Embedded Sexual and Reproductive Health Technical Assistance to the Federal Health Sector at Cowater

Canada’s Field Support Services Project (FSSP) seeks the services of a senior advisor to provide technical services and advice to the Ministry of Health, Nigeria in the area of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with a special focus on the sector performance and trend analysis, sector-based opportunity and constraint assessment, policy analysis, strategic planning, programme and project feasibility assessment, institutional capacity analysis at the federal and state levels, programme and project planning, implementation facilitation, assessing results and analyzing lessons learned.

We are seeking a senior advisor with in-depth experience/skills in strengthening policy and programming on SRHR and/or gender equality. We will NOT consider candidates that are generalist with experience in the health sector.

The following provides a range of potential specific activities:

• analysing government, development partners and donor key documents (including strategies, policies, plans, evaluations, assessments, operational documents and progress reports);
• consulting key stakeholders;
• conducting research and literature reviews as needed;
• participating in government, development partners and civil society meetings;
• participating in project and programme planning and monitoring exercises; and,
• undertaking rigorous analysis to guide implementation of policies.  

The senior technical advisor will explicitly and systematically integrate considerations that hinder gender equality, focus on approaches to foster women’s and girl’s empowerment and to eliminate vulnerabilities and barriers to gender equality and inclusion into all aspects of her/his work.

This assignment is expected to start in August 2023, with a level of work of approximately 20 days over a maximal period of two (2) months. The work also demands that the successful candidate is based in Abuja, Nigeria.

Essential qualifications/experience

In applying for this role, candidates are required to demonstrate how their combination of education, training and work experience is suited to this assignment and meet the following requirements:

Education.

Post-graduate degree from an accredited, recognized institution in a relevant discipline such as public health, global health, women’s health, sociology, international development, or another related field.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience working on international development projects focussing on Reproductive maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N), with a focus on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health system strengthening, and reducing the burden of key diseases and harmful practices affecting women and children.
• Demonstrated experience of 6 years (at a minimum) of providing advice, including drafting briefing notes, sectoral analyses, and monitoring and assessment reports for senior decision makers in donor agencies, government or civil society organizations or private sector. Samples of work to be supplied upon request.
• Demonstrated experience in performing monitoring and/or external evaluation on health projects.
• Prior experience with government approaches to RMNCAH+N and SRHR, health system strengthening, reducing the burden of key diseases and harmful practices, preferably for the Government of Canada.
• Experience in the following thematic/sectoral subject matters: Public Health, RMNCAH, particularly SRHR, health equity/social determinants of health (especially gender), and health system strengthening (particularly health financing and human resources for health).
• Knowledge
• Nigeria’s health system at federal, State, and local government level including knowledge of Nigeria’s health strategies, plans and flagship programs.
• Development implementation issues and challenges to achieving project results.
• Social/gender norms and behavior change in the context of health interventions.
• Knowledge and application of epidemiology and public health.
• Knowledge and understanding of the global health context including international health architecture.
• Knowledge of global partnerships for health and roles of multilateral organizations.
• Knowledge and application of the wider determinants of health, particularly gender.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, presentation and facilitation, and time management skills.