Primary Healthcare (PHC) Advisor at The Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF)

Ref Id: 322
Location: Kaduna
Reports to: State Program Manager
Duration: 12 months
Required Travel: Routine visits to 10 LGAs and central project office

Background

• Despite significant investments by the government and its partners, Nigeria’s primary healthcare (PHC) system continues to perform sub-optimally with broad recognition that the underperformance is in part due to governance and management factors. The Kaduna State Government has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening PHC and improving the health outcomes of its residents through her steady progress implementing the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy, including the pooling of over 5,000 staff working PHC into the SPHCDA, and the institution of PHC MoU inclusive of all donors and partners to drive the implementation of its Strategic Health Development Plan and Annual PHC Operational Plans.
• Additionally, Kaduna has commenced strengthening its PHC workforce through the evaluation of health staff performance individually and collectively to guide hiring as well as optimizing the distribution of the workforce. The State is also investing significantly in improving the infrastructure of its PHC facilities, starting with 255 PHC (1 per ward), intending to link functional PHC centers to a robust referral system, as well strengthening its financial management system to ensure seamless flow of budgeted funds to points of use. Despite these efforts, key challenges remain.
• These include insufficient funds for PHC continues to fuel: low stocks of lifesaving commodities; absenteeism among nurses, midwives, and community health workers; and low perception of service quality among citizens.  
• This is compounded by fragmented donor support has led to a plethora of vertical health programs, putting pressure on the LGA and facility managers to implement and manage these programs with limited support given to build their capacity and skills, or establish functional processes and systems that enable operational efficiency and quality service delivery.
• Management within health systems is particularly critical in low-income settings, where the efficient use of scarce resources is paramount to attaining health goals. As a result, there is a need to strengthen the management of PHC services to improve PHC service delivery.

Scope of work

• HSDF will engage a PHC Advisor who will oversee the implementation of the PHC management strengthening interventions and the functions of the PHC mentors assigned to designated LGAs.
• He/she will also be responsible for setting up and ensuring the functionality of a PHC-SHF referral system. 
• Support will also be provided to the LGA health teams towards ensuring that appropriate supervisory functions are routinely carried out. A combination of interventions including mentoring, capacity building and peer learning methods will be applied.

Duties and Deliverables
Reporting to the Project Manager and working closely with the PHC management strengthening project team, the PHC Advisor will deliver on the following:

Institutionalization of the Primary / Secondary Health Facility referral system:

• PHC Advisor will work with the Project Manager to:
  • Support the setup of an electronic referral system between focal PHC facilities and designated referral Secondary Health facilities.
  • Track all referrals from the focal PHC facilities to SHF to ensure completion of the referral loop
  • PHC Advisor will work with all relevant stakeholders to resolve bottlenecks to full implementation of the PHC-SHF referral system
  • Provide TA to PHC mentors on effective operationalization of referral system from PHC Facilities
  • Provide Mentoring to the SHF on appropriate reception of referred clients, management and return referral to PHC facilities

Technical Support to PHC Facilities:

•  PHC Advisor will support PHC mentors in the 10 focus LGAs to:
  • Provide direct mentoring of designated facilities within the assigned LGA in-line with MANAGE PHC agreed deliverables and timelines
  • Directly work with the Facility OIC to build systems across the management strengthening domains
  • Support the Facility OICs to set up Financial Management System in line with SPHCDA FM and Manage PHC guidelines
  • Support the facility OIC to establish and manage a basic facility level HRH system and facility staff respectively
  • Mentor Facility team on all aspects of reliable documentation as related to Health Management Information System, Commodity & Inventory and Financial Management
  • Ensure the availability and utilization of all approved SOPs and Tools for effective facility management and service delivery
  • Support Facility OICs to conduct step-down trainings and in-facility mentoring to facility staff for all MANAGE PHC trainings and workshops
  • Participate in facility peer learning sessions to ensure effective knowledge sharing and entrenchment of best practices
  • Support the OICs in identifying bottlenecks to effective management of the PHC facility
  • Document lessons learnt from the implementation of Management Strengthening interventions for all facilities covered

Technical Support to LGA Health Team:

• PHC Advisor will support PHC mentors in the focus LGAs to:
  • Mentor and provide technical assistance to the Local Government Health Authority Primary Healthcare focal persons, including the directors and program focal persons to provide facility integrated supportive supervision
  • Promote and ensure broad health system (Financial Management, Supply Chain etc.) data review meetings and data driven decision making especially for planning at the LGA level

Stakeholder Management:

• PHC Advisor will work with the Project Manager to:
  • Identify, establish strong professional working relationships with health sector stakeholders (government, implementing partners, community structures) at the Zonal, LGA and facility level key to implementation of the Manage PHC intervention
  • Leverage and collaborate with existing state and sub-state level governance structures (Ward Development Committees and Facility Health Committees) to strengthen oversight and support to the PHC facilities
  • Lead monthly meetings with PHC Mentors to review program implementation in the state.
  • Participate in meetings & engagements to communicate project progress to all stakeholders

Reporting:

• PHC Advisor will:
  • Collate weekly updates from the 10 PHC mentors and share same with the HSDF team at the end of every week.
  • Prepare comprehensive monthly reports on project progress, milestones achieved, and challenges encountered in the course of project implementation
  • Make presentations at State forums on progress made with the Management Strengthening interventions at PHC
  • Prepare a Mid and End of Project Narrative report detailing the achievements and challenges to implementation of the project

Other work:

• Any other task and responsibility as assigned by the Project Manager & Project Director

Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate is expected to have the following qualifications, technical competencies and behavioral competencies:

• Minimum of a Master's degree from an internationally recognized university in Public Health, Health Systems, Public Administration, Organizational Development, the Social Sciences, or any relevant background; a higher qualification will offer a distinct advantage.
• Significant experience in stakeholder/client management especially in similar localities. Ideally candidates will have extensive experience of working or engaging leadership of government institutions (MDAs) at state and/or local government level
• At least seven years’ experience in leading/managing health systems and/or public health interventions/programs. Sub-state level experience an added advantage (prior facility level capacity building and service delivery interventions)
• Significant experience as a strong leader with broad management, and organizational skills as demonstrated by ability to work both independently and within a team, managing multiple workstreams and associated budgets.
•  Demonstrated ability to assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
• Strong conceptualization, strategic and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and active listening skills.
• Demonstrated track record supervising, coaching, and mentoring professional staff
• Proven cultural, social and political sensitivity of working in Nigeria at different levels of government, business, or the non-profit sector.
• Strong writing and oral presentations skills, broad communication and business-presentation skills
• Adequate research and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint or similar tools.
• Ability to communicate in Hausa preferred.