TERMS OF REFERENCE
-Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Contract/level:
International Specialist, ICA (under UNOPS contract at P-3 level).
Duration: one year contract with possible extension.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
The Public Health
Officer will be based in the Kigali Branch Office, carrying out direct
oversight functions for the Health Sector in all ca
mps and transit centers in
Rwanda. As such, s/he will develop and ensure proper implementation of policies
and procedures, provide technical support to the IP medical staff in each
location, and act as UNHCR’s liaison with the Ministry of Health. As UNHCR’s
representative in the health sector, s/he will provide background and technical
input for visiting delegations, regional initiatives, and domestic strategic
programs impacting the health of refugees.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF
ASSIGNMENT
(1) Ensure, in close
collaboration with other humanitarian actors, that public health, reproductive
health, HIV and nutritional services provided to refugees are based upon
Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognized and most up-to-date
standards and policies. This includes:
Establish
and/or adapting UNHCR internal guidelines and procedures to streamline inputs
and improve efficiency of program activities through integrated public health
response also taking into account crucial services such as water and
sanitation.
Promote
applied research and program evaluation to enable the identification of gaps in
program implementation and standards, and to further promote evidence-based
activities and guidance.
Identify
gaps and overlaps in programming, address unmet needs, and orient existing
activities to address priority public health issues.
Promote
inter-sectoral coordination outside and within UNHCR in all matters related to
public health and nutrition programs.
Undertake
needs and resources assessments with Governments and partners in order to
prioritize needs and activities in provision of services to refugees and other
persons of concern to UNHCR.
Standardize
approaches to disease control related to cross-border population movements
between UNHCR country offices and between UNHCR and health partners and other
UN bodies. This may involve travel within the region to ensure proper
cross-border coordination of disease prevention and control activities.
(2) Monitor and
evaluate country-level public health and nutrition programs against standard
UNHCR and international indicators to ensure that programs are evidence-based
and implemented in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner. This includes:
Active
involvement in all aspects of program monitoring and evaluation with emphasis
on checking levels of implementation and impact vis-à-vis resource inputs to
measure cost-effectiveness and re-orient the programs as appropriate.
Monitor
health and nutrition programs with emphasis on organization and use of the HIS
system; application of standard guidelines and protocols; and comprehensiveness
of health and nutrition programs. This will be accomplished via regular site
visits, flow of information (reporting), use of Health Sector Monitoring forms,
conventional/non-conventional surveys and evaluation studies, data analysis and
interpretation, and the support of periodic nutrition surveys.– Oversight of
medical referrals, ensuring compliance with UNHCR guidelines and local standard
of care.**
(3) Support capacity
building initiatives so that refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR,
UNHCR and its partners acquire the needed knowledge, skills, and sense of
responsibility and ownership of programs. This includes: supporting health and
nutrition focal points and coordinators to develop training plans, organize and
act as resource persons in workshops and training both in-service (formal) and
on the job (coaching); sharing with local and international partners relevant
guidelines and information materials on refugee health including reproductive
health, HIV/AIDS and nutrition; supporting the establishment of Refugee Health,
HIV and Nutrition Committees to enable their active participation in process of
health, HIV and nutrition planning, implementation and monitoring and
evaluation; advocating, informing, and communicating amongst stakeholders to
ensure that the health and nutritional needs of refugees and other PoCs are
addressed and appropriately Documented/disseminated among government, UN
agencies, implementing/operational partners, and donor communities.
MONITORING AND
PROGRESS CONTROLS
Regularly
scheduled Briefing Notes on the Health/Nutrition/Reproductive Health Sector for
the Program section and senior management.
Periodic
evaluations by Regional Senior Public Health Officer
Bimonthly
reports on Coordination meetings with IP medical and nutrition staff
Health/Nutrition/Reproductive
Health-related inputs on all UNHCR Rwanda reporting and planning exercises
(e.g. Mid-Year Report, Annual Report, COP, etc.)
Successful
completion of professional development and skill-building programs through
UNHCR Global Learning Center as recommended by senior management.
Participation
in regional and sector-specific workshops within UNHCR, representing the Rwanda
operation
Development
of SOP and policy documents as per the needs of the operation.
QUALIFICATIONS AND
EXPERIENCES
Education
A clinical
background (nurse or MD) with postgraduate training in Public Health.
Work Experience
At least 7 years of
relevant experience in progressively responsible functions, including at least
5 years in an international capacity Experience in emergency settings would be
an asset.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Knowledge of public
health, nutrition and HIV in humanitarian emergencies;
• Knowledgeable of
the latest developments and technology in public health, nutrition,
reproductive health and HIV/AIDS;
• Proven technical
and managerial competence in public health programing;
• Proven clinical
leadership skills for guidance and oversight of complex medical referrals
• Ability to promote
good working relationships among colleagues, supervisors, and those persons
s/he supervises;
• Ability for
analytical and creative thinking for rapid solutions;
• Good communicator
with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to deal with S/M of different
cultural and educational backgrounds;
• Extremely high
ethical and professional standards.
- Kindly
submit your application (CV/P-11 form) at hqphn@unhcr.org