My Jobs In Kenya
MyjobsInKenya DOES NOT charge applicants for registration, applications or interviews.
For any assistance please contact [email protected]
Responsive image
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST (STRATEGIC INFORMATION)

USAID Kenya NAIROBI, KENYA

Summary

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.  SOLICITATION NO.: 21-29

2.  ISSUANCE DATE: February 23, 2021

3.  CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: March 9, 2021         (4:30 PM East Africa Time).

4.  POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (Strategic                   Information)

5.  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 6 months probationary period         with 4 additional option years contingent on performance, position           need, and funds availability. 

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

USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) invests in population and health programs at national and county levels that aim to improve the survival, well-being and productivity of the Kenyan population by reducing the burden of major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and addressing the main causes of maternal and child illness and deaths.  This includes cross-cutting work to strengthen healthcare systems and build capacity, and to support the national government to formulate key policies and guidelines while assisting counties to better plan, manage and finance quality health services to meet local needs. 

The Health Population and Nutrition (HPN) office is USAID/ KEA’s 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), Feed the Future (FtF) as well as other USAID health funds for family planning, maternal newborn and child health, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene.  The Mission has a Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) with the goal “Kenya’s governance and economy sustainably transformed.”  The Health Population and Nutrition Office portfolio contributes to this strategic goal by primarily contributing to the CDCS Development Objective (DO) 2 “Health and Human capacity strengthened.”

The Project Management Specialist (Strategic Information) (SI) of the Health Population and Nutrition (HPN), USAID/KEA serves as one of the key SI technical advisors to the HPN Director and Team Leaders (HIV/AIDS, Family Health, Malaria and Health Systems) in the management of strategic information under the HPN portfolio.  The Project Management Specialist (SI) is one of four members on the Strategic Information and Monitoring and Evaluation Team, and reports to the Team Lead.

The incumbent in her or his capacity as Project Management Specialist (SI) will:

  • Assist in the development, management, and maintenance of the performance monitoring and evaluation activities for HPN. 
  • Support the management of the data for policy and program reform and evaluations of demographic, health, and other data. 
  • Lead all the technical works on the development and operationalization of the implementing partners’ monitoring, evaluation and learning plans. 
  • Participates in the interagency monitoring and evaluation (M&E) SI working group. 
  • Maintain close contact with other USG agencies and all the national health sector programs to ensure harmonized performance reporting under the PEPFAR, PMI, and other initiatives. 
  • Work with USAID DO team members and implementing partners in the identification, validation and prioritization of implementation science including operations research opportunities within the HPN portfolio and ensures full compliance to the Agency Scientific Research Policy Guidelines.

Description

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES    

1.   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN MONITORING, EVALUATION &             LEARNING                                                                            40%

  •  Works closely with the Data Management Specialist to identify opportunities for further data analysis and translates analytical works to the HPN technical team into products for better development and targeting of high impact interventions. 
  • Leads the identification and prioritization of key early warning outcome level indicators for tracking the progress towards the achievement of HPN’s Project Approval Document (PAD) intermediate and end term results. 
  • Works closely with select project managers to ensure that implementing partners have developed strategic interventions and M&E plans consistent with the needs of the HPN performance monitoring plan (PMP) and includes all required indicators. 
  • Responsible for developing HPN’s PAD Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan and ensures that funded activities’ results are fully aligned with HPN’s strategic documents. 
  • Leads the coordination of USAID’s response in completing the semi-annual and annual reporting documents, which includes PEPFAR, PMI, and other health areas as assigned. 
  • Prepares and makes technical presentations to HPN and Mission at large from the implementation science, operations research, and activity evaluations as part of findings dissemination and promotion of data use.

 2.  PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, COORDINATION &                                    REPRESENTATION                                                                30 %

  • Serves as COR/AOR and/or Activity Manager for strategic information (monitoring and evaluation, health management information systems, surveys and surveillance) activities, as assigned. Analyzes program performance data and financial reports, including reports on activity burn rates and pipelines and expenditure accruals, reviewing reports from partners with particular attention to activity and financial indicators. 
  • Contributes to the management of activities related to the national data collection efforts, such as the annual HIV Sentinel and Behavioral Surveillance program, as well as National HIV/AIDS Impact Assessments, Demographic and Health Surveys and Kenya Health Facility Assessments. 
  • Represents HPN at the national technical working groups (TWGs) on national household surveys and all strategic information related interagency coordinating committees convened by the Government of Kenya (GOK). 
  • Coordinates USAID’s health M&E efforts with the GOK strategies including post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals implementation/operational plans and Vision 2030 expectations. Actively participates in the interagency monitoring and reporting under PEPFAR for USAID including joint USAID – GOK Data Quality Assessments, and Data Quality Improvement Initiatives. 
  • Conducts regular site visits to USAID implementing partners; communicates findings and recommendations for strengthening HPN’s M&E activities, and as appropriate, implementing partners and GOK counterparts. 
  • Assists implementing partners to understand compliance with all relevant USAID and initiative specific regulations and procedures. Makes programmatic recommendations to HPN Team, based on performance statistics and other available data, on how to use data for action. Recommendations will focus on approaches to data usage that will improve the quality-of-service delivery, and adjustments to implementation strategies to improve outcomes. 
  • Works with the HPN team on the creation of new activity designs and overall HPN strategic planning documents; with a focus on the development of strong results frameworks and logical framework analysis to improve the linkages between the desired outcomes, and proposed approach.

