MONTROSE is an international development project management and consultancy company providing support to clients operating in the developing world. Specialised in the sectors of health, education, rural livelihoods and private sector development, our clients include bilateral and multilateral development agencies, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other development stakeholders.
Background
The Health Pooled Fund began its third phase (HPF3) in July 2018 and is supported to run until 2023 by the British Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Government of Canada, the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and the European Union (EU). A consortium led by Crown Agents and including Montrose is responsible for managing and implementing HPF3.
HPF3 supports delivery of community level essential primary health care, secondary health care and referral health services, stabilisation of local health systems, and procurement and supply chain management of essential medical commodities. HPF3 supports services in eight out of 10 states of South Sudan: Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Unity, and Lakes.
The programme will improve the health and wellbeing of the population through increased coverage, access and utilisation of quality lifesaving health, sexual and reproductive health and nutrition services under the following five outputs:
Output 1: Delivery and increased availability/readiness of quality health services at facilities.
Output 2: Community level interventions that increase awareness, prevention and treatment of common conditions.
Output 3: Availability of safe, effective and quality essential medicines and supplies.
Output 4: Stable health systems that enhance accountability and responsive to the needs of the people.
Output 5: Funds and processes that are efficient, effective, inclusive and offer value for money.
Position summary
The Mental Health & Disability Specialist will lead specific actions across all counties in eight states to integrate mental health and disability equality throughout both service delivery and in communities – targeting institutional change and whole community transformation. This will include leading the process of technical support to the implementing partners and monitoring the impact of this response on mental health outcomes. The Mental Health & Disability Specialist will also support the institutionalisation of mental health and disabilities into relevant Ministry of Health (MoH) planning and operations. This role will include a core focus on the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and safeguarding.
Specific roles and responsibilities
· Review, amend and implement the current Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategy (with support from the GBV & Protection Specialist on GBV in particular) and plan for HPF3 that maps out areas of intervention in the eight states and builds on the achievements from HPF2. This includes mainstreaming mental health and disability interventions across the entire HPF3 programme.
- Draft and then implement a clear mental healthcare strategy and workplan which includes policies and protocols to guide the HPF3 programme and implementing partners’ (IP) work to ensure that mental health issues are addressed and mainstreamed through all IP activities.
- Oversee implementation and integration of mental health, disability and PSEA interventions as laid out in the revised GESI strategy. Ensure safeguarding is mainstreamed across interventions.
- Develop systems and indicators to monitor the availability, utilisation, and quality of mental health services, in collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team.
- Prepare a capacity building plan on mhGAP for the facilities supported by HPF.
- Conduct capacity building on mhGAP for the HPF supported hospitals through a series of support activities based on assessment findings and identify gaps for training and capacity building in mental health for health workers and IPs.
- Develop and implement a Training of Trainers (ToT) for the health workers from the various locations supported by HPF3 and conduct follow up including provision of mental health management and monitoring guidelines
- Advise on best practices and innovative approaches to improve availability, utilisation, and quality of mental health services.
- Lead the advocacy and awareness component for mental health and disability (in collaboration with the Community Engagement team).
- Engage with key stakeholders especially MoH, Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, and UNFPA to identify gaps and develop relevant materials for addressing mental health and disability issues within the health sector.
- Engage with the MoH and the health cluster on mainstreaming of activities pertaining to safeguarding, disability, mental health and PSEA.
- Engage with MoH and other stakeholders through the technical working groups to ensure key policy frameworks and strategies take into account the needs of people living with disability and excluded groups.
- Identify areas for short-term technical assistance (STTA), draft Terms of Reference for STTAs, support and monitor STTA activities throughout the duration of the engagement of the STTA.
- Provide comprehensive analysis and timely updates for inclusion in HPF reports, including but not limited to the monthly/quarterly/annual reports and provide technical responses to questions from stakeholders.
- Provide technical support and guidance to IPs to carry out mental health, disability and PSEA interventions as per their work plans and budgets, and to mainstream safeguarding throughout their delivery.
- Build capacity of implementing partners through training and mentorship.
- Develop tools including job aids, information and education communication materials, handbooks for the IPs to support in implementing mental health and disability interventions.
- Conduct field visits to the counties to provide technical support to the disability and social inclusion interventions on the ground.
- Support integration of safeguarding, mental health & disability in other programme areas such as human resources for health, maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), family planning, nutrition, infection prevention and control/water, sanitation and hygiene (IPC/WASH), and community engagement health services.
- Coordinate with county health departments to ensure that IP community interventions reach out to persons with disabilities and other excluded groups.
- Work with the M&E team to develop/review/update mental health & disability indicators.
- Regularly review achievements of mental health and disability indicators against log-frame targets and present the findings to the HPF team and during meetings with stakeholders.
- Develop M&E tools for the IPs to support in monitoring mental health and disability interventions.
- Work with the HPF M&E and contracts team to support IPs in effectively monitoring, reporting and spending on mental health and disability interventions. This includes both quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and report writing.
- Review and provide feedback on the IP quarterly progress reports.
- Work with M&E team and Operational Research Manager to identify subject areas in mental health and disability for further study and analysis.
- Advise on best practices to improve the quality of mental health and disability services, capture stories, document and share lessons learned.
- Any other tasks or responsibilities based on organisational or programming needs as assigned by the line manager.
Essential skills and qualifications
- Master’s degree in disability, social inclusion, human rights, protection or related studies. **
- At least 10 years’ experience in mental health, disability, or social inclusion.
- Familiarity with the Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP HIG) guideline.
- High standard of technical writing in English with experience of drafting reports, technical bulletins, and policy briefs.
- Good knowledge of technical delivery of health sector programmes.
- Knowledge of the development sector is essential, and knowledge of the health sector is advantageous.
- Proven experience of working with the donors that fund HPF, specifically FCDO, SIDA, Canadian Government, USAID, EU and UN agencies.
- Familiar with implementation of activities and the challenges of working in a context such as South Sudan.
- Strong communication skills and cultural awareness.
- Preferably already based in South Sudan due to travel restrictions.