MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES **
A. STRATEGIC AND TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP 50%
● The incumbent serves as a high-level advisor to USAID/KEA's HPN Office and Mission leadership on maternal and child health and reproductive health. This includes providing vision, strategic direction, and leadership and taking prime responsibility for identifying new potential in the design and implementation of all projects*/*activities in the portfolio ensuring they meet the goals’ and objectives of the Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and the USAID, Health Population and Nutrition integrated program, whilst responding to Government of Kenya priorities and strategies.
● This portfolio includes technical areas such as family planning, reproductive health, maternal infant and young children’s health and its integration with nutrition, HIV, malaria, water, sanitation and hygiene in collaboration with the water sector and agricultural sector. This role forms an integral part of Family Health’s mandate to contribute to the reduction of infant and child morbidity and mortality in Kenya as part of HPN’s integrated program.
● The Jobholder carries out a full range of consultative, advisory, strategic, coordinating, planning and evaluation responsibilities related to the assigned portfolio. Contributes to the development of USAID policy and programs in KEA in the area of reproductive health, maternal infant and child health. The Specialist is ultimately responsible for overseeing development and management of all Family Health Team’s, Reproductive Health, Maternal Infant and Child Health Team acquisition and assistance mechanisms.
● The incumbent keeps abreast of current and new health systems issues affecting the Maternal, infant and child health and reproductive health portfolio emerging from USAID/Washington and the Government of Kenya’s health sector and provides recommendations on options for shaping USAID/KEA’s integrated programing approaches in support of USAID Global Health Strategic Priorities. The incumbent represents USAID at the highest government and donor levels.
● Articulates USAID maternal, infant and child health, family planning, and reproductive health strengthening vision and strategic priorities to GOK and other development partners including donor agencies and private sector providers, leads in the alignment and harmonization with national and global best practices for the achievement of sustainable strategies to facilitate medium to long-term impact of activities, providing technical direction and capacity strengthening, monitoring progress toward key milestones and recommending program course corrections as needed for interventions at national and county levels.
● The Jobholder keeps abreast of current and new MCH/RH issues, interprets and advises the Office and Mission on implications and implementation options to maximize programmatic opportunities (as strategic and cost-effective) within KEA's integrated programming environment.
● Develops and sustains high level relationships with senior GOK, respective development partners and private sector leaders to advocate, introduce and expand policies and programming that promote family and reproductive health through evidence-based interventions, promote the development of sustainable improvements, and to incorporate new technologies into the national and USG integrated MCH/RH health program.
● Provides strategic and technical leadership to build systems and capacity of Kenyan entities to ensure effective and efficient delivery of critical family planning interventions and MCH/RH initiatives at national and county levels utilizing a health system strengthening approach.
● Incumbent provides leadership and direction on scientific policy and practices associated with MCH/RH and family planning programs at the government and county levels to ensure sustainability of all USAID-supported interventions through the integrated program approach of the HPN Office activities.
● The incumbent serves as a high-level public health advisor on maternal and child health, family planning, and reproductive health to USAID/KEA, keeping abreast of current and new health systems issues affecting the portfolio emerging from USAID/Washington and provides recommendations on options for shaping USAID/KEA’s MCH/RH programs in support of the agency’s Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths Strategy, USAID Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Global Health Strategic Priorities of Creating an AIDS-Free Generation, and Protecting Communities from Infectious Diseases.
● The incumbent directly supervises the Maternal and Child Health and Reproductive Health Team technical staff.**
B. REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION 25%
● The Jobholder represents USAID in coordinating MCH/RH efforts with Government of Kenya officials, implementing partners, other development partners, and private sector organizations and providers.
