GENERAL INFORMATION

1.  SOLICITATION NO.: 21-54.

2.  ISSUANCE DATE: May 5, 2021.

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: May 19, 2021        (4:30 PM East Africa Time).

3.  POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (Medical Services       Policy)                                                         

4.  MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-PSC 11: (Step 1: 4,597,211.00       KSH to Step 13: 7,815,239.00 KSH per annum). In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local      

    Compensation Plan of USAID/Kenya and East Africa. Final                      compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Initial six (6) months probationary          period, with an additional six (6) months upon successful completion      of probation period. Additional four (4) option years contingent on          fully successful or better performance rating, funds availability and        the continued need to retain the position.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as        stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Prior to joining USAID,          the selected candidate will be required to:

• Undergo a comprehensive background investigation
• Undergo a health check to obtain medical clearance and;
• Obtain and Retain an embassy issued Security Certification.

9.  STATEMENT OF DUTIES: (See Below).

10.  AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens USAID provides equal opportunity and equitable treatment for employment of all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The position requirements do not involve rigorous physical demands.

BACKGROUND

The Health Population and Nutrition (HPN) office is USAID/Kenya and East Africa’s (KEA) largest office, managing a portfolio valued at over $400 million annually.  The office receives funding from a number of U.S. Presidential Initiatives, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and Feed the Future (FtF), as well as other USAID health funds for family planning, maternal, newborn, and child health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.  The position is a high-level specialist position providing technical leadership and maintaining critical partnerships with civil society organizations at national and county levels in Kenya.

The Project Management Specialist’s work will inform the overall strategic technical assistance on medical services health policy advocacy to advance the joint GOK and USAID KEA’s key priorities related to preventing and ending maternal and neonatal deaths, mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria incidence at the national and county levels. S/he will lead the complex health policy advocacy, negotiations and influence the adoptions of key policy actions from the actionable research on RMNCAH, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB/HIV, Nutrition and WASH, leading to adoption of health policy actions that significantly contribute to increased access to universal health coverage of quality health services by health policy makers through measurable Government commitments.  Overall, s/he will be responsible for the formulation of strategies for raising national and county health service issues that if addressed through policy actions will promote health and access to quality health care and public health services at the individual and community levels. S/he will work on strategies that will gain political leadership and technical commitment for key policy actions and systems necessary to achieve universal health coverage goals for sustained health outcomes and impact.

The Project Management Specialist (Medical Services Policy) will develop evidence gathering strategies on existing practices related to medical and public health services through health legislation monitoring, providing feedback on how implementation of legislation, policy actions and strategic plans impact vulnerable populations and communities, leading to evidence informed health policy reforms. S/he will map out and engage through mass and multi-media, direct political lobbying, national stakeholders and community mobilization strategies. Develop strategic advocacy partnerships with public health associations, private sector, research institutions such as KEMRI, Public Policy ThinkTanks such as KIPPRA and IEA, and local NGOs and community development organizations. S/he will lead in the drafting of policy briefs, and other written products meant to advance evidence-based medical services policy advocacies. S/he will ensure equitable and effective implementation of health policies, monitor the impact of those policies, and identify gaps and challenges for targeted advocacy with the right health policy makers and government political leadership.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

1.  TECHNICAL AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP                50%

• Medical Services Policy Advocacy Specialist will apply his/her understanding of the critical issues and the structural and policy challenges faced by the health sector and the citizens, especially the vulnerable households experiencing barriers to accessing quality health care to help in the adoption of policy actions meant to increase access to universal health coverage medical services.    
• S/he will seek to actively hold political and technical leaders accountable for adequately funding health systems, especially primary health care as part of the overall strategy for achieving UHC policy aspirations. S/he will collaboratively work with national and county governments through varied, tested advocacy tools on strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) as a vital building block for achieving UHC goals.                                                                      
• The incumbent as the medical services policy advocate, will empower local development organizations and citizens to speak up to hold county governments accountable for investing resources in PHC.                                                                                                 
• As National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) goes through MOH-led reforms, the incumbent will work with other stakeholders to ensure there is strong political commitment to make the NHIF system works, and strong NHIF governance policies to protect its system’s integrity while at the same time building independent oversight structures on behalf of all most vulnerable citizens for maximized accountability and value for money.                                 
• S/he will explore and build medical and public health advocacy platforms that strengthen the roles of community health workers as vehicles for connecting vulnerable citizens to health care and collect information relevant to medical policy advocacy. 

• S/he will identify and share innovative medical services policy advocacy approaches and developments through research, analysis, trainings, and through leadership, while actively collaborate with other health policy advocates from other stakeholders in the health sector, especially those from civil society. 

