Country: Uganda
Closing date: 29 Feb 2016
- About GOAL
GOAL is an international humanitarian organisation implementing several exciting programmes in Uganda. GOAL is equal opportunity employer. GOAL is committed to the safety and protection of children in our care from intentional and unintentional harm. Candidates will therefore be expected to comply with GOAL Uganda’s child protection and other policies.
- About ACT Health
GOAL has funding from DfID-Uganda for Accountability Can Transform (ACT) Health and began implementing the programme in 16 Districts of Uganda in 2014. The programme is implemented in consortium with four Ugandan partner NGOs and communities to assess health service / utilisation status and document proposed improvements in quality and use of health services. The programme is subject of a high profile randomised control trial (RCT) implemented by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) under stewardship of three Principal Investigators. The endline data collection for the RCT is expected from August – December 2016. Programme end date is May 2018.
The foundations of the ACT Health programme are: dissemination of Citizen Report Cards through dialogues and subsequent action planning and Follow-Up. Throughout implementation, the programme tries to balance focus on responsibility, responsiveness and relationships to improve health outcomes as described below. And the programme is implemented at multiple levels, also described below.
Responsibility
Responsiveness
Relationships
Individuals have good health-seeking behaviour. They seek preventive care (ANC, immunisations, testing) and go early for treatment of illness to avoid complications.
Health Centre staff use resources effectively and provide care as per Ministry of Health standards in the Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package (UNMHCP).
Mutual understanding and trust between community members and health centre staff. Includes better understanding of each other’s constraints.
*Level 1 – Community Level Activities:** The focus is on community activities such as dialogues and interface meetings for health centre staff and community members in targeted HCII and HCIIIs. Meetings culminate in development of Action Plans / Social Contracts, with actions implemented by health centre staff and community members to address key Issues identified at the community level. Activities started in 2014, and each target HC / community will have four (4) Follow-Up meetings at six (6) month intervals. During Follow-Up meetings, progress on actions and issues is assessed and community participants guide changes. This is a form of people-centred advocacy!
*Level 2 – Sub-County and District Level Engagement:** Sub-County officials (S/C Chief, Health Assistant and Community Development Officer) are invited to observe all community-level activities. District officials are aware of the community activities from the beginning. However, more active engagement and involvement of district officials begins in early 2016. This engagement will allow implementation teams to share updates on programme progress and key information from the midline (in form of a brief District Citizen Report Card). District officials will also be invited to observe randomly selected community-level Follow-Up activities. This will form a foundation for future people-centred advocacy activities at Sub-County and District Levels. Accountability/advocacy at the District level will be evidence-based and people-centred. Each advocacy Issue for this level will be selected, vetted and have its own detailed advocacy strategy plan with targets, messages and tactics. Constituencies of affected persons will carry-out this advocacy at the Sub-County / District Level. As civil society organisations our role is to support from behind.
*3 – National Level Advocacy:** This will also begin in 2016, and it should build from the work at the community and district levels and will include development and implementation of an evidence-based, people-centred national advocacy strategy for health.
- About the Position
This position start date is June 1, 2016 to allow approximately six (6) weeks of handover with outgoing Programme Director. The ideal candidate has: superb planning skills; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to manage high level staff through coaching, mentorship feedback and oversight; excellent knowledge of grants and budget management (upwards and downwards accountability). The technical background of the ideal candidate is actual experience with developing, guiding and implementing social accountability and / or People-Centred Advocacy (PCA) programmes. PCA is the main area of programme evolution. The role requires a highly analytical and person who takes initiative and can build consensus through strong visioning, relationship-building and leadership.**Reports To**: GOAL Uganda Assistant Country Director for Programmes (ACD-P)
Supervisory Responsibilities: Direct supervision of 5 staff (see organigram below – subject to change)
Based in: Kampala
Expected travel: 15% – 20% across 16 implementation districts; possibility of travel outside Uganda
Key working relationships: DFID (programme donor); Partner Organisation Staff – IPA, FOCREV, HEPS, KRC and MUCOBADI; GOAL Organisational Development Mentor; GOAL MEL Coordinator; GOAL Uganda Senior Management Team; RCT Principal Investigators; HEPS team managing national advocacy campaigns; GOAL HQ and health programme advisor (limited)
Key Responsibilities
Ensure Upward Accountability to Main Programme Donor – DFID Uganda (10%)
- Monitor spending on the DFID budget, review detailed transactions and provide recommendations
- Review financial reports and highlight any challenges on the burn rate, obtaining prior approvals as necessary
- Prepare budget projections and initiate budget realignments as necessary
- Closely monitor spending on all budgetary lines (for GOAL and five sub-grantees)
- Ensure all quarterly narrative reports and workplan updates are submitted on time
- Maintain DFID files for the programme (reports, communications, etc.)
