partners and Gavi. Documentation of the key points discussed; strategies, policies, events (e.g., reaching last mile through mobile outreach/digital, SIAs), new decisions announced; Gavi, WHO, MOH or other recommendations introduced; and a description of their implications for the project.

18. Coordinate the submission of articles to peer-reviewed journals and/or to relevant technical communities of practice, technical working groups.

19. Any other duties to advance innovations to reach ZDCs and missed communities.

Key Qualifications/Experience

• A master’s degree in public health, medicine, social sciences, management, business administration, or a related field
• Certification in Project Management will be an added advantage.
• A minimum of 8 (eight) years of professional work experience in a complex NGO environment, preferably managing major public health projects and initiatives on, preferably in child health programming.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating and establishing strong relationships with government ministries and officials, NGOs and donors, youth-led organizations, and community-based institutions
• Previous experience in fragile, conflict, and cross-border settings and experience in immunization, primary health care service delivery, vaccine supply chain management, demand creation, and community engagement/mobilization strongly preferred. Previous experience managing complex projects as a project director.
• The person must be fluent in both written and spoken English and French. (For Nigeria, French is not a requirement but fluency in local languages is an added advantage)
• Applicants need to be nationals of the country for which they are applying or be legally able to work in the said country.
• The successful candidate will be a person of integrity with excellent analytical, interpersonal, decision making, advocacy and communication skills.
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in technical staff. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint will be an added advantage.