Global Health Security (GHS) Advisor (USAID/LEAP) at ZemiTek, LLC

Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities: The GHS Advisor will:

• Build the capacity of the NCDC to strengthen more efficient, effective, and self-reliant, inclusive, and transparent IHR coordination systems between stakeholders, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
• Embedded at the National Centers for Disease Control (NCDC) to support delivery and conduct of International Health Regulations (IHR), coordination, and governance related functions that address immediate post August 2023 Nigeria Joint External Evaluation (JEE) gaps. 
•  Provide technical assistance, guidance and support from USAID to Government of Nigeria’s (GoN) preparedness, readiness, response, and recovery coordination activities for public health threats.
•  Support high-level advocacy and technical dialogue with host government ministries to ensure effective USAID support to the implementation of GHS activities, including advocacy to promote a One Health approach to addressing pandemic threats.
•  Review past National Action Plan on Health Security (NAPHS) 1.0 and along with partners, lead the development, validation and launch of NAPHS 2.0 following the August JEE 2.0 exercise. 
• Review the technical report of the recent JEE 2.0, analyze the recommendations and develop a work plan to govern implementation of post JE action working with USAID GHS partners.
•  Prepare the 2024 IHR exercise management plan according to key hazards including the development of the exercise scenario, injects, evaluation tools, and other exercise content.
•  Strengthen USAID Nigeria visibility with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), monitor the quality of engagements with the USAID IP technical teams and as well ensure fidelity of implementation of USAID Nigeria IPS COVID and GHS activities in all applicable technical areas
•  Advance leadership skills to successfully support capacity building and knowledge sharing activities, to support government GHS staff. 
•  Apply leadership skills and technical expertise to support programmatic growth and scale up within IHR Coordination functions of NCDC and IHR outbreak response functions of the NPHCDA
•  Provide TA towards the support to the national IHR focal person on the conduct sub national state JEE assessments working with USAID IPs supporting this. 
•  Coordinate multiple stakeholders for routine monthly/quarterly one health technical committee meetings and engage strategically with MDAs, partners and multilateral institutions to mobilize support for country IHR coordination.
•  Establish strategic working relationships with senior MOH and other relevant Ministry officials at the national and district level, development partners, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, private sector health counterparts, and professional associations to enhance regular and timely sharing of information on issues related to strategic planning and direction, private sector engagement, changes in key policies, and legal and regulatory environments that could affect the implementation of USAID programs.
• Objective 2: Build GHS technical capacities to Improve the quality of emergency preparedness, readiness and response to ensure quality Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) services for all populations.
•  Facilitate collaboration between NCDC, NPHCDA, Department of Planning Research and Statistics and Epidemiology of the FMOH, USG, relevant USG partners and WHO, to strengthen IHR coordination, PHEM and Health Emergency Service Provision functions.
•  Strengthen collaboration between NCDC, NPHCDA, FMAFS, FMEnv, NAFDAC, and other MDAs with a view to improving data quality and preventing duplication of data points.
•  Provide technical support to the NCDC and the NPHCDA of the FMOH and State Ministries of Health with the aim of strengthening the national capacity for IHR Coordination and Governance. 
•  Support to Identify how the Emergency Operating Centers (EOCs) can improve the outbreak response to EIDs and Chemical Events including Lead (Pb) Exposure Mitigation
•  Participate in key monitoring, evaluation and surveillance activities organized by the NCDC, NPHCDA, FMOH, MDAs and partners.
•  Prepare the 2024 IHR exercise management plan according to key hazards including the development of the exercise scenario, injects, evaluation tools, and other exercise content working with NCDC and MDAs.
•  Develop and conduct briefings to key groups including players, simulators, monitors, evaluators, and exercise management team members.
•  Coordinate the conduct of exercise including exercise play, monitoring, and evaluation with state actors linking public health security to security agencies in terms of preparedness.
•  Conduct post-exercise debriefing sessions with participants and exercise management team members.  
•  Assist in the development and organization activities to assess the national preparedness and response capacities to all Hazards.
•  Assist IHR focal person in the IHR monitoring and evaluation activities including after action review (AAR) for natural emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks.
•  Analyze and review data on disease outbreak and monitor disease outbreak response and OBR activities such as reactive vaccination, Surveillance, Communication activities and provide feedback to HPN on a regular basis. 
• Objective 3: Improve in-country USAID and USG Nigeria Inter office and Inter Agency activities
•  Support the design and development of USAID strategies, project mechanisms and activities for improved prevention, preparedness, readiness, detection, and response for GHS and emerging infectious diseases.
•  Support technical coordination between USAID Nigeria Mission Technical Offices and US Inter-Agency One Health team working across human, animal, and environmental sectors.
•  Facilitate and maintain Implementing Partner (IP) relationships and coordination with local stakeholders (other IPs, host government counterparts, other development partners/donors, etc.)
•  Maintain coordination among USG GHS partners in the country: bi-lateral donors, international organizations, national governments and their relevant ministries, privatesector, international and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), etc. and use the coordination network to facilitate USAID GHS implementing partners in successful completion of work plan activities.
•  During disease outbreak situations, ensure the Mission’s GHS Team, and GHS implementing partners are closely coordinated with the GHS interagency response in supporting the host government;
•  Analyze, review and present data to the mission disease Outbreak Response (OBR) and other OBR activities such as reactive vaccinations, surveillance, and communication activities whilst providing feedback to HPN team on a regular basis;
•  Organize and participate in site visits to monitor progress, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of USG funding;
•  Prepare report outputs, cables, briefers, orientation materials for ESTH officers, delegations from USAID Headquarters (HQ), Department of State, other agencies, and Congress.
•  Review IP work plans, quarterly performance and technical briefs produced by them and other GHS partners UNICEF, WHO, Data.Fi, MTAPs, FAO, BA_N and CGPP working closely with the activity managers and A/CORS to recommend actions that promote  fidelity of implementation of activities.
•  Support in the development of GHS new designs and procurement processes that work on all areas of GHS new design results framework.

