STATEMENT OF DUTIES
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION
The USAID Project Management Specialist (Tuberculosis (TB)) is posted in the Office of Health (OH), USAID/Philippines, and serves as one of the Mission’s Foreign Service National (FSN) experts on infectious diseases, specifically Tuberculosis (TB) case finding, treatment, control, and prevention, providing technical leadership in the field. The job holder will support the management of activities with a total value of $110 million. The job holder provides research, analysis, advisory, and related consultative services, and expertise of broad scope and complexity in the field of TB epidemiology, care, and prevention. The Specialist is responsible for project management, oversight, and evaluation of TB programs and provides technical assistance and guidance to the Department of Health, attached agencies, and other Government bodies working on TB.
S/he will lead the continued development and management of USAID’s Global TB Strategy in the Philippines, responding to changes in the environment as new policies, guidelines, and laws such as the TB Elimination Plan Act and the Universal Health Care Act are implemented. The Specialist will lead the initiative of strengthening linkages with the private sector to improve access and accelerate capacity for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and delivering services for people with infectious diseases, particularly for TB. The Specialist makes independent assessments and projections of likely trends and scenarios for TB, provides analysis of reports on related/significant policies, legislation, and programs undertaken by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH). The job holder obtains the cooperation and support of donors, senior public and private representatives at the national, regional, and local levels of the host country and civil service organizations to ensure coordination and manage the high level of visibility.
The Specialist will also be responsible for supporting the Government of the Philippines to reduce TB incidence and reduce TB mortality. A key focus of the position will be to foster partnerships to strengthen USAID’s and the GPH’s Department of Health’s engagement with the private health sector in the TB control and prevention space.
The Specialist exercises extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks to resolve problems and conflicts and implementing steps necessary to meet deadlines. The Specialist serves as a Contractor Officer/Agreement Officer Representative (COR/AOR) with responsibility for activities in the US$10-50M range.
S/he reports to the USAID Project Management Specialist (Infectious Disease Team Lead).
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. Program / Project / Activity Management (40%)
The USAID Project Management Specialist (TB) serves as a technical expert, with full responsibility for technically guiding the implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of assigned aspects of the TB detection, prevention, and treatment portfolio. The Specialist has activity manager responsibility for USAID-funded TB projects. The Specialist works closely with and liaises with other Office of Health Specialists and Implementing Partners (IPs) conducting Tuberculosis activities. The Specialist advises the supervisor, Office Director, Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director, and others on local matters of importance to the TB Accelerator program. The Specialist provides critical inputs to the achievement of overall results and Mission/United States Government (USG) goals and objectives. This requires the Specialist to remain current on the economic, political, and social trends of the host government, the host country, and the region, and analyze trends in relation to their impact on the overall TB Accelerator program. The Specialist also collaborates with technical experts within other donor organizations to ensure synergy and complementarity.
The Specialist leads or participates in technical working groups and advisory groups to advance TB and infectious disease programming. S/he represents USAID on the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund and influences and guides more than $140 million in grants to the Philippines. S/he contributes to the Team’s outputs and directions and reports directly to the team lead on the accomplishments and progress of the activities they manage.
The Specialist provides technical guidance to GPH counterparts in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of specific components within the Assistance Agreement. Together with counterparts, monitors the implementation of specific activities to determine progress vis-à-vis objectives/benchmarks, identifies problem areas, and recommends appropriate actions. Prepares project documents such as Scopes of Work/Terms of Reference, funding actions, program/project agreements, status reports, budget and financial documents, and other project implementation documents. Acts as official USAID representative on site visits, conferences, and workshops; identifies delays and problems, and recommends and/or implements authoritative and creative solutions to resolve them. Consistent with the overall Mission strategy, s/he independently cultivates and maintains contacts and dialogues with high ranking appointed/elected GPH officials as well as private sector/non-government organization (NGO) chief executives at the local, regional, and national levels. These contacts and dialogues will be used by the Specialist to advocate policy reforms, programs and activities that will increase or improve public health practices. The job holder will perform Contractor Officer/Agreement Officer Representative (COR/AOR) functions. As the COR/AOR the job holder will be responsible for managing assigned TB and other related project/s.
B. Technical Assistance in Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis (30%)
The Specialist coordinates with other agencies to ensure the delivery of systematic and consistent technical assistance to the host government and to non-government organization (NGO) partners and implementing partners (IPs) in all areas of the TB program, and other health-related issues involving TB detection, prevention, and treatment. The Specialist works with the host government to ensure that TB control activities are set up to reach the country’s United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) and National Strategic Plan targets. In addition, the Specialist provides strategic input on all TB Accelerator programs or other tuberculosis-related components; identifies short-, mid-, and long-range achievable and sustainable strategies for improving tuberculosis detection, prevention, and treatment; and, represents USAID, the USG, and the broader USAID health program at TB technical meetings, seminars, and conferences. The Specialist keeps informed of and collaborates with technical experts in other donor agencies on tuberculosis-related activities; works with the host government to develop technical strategies and approaches that result in improved TB detection, prevention, and treatment; works with other colleagues to harmonize the Health Office, USAID, and USG TB Accelerator activities to ensure consistency with host government policy. The Specialist also ensures that programs/projects/activities are consistent with internationally accepted best practices, and that they are relevant in the host-country context.