● As the MCH/RH Specialist, represents USAID/Kenya and the broader USG health community at national and international meetings and technical working groups, including: leading internal and external meetings on issues related to USAID KEA health programs/projects/activities, with emphasis on all elements related to maternal and child health, family planning, and reproductive health; representing USAID/USG at relevant technical and steering committee meetings, such as the Inter-agency Coordinating Committees, and serving on Technical Working Groups; maintaining an extensive range of senior and mid-level GOK official contacts, such as the County Governors and County Health Leaders, MOH Chief Administrative Secretary, the Principal Secretary, Director General National Council of Population and Development, and Heads of Department in MOH. The Specialist also works with senior representatives from other development parties, civil society, academia, private sector and NGOs and senior USAID and USG staff. Serving as the one of the lead USAID KEA technical representative to the relevant PEPFAR interagency technical teams, ensuring strategic coordination among USG health teams and integration of HIV and maternal infant and young child programs as well as reproductive health. Coordination with the GOK, IPs, and other development partners such as UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, NHIF, DfID, Gates Foundation and CHAI is critical to align external investments in the health sector with GOK priorities.
● The Specialist provides technical assistance to support the MOH in the development, review and monitoring of relevant strategies and polices through the MOH structure of interagency technical committees and working groups.
● The Jobholder uses diplomatic skills and technical acumen to provide senior policy, strategic, and technical advice, guidance, and to influence the Ministry of Health in their strategic decisions and policy formulation to strengthen MCH/RH programs and initiatives, including transparency and accountability, and encourage KEA to take concrete steps in their overall journey to self-reliance.
C. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORTING 25%
● The Jobholder supervises the management of field support activities and programming related to family planning, maternal and child health, and reproductive health, including planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation. Takes the lead in designing new activities, takes the prime responsibility for identifying new potential USAID-supported activities for MCH/RH initiatives, designing services in conjunction with partners, obtaining approval by all concerned parties, and coordinating targeted efforts.
● Seeks opportunities to implement strategies that enhance efficiency, innovation, and research to ensure the sustainability of the MCH/RH programs in KEA and reduce USAID costs by improving efficiencies.
● The Jobholder champions MCH/RH program requirements, performance standards objectives, and related funding to other USG agencies to ensure required MCH/RH budgets are included in the COP, MOP and OP.
● The Jobholder is a member of Activity Monitoring Teams that review select HPN implementing partner work plans to ensure procurement forecasting and planning is appropriate. Oversees the implementation of MCH/RH activities and provides technical leadership and direction to ensure that all implementing partners are well coordinated and that scale-up of activities are successfully implemented in targeted counties and health zones.
● Supports development of indicator and performance monitoring plans for MCH/RH partners and FP/MCH/RH portfolio related activities. Monitors progress according to these plans. Ensures FP/MCH/RH partners and portfolio activities are carried out in accordance with USAID directives and in collaboration with other PEPFAR programs.
● Along with other HPN and Mission (as appropriate) Specialists, actively supports management and program integration opportunities in strategic and cost-effective ways, with a focus on strengthening activities across all sectors. As needed, may assume project management activities roles such as being a Contracting or Agreement Officer Representative (COR/AOR) or Activity Manager for cooperative agreements, grants, and contracts.
● The Jobholder supports the development and technical reviews of the MCH/RH program sections in the annual Country Operating Plan, the Semi- and Annual Reports, Congressional Presentations, Portfolio Review, Performance Monitoring Plan, and other key documents.
● The Jobholder will take an active role in developing specific Agency program goals and objectives for MCH/RH initiatives. This includes collaboration on initiatives proposed in country operational plans, annual work plans, and regular progress reports related to the delivery of services and system improvements. Prepares directives, memoranda, policy statements and proposals to introduce new initiatives and to recommend effective operations consistent with strategic objectives of the Annual OP and other USAID Washington mandates as well as and the Agency’s health program in Kenya and throughout the East Africa region.
● The Jobholder will ensure that all program documentation meets both USG requirements and audit inspection standards. Ensures that documentation of USAID activities is prepared with input from other USG Team members and implementing partners; and is submitted in a timely fashion to the relevant Mission Offices for approval before submission to, USAID/W, with adequate time for review and clearance.
