TECHNICAL LEAD-PHC AND HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING
Job Description
Job Title: TECHNICAL LEAD-PHC AND HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING
Reports to: Program Manager – Health and Nutrition
Terms: Full time- office based
Salary: GB5 Step 1
Requirements: This position is based in Mogadishu but requires frequent travel to support Concern’s programs across South Central Somalia and other locations as needed.
About Concern: Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression.
Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest behind First. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their work and contribute to delivering on our mission.
Role Purpose: The jobholder, reporting to the Health and Nutrition Program Manager in Mogadishu, will provide technical support for health system strengthening and offer assistance to local partners at national and state levels. Key responsibilities include coordinating with government counterparts to align Concern’s health and nutrition activities with the Essential Package of Health Services, ensuring integrated and harmonized programming. The role involves overseeing the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health and nutrition projects, building capacity, and ensuring alignment with national policies. Additionally, the jobholder will deputize for the Program Manager and lead a team of five Health and Nutrition Project Officers in South-Central Somalia and Somaliland.
Responsibilities:
I. Technical leadership
Provides technical Leadership to the programme planning, implementation modality, and routine monitoring of health and nutrition programs, ensuring all program technical aspects are adhered and incorporated key deliverables. This includes developing comprehensive project plans, coordinating with stakeholders, and ensuring
timely delivery of project activities while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.
Provide ongoing technical support and mentorship to local health and nutrition staff, including District Health
Management Teams (DHMTs), partner staff and Concern Program focal points.
Collaborate closely with the Programme Manager to track and monitor on assigned project activities against the plans on a monthly basis. This includes conducting detailed technical reviews, and identifying gaps discrepancies and when issues are identified, takes proactive steps to analyse the root causes and recommend corrective actions Provide technical oversight, strategic direction to ensure appropriate support for the implementation of the
assigned Health and Nutrition program activities specially project on health system strengthening.
Serve as the Primary Liaison acting as the main point of contact for coordinating with the Ministry of Health (MoH)
at regional, state, and district levels to ensure standardized and high-quality program implementation.
Contribute technical inputs to Proposal Development in the creation of concept notes, proposals, and budgets related to health and nutrition, incorporating lessons learned from previous projects.
Supports the draft development of detailed procurement plans and collaborate with logistics, finance, and other
departments to ensure timely procurement plans are in line with program timelines.
Identify and proposes Innovative Strategies seeking to discover and develop innovative nutrition program
strategies, provide technical leadership, and ensure their effective implementation.
Provide technical support to Ministry of Health staff on HMIS, ONA, and Nutrition Cluster reporting, including data management, assessment advice, report oversight, and data analysis for improved accuracy and decision-making at
national and state level.
Lead Supportive Supervision to coordinate and lead joint quarterly supportive supervision sessions between
Concern Worldwide and the MoH at state, regional, and district levels.
Collaborate on Health and Nutrition Surveys: Work with Concern Worldwide’s MEAL team to design and participate in health and nutrition surveys, periodic assessments, and beneficiary interviews as required during program implementation.
II. Operational
Assist the Health and Nutrition Program Manager technically in preparing detailed internal and external reports for stakeholders such as Concern Worldwide, Health and Nutrition clusters, Ministry of Health, to ensure these reports accurately communicate the progress, challenges, and outcomes of health and nutrition, and Collaborate with team members under his/her line management to produce comprehensive documentation that maintains high
reporting standards.
Conduct regular site visits to oversee and support Project Officers, ensuring effective implementation of health and
nutrition activities.
Assess project performance, provide recommendations, and promptly escalate critical issues to the Health and Nutrition Program Manager with document of lessons learned and best practices to enhance future strategies and
foster continuous improvement
Participate in strategic project planning and contribute high-quality written materials, including quarterly and annual reports, annual implementation plans to ensure these documents are well structured and effectively
communicate the project’s objectives, progress, and achievements.
Remains resourceful and lead dynamic teams through effective mentoring and coaching to ensure successful
implementation fostering their growth and development
Collaborate with MEAL staff to ensure accurate and rigorous data collection and analysis, integrating findings into project implementation and execute the learning agenda to enhance project effectiveness and inform decision-
making.
Guide implementation teams to achieve high-quality project deliverables and ensure they meet project objectives
and donor requirements.
Work with staff to achieve goals and ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect
III. Representation and Coordination
Liaise with the Ministry of Health and local partners as the primary technical point of contact between Concern Worldwide and the Ministry of Health (MoH), as well as other key national and regional stakeholders. Facilitate the alignment of Concern’s health and nutrition programs with government policies, national health strategies, and
international standards.
Technically promotes Integrated Program Approaches by actively engaging with the MoH, local NGOs, and community-based organizations to ensure that Concern’s interventions are integrated into national frameworks for health system strengthening and emergency response, including the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) and Nutrition Action Plan. Facilitate regular discussions on policy updates, strategic priorities, and capacity gaps to align
activities with evolving national goals.
