Senior HIV/AIDS Care & Support Technical Advisor

Job Description

South Africa’s population was estimated at 52 million in the 2011 census, of who 20 million were children (under 18 years). Children therefore constitute 36% of the total population. An estimated 7 million South Africans are infected with HIV with about 3.5 million on antiretroviral treatment, the highest number of people infected and the largest treatment program of any country in the world. Approximately 7% of the total number of people living with HIV in South Africa are children under the age of 15. Further, the country is home to approximately 3.85 million orphans, the equivalent of 20% of all children in South Africa. The country is also plagued by a related tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, with the fourth highest burden in the world.

The USAID/Southern Africa Health Office manages one of the largest President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program in the world, as well as TB activities funded from USAID’s Global Health Program account. USAID/SA funding for health programs totaled about $250 million in FY 2015. The Health Office has grown rapidly from 12 staff in 2007 to 45 staff in 2016 and is organized into four teams. The Health Office collaborates closely with other agencies to implement PEPFAR, especially the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State Department, the Peace Corps and the Department of Defense. Health Office staff are active participants and often chair interagency and bilateral technical working groups on a range of health-related issues. The South Africa PEPFAR program produces almost one-quarter of all PEPFAR results globally.

The incumbent will be a member of the Care and Treatment (C&T) team, one of the four teams within the Health Office of USAID/South Africa. The incumbent will not only support clinical and public health programming within this team, but will serve as a bridge between the care and treatment team and the cross-cutting, social and health systems strenghtening and HIV prevention teams.

Position Overview:
The contractor will independently provide support services to satisfy the objectives of the USAID/Southern Africa Health Office for the country of South Africa (USAID/SA).

The primary objective is to: provide senior expert advice and recommendations and serve as the primary resource for technical guidance for USAID/SA’s HIV/AIDS care and support activities including but not limited to, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), pediatric and adolescent care, and linkages with communities for programs funded through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa as well as TB activities funded through PEPFAR and other accounts.

Duties and Responsibilities:
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Serve on interagency and the South African Government (SAG) technical working groups (TWG) to further country-wide Pediatric, PMTCT and care and support activities.
• Strengthen the capacity of South African NGOs and CBOs to provide community activities linked to public health facilities
• Oversee linkages to care and treatment support for infants, children and adolescents, including psychosocial, education and material support for them and their families.
• Serve as the point of contact for Differential Service Delivery and promote the documentation of best practices and lessons learned that can be shared at subnational, national and international fora.
• Be the point person for guidance on Pediatrics, PMTCT and Care and Support programs.
• Provide technical guidance from PEPFAR to the National Department of Health (NDOH) and implementing partners (IPs) on the development and revision of adult and pediatric care and support technical guidance policies.
• Provide technical guidance to PEPFAR partners in the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS care and support initiatives, including Pediatrics, PMTCT, TB/HIV and TB care and support.
• Support USAID’s PMTCT and C&T programs to promote access to quality HIV prevention and care services.
• Ensure the implementation of PMTCT, pediatric C&T and TB, and nutritional guidelines and provide updates and guidance for Health Team staff and IPs through periodic technical reviews.
• Develop working relationships with the IPs in-country (NGOs, CBOs, etc.) to ensure effective coordination and collaboration related to PMTCT, pediatric HIV, TB, and nutrition.
• Analyze, synthesize and disseminate methodologies, lessons learned and state of the art practices on care and support activities.
• Contribute to operations research (public health assessments) evaluating effectiveness, and identifying lessons learned and best practices of the C&T program, with a focus on differentiated care service, pediatrics, and PMTCT.
• Provide technical personnel with the latest international research findings, and knowledge of PMTCT, pediatric C&T, and TB and the implications for program implementation.
• Promote information exchange with partners, regional institutions and networks regarding effective care and support.

(B) PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Develop year-to-year in-country guidance for the preparation of the Country Operational Plan (COP) and annual Operational Plan (for TB) and contribute to the development of semi-annual report and annual report guidance for care and support activities.
• Review, analyze and synthesize COP inputs submitted by USG partners and prepare program area narratives and summaries.
• Based on COPs, make recommendations as to how partners may strengthen their, pediatric, PMTCT and Care and Support programs.
• Support implementing partners in the development and monitoring of implementation plans pediatric, PMTCT, Care and support programs

• Provide expert advice and advice on program targets, and analyze program results against targets and make recommendations for corrective action if required.

