Internal/External Vacancy Announcement

Title:      National Family Planning Advisor

Program/Office: Family Planning by choice (FPbC)

Reports to: Functionally to Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) MCH Directorate Director, Administratively to Senior Advisor, Policy and Health System Strengthening, EngenderHealth, FPbC programme

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, FMOH

EngenderHealth is a leading global women’s health organization. EngenderHealth’s vision is a world where sexual and reproductive health rights are respected as human rights, and women and girls have the freedom to reach their full potential. This emphasis on rights directly underpins EngenderHealth’s values and principles: choice, quality, and excellence. To achieve transformational change leading to true social and economic progress, EngenderHealth collaborates with diverse organizations across sectors with shared goals of highlighting women’s value to sustainable development.

EngenderHealth seeks applications from experienced expert to serve as National Family Planning Advisor for FMOH under Family Planning by Choice Programme (FPbC). The programme is part of a partnership between DFID and Ethiopia FMoH, and aims to provide Technical Assistance and Capacity Building to the FMoH and RHBs to improve quality, equity, choice and financing for comprehensive family planning and safe abortion services in Ethiopia. This will be a local hire position financially supported by EngenderHealth/DFID. Qualified women applicants are highly encouraged to apply. Applications will be considered on first come-first served base.

JOB SUMMARY:  

The National Family Planning (FP) Advisor will be part of the advisor’s team seconded to FMOH, MCH directorate through the DFID funded Family Planning by Choice (FPbC) programme. The National FP advisor provide strategic, technical and programmatic support to FMOH, MCH Directorate in areas of FP Programming. S/he will work collaboratively with the FPbC team, functional units within FMoH, Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs) and other relevant partners in enhancing equitable access to high quality, efficient and effective family planning services. More specifically, the advisor provides high-level technical assistance to the director, FP team leader, staffs and other relevant directorates as it relates to family planning. S/he will work with relevant team of professionals to develop/update FP policy/strategy/guidelines and ensure proper implementation. Besides, s/he provides guidance and support to the Family Planning by Choice (FPbC) programme and EngenderHealth Ethiopia Country Program in areas of FP Programming. 

DETAIL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide high-level technical expertise/guidance and support MCH Directorate of the FMOH on family planning policy analysis and application, implementation of strategies and standards, quality assurance and build capacity on FP program management.
• Identify skill gaps and training needs of the team and create capacity within the FMOH and at all levels of the health system and build technical and program management capacity of FMoH and RHBs to provide effective technical leadership on planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national FP/RH programme and strategies including improving FMoH/RHBs standards and job aids on FP/RH.
• Provide technical support for the implementation of consolidated annual work plan on Family Planning including the design and implementation of initiatives to scale up FP services and strengthening integration of Family Planning (FP), Adolescent and youth health services (AYHS) and Maternal Health (MH).
• Facilitate effective partnership with stakeholders engaged in FP/RH program, assist in coordination and support existing national level FP/RH related platforms and initiatives to strengthen regular FP/RH related policy analysis, planning, delivery and monitoring.
• Together with FMOH and FPbC staffs, produce a costed implementation plan, with milestones, for family planning and support cascading at regional level.
• Coordinate and actively participate in regular FP/RH technical working groups, joint supervision and other relevant national and regional level FMoH led activities. Initiate revitalization of FP/RH taskforce and networks at regional level.
• Provide technical review and inputs to national FP SBCC strategies, documents (such as SBCC materials), interventions and evaluations. Assist the team of MCH directorate at FMoH in development of tools and guides for supportive supervision, inspection and reviewing of the FP program.
• Provide technical support to enhance technical capacity on training, mentoring and supportive supervision to FP experts and health service providers on Long Acting and Permanent Contraceptives (LARC/PM) including Postpartum FP, Post Abortion Contraceptives, quality of care (QOC) and other SRH areas to enhance competency and performance.
• Work collaboratively with the FMOH, RHBs, PFSA, NGO partners, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to enhance family planning commodity security including providing training, information and knowledge-base and methodologies to national counterparts, planners, policy makers, programme managers and service providers.
• Build leadership capacity and coordinate stakeholders around the Demographic Dividend agenda by ensuring that population dynamics and demographic dividend concepts are well understood by the Government and integrated into the National Health and Development Strategy, and including the development of updated Policies through inclusive consultations with all stakeholders. 
• Provide substantive technical advice and advocacy on family planning and population issues to high level FMOH leadership, other relevant government sectors and stakeholders. This may include preparation of periodic reports or inputs into reports, attending meetings, preparing summary reports on meetings, preparing advocacy documents and briefs, assisting in the organization of related panels or round tables, perform demographics analysis and projections, publications, summaries and special reports and dissemination of results.
• Provide support to strategic approach for designing and core activity interventions towards successful implementation of Center of Excellence (COEs) and Quality Assurance Hubs (QAHs) as part of the FPbC program.
• Participate in establishing COE for family planning and safe abortion services to provide training, mentoring and supportive supervision to QAHs at referral/general/primary hospitals and to other institutions.
• Work with the Knowledge management, monitoring, evaluation and research team in tracking national and regional FP performance data and information use for action. Support the FMoH and RHB staff to gather evidence of the FP/RH programme impact and document lessons learnt.
• Provide technical leadership and support to identify, document and disseminate evidence-based best practices in relation to family planning.
• Provide technical support and inputs to prepare periodic reports of programme results and disseminates results including by project reports, publications, summaries and special reports.
• Encourage good practice by promoting and championing the child protection policy and procedures and respond appropriately to disclosures or concerns which relate to the well-being of a child or vulnerable person.
• Carry out other duties as appropriate and as assigned by immediate supervisors at FMOH, and EngenderHealth.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & CERTIFICATIONS:          

• MD or public health officer, BSC midwife or nurse with MPH specializing in RH, MA in demography or population studies.
• At least 8 years’ experience in the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of FP and other SRH programmes in Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience in improving access to a range of FP options including LARC (Implants and IUCDs), and permanent methods of FP and post-partum FP services.  
• Demonstrated programmatic and technical experience in implementing in-service training, mentoring and supportive supervision in the areas of FP/SRH.
• Proven experience in preparing policy documents such as strategies, guidelines, training materials and job aids.
• Experience in providing technical assistance for FMOH, RHBs or similar entities is highly required 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• In-depth knowledge of Ethiopian heath sector transformation plan (HSTP) and national level policies, guidelines and standards on FP/RH.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of Ministry of Health structure and health service delivery system.
• Demonstrated leadership in working and collaborating with a wide range of partners including FMOH, RHBs, universities/teaching hospitals, and development partners.
• Ability to interact with experts and collaborators across multiple disciplines, programme areas, and cultures.
• Proven capacity to oversee development/implementation of work plans, monitoring and evaluation activities, and reports.
• Proven skills in report writing and publication of articles on maternal health, family planning and other related themes. 
• Ability to lead, manage and mentor team with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills including written and oral communications in English.
• Computer literate, with knowledge of Windows applications, including Excel spreadsheets.
• Demonstrated experience of working effectively safeguarding children and vulnerable populations. 
• Ability to travel up to 30- 40 % of the time.

REQUIRED LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrated ability to take critical decision while building a shared vision with others; acts as a catalyst for change, manage conflicts effectively and inspire others to translate vision into action.
• Proven capacity to keeps up to date with trends in the field and develop a climate in the programme that is conducive to creative thinking.
• Ability to recognize and act on internal and external factors that affect the work of the organization/programme.
• Demonstrated good communication, advocacy and interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate with various stakeholders: express concisely and clearly ideas and concepts in written and oral form.