Advocacy Officer; Maternal and Reproductive Health at Thamini Uhai and EngenderHealth

Application deadline 2017-08-07

Location

Kigoma Ujiji Kigoma

Description

The Kigoma Maternal and Reproductive Health Initiative works to prevent maternal mortality in Kigoma, Tanzania. Our approach includes: preventing unintended pregnancies by providing contraceptives to every women and girl who wants it, encouraging all women to deliver their babies in a health facility with a skilled provider, and ensuring that all women with a life-threatening condition can quickly access good-quality emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC), including cesarean sections and post-abortion care (PAC).

Since 2008, the Initiative has upgraded and/or equipped 12 health centers, 26 dispensaries and 3 hospitals and trained and supported more than 600 health providers in Kigoma to provide comprehensive EmONC, family planning and post-abortion care services to rural communities in the region. The Initiative also strengthens referral systems and works to increase demand for good-quality services through multimedia communication campaigns and by partnering with community health workers. Thamini Uhai (formerly World Lung Foundation Tanzania) and EngenderHealth partner work with the Government of Tanzania in the implementation of all activities with Thamini Uhai focusing on the maternal health services and EngenderHealth focusing on the family-planning and post abortion activities.

Despite huge accomplishments in expanding women’s access to good-quality EmONC, family planning and PAC, sustainability of service delivery has been a challenge for the Initiative due to lack of essential drugs and supplies, a critical shortage of health providers in the facilities that we support, government budgetary limitations, among others. As part of the anticipated phase out of the program in April 2019, the Initiative intends to transition support for the provision of these essential services to women and families to the local government in Kigoma following the program’s end. To do so effectively, the Kigoma Maternal and Reproductive Health Initiative is seeking a motivated and experienced candidate to join a strong and creative team of professionals to manage and implement an advocacy for sustainability campaign which will aim to do budget advocacy successfully at the local, regional and national level

Position: Advocacy Officer
Duty station: Kigoma , with some travels to Dar es Salaam and Dodoma according to program needs. Reporting to: Executive Director-Thamini Uhai
Purpose of the role: In collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and H&B Agerup partners, contribute to the development and implemention of a strategic advocacy plan that will contribute to the sustainability of service delivery in Kigoma. The key focus will be to ensure that the region comes up with a workable sustainability plan. The officer will also monitor, document and evaluate the success of advocacy efforts.
The Advocacy Officer will be further responsible for leading exploration of potential inroads to sustainability through understanding of the Maternal and Reproductive Health (MRH) financing and budget advocacy for Kigoma, Tanzania. Responsibilities will be directly aimed at exploring best course forward to advocate for increased MRH budget appropriations/allocations for Kigoma. The role may involve carrying out secondary research such as budget tracking, but will focus primarily on mapping the process and the players figured out to inform advocacy for sustainability.

Key Responsibilities:
• Participate in the development of the strategic advocacy plan for the sustainability of project activities after handover of the project to the government in April 2019.
• Lead the implementation of the strategic advocacy plan, monitoring the achievements and challenges in its implementation and provide feedback to Thamini Uhai and EngenderHealth on implementation progress.
• Build relationships with the national, regional and district levels leaderships and work with all those levels to ensure there are concrete plans for sustainability of project activities beyond the project end, milestones for that are set and implementation adheres to the milestones.
• Based on the nature of meetings and technical expertise required/available, ensure appropriate selection of representatives from partner organizations and prepare them for the same.
• Coordinate different stakeholders on the implementation of sustainability plans to ensure there are linkages and synergies among the levels during implementation.
• In building relationships with the districts , focus on analyzing Council Comprehensive Health Plans (CCHPs) prioritization of supported project activities, participate in an organized manner in the meetings to develop new CCHPs, advocate in the meetings on increasing budgets on areas Thamini Uhai and EngenderHealth supports and follow up the implementation of commitments of the district councils.
• Lead in building advocacy coalitions towards sustainability of project activities at national, regional and district levels, coordinate the coalitions in raising voices concerning sustainability of project activities specifically on issues like availability of equipment and supplies and Human Resources for Health in the facilities.
• Participate in relevant Kigoma regional and national advocacy meetings.
• Provide updates to the supervisor on the achievements in the advocacy work on monthly basis and coordinate a meeting to share results of his/her advocacy work with Thamini Uhai and EngenderHealth on quarterly basis.
• Continually explore and document potential options for sustaining services provided through implementing partners on maternal and reproductive health in Tanzania.
• Continually review and update the process for increased appropriations and allocations for maternal and reproductive health within the national and local government (Kigoma) budget by 2019.
• Track national, and local budgets to inform advocacy efforts
• Work with partners in providing technical assistance to Local Government Authorities in the budget preparation and budget justification stages.
• Identify local, national and international financial commitments on MRH and assess progress to achieving these promises.
• Work with implementing partners to integrate advocacy components within their exit plans
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Education and Experience:
• Masters of Public Health, Public Administration, Economics, Social Sciences or related degree from a recognized institution.
• A minimum working experience of 10 years in development projects supporting and/or working with the government or the government itself. Experience in transitioning a donor-funded program over to government will be an added advantage.
• Experience in the following needed: health or education related advocacy work showing evidence of proven wins; work with local, district, regional and national-level government officials; experience in participating in development of budgets in the districts, analyzing them and/or disbursement of funds from the central government to the district; experience with the media (print, television, radio and social).
Experience in the following areas preferred: Influencing translation and implementation of policy at various levels; strengthening health system in delivering maternal and reproductive health service including Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health(RMNCH) priority setting and budgeting; maternal and reproductive health; monitoring and evaluation; community-based health programs.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Tanzanian health system structure and health financing processes including budget cycles at national and subnational levels highly preferred.
• Strong experience in using and communicating evidence effectively to different stakeholders to better inform MRH planning, decision making, advocacy and accountability efforts.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Fluent in English and Kiswahili
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of people including government officials, staff, donors, partners and other NGO colleagues
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions
• Excellent organizational skills
• Demonstrated motivation, positive attitude, team spirit, and initiative
• Ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time in a demanding work environment
• Must be able to work in a diverse team environment and able to work a flexible work schedule
• Well organized with good attention to detail and willingness to do comprehensive work.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently in rural Kigoma and Dodoma
• Strong computer knowledge in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Compensation:
Salary will be set according to education, experience, and previous compensation history

How to apply:
• Email a cover letter and your Curriculum Vitae ONLY, along with the names, email addresses and phone numbers of three professional references, with title in the subject line: “Advocacy Officer Application” to info@thaminiuhai.or.tz
• Only complete applications will be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will be required to bring their original certificates during the interview.
Closing date: 7th August 2017
Thamini Uhai and EngenderHealth are equal opportunity employers