Reporting structure:

• The Advisor will be based at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Nigeria Primary Health Care Development Agency on Alternate days, all within the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria. S/he will work closely with and receive technical direction from the Director General of NCDC who will serve as his/her Onsite Manager. While at USAID, The Advisor is within the Mission’s Health Population and Nutrition Office. Working under the supervision of the Mission GHS Senior Advisor. Technical Advisor Responsibilities and Outcomes:
•  Top-down organizational approach that strengthening national policies or practices and interministerial and inter MDA One Health IHR coordination and governance functions, activities and responsibilities
•  Partnerships approach which involves strengthening the relationships between organizations and affected communities.
•  The Advisor collaborates with other USAID GHS team members spanning USAID HAT, HART, EGAP and PDG technical offices. 
•  In carrying out work-related duties and responsibilities, the jobholder is expected to function effectively with minimal supervision. 
•  Completion of tasks and assignments are reviewed regularly through required written documents and oral presentations during meetings and via other progress reports.

Qualifications

• Masters degree MD/DVM and/or MSc, MPH, PhD is required in public health, One Health, Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, Ecology, Health Policy, veterinary medicine or a related field. 
• Minimum fifteen (15)  years experience in public and animal health background is recommended with at least ten (10) years of public health and/or animal health and/or related experience in developing countries and at least five (5) years of experience working with USG, international public health and/or animal health organizations, such as the WHO, FAO, US CDC, USAID, Africa CDC, PAHO, OIE and other UN agencies is required.
• Ideal candidates should have experience in One Health programming in a low- and-middle income country context. This may include veterinary medicine, public health/medical professionals, public policy, epidemiology, or other related fields. 
• Prior experience delivering complex regional or national-level public sector projects and ensuring compliance with U.S. Government rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of the Nigeria epidemiological policies and activities relevant to the duties listed above.
• Monitoring and Evaluation and Research experience. 
• The jobholder must have excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills in a diverse, multi-cultural environment involving multiple government agencies, implementing partners and other stakeholders whose productive collaboration is essential for program success.
• Diplomacy and tact to work effectively and harmoniously across partners, host country counterparts, USAID, consultants, other donors and international organizations.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing priorities and shifting deadlines.
• Demonstrated strong organizational, administrative, communication and reporting skills.
• Demonstrated skills with database design, MS Access, Excel, Epi-info, SPSS and STATA.
• Experience with USAID-funded public health programs.
• Relevant technical experience obtained in African countries is preferred.