Sokoto State Team Lead / Program Management Advisor - Care and Support at Pro-Health International

Project Summary

• The ICHSSA-4 project is a 5-year USAID-funded award that commenced in December 2019 and will run up until December 2024. The project is being implemented by a consortium of partners, with Pro-Health International (PHI) as the lead partner and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as the sub in Adamawa, Bauchi,and Taraba states.
• The ICHSSA-4 project aims to ensure that Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are cared for and protected by their households, communities, local and state governments to reduce their vulnerability to HIV.

Responsibilities
State Team Lead Responsibilities:

• Manage relationships with new and existing sites, maintain and communicate information on sites, coordinate responses to site issues, collaboratively share issues and responses both in documents and in Program Review meetings, and develop strategies for promoting stakeholder involvement in the program, including fostering healthy relationships between partners and the GON and related communities.
• Supervise all state team staff as they help partners remain in compliance with PHI and USAID rules and regulations for management of resources, and direct all technical aspects of project implementation, while actively supervising and mentoring staff on program implementation
• Participate in strategic planning and implementation of strategic priorities, and organize periodic partners’ forum to share updates and examine achievement of program goals

Technical Leadership:

• Provide technical input for the development of strategies, design and implementation of community HIV prevention, care and support activities by ICHSSA 4; ensure activities improve access to HIV prevention, care and support services by community members including project beneficiaries and their caregivers.
• Direct CSOs towards overall technical quality - including adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines for all community HIV Prevention, Care and Support activities of the project.
• Ensure project activities are built on strong behavior change principles and builds the capacity of CSOs in effective implementation and monitoring.
• Provide guidance for the liaison with USG and non-USG funded projects and implementing partners providing and or supporting HIV diagnostic and treatment services and fostering effective working relations with these organizations
• Lead GON actors and CSOs in identifying and capitalizing on leverage points for improved linkages and referral coordination at the community level and for integration of HIV Prevention Care & Support elements into other OVC areas project activities and vice versa
• Keep abreast of research and trends in effective behavior change approaches in HIV Prevention Care & Support and engagement of Community Health Workers/Volunteers and ensure project approaches remain in line with Quality Improvement standards, evidence, best-practices and lessons learned.
• Develop training modules and tools and conduct relevant trainings and workshops for CSO staff and GON in line with identified capacity strengthening needs.
• Identify technical support needs, develop scopes of work, identify internal or external candidates, and monitor Consultants.

CSO-level Responsibilities:

• Program Management (PM) personnel are expected to actively manage program activities at assigned CSO, supervise the CSO staff and coordinate all responses and implementation activities to ensure optimal and adequate program deliverables.
• PM personnel are expected to carry out regular supportive supervisory visits to CSOs and provide technical support to CSO staff across all thematic areas include care and treatment, nutrition, gender, protection, psychosocial support, and education.
• The position requires consistent technical support to the community testing and targeted testing teams in the active drive for CALHIV enrolment within designated communities.
• PM personnel are expected to actively support the identification of HIV exposed infants (HEI), Survivors of violence against children (SVAC), children of people living with HIV (CPLHIV), children of Key population (CKP) and adolescents at risk (AAR).
• Staff must have a good working relationship with CSO staff, community leaders, community gate keepers
• Work closely with the health system strengthening unit to effectively map out and work with community appendages within designated local government areas e.g., traditional birth attendance centers, colleges/institutes of education, Gender referral centers, health facilities, one stop shops (OSS) to strongly support referrals etc.
• Facilitate capacity development for partner CBOs, community volunteers, child protection committees and other key stakeholders as required.
• Work closely with Household economic strengthen Team to support Household and ensure household economic resilience.
• Actively work with all CSO staff to ensure community case workers pay routine visits to household and provide services as at when due.
• Lead technical review meetings and use CSO data to ensure comprehensive monitoring of program performance and 100% achievement of program results.

Facility Level Responsibilities:

• Supervise the facility case manager for 100% enrolment of CALHIV into the ICHSSA 4 projected.
• Actively support facility case managers in the follow-up of final outcomes for HIV exposed infants (HEI).
• Coordinate the active call back of CALHIV households due for HIV service provision – Test and Start, isoniazid commencement, cotrimoxazole commencement, ante-natal commencement, viral load sample collection, commencement of enhanced adherence counselling.
• Provide adequate technical support in strengthening Operation triple zero clubs and teens club aimed at achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goal.
• Ensure continuum of care for all CALHIV households.

State Level Responsibilities:

• Participate actively in the program focused analysis of the experiences, risks, and challenges for all target populations.
• Support and strengthen all referral/linkage mechanism between the communities and health facilities for all program target populations.
• Contribute to the documentation and dissemination of project efforts, achievements, lessons learned and innovations within PHI and to the larger Nigerian and global community, as appropriate.
• Collaborate actively with all state actors, funded implementing partners, community, and facility stakeholders to enable seamless program implementation.
• Provide active oversight on all team members – community case workers, CSO staff, case monitors, case managers, community testers and all other staff under their jurisdiction.
• Carry out other duties as designated by the Director or Programs, and other members of the senior management of the ICHSSA 4 project.

Qualifications and Skills

• MBBS, M.Sc or MPH with a minimum of 6 years relevant experience in implementing community HIV Prevention, Care and Support programs
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government and civil society partners and communities as well as transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through workshops, training and meetings using participatory methods and adult learning principles.
• Experience in supporting community HIV Prevention, Care and Supportprevention, case detection and treatment support programs in health facilities and community outreaches
• Experience in contributing to project design and proposal development in the HIV/TB/Health sector for USAID/PEPFAR programs.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation and reporting HIV Prevention, Care and Support activities
• Good knowledge of Government of Nigeria HIV Prevention, Care and Support guidelines and experience working with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)
• Familiarity with OVC and community HIV Prevention, Care and Support programming and principles.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills required.
• Excellent analytic, organizational and computer skills; skilled in MS Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.