- Lead any necessary revisions to all strategic documents including logframe (milestones, indicators, etc.)
Consortium Leadership and Sub-Grant Management (15%)
- Offer significant support to programme and budgetary planning for partners
- Lead programmatic review / approval of downstream partner deliverables / agreements
- Lead Grants Opening Meetings for downstream partners
- Lead input to GOAL internal grants management processes (monthly partner review meetings)
- Review partner narrative reports and flag issues for discussion with partner teams
- Review partner financial reports and monitor burn rates, variance allowances
- Respond to queries on budget variance, etc. arising from partners
On-Going Programme Strategic Leadership – Especially for People-Centred Advocacy (20%)
- Quality assurance of all trainings and technical support for field teams
- Regular field visits and provide support to partner implementing teams and GOAL field staff
- Provide support to district-based people-centred advocacy strategy development
- Monitor national policy discussions and civil society initiatives on health advocacy & accountability (WDWW)
- Ensure technical support to HEPS, the national partner that will be developing and leading implementation of all national-level People Centred Advocacy Work
- Lead resource mobilisation efforts for programme expansion / growth (prime/sub consortia, monitoring funding opportunities, proposal and budget development)
General Oversight of Process Monitoring, Learning and Documentation of Programme Fidelity (15%)
- Ensure highest quality analysis and documentation of all programme processes and outputs (management and continuous improvement of existing monitoring systems)
- Ensure the establishment and roll-out of a system for monitoring People-Centred Advocacy (explore best practices for monitoring processes and outcomes, outcome harvesting, etc.)
- Support GOAL staff to ensure full “data fluency” of field teams, downstream partners and other stakeholders
Strategically Use Learning from Randomised Control Trial Research (15%)
- Liaise directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) and research staff from Innovations for Poverty Action on all aspects of RCT (data analysis, risks to research, endline survey questionnaires, midline/endline report writing, dissemination of findings, field validation workshops, etc.)
- Provide thought leadership on dissemination of findings from the RCT research in Uganda (audiences, messages, timing, etc.)
- If RCT findings are positive, possibly develop a costed model and strategy to propose potential endorsement / adoption by Government of Uganda (this will require a lot of strategic thinking and most likely experience in high level public policy advocacy)
Human Resource Management and Team Skill-Building (15%)
- Ensure key performance indicators are established and reviewed for all ACT Health team
- Ensure leave balances, timesheets and all other administrative matters are handled for direct supervisees
- Ensure continuous mentorship, coaching and skills enhancements of all staff with whom you interact
Other Duties As Arise (10%)
- Because this is a senior-level position on a highly strategic and high profile social accountability programme, position may take on additional roles and responsibilities from those currently envisioned
- Advocacy components, in particular will be evidence-driven and therefore this ideal candidate must be highly analytical and strategically identify directions and priorities
Essential Attitudes / Behaviours Required for All ACT Health Team Members
- Ability to build consensus among peers and partner organisations
- Confidence and belief that communities can self-advocate and make change
- Ability to manage change and uncertainty with a positive and constructive attitude
- Initiative and proactivity in problem identification and proposing solutions
Necessary Experience / Skills for Programme Director
- Detail oriented, highly organised and able to multi-task effectively
- Highly analytical and systematic thinker
- Superb communication skills (writing, editing, verbal and presentation)
- Strong budget management experience
- Extensive experience in full project cycle (planning, management, monitoring, evaluation, learning)
- Master’s degree in relevant field – social science, political development, public policy
- Strong sub-grant/sub-award management
- Consortium management experience is a plus
- Minimum of ten (10) years’ work experience – at least two of which in social accountability or people-centred advocacy
- At least five (5) years’ experience directly supervising senior level staff (human resource management)
Desired Experience / Skills for Programme Director
- At least two years of work experience in Uganda, with the accordant knowledge of civil society operating environment, trends in health sector, etc.
- Willingness / ability to sign a two year contract, to direct the programme to its current anticipated end (May 2018)
- Experience working on social accountability / advocacy in multiple developing-country contexts (Uganda and others in Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Knowledge of institutional donor rules and regulations (ideally USAID, DfID and/or Europe Aid)
- Strong understanding and network of health advocacy actors in Uganda (individuals and civil society organisations)
- Experience delivering on results-based programme (for public or private organisation)
- Experience in conducting financial or programme audits
- Experience in designing / implementing qualitative monitoring systems (Most Significant Change, Outcome Mapping / Harvesting, etc.)
- Training in conflict prevention or mediation
- Ugandan national is preferred, but the position is open to the candidate with best match to skills, proven experience and ultimate ability to deliver on the roles / responsibilities regardless of nationality *
Any published closing dates are estimated. Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate and this may be before the published closing date. We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.*
How to apply: