Technical Advisor - OVC and Social Welfare Systems Strengthening

Job Description

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Program Advancement (PADV) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The (Integrated) Program Advancement team contributes to this by: Delivering on our promise to global quality and impact via integrated programs; Growing & diversifying our global portfolio integrating the private, public and social sectors; Promoting our work globally to influence the private, public and social sectors.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director/Deputy Director of Global Health, the Technical Advisor - OVC and Social Welfare Strengthening is accountable for working with Pact country offices to improve family-centered and child and adolescent-focused HIV and health programming and scale up interventions where needed. Specifically, in close coordination with Pact DC and country office teams, s/he will provide technical expertise on program implementation for improving access to health and social services for vulnerable children, adolescents and their families, with emphasis on those who are living with HIV and AIDS. The role will focus on strengthening community and family care structures and local social protection systems to deliver integrated care to most vulnerable children and adolescents. This will include addressing systemic and capacity gaps at the community level and within national social welfare systems at the policy and guidelines level, as well as improving coordination and linkages between social welfare and health systems with an eye toward fostering program ownership and sustainability by local partners and stakeholders. The Advisor may be called upon to devise strategies for addressing systems issues such as, but not limited to, developing the capacity of the social welfare workforce at various levels (e.g. from community case worker to government social workers); aligning social welfare and health/HIV policies; developing costed action plans for scaling case management; and using for programmatic and policy decision-making. The Advisor will have a strong focus on strengthening formal and informal social support structures (e.g., networks of women’s groups, faith-based organizations) to increase community and household capacity to support the health and well-being of children and adolescents.

The Technical Advisor - OVC and Social Welfare Systems Strengthening will also play a technical role in addressing the pediatric HIV clinical cascade with a focus on orphans and vulnerable children and adolescents. The Advisor will provide technical expertise for evidence-based approaches and cutting-edge innovations grounded in previous, relevant experience and demonstrated child and social welfare and public health understanding. The Advisor will assist Pact’s Global Health Unit, country offices, and regional teams in the design, integration, and implementation of OVC programming. The Technical Advisor will participate in the review and evaluation of existing policies affecting the population of OVC including linkages to the HIV clinical cascade. The Technical Advisor will provide technical support toward the design and improvement of programs in line with USAID and PEPFAR strategies and objectives. While the role has a strong emphasis on HIV and AIDS, there will be cross-over to other related health areas such as maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health within Pact’s health portfolio.

In addition, the Technical Advisor will be responsible for contributing to new business development through intelligence gathering, prepositioning, and serving, as called upon, in the function of technical strategy leader in the design and development of new proposals. In this function, the TA will work closely with the Vice President Global Health and the New Business and Opportunity Development Teams

The Technical Advisor will be based in Pacts’ Washington, D.C. office (starting as remote based until Pact resumes D.C. office operations) and will collaborate with country teams, New Business Development Team, Integrated Communication, other Impact areas, Innovation and Results and Measurement teams

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director/Deputy Director Global Health , the Technical Advisor-OVC and Social Welfare Systems Strengthening will serve as as subject matter expert within Pact for programming focused on improving health and HIV outcomes for children, adolescents and their families, with emphasis on the implementation of OVC programming linked to increased uptake of services across the HIV clinical cascade. S/he will be responsible for the technical aspects of activity implementation that relate to children/OVC, adolescents, families and communities, and ensure strong linkages with facility-level and other service delivery points. Specifically, the Technical Advisor will:

1. Ensure high-quality technical programming through hands-on guidance and support grounded in the program’s strategic objectives.
2. Build partnerships with national, regional, and international NGOs, groups, networks, and governments involved in newborn, child and adolescent health and related activities.
3. Facilitate sharing expertise and knowledge exchange including country-to-country exchange of information, resources, and lessons learned in relevant areas.
4. Lead Pact’s presence in Child/OVC technical working groups and representation to donors and global health partners
5. Provide technical assistance on HIV program implementation.
6. Review the technical quality of activities in the field by conducting site visits reviewing work plans as well as program results.
7. Search for and address emerging issues in need of support and guidance in OVC programming and the HIV clinical continuum, with a focus on children and adolescents.
8. Analyze, synthesize, and interpret program data and promote data-driven best practices
9. Develop and deliver relevant presentations, reference materials, reports, peer-reviewed literature, and other documents
10. Lead inclusively to promote collaboration and strengthen coordination with all Pact’s projects
11. Provide training and mentoring to partners to strengthen capacity for technical service delivery and compliance with donor rules and regulations
12. Act as liaison to relevant donors, government, and other stakeholders

Technical Pursuit Leader: In addition, the Technical Advisor will play a key role in defining and leading new business development in the OVC and social welfare system strengthening sectors and support the development of technical design of evidence-based projects ensure that all proposals submitted by Pact for programming in Child and OVC, and Social Welfare Systems Strengthening are technically sound and capitalize upon learning from international best practices. S/he will serve as one of the Global Health team’s Technical Pursuit Leader, leading intelligence gathering, prepositioning development as well as articulation of the technical strategy in response to Requests for Proposals and Request for Applications (RFPs and RFAs). Working with technical contributors, country experts, and other internal and external experts, harnesses Pact’s technical, country, project management and business development expertise to conceptualize the overall strategic framework encompassing all Pact’s experience and expertise in proposals.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree and minimum 9 years of relevant technical experience or Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 11 years of relevant technical experience
• Master’s degree or higher in public health, social work, or related social science field, with experience in international child welfare service delivery.
• At least five years’ experience working on OVC programming in an international or resource-challenged setting.
• Experience in multiple countries in Sub Saharan Africa and/or Asia preferred.
• Experience with OVC programming at the international level preferred.
• Experience with USG/PEPFAR preferred.
• Ability to develop and monitor components of OVC strategic plans
• Knowledge of and familiarity with programming affecting younger populations such as orphans and vulnerable children, including current programming context, OVC caregiver
  support, economic strengthening, child protection, violence against children, case management, and/or OVC policy and advocacy in the PEFPAR context, ongoing HIV prevention and treatment initiatives and relevant organizations working to respond to OVC and achieve HIV epidemic control.
• Demonstrated ability to interact successfully with senior level representatives and high-level government officials of international and host country governmental and nongovernmental agencies, multilateral and bilateral organizations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work cross-culturally with diverse teams
• Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills
• Strong analytical skills with ability to use data to improve programming.
• High degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity, and originality to interpret strategy, to analyze, develop and present work and to monitor and evaluate the implementation of programs
• Computer literacy in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Knowledge of multi-dimensional approach to development a plus.
• Experience working in multi donor environments a plus.
• Fluency in English required, proficiency in Spanish and/or French a plus.
• Willingness and availability to travel internationally for up to 40% of the time (when travel opens up again)

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Computer literacy required; familiarity with all MS applications and spread sheet software required.
• A passion for the mission and values of Pact
• Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.
• Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
• Analyzes and integrates quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
• Demonstrates, applies, and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization

About the Organization

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. The promise of a healthy life. Of a decent livelihood. Of sustainable natural resources that benefit communities. Now more than ever in its 42-year history, Pact is helping millions of people who are poor and marginalized discover and build their own solutions and take ownership over their future.
Pact enables systemic solutions that allow those who are poor and marginalized to earn a dignified living, be healthy, and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems, and transforming markets into a force for development.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.