Provide Technical assistant the program Manager on strengthening Partner Relationships and foster strategic partnerships with District Health Management Teams (DHMTs), regional health offices, and local partners to ensure a coordinated and unified approach to health service delivery and participate in regular meetings, workshops, and coordination platforms to share insights, improve collaboration, and synchronize activities across different levels of the health system/
Joint Monitoring and Technical Reviews by working closely with government counterparts and partners to establish joint monitoring mechanisms and conduct collaborative technical reviews of program performance, identifying best practices, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, while ensuring that program implementation aligns with both national policies and community needsCapacity Building and Policy Alignment and support the MoH in developing training programs, mentorship frameworks, and capacity-building initiatives that align with both national priorities and local realities. Facilitate the adaptation and scaling of key health and nutrition interventions
to ensure sustainable service delivery at the community and facility levels.
Prepare and deliver presentations on project progress, challenges, and outcomes to external stakeholders.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of health system strengthening interventions and make recommendations
for improvement.
Ensure that health system strengthening activities are integrated into the overall project implementation plan and are adequately resourced.
IV. Staff Management and Development
Lead and support technical 4 Project Officers and 1 Senior Program Officer subject currently by providing clear
direction, setting performance expectations, and ensuring effective communication.
Facilitate ongoing staff development through targeted training, mentoring, and performance evaluations to
enhance skills and foster professional growth.
Identify and address any team challenges or gaps in skills, implementing solutions to ensure optimal performance
and successful project outcomes.
Overall Line management responsibilities for Program Officers and Senior Program Officers based in Mogadishu and engage relevant government counterparts in program development and Concern partners, as well as assigned
by his/her line manager.
Provide technical and development support to staff for continuous learning opportunities as appropriate
Manage the performance of Program Officers and Senior Program Officer through the effective use of the Develop
to Perform approach.
Lead and motivate field staff members, ensuring they have clear work plans and objectives for program implementation
V. Other responsibilities
Upholding and promoting Concern’s values, including our workplace equality, diversity and inclusion, and
safeguarding values.
Participate and contribute as necessary towards Concern’s emergency response as and when required.
Develop and implement focused training programs for health care providers and DHMTs to enhance their skills and
expertise.
Organize and lead workshops, seminars, and training sessions to improve the technical and managerial
competencies of health management personnel.
Assist in creating detailed training materials and guidelines tailored to the specific needs of local health systems.
Skills and Qualifications
a) Education:
Bachelor is Degree in fields such as Public Health, Nutrition, Medicine, Nursing, or a related field.
Master’s Degree is preferred in Public Health (MPH), related discipline and relevant health systems and
management disciplines.
Additional Training: Courses or training in health systems strengthening, emergency health response, and program management can be advantageous.
b) Work Experience:
At least 3 years’ work experience in managing a similarly role, with a focus on Health System Strengthening (HSS) in multiple and diverse contexts Experience in Health Systems Strengthening with proven record of accomplishment in working on projects aimed at improving health system capacity and effectiveness. This could involve activities
like developing and implementing health system policies, improving service delivery, or enhancing health facility management.
Project Management Experience with demonstrated experience in managing health and nutrition projects, including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and more preference. Experience in coordinating with
various stakeholders and managing resources effectively is crucial.
Familiarity with donor requirements, reporting standards, and NGO operations. Experience working with
international donors, UN agencies, or large NGOs on health projects can be beneficial.
Experience in training and building the capacity of health staff and local health authorities, especially in areas
related to health system management and oversight.
Experience in engaging with government bodies, community leaders, and other stakeholders to coordinate and
align health system strengthening efforts.
Strong verbal and written skills in English and good knowledge of the Somali language and context dynamics.
c) Competencies:
Candidates are expected to demonstrate abilities in the following priority competency areas (highlight 3-4 competencies in bold as appropriate):
Managing Yourself Planning and decision-making
Individual leadership Creativity and innovation
Communication and working with others Influence, advocacy and networking
Delivering results Change
We encourage all eligible candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or origin, disability, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organization. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations and is committed to promoting equality.
If this role sounds right for you, please apply with your CV and cover letter. We will respond to every applicant. Please be aware we may offer positions before the closing date.
If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance – for example if you have a disability e.g.
a hearing impairment – please let us know and we will do our best to respond to your needs.
How to apply
Interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, should submit their applications (cover letter and updated CVs) by email to som.vacancies@concern.net with the subject line “Application for Technical Lead-PHC and Health System Strengthening” by latest on Wednesday 2nd October 2024.
ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the written test and interview. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Important information:
Concern has an organizational Code of Conduct with three Associated Policies: The Programme Participant Protection Policy, the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible here. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of Programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the Programme and partner organizations, and the standards of behavior expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in their work, in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Consequently, working or volunteering with Concern may be subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.
During this job application, you will provide Concern with your personal data. Concern takes its responsibilities towards this personal data very seriously and is committed to complying with all relevant data protection legislation.