● Working with the Family Health Team, the Jobholder performs budget formulation including preparing detailed analyses and estimates of annual USAID funding needs for one or more future budget years of funding. Monitors program obligations, commitments, expenditures, and results against targets in MCH/RH-related programs. Ensures that the budget system is used effectively as an evaluating tool in measuring program performance and effectiveness.
POSITION ELEMENTS
a. Supervision Received: The Maternal Child Health and Reproductive Health Specialist will work under the general supervision of the USAID/KEA Family Health COE Director. The incumbent works independently, takes initiative, and manages a very large results package for strengthening the Kenyan MCH/RH programs. Most assignments are self-generated, and occur in the normal course of the work, but the incumbent determines those that must be coordinated with the supervisor. The supervisor provides an overall general direction and results to be achieved. Completed work is accepted as technically correct, and the overall assignment is reviewed in terms of results achieved.
b. Supervision Exercised: The position supervises up to eight (8) professional staff members, providing supervision, leadership, mentorship, and guidance.
c. Available Guidelines: Available guidelines include USAID Mission Orders, Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), bilateral agreements, Agency procedures and regulations, and other relevant reports; the Automated Directives System (ADS); and, USAID Mandatory and Standard Provisions, the FAR and AIDAR, PEPFAR specific directives and guidelines, the Country Operational Plan (COP) and Malaria Operational Plan (MOP) guidance which include technical guidance, and other published and unpublished guidelines that inform the programming of Family Health Funds. Guidelines are often general in nature and not specific to the situation at hand, requiring the incumbent to exercise considerable interpretation.
d. Exercise of Judgment: The incumbent is given substantial latitude in planning and executing work assignments, and is thus required to exercise extensive judgment, including the specific approach to be taken, the resolution of problems and conflicts, and meeting of deadlines. Substantial judgment (discretion) is used daily in giving technical guidance to USG, USAID, and GOK colleagues, to IPs, and in representing USAID in multi-stakeholder fora, including the highest levels of the Embassy and GOK. Management decisions over certain IPs are at the discretion of the incumbent. Independent judgment is required for developing, implementing, and managing assigned program/project activities, for reporting, and for other assignments. The incumbent serves as the senior MCH/RH lead, and therefore substantial judgment is required in analyzing and determining whether to recommend approval of proposed programs/projects, activities, and engagements, in choosing among alternative proposals, and while evaluating data for reliability.**
e. Authority to Make Commitments: Authorized to make all commitments necessary to guide USAID portfolio within the scope of assigned duties and responsibilities. This position takes actions and establishes priorities based on USAID, PEPFAR guidelines and his/her professional judgment. The incumbent may act as COR/AOR and takes administrative, technical arrangements with respect to ADS, Mission, PMI, and OGAC directives and regulations.
f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent maintains contacts and works within USAID and with other USG personnel within the region; with considerable interaction with USAID/Washington Global Health and Africa Bureau staff, to obtain and provide information relative to programs and activities and to participate in technical and policy working groups pertaining to the assigned portfolio. Official contacts include USAID/Washington technical staff and other high-ranking USG representatives, including high level officials in the US Embassy, other USG agencies and bilateral and regional missions in the process of managing project activities and explaining and defending USAID policies, objectives and procedures, and to transmit and interpret counterpart concerns to senior USAID officials. He/she will also work closely with senior officials in the national and county governments of Kenya, development partners, implementing partners, Regional Intergovernmental Organizations, academia, the private sector and other civil society entities. Frequent and substantive personal contacts with mid- and high-level officials of the provincial and local governments, and with the private sector, are for the purpose of explaining and defending USAID policies, objectives, and procedures, and to transmit and interpret GOK counterpart, county and local-level, and private-sector attitudes and concerns to senior USAID officials.
g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.**
This vacancy is archived.