Background:
A stable and prosperous Pakistan is a top priority in international development efforts of the UK Government. Empowerment and voice of women, girls and marginalized social groups is vital for these efforts to succeed. Therefore, enabling them to articulate their needs and influence legislation, policies and practices which affect them is at the heart of the UK’s development assistance. Better access to reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health and nutrition is an important entry point to achieve this objective.
Pakistan is off-track to achieve the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). DFID Pakistan (DFIDP) therefore is focusing on reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health (RMNCH) including nutrition to support effective implementation of health sector strategies that will lead to achievement of the health MDGs. DFIDP has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Pakistan on Provincial Health and Nutrition Programme (PHNP) to achieve RMNCH and nutrition results in KPK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces over four years (2013 to 2017).
The objective of EVA Project is to increase the demand for better RMNCH services and nutrition and empower citizens to hold the service providers to account. Women, girls and children with the greatest needs and from underserved backgrounds will be prioritized. The sub-programme will complement the supply-side interventions by increasing demand and strengthening mechanisms for greater and effective citizen participation and monitoring of health services. This includes:
- Influence health legislation, policy, practices, and service delivery through greater pressure and demand from the citizens. The supplier will work through a combination of empowerment, voice and accountability approaches including, but not limited to, awareness raising and mobilization, advocacy and lobbying, capacity building, coalitions and partnerships.
- Pilot innovative solutions for increasing access of the poor and women and girls to RMNCH and nutrition – with priority to increasing immunization coverage, skilled birth attendance, modern contraceptive usage, child and mother nutrition, management of common child ailments and usage of primary healthcare facilities, community workers, etc
Overall Responsibility of the Position:
The Provincial community Empowerment Manager will oversee and support the effective implementation of Community Empowerment component of the EVA-BHN programme in five target districts in Punjab. The role of the Provincial CE Manager will be to engage communities and empower them to raise their voices at the District and Provincial forums for better health and nutrition services in Public health facilities
SPECIFIC TASKS:
- Provide overall technical support and guidance for the implementation of Community Empowerment activities in the EVA target districts in Punjab
- Support the Director Community Empowerment on the design, implementation and assessment of all Community empowerment related interventions
- Manage and support community empowerment activities at the provincial level, including Community engagement, roll out of capacity building plans for trainings of CG coordinators and CG members
- Ensure coordination with local civil society organizations and partners working with the communities in the target districts
- Implementation of M&E systems and tools and ensure incorporation of lessons learnt into the ongoing programming
- Quality assurance of all community group monitoring interventions
- Regularly checks, validates and analyse the collated data from field.
- Provide input into the development of training packages, protocols, manuals and quality assurance systems for community empowerment related interventions
- Develop monthly and quarterly reports for onward submission to Provincial Managers
- Ensure strong coordination with the governmental counterparts as and when required.
- The Provincial CE Manager is expected to work collaboratively with the Provincial Capacity Building, Advocacy & Accountability and Monitoring and Evaluation Managers.
- Performing any other tasks as agreed with the Director Community Empowerment.
Management Lines:
- The Provincial CE Manager reports to the Director Community Empowerment.
- The Provincial CE Manager will manage a team of five project officers.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Master’s Degree in Public Health or a related field.
- At least 08 years of professional experience in Public Health particularly RMNCH, nutrition, and community mobilization/engagement
- Ability to develop training packages, tools and manuals and facilitate trainings on technical areas for staff and general communities
- Experience working with local civil society and community-based organizations, as well as with governmental organizations
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
- Ability to work to deadlines and under significant professional and environmental pressure;
- Computer competency with spreadsheets, databases and word processing suites;
- Ability to develop efficient systems to manage databases used for programme planning and implementation.
- Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility and patience;
- Willingness to live, work and travel in an unstable political environment;