Position Detail

Title : Malaria Technical Advisor

Location : Djibouti City, DJ

Number : STAR-P2-120

Status : Open

Close Date : 10/31/2020

Requirements

• Are you willing to travel 20% time?

Summary

SUSTAINING TECHNICAL AND ANALYTIC RESOURCES

FELLOWSHIP TITLE: Malaria Technical Advisor

HOST ORGANIZATION: National Malaria Control Program, Priority Health Programs Branch, Department of Health

LOCATION: Djibouti City, Djibouti

POSITION LEVEL: Mid-Career Technical Advisor

STAR-P2-120

TRAVEL: 20% estimated travel

 

STAR PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) is a project of the Public Health Institute (PHI) supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health (GH) Bureau. Its purpose is twofold: (1) Through individual fellowships, STAR will help strengthen the capacity of diverse American and low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) health professionals at all levels to make innovative contributions to global health (GH); and (2) STAR will create ground-breaking opportunities for both US and LMIC GH academic institutions and other groups, including professional associations, to create systems for open-access knowledge sharing, resulting in effective partnerships. STAR’s individual and institutional participants are contributing to the development of self-sustaining systems and tools that will produce global citizens with the full spectrum of relevant health competencies. STAR is managed by the Public Health Institute and implement in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH).

 

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

The STAR Fellowship is a two-year global health and learning opportunity with:

• Individualized, tailored support to enhance the fellow’s achievement personal and professional goals
• Personalized learning plans and access to learning resources (courses, conferences, mentoring) based on fellow’s learning style and preferences.
• Access to broad professional networks to enhance peer learning and knowledge sharing

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Background:

The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a multi-agency initiative launched in June 2005, aims ‘to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria morbidity toward the long-term goal of elimination’ (President’s Malaria Initiative Strategy, 2015-2020). The program has 24 priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa and three programs in the Greater Mekong subregion. Since its creation in 2005, PMI has invested more than $7.2 billion to prevent, treat, and control malaria in priority countries.

The United States Government (USG) is the single largest donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Given its significant investment and experience in fighting these three diseases, the USG is committed to supporting Global Fund grant implementation at the country level. Since 2005, the USG has withheld up to 5% of its contribution to the Global Fund to provide technical assistance. PMI supports long-term assistance to address chronic and persistent needs related to the development and implementation of Global Fund grants, with the overarching goal of supporting countries to utilize Global Fund investments to achieve the goals and objectives of national disease programs.

Introduction:

The Malaria Technical Advisor (Advisor) supports the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) to address malaria as a public health threat by strengthening the NMCP’s program management and technical skills to ensure effective implementation of the malaria control program and to manage Global Fund grants. Specifically, the Advisor will: 1) improve the NMCP’s capacity to manage grants, particularly with regards to organizational development and implementation of activities, and 2) strengthen the NMCP’s technical capacity related to malaria control and prevention strategies.

Reporting structure:

The Advisor will be based at the Department of Health’s NMCP section of the Priority Health Programs Branch in Djibouti City, Djibouti. They will work closely with and receive technical direction from the NMCP Coordinator, who will serve as their Onsite Manager.

Responsibilities:

Improve the NMCP’s capacity to manage grants, particularly with regards to strategic planning and implementation of activities:

• Improve NMCP human resource management capacity, including through coaching and mentoring. Review the organizational structure, skill needs, performance management practices, and internal communications.
• Provide technical advice and practical experience in helping the NMCP to improve accountability and results focus in its management systems.
• Support the NMCP in setting up systems for coordination and communication among partners, including setting up the Malaria Multi-Sector Committee.
• Improve the NMCP’s management capacity with regards to strategic leadership and planning and monitoring of activities.
• Build the capacity of the government to meet the grant management and implementation demands of the Global Fund malaria grant, including through close collaboration with the Principal Recipient.
• If applicable and desired, conduct a capacity assessment of the NMCP.

Strengthen the NMCP’s technical capacity to implement malaria control and prevention strategies:

• Provide guidance and support to the NMCP in the following technical areas, among others that may be identified, in order to ensure that Djibouti’s malaria interventions are in alignment with World Health Organization and other international norms and standards:
• Monitoring and evaluation, particularly improving data quality and using data to monitor progress.
• Procurement and supply management of malaria commodities.
• Planning and implementation of mass campaigns to distribute insecticide treated bed nets.
• Participate in the development of strategies and guidance documents.
• Identify and support the NMCP to incorporate best practices in its programs.

Anticipated learning outcomes:

• approximately 10% time