3.  STRATEGIC PLANNING                                                         30 %

  • Provides programmatic and technical assistance to GOK institutes, including but not limited to: National AIDS Control Council (NACC), National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), Division of Family Health Programs – (Reproductive Health/Family Planning, Maternal & Child Health, Nutrition and WASH), National Malaria Control Program and Health Systems to strengthen their M&E systems.                                                                                                
  • Actively participates in the development of comprehensive reporting tools for the national health sector programs. 
  • Leads and coordinates the development of programmatic narratives on the overall achieved annual results for malaria, family health programs and to a lesser extent PEPFAR program. 
  • Provides ongoing technical assistance, training, and consultation on the development and implementation of M&E plans, data utilization to further programmatic efforts and reporting required to USG activity managers and implementing partners.

POSITION ELEMENTS

A.  SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Project Management Specialist (SI) works under the supervision of the SI Team Lead.  Assignments are made orally and in writing.  Most assignments are self-generated and occur in the normal course of the work.  S/he exercises independence in most phases of the assignment but determines those situations that must be coordinated with the supervisor.  The supervisor provides a review of the assignment, the goals and objectives to be achieved, and the results expected.  The incumbent seeks advice and assistance as required.  Completed work is accepted as technically correct, and the overall assignment is reviewed in terms of results achieved. 

B. SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None

C.  AVAILABLE GUIDELINES: PEPFAR Planning and Reporting Guidelines, USAID regulations (including the Automated Directives System), the CDCS Performance Management Plan, HPN PAD Monitoring and Evaluation Plan including its Logical Framework Analysis provide broad guidelines as to the conduct of work related to the duties described above.  USAID and PEPFAR program both have other documents and background papers on strategic information (health management information systems, monitoring and evaluation, surveys and surveillance) which may also provide valuable resources.

D. EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT: The incumbent works with a high level of independence in managing HPN monitoring and evaluation systems, and in informing and advising technical staff and IPs on data collection and measurement in Kenya.  S/he uses considerable judgment in developing ideas and proposals, and in determining the appropriate analytical approach to be used for a particular analysis.  The incumbent also exercises considerable judgment in determining who to involve or not involve in a particular activity and proposes teams to accomplish the objectives and analyses agreed to.

E. AUTHORITY TO MAKE COMMITMENTS: The Specialist retains the authority given to activity managers in USAID and may make administrative arrangements and determinations consistent with ADS guidance and Mission policy.  The Specialist must take action and establish priorities based on available guidelines and professional judgment.  Guidance should be sought when needed, and the supervisor informed of activity and project status.  The Specialist will on occasion be required to negotiate ad referendum for the supervisor.

F. NATURE, LEVEL, AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: Maintains a range of contacts with host-government professional staffs, representatives of other donors, and senior-level professional staff of other HPN Teams and Offices within the Mission.  Maintains contact with leaders from private-sector and non-governmental organizations.  These contacts may involve sensitive program and project management matters (e.g., failure to comply with agreed-upon conditions precedent).  The purpose of these contacts is to collect information, organize input into program reviews and strategic objective/activity evaluations, and on occasion to explain the entire USAID/KEA PEPFAR program and its objectives.

G. TIME EXPECTED TO REACH FULL PERFORMANCE: 1 year

Education
Master’s Degree In Public Health, Statistics, Epidemiology, Demography, Sociology, Public Policy,

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Any application that does not meet the minimum requirements stated below will not be evaluated. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. If you have not been contacted within one month from the closing date of this advertisement, please consider your application unsuccessful.

EDUCATION: Master’s Degree in public health, statistics, epidemiology, demography, sociology, public policy, or related field.

POST ENTRY TRAINING:  Familiarization training in USAID-specific procedures, regulations, and methods, and orientation to working from a donor-Agency perspective, etc., will be provided.  Successful completion of formal COR/AOR certification courses is required.  Other training to maintain professional capability in the field, and other courses offered for professional USAID staff, as appropriate; and courses, seminars, conferences, and other activities in fields related to the sector and needed to maintain and update professional qualifications, as they become available will be provided, subject to offerings and the availability of funds.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: Level IV (fluent) English and Kiswahili proficiency, speaking and writing, is required.

More Details on Experience

Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years progressively responsible, job-related professional experience is required. Project management experience is desirable.  Experience in the application of statistical methods and field research experience is required. A record of publications based on independent analytical work from either primary or secondary sources and some specialized training in monitoring and evaluation is desirable.

JOB KNOWLEDGE:  Knowledge and understanding of host-country historic, economic, social cultural, and political characteristics and an understanding of the general level of development in the region is required. This position requires a thorough knowledge, or the ability to quickly acquire a thorough knowledge of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation; and the objectives, methodology, and status of projects assigned. Knowledge of the objectives and operations of the USG, or the program activities of other international donor organizations, is desirable.

More Details on Skills

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: This position requires experience in a management capacity, political analysis, and program reporting and monitoring, and strong interpersonal and team building skills.  The ability to service as an effective liaison with a wide array of individuals and institutions essential. The incumbent must possess a familiarity with a wide range of issues, such as program evaluation, public health, community development, economic policy, and democracy and governance. The Project Management Specialist - SI must be able to prepare clear, substantive reports and briefing papers in English, in a timely manner, and have the ability to develop a thorough understanding of USAID and host government policies and procedures. The work requires flexibility, and an ability to react to changing systems with sound analyses, and the ability to work under pressure.

Terms And Conditions

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 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.