C. Data Collection and Analysis (15%)
To ensure the ongoing quality of implemented activities, the Specialist monitors and reports on developments in the TB Accelerator and other health sectors, especially as they relate to successful implementation of tuberculosis-related activities; and, monitors, analyzes, and reports on relevant aspects of host government policy, regulation, and programming, and on tuberculosis-related and other health and development issues, based on an in-depth understanding of USAID and USG policy and program objectives and priorities. The Specialist prepares technical analyses, evaluates sectoral issues, and provides input to Mission activities with respect to the TB Accelerator and related sectors; summarizes information and conclusions in written and oral form for presentation to senior USG and other decision makers, and for incorporating into other activity documents as appropriate; organizes field trips, conferences, and seminars to ensure maximum exposure to emerging trends and various points of view, and for monitoring assigned tuberculosis-related activities, providing translation as needed; and, prepares written reports that reflect a sound understanding of assigned areas of responsibility, and that clearly document that a wide variety of sources and points of view have been consulted in undertaking analyses to draw final conclusions. The Specialist prepares oral and written briefings for the supervisor, the Office Director, the Mission Director and/or Deputy Mission Director, U.S. Embassy staff, and others, on request.
D. Performance Monitoring (15%)
The Specialist ensures that performance monitoring systems are in place, and that periodic, reliable measures and indicators of portfolio impact are established; collects and monitors performance data on an ongoing basis; prepares reports of program/project/activity progress for use within the Office, the Mission, the USG at post, USAID/Washington and other partners/stakeholders. The job holder assesses progress in achieving results for tuberculosis-related activities and evaluates and assesses activities as needed; and continually strives to enhance the achievement of results by periodically reviewing the development context, results indicators, and activity implementation progress, identifying problem areas, and suggesting solutions.
The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the United States, or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP: The Specialist works under the general supervision of the USAID Project Management Specialist (Infectious Disease Team Lead).
SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: Supervision of other staff is not contemplated.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
To be considered for this position, offerors must meet the following minimum qualifications:
a. Education – The work requires a master’s in public health (MPH), with a concentration in epidemiology or infectious diseases; or a master’s in nursing degree; or a degree as a Public Health Physician in a field related to clinical and/or field work in education, prevention, and treatment related to tuberculosis.
Note: Additional education may NOT be substituted for experience.
b. Prior Work Experience – A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of public health, with a focus on clinical and/or field work in education, prevention, and treatment related to tuberculosis and/or infectious diseases is required. This experience must demonstrate that the Specialist has strong medical/clinical skills in the field. The Specialist must have demonstrated technical leadership in TB Accelerator related education, prevention and treatment, program management, strategic planning, policy experience, and problem-solving skills while working on complex programs/projects/activities in a highly sensitive environment.
Note: Additional experience may NOT be substituted for education.
c. Language Proficiency/Communication Skills – Comprehensive written and oral English and Tagalog language skills are required. Level IV fluency - high degree of proficiency in both written and spoken language, including the ability to translate, on occasion when the job holder may need to act as an interpreter. The ability to write highly technical health program-related documentation in English is essential.
d. Job Knowledge – The Specialist must have in-depth professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to tuberculosis-related education, prevention, and treatment activities in the host country and/or region, and the problems and policies in the host country from the business, political, civil society, and social perspectives. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the: economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the host country; development problems in the health sector in the host country and the region; and, the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the host country and the region. S/he must have knowledge or the potential to quickly acquire knowledge of, USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to tuberculosis prevention and treatment assistance, of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the host government, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program / project / activity strategy and implementation.
e. Skills and Abilities – The Specialist must have a good knowledge and demonstrated experience in the programming of tuberculosis -related education, prevention, and treatment programs/projects/activities; and the role of tuberculosis prevention and treatment with other health areas such as health systems strengthening, U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), maternal and child health, and family planning. The Specialist should be able to facilitate and link culturally appropriate assessments, counseling, treatment deficits, and related issues and facilitation of linkages to food security programs, including water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion; and be able to use this data for decision making. The Specialist must be able to provide technical leadership in TB Accelerator-related planning; and apply this knowledge to advanced programming in the host country and the region.
DEADLINE: August 21, 2024 / 11:59 PM, Philippine Standard Time (PST)