• The incumbent will gather and report on both quantitative and qualitative data, analyzing it for any trends or important information that may be useful in formulating new medical services policy advocacy, will examine the effects of current policies and government programs.                                                             
• The Medical Services Policy Advocate Specialist will formulate policy briefs which condense and summarize USAID KEA’s research and program evaluations to communicate key evidence to various stakeholders, national and county governments, CSOs, private sector, local development organizations and citizens.                                                 
• S/he jointly with the public health policy specialist, health analytics and senior epidemiologist will conduct rigorous assessments of the available research on high impact interventions and policies to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, reduce mother to child transmission of HIV and on social cultural barriers to access and utilization of health care services. 

• Provide expert advice and guidance to USAID colleagues on medical health services policy advocacy analysis, policy briefs development for maximized advocacy with national and county governments and how best to collaborate and coordinate medical services advocacy implementation with civil society organizations and the citizens. 

• S/he will lead the planning, development and dissemination of advocacy materials to key decision-makers in the political class, public and private sector practitioners, civil society and the general public through most appropriate modes of communication, translating policy actions at the county and sub county levels. 

• The Specialist will be responsible for gathering and analysis of data to understand the overall effectiveness of current health policies and identify any problem areas, looking into existing health care initiatives to determine cost/benefit ratio, overall program effectiveness, and develop health services advocacy strategies and actions aimed at modifying or improving upon existing policies in a way that leads to improved and sustainable health outcomes.                                                                                   
• Track and analyze policy developments and implementation related to maternal, child health, nutrition, malaria and HIV/AIDS and HIV/TB programs priorities, including monitoring the national and county budget, legislation, and regulations for health policy implementation. 

• Coordinate advocacy activities with CSOs, private sector, FBOs and citizens for key health policy actions, implementation and accountability for the expected health policy outcomes at the county level, facilitating advocacy events and public forums for citizenry engagements on priority public health policies.  

• In consultation with the public health policy specialist, health financing and insurance specialists, s/he will support county governments to develop policies that ensure increased health insurance coverage with limited amount of funding and resources; leading the different and many facets of health care reforms in the country.

 2. COORDINATION AND REPRESENTATION                         30%

• Using diplomacy and technical acumen, the incumbent will establish strategic working relationships with senior health officials at national and county and lower levels to enhance effective implementation and evaluation of health policies; coordinate and conduct regular and timely sharing of information on USAID’s policies, and legal and regulatory environments that could affect collaboration and coordination efforts with key stakeholders on key medical services advocacy landscape in the health sector. 

• Represent USAID at designated county, national, and regional health meetings and ensure regular participation in county and regional technical working groups and related committees. 

• As requested by the Mission Director, HPN Office Director, Deputy Director-APPS, or the Health Policy and Financing Team Leader, represent USAID at meetings within the interagency, as well as at outside meetings. 

• As a member of the HPN, respond flexibly and capably to a wide range of work-related requirements including responding to requests for information from HQ, Congress and OGAC. 

• Organize site visits and prepare orientation materials for delegations from USAID, the State Department, and other agencies. 

• Participate in publishing the body of knowledge for relevant technical areas in peer-reviewed journals and make presentations at key conferences.                                                                              
• Represent the HPN Office when requested at official meetings and events as appropriate.

3.   PROGRAM/PROJECT/ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT                 20%

• The Specialist will serve as a Contracting or Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) and/or as an Activity Manager for designated Mission programs; keeps the supervisor informed regularly of program implementation progress, results, and issues/problems on a timely basis. 

• The incumbent will support USAID IPs to develop strategic work plans with realistic and measurable targets to support effective implementation of the Mission’s medical services policy advocacy program. The Specialist will review and approve annual work plans, monitoring and evaluation plans, quarterly reports and other key documents of USAID supported projects. 

• The Specialist will provide technical and organizational development guidance to local organizations entailing transfer of knowledge and skills in medical services policy advocacy initiatives and programming, implementation, monitoring and reporting, and quality improvement.

POSITION ELEMENTS

A.  SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Project Management Specialist (Medical Services Policy Specialist) will report to the Health Policy and Financing Team Leader in the HPN Office of USAID. The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Health Office and Mission portfolio. The Specialist will be expected to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.

B.  SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Supervision over others is not anticipated.

C.  AVAILABLE GUIDELINES: Global Health, PMI and PEPFAR Guidance and Directives, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR); AID Acquisitions Regulations (AIDAR); AID Automated Directives System (ADS Series); Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs); Office of Procurement Acquisition Memoranda (OPAMS); U.S. Department of State Standardized Regulations; Federal Travel Regulations; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and Controller General Decisions, USAID Mission Orders, Project Papers, Mission Strategy, and other documents available, USAID policies and procedures, Technical Documents and Policy Papers.

The incumbent is required to understand Mission and Agency-specific policies and procedures that govern project activity management in addition to administrative operating procedures, policies and formats established by the Department of State.  The incumbent will be required to be proactive in keeping abreast of evolving guidelines and policies which affect PMI, PEPFAR, RMNCAH and other health programming.

