PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE PLANNING SPECIALIST – NORTH EAST SYRIA

Position: Public Health and Health Care Planning Specialist – NES

Location: Amuda, North East Syria

Type of contract: Contract of collaboration

Duration: 12 months (3-month probation period) – with possible renewals

Closing date of the vacancy: 07 March 2024 (applications on a rolling basis)

Starting from: April 2024

GENERAL CONTEXT

Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991 with a mission to prevent armed conflicts, protect human rights, and support local civil society in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Since 2015, UPP has been leading the way in the North East Syria (NES) response, developing a comprehensive system of health services delivered in 26 facilities, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centers, and rural health posts, as well as providing capacity building for local actors on Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, Child Protection (CP), Psycho-social Support (PSS) and protection mainstreaming in health programs. In 2022, UPP also launched a multi-year Health System Strengthening (HSS) programme to address the structural needs and contribute to the reinforcement of the NES health care system in the medium/long-term, encompassing the different components of HSS such as health education and capacity building of health professionals, health care planning and management at territorial level, quality of care, emergency management, preparedness and response, data management and production of health statistics to support evidence-based decision making.

For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/

DEFINITION OF THE POST

The Public Health and Health Care Planning Specialist will be responsible of achieving UPP Health System Strengthening programme’s outputs aimed at enhancing health care planning and management at territorial level, and at designing and supervising the establishment of an epidemiological surveillance team at NES level to ensure active surveillance and response in case of disease outbreaks. Additionally, the Specialist will provide technical advice and support to local stakeholders at cantonal level for the identification and design of health care interventions in line with territorial priorities to address gaps and increase access to health care. This role will foresee the design and implementation of assessments, strategic researches, territorial planning, capacity building and technical assistance to relevant stakeholders (local health institutions, NGOs, private actors). The Specialist will form integral part of UPP Health Governance Department, she/he will work under the line management of the Project Manager and the overall technical coordination of the Health Governance Specialist, and will closely coordinate with the Health Governance Coordinator (HGC), the Health Emergency and the Health Quality Specialists, the Health Financing Expert and the Information Management (IM) Specialist. She/he will also regularly coordinate with UPP Medical Coordinator to streamline approaches and ensure health strategy alignment. She/he will provide advice and recommendations for mobilising additional expertise (both international and local) to achieve the planned goals throughout the project implementation, as needed.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Public Health and Health Care Planning Specialist, in coordination with the key figures mentioned above, will be responsible of:

• Coordinate and supervise a detailed stakeholder mapping to inform an understanding of the health care landscape in each canton, identifying roles and functions of each actor;
• Coordinate and supervise the local health units created by the project in the development of a Health Master Plan in each canton (for a total of 7 cantons) in coordination with the different stakeholders (local health authorities, NGOs, private actors), including include an analysis of health needs and risks in each canton and the planned response along with an analysis of service availability and critical gaps, objectives, outcomes, activities and timelines, distributing responsibilities and defining joint activities among different actors;
• Ensure strict coordination and collaboration with the Health Emergency Specialist for the integration of emergency preparedness and response plans in each Health Master Plan and with the Health Financing Expert for the costing of the Health Master Plans;
• Ensure the integration of collective feedback, wide acceptance and alignment to the Plan at cantonal level through structured dialogue initiatives during the development phase and through partnership protocols with the different health actors operating in the area once the plan is finalised and accepted;
• Provide technical advice for the identification, the design, the implementation, the monitoring and the evaluation of priority health interventions in the territories to be funded through sub-granting, in line with the Health Master Plan and with the project’s requirements;
• In coordination with the Health Emergency Specialist, provide technical advice for the creation of a surveillance unit to be deployed at the Emergency Management and Coordination Centre, receiving and analysing data from health facilities to ensure active surveillance and response in case of disease outbreaks;
• Provide advice and guidance to the local health units in the planning and management of territorial health care services, including through designing and delivering targeted capacity building plans;
• Contribute to the design and delivery of teaching sessions in a post-graduate master course in NES related to the specific area of expertise;
• Providing advice and technical support in the technical dialogue with the Contracting Authority and in the development of reports and new proposals related to the specific area of expertise, as requested by the Line Managers;

Any other activity as requested by the Project Manager or the HGS directly related to the achievement of UPP objectives in public health and health care planning.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Masters level qualification in Public Health or related subject (Medicine, Nursing)
• Expert in Public Health and health care planning at territorial level, with at least 5 years’ progressive experience in the area of planning and implementing health care programs liaising with local health institutions, NGOs and relevant stakeholders in low-resources settings
• Health professional, doctor, or nurse, with at least three-year experience in the practice of health profession
• Experience as a healthcare manager in primary care and/or hospital settings with at least five years’ experience
• Experience in designing and delivering capacity building programmes
• Experience in the planning and programming cycle including implementation and evaluation of programs
• Accredited experience as planning, design and operation of health services and health programs
• Fluent in English

MERIT ACCREDITATION:

• Experience in management and coordination of health care facilities, programs and projects
• Fluent in Arabic or Kurdish
• Organizational experience in evaluation and monitoring of health services
• Proven leadership capacity
• Working experience with NGOs in NES or Middle East
• Experience in humanitarian aid and early recovery health projects
• Good understanding of the project life cycle management
• Excellent capacity to work in team
• Proven capacities to plan activities successfully targeting results and objectives
• Experience of planning, organizing, and prioritizing work, working under pressure, and meeting deadlines
• Ability to work under pressure in stressful environments

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Un Ponte Per is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.

Ethical Conduct:

UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. UPP participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, therefore, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates that might compromise candidates’ privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.