Country: Ethiopia
Closing date: 17 Jun 2017
CANADEM is seeking seasoned professionals with previous relevant experience in the field of sexual and reproductive health coordination who are available for an immediate deployment to Ethiopia as a seconded expert with UNFPA.
Position Title: Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Level: P4
Duration: 3 months
Background information
While Ethiopia battles residual needs from the El Nino-induced drought, below average rains in the southern and eastern parts of the country caused by the negative Indian Ocean Dipole effect have led to new drought. Livestock deaths, water shortages and acute malnutrition are reported from the primarily affected pastoral areas. In addition, disease outbreaks and food and nutritional insecurity persist in other areas. According to the 2017 Humanitarian Requirement Document, 5.6 million people have been identified requiring emergency food assistance; and some 1.2 million children, pregnant women and lactating mothers also require supplementary feeding. Of serious concern is the predicted poor spring rain performance in southern, eastern, and north eastern areas of the country. The poor spring rain performance will lead to a significant increase in the number of Ethiopians requiring relief food assistance. It is anticipated that several million people in addition to the current 5.6 million already targeted will require relief food assistance.
In 2016 UNFPA Ethiopia CO developed its humanitarian response plan document by identifying 46 districts as priority geographical locations for its humanitarian interventions. In addition to other components of its humanitarian response, UNFPA has provided much-needed emergency RH kits, medical equipment and Iron Folate capsules for 24 Health centers and 4 Hospitals in 23 priority one hotspot woredas that benefited an estimated 413,247 women of reproductive age. In addition, 6 tents and kits were provided for establishment of 6 RH camps in hotspot woredas located in Afar and Somalie regions. Through financial contribution of donor partners, UNFPA will continue direct execution of projects for the provision of its lifesaving humanitarian responses on SRH for populations that are affected drought in the southern and eastern parts of the country covering mainly pastoralist communities in the low land areas. UNFPA's humanitarian response involves the establishment and functioning of Reproductive Health Working Group to advocate for and coordinate humanitarian
interventions of partners on the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health for which the surge capacity deployment of the SRH Coordinator is needed by UNFPA Ethiopia CO.
Major duties and responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA CO Representative and/or Head of Office, the direct supervision of the Program Analyst for Humanitarian Response, the incumbent facilitates and coordinates the rapid implementation of multi-sectoral, inter-agency SRH coordination and interventions in a humanitarian settings. Comprehensive SRH response programming in humanitarian emergencies requires skilled coordination of a range of organizations and actors from the drought affected and internally displaced communities, NGOs, government partners, UN agencies, and other national and international organizations. The SRH Coordinator's duties include: establishing and ensuring the smooth functioning of RH working group, resource mobilization, building and sustaining partnerships, strategic planning, communication, capacity development, and advocacy, and information management. The incumbent will also represent UNFPA in an inter-agency Health Cluster, Inter Cluster Coordination Meeting and other coordination forums to promote the consideration and inclusion of SRH in health cluster response plan.
SRH coordination
• Participates in the rapid assessment of the SRH needs of emergency affected population and facility based assessment on RH services to tailor UNFPA's responses.
• Based on MISP projection and rapid assessment findings, supports the implementation of MISP (Minimum Initial Service Package) for RH through implementing partners of the RH working group as well as UNFPA's direct execution.
• Oversee (with the Program Analyst for Humanitarian Response, RH/HIV Program Officer and M and E officer) the monitoring of MISP implementation.
• Explore other opportunities and entry points to deliver SRH services for specific at risk vulnerable groups affected by the crisis, e.g. persons with disabilities, solo female parents, unaccompanied adolescent girls, etc.
• Supports the training sessions on sexual and reproductive health in emergencies (for health care providers, community services officers, and security personnel).
• Assist in developing/adapting protocols for selected areas in programme coordination (such as syndromic case management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), referral for emergency obstetric care, midwifery, fistula repair, medical response to survivors of rape, counselling and family planning services, etc.).
• Shares brief meeting notes and agreed action points to the humanitarian team, assistant representative and deputy representative after attending health cluster coordination meetings and other relevant coordination platforms.
• Support COs to strengthen the implementation of MISP - sexual and reproductive health priorities and to assess progress towards achievement with technical tools and approaches, and to accelerate implementation of activities funded through CERF, UNFPA Emergency Response Fund and resources mobilized from other donors.
• Provide inputs for SitReps and other communication products, as required.
• Ensure an effective response that integrates SRH (including ASRH), GBV and data interventions
• Support SRH related development program when assistance is required
• Develop an exit strategy, which includes the transition to evidence-based, comprehensive SRH programs
Resource mobilization
• Review UNFPA's Ethiopia CO resource mobilization strategy document, the humanitarian program multi-year budget requirement framework for Emergency Reproductive Health response program and the annual humanitarian program plan to better understand and contribute to the resource mobilization effort of the CO
• Review the CO's donor mapping exercise document to better understand and enrich it through comprehensive analysis of potential donors to secure funding for Emergency Reproductive Health programming. Along with this exercise, identify donor's key result areas with in Emergency Reproductive Health response, funding windows, available funds, requirements and guidelines for funding
• Support the CO humanitarian team in developing a series of fundraising materials including project concept notes and proposals that need to be produced to secure funding
Advocacy
• With the support of other humanitarian team members, strongly advocate the establishment of SRH working group to Ethiopian Public Health Emergency Management Directorate, MoH / Maternal and Child Health Directorate and the health cluster
• Provide technical support to the development of advocacy materials on Reproductive Health issues in emergency affected populations and on the need to scale up UNFPA's Emergency RH response by taking into consideration the vulnerabilities of affected populations to various emergencies such as drought, refugee influx, flooding etc.
• Conduct advocacy to the Health Cluster on the need to prioritize Emergency Reproductive Health to ensure that adequate funding proportional to the need is obtained to support the work of partners including UNFPA's Emergency Reproductive Health programming
Partnership:
• Ensure that SRH needs (including reproductive, maternal and newborn health, family planning information and services, STIs and HIV prevention, care and treatment, and care for survivors of violence) are addressed within the Health cluster (if cluster approach is applied in the emergency context) and within OCHA Situation Reports.
• Maintain working relationship and share relevant information with UN Health Cluster
• Establish strong linkages between existing SRH and GBV programmes with regard to the health sector response for survivors of sexual violence.
Communication
• Support the CO humanitarian and communication team during the development of Communication products on UNFPA's Emergency Reproductive Health programming for use in communications with donors, partners and other stakeholders
• Maintain regular contact and collaboration with the Ministry of Health - Maternal Health Directorate, National Disaster Risk Management Coordination Commission and UNOCHA led communication group to facilitate and portray UNFPA's coordination and leadership role on Emergency RH programming and SRH Coordination
• Support the CO humanitarian and communication team during the development and / or revision of information, education and communication materials for Emergency Reproductive Health programming in community based outlets during project implementation
Monitoring and Evaluation:
• Monitor SRH assistance provided by UNFPA through implementing partners to crisis affected populations, in particular IDPs/returnees, and host communities, and ensure adequate SRH requirements are being met.
• Conduct monitoring visits, and ensure a systematic approach for tracking coverage of targeted population by UNFPA assistance in humanitarian setting.
• Submit quarterly performance report to the Representative and deputy representative.
Capacity Development
• Provide technical assistance to CO staffs, newly recruited staff and consultants, where appropriate
• Coach and build capacity of staff members and staff of implementing partners responding to emergency/humanitarian crisis, as needed
Any Other Duties
• Perform any other duties as required by the Representative, Deputy Representative, Assistant Representative and the Program Analyst for Humanitarian Response
Qualifications and Skills required:
• Advanced university degree in medicine, public health, midwifery, or nursing
• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in SRH program development and management and preferably in an emergency context (e.g.: implementation of the MISP).
• Field experience in complex emergencies, including humanitarian emergency response.
• Demonstrated leadership and management experience within a multinational and multicultural environment
• Ability to develop and coordinate SRH programmes that target refugees, IDPs/returnees and their host communities.
• Proficiency in English and in other official languages or the UN required/desirable.
How to apply:
If you have all of the above-mentioned skills, please register with CANADEM before contacting us. This can be done on our website at www.CANADEM.ca/register . Then send an email no later than the 17th of June, 11:59 pm EDT to pantiwa.naksomboon@CANADEM.ca with a Subject Line: "UNFPA-SRH Coordinator-Ethiopia". In your email, please include an updated resume, date of availability, your current location, and a phone number where we can reach you.