• Conduct regular site visits to review program implementation. Based on the information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to the Health Team and, as appropriate, implementing partners and government counterparts.
• Review performance reports to ensure that partners are in compliance with bilateral government agreements, and with the performance expectations outlined in their work plans and agreements with USAID. Analyze program results against targets and make recommendations for corrective action if required.
• Review, analyze and disseminate data as reported from the semi-annual and annual PEPFAR report in care and support. Make recommendations to AOR/CORs and USG agency activity managers for changes to the care and support program.
• Review partner compliance to USAID Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) policies and guidelines and make appropriate recommendations.
• Supervise Project Development Specialist, Care and Support or other staff.

• Oversee/conduct appropriate analyses of relevant quarterly data in order to strengthen activities data collection, tracking and reporting efforts.
• Based on personal observations, assessment reports, performance statistics and other available data, make programmatic recommendations to the Health Team, especially on issues related to technical areas of responsibility.
• Provide technical guidance and support to the health team and relevant activity managers and COR/AORs to enhance the provision care and support activities.

(C) COMMUNICATIONS AND DOCUMENTATION

• Promote information exchange with partners, regional institutions and networks regarding effective care and support program implementation practices.
• Provide assistance to USAID and the Interagency PEPFAR Team on the monitoring and evaluation of the outputs and impact of care and support under PEPFAR and TB programming.
• Analyze, synthesize and disseminate key “lessons learned and better practices” from partner activities; provide expert advice and recommendations to apply findings to future program and project design, strategy, project management, and measure-of-assistance impact; and prepare reports documenting these findings, ensuring that these reports are effectively communicated and disseminated.

(D) VISITORS

• Provide assistance in the development of site sheets and fact sheets for visitors.
• In conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and/or USAID Public Affairs Officers, contribute to the development of press releases, interviews, talking points or other material in preparation for or as part of Congressional Delegations, technical working group reviews or similar such visits.
• Accompany Congressional Delegations, technical working group members or similar delegations on site visits to USAID and/or PEPFAR partners.

(E) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

1. For assigned partners, ensure that COP submissions, semi-annual progress reports and quarterly and annual reports are submitted in a timely manner, meeting the standards and timelines outlined in the guidance documents.
2. USAID/South Africa Site Visit Report and Checklist, as well as related monitoring documentation (e.g., Site Improvement Monitoring System, SIMS) completed within five working days of the site visits, meetings or program reviews.
3. Provide weekly updates on Care and Support progress to USAID leadership.

(F) Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:
In order to be considered for this position a candidate must meet the Required Minimum Qualifications listed below. Consideration and selection will be based on panel evaluation of Required Minimum Qualifications, Desired Qualifications and Evaluation Factors. Additionally, interviews and writing samples may be requested. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to a resume, OF-612 to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training addresses the Minimum Qualifications and Evaluation Factors listed below:

Required Minimum Qualifications:
The minimum educational requirement is a Master’s Degree in public health, nursing, medicine, or other relevant, related fields and 5-7 years’ experience in international public health programming and/or programming and experience working in technical oversight, design, and implementation of HIV/AIDS and TB care programs in developing countries; medical doctors and Ph.D. are also encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to candidates who have international development and community-based service provision experience focusing on pediatrics, PMTCT and adolescent care.

Desired Qualifications:

1. Experience managing programs in size and scope of more than $10 million per annum.
2. Specialized knowledge and demonstrated expertise in the area of HIV/AIDS care and support including:

• HIV/AIDS clinic/home/community-based care service provision;
• Differentiated care service delivery model;
• PMTCT;
• Pediatric and Adolescent;
• Psychosocial care;
• Clinical monitoring and management of opportunistic infections and other HIV/AIDS related complications;
• Facilitating and linking to culturally appropriate care and social support;
• HIV/TB co-infection and TB community-based care and support programming;
• Nutritional information and facilitation of linkages to food security program including water, sanitation and hygiene promotion; and
• Knowledge of clinical and ethical issues involved in HIV/AIDS programming in the region.

3. Strong quantitative, analytical and reasoning skills, verbal skills and ability to communicate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical colleagues.
4. Excellent management, interpersonal and teamwork skills with experience in operating effectively in cross-cultural environment and working within an interagency setting.
5. A thorough working knowledge of U.S. Government operations, rules, regulations, procedures, policies and programs and previous relevant working experience with the USG, particularly USAID.
6. The ability to obtain the necessary security and medical clearances.
7. A high degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity, and originality to interpret technical and political opportunities and constraints.
8. Prior project budget or financial management experience.
9. Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
10. Excellent interpersonal, oral\written communication and computer skills.
11. Ability in dealing effectively and diplomatically with multiple U.S. and host-country government agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and the private sector.