Job: Programme Manager, Life Saving Commodities

Location: Dar es Salaam 
Deadline: Monday, 30 September 2013 

Description

Organization: UN Population Fund

Country: United Republic of TanzaniaClosing date: 30 Sep 2013

POST TITLE: Programme Manager, Life Saving Commodities

CLOSING DATE: 30 Sept 2013 CATEGORY: Consultant - (budgeted at P3) DURATION: One year Renewable DUTY STATION: Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: East and Southern Africa Regional Office

BACKGROUND:

The United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children (UNCoLSC), created under the auspices of the Secretary-General's Every Woman Every Child initiative, is a high-level commission to advocate for the increased availability, affordability and accessibility of 13 essential but underutilized supplies for maternal and child health. ww.lifesavingcommodities.org

Availability of affordable medicines, contraceptives and other health supplies is an essential part of well-functioning equitable health systems. The Commission's task is to help ensure access to these critical supplies to save lives and improve the health of women, children and young people. The Commission estimated that an ambitious scaling up of these 13 commodities over five years would cost less than US$2.6 billion and would cumulatively save over 6 million lives including 230,000 maternal deaths averted through increased access to family planning. This would catalyse an accelerating reduction in deaths for women and children. Achieving these goals would save an extra 1.8 million child deaths a year, reducing the estimated 7.1 million deaths in 2010 to 5.3 million. Likewise, the estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in 2010 would be reduced to 213,000 by increased access to maternal health and family planning commodities. The estimated costs per lives saved are low and represent excellent global development investments. Thus, the scaling up of these commodities is not solely a moral obligation but one of the most effective ways of getting more health for the money invested.

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING:

The work of the UNCoLSC is managed centrally by an interagency RMNCH Strategy and Coordination Team. The Steering Committee reviews key decisions required to implement the work of the Commission including allocation and release of funds. The Administrative Agent centrally for the funds of the UNCoLSC is UNFPA and in Tanzania the Managing Agent in the country is also UNFPA. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar are key Implementing Partners. Tanzania is one of the first set of 8 countries that has submitted a workplan to the Commission.

The Programme Manager will be facilitating and technically leading the Life saving commodities workplan in the UNFPA and Ministries of Health in Mainland as well as Zanzibar. Specific focus of the PM will be on implementation of the national workplan under the life saving commodities initiative.

S/he will foster effective coordination around the LSC initiative between government and other partners. This will be particularly strategic to the H4+ efforts to accelerate progress of achieving MDG5 and continue gains made on MDG4.

The Programme Manager reports to the UNFPA Deputy Representative in the Tanzania office and works under overall supervision of the Representative. S/he works in close cooperation with the programme team especially the RH team, with national authorities and implementing partners for the realization of the results as per the workplan submitted to the UNCoLSC secretariat.

MAJOR DUTIES AND REPONSIBILITIES:

I. Technical and capacity building (30%) The PM will work with government and civil society to strengthen national capacity by:

A. Working closely with the MOHSW –Mainland , MO-Zanzibar and other strategic partners to ensure that high quality, relevant, and cost effective programme interventions are implemented in line with both with national policies/plans as well as international best practice in the areas of the recommendations of the UNCoLSC's for Tanzania.

B. Identifying gaps and priority areas of work to implement the Tanzania workplan submitted to the UNCoLSC's. This includes making review and recommendations for adjustment of activities where necessary.

C. Identify the capacity gaps and provide technical assistance and capacity building to government and civil society partners to ensure the work plan is implemented within budget and in the prescribed time period.

D. Serve as a resource of knowledge and information on matters related to life saving commodities in the country, including stocks, supply chain, user challenges, training, uptake, registration etc.

II. Programme Management (40%) The PM will manage the programme and the work with the implementing partners to guarantee the smooth implementation of the programme by:

A. Ensuring the development and timely receipt of annual work plans and budgets from implementing partners.

B. Ensuring financial and narrative reports are received from all implementing partners on time.

C. Ensuring financial and narrative reporting obligations to the UNCoLSC Steering committee are met.

D. Ensure regular review and adjustments are made based operational matters ensuring optimum results. Bring to the attention of UNFPA management challenges in a timely manner and propose solutions alternate strategies for achieving results

E. Providing oversight and guidance to ensure activities in the agreed annual workplans are implemented in a timely manner, within budget and are of good quality. Anticipate challenges and manage them as they arise.

F. Contributing to the creation and sharing of knowledge by summarizing and documenting results, lessons learned success and good practices, strategies and approaches.

G. Participating actively in meetings and desk reviews and undertake monitoring missions to assess progress of implementation, including appropriate substantive and administrative follow-up actions including the Health and Nutrition Programme Working Group and in the national RMCH Commodity Security and Pharmaceutical Technical Working Group of the SWAp Technical Committee

III. Coordination (30%): The Programme Manager will ensure smooth communication between all partners and stakeholders including the commission steering committee, government, civil society and partners in other countries by:

A. Ensuring implementing partners working on related activities are communicating adequately with each other to minimize duplication and enhance synergies.

B. Communicating with partners implementing UNCoLSC workplans in other countries to identify effective solutions to common challenges.

C. Ensuring smooth communication with the UNCoLSC's steering committee as required contractually as well to ensure up-to-date information for implementation.

D. Contribute to regional meetings the Tanzania experience progress as well as challenges

E. Provide support to the process of technical/annual and financial reviews of the UNFPA thematic funds through the preparation of internal documents to assess progress of implementation. Undertake any other assignments including time to time as may be requested by the UNFPA Representative

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced university degree in Public Health, International Development, or related field.
• 7 years professional experience in Sexual and Reproductive/maternal Health programme management including field experience and increasing responsibility in the area of international development including public health. Previous experience in UN system, an asset.
• Good understanding of decentralized health system and health services management, including health policy, planning and services provision & supervision.
• Knowledge, previous experience and skills in Logistic Management system will desirable
• Excellent computer skills (Ms. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and statistical software).
• Excellent writing and communication skills and fluency in English

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply. We offer an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the position. The package includes a competitive salary plus housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit an interest letter, Cv and completed P11 form to below email address by 30 Sept 2013 to tanzania.office@unfpa.org

Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

More Info and Application