Assistant Program Officer India

TITLE:		Assistant Program Officer, NSV, RESPOND project, India
ORGANIZATION:		EngenderHealth, India Country Office
REPORTS TO:		Senior Program Officer
DUTY STATION:		Uttar Pradesh

EngenderHealth works to improve the health and well-being of people in the poorest communities of the world. We do this by sharing our expertise in sexual and reproductive health and transforming the quality of health care. We promote gender equity, advocate for sound practices and policies, and inspire people to assert their rights to better, healthier lives. Working in partnership with local organizations, we adapt our work in response to local needs.

The RESPOND Project is a global health initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to address the unmet need for high-quality reproductive health and family planning methods and services for the healthy timing, spacing and limiting of childbearing, through the use of holistic planning, evidence-based analysis, effective proven program strategies and practices, and strengthened health systems. RESPOND is led by EngenderHealth in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, Futures Institute, Population Council, Family Health International, and Meridian Group International.

“Expanding awareness, acceptance and access to No-scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) in Uttar Pradesh andJharkhand, India NSV Initiative” is a USAID-supported three year project under Global RESPOND. Led by EngenderHealth, the NSV Initiative’s conceptual framework addresses demand, supply and advocacy strategies and aims to significantly increase the awareness of, acceptance and access to No-Scalpel Vasectomy in UP and Jharkhand.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Program Officer will be responsible for timely implementation of the project’s activities as per work plan; for documentation, analysis, and reporting the results.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate in the development of the project work plans
• Liaison with district health officials- CMOs, DPOs, DPMOs; district health society; block health officials- MOICs, HEOs; Panchayati raj officials; factory managers and other stakeholders to create supportive environment for the project
• Support district health officials and NSV providers in organizing NSV camps
• Provide guidance to the facility staff to improve the quality and utilization of NSV services in the NSV camps
• Observe and identify promising practices while organizing NSV camps
• Conduct orientation on NSV for ASHAs and other outreach workers
• Coach and support ASHAs in mobilizing NSV clients, including clients for NSV camps
• Identify and develop ASHA peer educators
• Together with the Senior Program Officer identify doctors from public and private sector for NSV training and facilitate their participation in the training
• Organize activities to follow up of trained providers
• Facilitate assessment of facility readiness to provide quality NSV services;
• Train facility staff on quality of NSV services
• Organize health talks with an emphasis on NSV for factory workers
• Work closely with the Project’s Senior Technical Advisor for Demand Generation and the BCC Specialist to provide input in IEC materials’ development
• Support and facilitate mass media activities in the project districts according to the WP
• Collect district and facility level monitoring data; submit the data to the Senior Program Officer, M&E, NSV/QA to be entered into a database; analyze the data to present the results of the project’s interventions in NSV area, and provide recommendations for improvements
• Document project activities and prepare monthly progress reports; provide input in the quarterly progress and annual project’s reports.
• Work closely with other project staff to coordinate efforts to support project’s implementation
• Report to Senior Program Officer and assist him in all project implementation aspects
• Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Postgraduate in Health Management, Public Health, Social Work or Social Sciences or in related areas
• At least one year of experience of working on family planning, reproductive health, and quality assurance of health facilities is desired
• Experience in conducting/facilitating training
• Experience of working with international NGOs, NGOs, district administration, public health facilities will be an advantage

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Good knowledge of reproductive health; family planning; NSV- advantages, prevalent myths and misconceptions in community and how to overcome them
• Good knowledge on quality improvement and quality assurance of health services
• Strong communication, facilitation, liaison, and motivation skills
• Good training skills
• Ability to collect data; expertise in compilation; analysis of data and writing reports
• Computer skills- MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Internet Explorer
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Willingness to travel to peripheral health facilities and villages up to 75% of time
• Local candidate with own vehicle and willing to travel within a district will be preferred

EngenderHealth provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status.