The overall purpose of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is to preserve life and alleviate suffering, while protecting human dignity and seeking to restore the ability of people to make their own decisions. MSF accomplishes this through the provision of medical aid and a personal commitment to act as witness to events surrounding populations in danger. This work is essentially performed in periods of crisis, when a situation is no longer held in balance and the very survival of a population may be threatened. The underlying basis for realising MSF’s objectives is respect for medical ethics, humanitarian principles, human rights and international humanitarian law.
The Public Health Department (PHD) of Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) supports the overall purpose of MSF, providing medical and public health leadership for the organisation. The department is responsible for providing strategic direction and integrated advice on medical and public health issues to the field and headquarters. The PHD plays a key role in developing and maintaining the medical humanitarian identity and image of MSF-OCA, and in continuing to develop and improve intervention strategies so as to be relevant and effective. PHD includes generalist Health Advisors (based in Amsterdam and Berlin) and clinical and public health specialists (based in Amsterdam, Berlin and London) providing expertise across a range of medical specialties. In the coming years we are moving towards a more globally based support model.
MSF OCA wish to deliver a health programming approach that respects and involves patients and their carers role in their managing their own health. This incudes, meaningful engagement with patients and communities, raising awareness of how MSF services are viewed by our target populations and how can we adapt our interventions to a way that best fits the needs we are striving to address.
Effective immediately the OCA Public Health Department of Médecins Sans Frontières is looking for a:
Health Programming Advisor
(50% field, 50% HQ)
Based from a global MSF office location, terms negotiable
This position plays a key support role in contextualising person centred care programming in OCA mission locations. There is already strong experience in tailored programming, we wish to expand this approach and increase the level of patient / carer/ community engagement. Providing guidance to missions on how to ensure the best available approach is taken for a particular target population by respecting their views and expressed needs. This includes guidance on when a ‘one size fits all approach’ for a large, rapid response may outweigh a more tailored solution and when / how we can transition better between different approaches.
We are looking for an MSF experienced health profile with public health programming experience.
· Field and HQ based position, HQ placement must be within a global MSF office, location is negotiable
· Member of the Public Health Department (PHD) of MSF-OCA
· Reports to the Medical Director (Amsterdam based)
To support OCA field missions to adapt new and current ‘medical strategies’ towards a person centred care health approach, that is contextually appropriate and delivers safe, quality healthcare from the perspective of those involved. To provide support to all aspects required to reach this goal, technical steering, training and ongoing support to ensure smooth implementation is lead by field teams.
1. Deliver a conceptual framework for health programming approach in MSF OCA that can be adapted for different concepts
· Drawing from existing best practice principals for person centred care
· Adapated to MSF and low resource settings
· Identify key principals for OCA in person centred care given the wide breath of this domain
· Link with other MSF sections to have a coordinated approach within the MSF movement
2. Guide Medical Coordinators and Health Advisors to review and adjust their current strategy towards a health programming approach within his/her designated country portfolio
· Through field visits guide projects towards a person centred approach in health programming.
· Work in conjunction with relevant medical specialists supporting and other health programming teams (primary and secondary health care and healthcare management) to ensure the delivery of services is evidence based and meets MSF standards of care
· This position will work closely with peers skilled in anthropology, behaviour change training implementation and field teams.
· Advise on a feasible timeframe and steps needed to achieve and then monitor the impact (MEAL approach), building on the M&E approaches developed by the Epidemiology and Public Health and HIS teams, and working in conjunction with them.
· Identify key champions of this approach in mission, especially national staff, to ensure continuity of the approach taking into account the challenges of providing continuity with a rotating international staff workforce
· Encourage and support field teams to consider innovation initiatives to improve health programming.
3. Provide implementation support in support with other colleagues
· On-site and remotely support field teams to implement over a realistic timeframe for staff and patients
· Support different remote support mechanisms based on field needs and advancing technology
· Develop routine indicators in conjunction with the relevant specialists to monitor the impact of the programming choice
4. Support and training to re-orientating our service delivery approach
· Facilitate context specific training for missions on the broad range of person centred care health programming, linking with external networks as required
· Facilitate awareness on the basic principles of this approach and communication strategies around the choice of services and the approach of delivery
· Facilitate training for staff on how to achieve and monitor programme delivery to ensure safety, quality of care and desired impact is achieved
· Link with community engagement and health promotion teams in OCA and MSF to ensure a coordinated approach
5. Other general duties and responsibilities
· Attend PHD meetings - monthly meetings and block days
· Facilitation and engagement in relevant Operational Research and remain up to date of developments in this area
PROFILE
· A health profile (medical or nursing) with 2-3 years MSF field experience and maters of higher qualifications in public health
· Experience in Medical Coordination or Health Advisor positions are preferred due to experience in low resource setting needs assessments and programme strategies.
· Experience guiding and influencing programme decision makers and working in a multi-displinary team
· Good knowledge and a keen interest to support professional learning, training and implementation styles in different global locations
· Good analytical and communication skills are essential as well as an excellent command of the English language (oral and written communication), French and Arabic an asset;
· Willing to travel up to 50% of time to field and MSF OCA office locations
WE OFFER
· A contract for 1 year based on a fulltime appointment in salary grade 7 (with a gross monthly salary between € 3360,- and € 4798,- (in the case of an Amsterdam based contract) depending upon relevant professional experience and based upon a 40-hour working week). Depending on where the base location will be (an MSF office) the local salary scale will be taken into account.
· This is a 50% field based and 50% office based position
· A premium free pension and 30 holidays (in case of a Dutch contract. In case of another contract, the local arrangements will apply)
· A challenging position in an international working environment
This vacancy is archived.