Marie Stopes Reproductive Health Promotion Coordinator (Job for South Sudanese Only)

Reproductive Health Promotion Coordinator 
(Position for South Sudanese Only) 

Job Framework

Marie Stopes International Southern Sudan (MSI SS) is a results-oriented Social Business, which uses modern management and marketing techniques to provide family planning and reproductive healthcare.

MSI SS goal is to meet the needs of underserved people and dramatically improve access to and use of family planning and other reproductive health services. MSI SS is part of Marie Stopes International’s Global Partnership, which operates in over 40 countries worldwide.

The primary responsibility of this role is to further MSI Sudan’s partnership mission of: enabling individuals to have children by choice not chance.

It is a role requirement that the job holder must fully comply with, promote and live MSI Core Values
  • Mission driven
  • Customer focused
  • Results orientated
  • Pioneering
  • Sustainable
  • People Centred
  • Team work
Job Title: Reproductive Health Promotion Coordinator 
Location: Mankien PHCC, Unity State, Southern Sudan

Reporting to: Programme Manager, Unity State

Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension

Probationary period: 3 months

The Reproductive Health Promotion (RHPC) has 2 key responsibilities:

The RHPC is responsible for the implementation of the health promotion component of MSI’s Basic Services Fund project in Unity State.

The job holder ensures that the project achieves its health promotion and outreach objectives through timely, well-planned implementation of its work plan.

Working closely with the programme Manager, the post holder also provides advice, guidance and support to MSI programmes to increasing awareness and uptake of MSI SS services through Behavioural Change Communication Strategies; working with Reproductive Health Promoters.

Based at Mankien PHCC, the Health Promotion Coordinator will report to the Programme Manager. This is a mid level management position where the candidate is expected to demonstrate dynamism and organisational management skills.

Responsibilities

1. BSF Unity State Health Promotion

1.1 Development of health promotion materials and training
  • Review existing health promotion messages and materials and adapt for appropriate use in Unity state, translating to local languages if necessary;
  • Conduct task analysis for Household Health Promoter role and design training curricula to prepare them for their role of disseminating child survival and RH messages, and distribution of basic health commodities.
1.2. Management of 26 household health promoters (HHPs)
  • In consultation with Programme Coordinator, develop package of motivational incentives, terms and job descriptions for Household Health Promoters.
  • Recruit and line manage 26 HHPs, ensuring gender equity and representation from diverse age and social groups (2 per health facility or outreach location).
  • Develop work plans for HHPs and ensure that they undertake community mapping and make an average of 20 household visits per working day, thereby ensuring the project target of 22,800 households visited on a bimonthly basis is met.
  • Put in place mechanisms for effectively communicating with team members ensuring that the approaches used provide opportunities for two-way discussion. Promote a feedback culture within the team.
  • Recognise HHPs who deliver on their objectives, in consultation with the Programme Coordinator, through bonuses and other team member recognition schemes.
  • Conduct regular announced and unannounced supervision visits to the field to monitor performance of HHPs.
  • Ensure accurate records are kept of performance of the health promotion component, in particular tracking number of household visits and number of referrals from community to health centres, to feed into project monitoring and evaluation.
1.3. Capacity building of village health committees and local NGO partner
  • Plan and organise training of 130 Village Health Committee (VHC) members (10 per VHC), including 50% women and 50% men who will participate in training on community mobilisation, Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and gender equality.
  • Promote community involvement in and ownership of project activities to ensure that there is a link between service provision and community demand for services.
  • Support Village Health Committees to undertake demand generation activities in order to increase client flows to achieve or improve on project projections of client visits.
  • Support local NGO partner to take over and sustain community mobilisation and demand generation activities.
1.4. Operational Management
  • Budgetary control: Manage the expenditure under the health promotion component of the budget, with necessary controls in place to govern cash advances and reconciliation.
  • Equipment and supplies management: Ensure that supplies are securely stored, controlled and accurately recorded.
  • Security: Ensure that HHP team members are familiar with and comply with the organisation’s security policy.
  • Other responsibilities: Any other duties to assist the Programme Coordinator
2. MSI SS Reproductive Health Promption Support

2.1 Promoting our Services through Reproductive Health Promoters
  • Working closely with the Social Marketing Manager, provide technical assistance to MSI Programmes to recruit, train, support and supervise their teams of RHPs to carry out Behavioural Change Communication, generate demand and provide referral for services.
  • Ensure that the activities of RHPs reach our target groups with SRH messages.
  • Develop high quality events, materials (e.g. leaflets, posters, flyers) that inspire existing and potential clients to use our services.
  • Monitor impact of promotion initiatives on service uptake.
2.2. Behaviour Change Communication
  • Work with the Social Marketing Manager to develop innovative approaches to changing individual behaviour and attitude towards MSI S/SS core services – especially long-term and permanent contraception and post-abortion care.
  • Study and trial new communication models and tools that segment the market, with particular attention on hard-to-reach and low-service-uptake contexts – these will often be rural communities, below the poverty line.
  • Design and implement high-impact training programmes for Reproductive Health Promoters to be effective communicators that promote MSI S/SS objectives.
Person Profile

Qualifications
  • Diploma in Midwifery or Nursing a MUST and must be registered with relevant council
  • Health Education qualification is desirable
  • Minimum of 3 years international experience in implementing of reproductive health care programs in a developing country, for an international NGO, preferably in programs in complex emergency or post-conflict settings
Knowledge
  • Knowledge of primary and reproductive health care essential
  • Knowledge of data collection in rural settings desirable
Experience
  • Health promotion / healthcare management experience in Southern Sudan desirable
  • Communication experience desirable
  • Track record of implementing change and capacity building
Skills
  • Communication skills: to convey message clearly and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the target audience both in writing and verbally
  • Team leadership skills: effective delegation, supervision, coaching and motivation
  • Training skills
  • Excellent spoken Arabic and/or local Southern Sudanese languages are essential
Personality
  • Commands personal credibility as a team leader
  • Demonstrates persistence and resilience working in field situations
  • Is sympathetic to women seeking termination
  • A team player with self motivation and drive
  • Demonstrates personal commitment to continuing professional development
  • Must be pro-choice on reproductive health
How to apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to send a copy of their CV and concise cover letter detailing how they meet the qualifications and citing using practical examples of how they have performed the tasks and responsibilities stated.

All applications should be sent to recruitment@mariestopes.sd not later than 29st of April 2011.

Since this position is required urgently, the interviews can be called even before the closing date as long as we have received CVs from potential candidates.

Indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

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