D.  EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT: The incumbent will exercise a high degree of independent judgment in representing USAID and in providing guidance to Mission staff, government officials and implementing partners. Substantial reliance will be placed on the incumbent, a recognized expert and well-qualified professional, to independently plan, prioritize and carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position. The incumbent will be expected to analyze and address problems by applying relevant guidance (for management/administrative issues) and evidence-based strategies (for technical issues) to advance the Mission’s objectives. The use of initiative, discretion, cultural sensitivity, collaboration, and teamwork is expected of the incumbent, to resolve challenges for which there are no clear or immediate solutions. In the event that no formal guidance exists, the incumbent will use her/his own personal, well-informed judgment, making independent decisions that can be defended as necessary, and seeking input when appropriate.

E. AUTHORITY TO MAKE COMMITMENTS: When fully designated as an AOR/ COR s/he will have full authority and responsibility as delegated by the ADS, as well as other Mission and USAID guidelines. However, because of the incumbent’s expertise and professional standing in his/her field, substantial weight will be given to his/her recommendations, while commitments are made by those with the authority to do so.

G.  NATURE, LEVEL, AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: The incumbent occupies a high profile and important position in the Mission. S/he represents USAID in engagements with a variety of high-level Ministry of Health officials at the county, regional and national levels, donors, and private and non-governmental organizations, and provides policy recommendations as well as strategic and programmatic advice to senior USAID and US Government officials, other donors, and implementing partners. S/he is required to establish and maintain professional contacts/relationships with senior officials and leaders of private and nongovernmental sector institutions that partner on health and PMI activities and to seek to leverage funding. Internally, the incumbent has routine and frequent contact with senior officials of the other members of the USAID Mission, personnel at the U.S. Embassy, USAID/Washington, and other USG agencies such as the CDC, partnering organizations, institutional contractors, and consultants.

G.  TIME EXPECTED TO REACH FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: One year.

PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE: Minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in public health and medical services policy advocacy work for a development organization, including managing malaria, HIV/AIDS and Family Health programs or other relevant public health programs that involve coordination with a wide variety of stakeholders in a government department, international agency or implementing partner, is required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, HIV/TB, RMNCAH, Nutrition, WASH and Malaria public health programs, strategies, methods, processes, and techniques used to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate the results of treatment and prevention programs is required. Extensive knowledge of the country and region’s health context including national and county priorities and the key stakeholders engaged in health at community and county level in Kenya is required. Demonstrated knowledge of the overall health sector context and thorough public health knowledge regarding current health sector priorities at county level is also required. 

The incumbent should have professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to the devolution of the health sector and the increasing roles and responsibilities of the counties. The incumbent should have an understanding of civil society, donor, multilateral and private sector involvement in health in Kenya. The incumbent must have a good knowledge, or the potential to quickly acquire such knowledge, of USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to development assistance, of programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities. The incumbent must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the county governments, and the role of units within each level, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program/project strategy and implementation plans.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The incumbent must possess strong skills in communication, advocacy, and networking. S/he must have strong conceptual and analytical skills to be able to quickly grasp and translate new concepts into operational plans and results. This position requires outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to exercise flexibility in analyzing and reacting to evolving planning and implementation contexts. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent computer skills, including skills with Microsoft Office, web-based databases, and electronic filing. S/he exercises individual judgement in his/her roles. S/he takes initiative and offers leadership in developing strategic partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, and in reviewing the progress of programs and projects under his/her responsibility, including performance reports, budgets, and program implementation reviews, in the course of fulfilling other activity management requirements. S/he demonstrates timely decision-making ability and extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, using diplomacy and tact.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Applicants must submit a resume/cv which describes how their relevant professional experience and education has prepared them to meet the specific challenges of the duties and responsibilities described above.  As part of the interview process, those applicants ranked highest may be required to submit a timed writing sample on a topic provided.  The selection committee may conduct reference checks at any time during the selection process.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored.  

• Prior work experience (30 points)
• Job Knowledge (40 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points)

Total possible points:  100

Candidates meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks.   References will be asked to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above criteria.  USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed applicants.  The interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

 How to Apply

Step 1:  Register in MyJobsInKenya at www.myjobsinkenya.com      

Step 2:  Complete the job application questionnaire at www.myjobsinkenya.com .The applicant must answer all the questions in the Questionnaire.

Step 3:   Internal Applicants/Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages), a copy of your most recent Performance Evaluation Report, and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the relevant documents and upload to MyJobsInKenya. 

                                                          OR

External Applicants/Not Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages) and copies of all relevant certificates. Upload all the documents to MyJobsInKenya.

Note to Applicants:

1. Applications must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted through myjobsinkenya.com as stated in Section IV.

2. Submissions will only be accepted through myjobsinkenya.com Late and Incomplete applications (those that do not contain the applicant’s most current and up to date detailed CV and relevant education certificates) will not be considered for the position. The closing date for receipt of applications is indicated above.

3.  USAID DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING) AND DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.