NGO Health Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

BACKGROUND: The Republic of South Sudan emerged from decades of brutal civil war rooted in disputes over religion, ethnicity, resources, governance and self-determination. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ushered in an era of post-conflict development efforts, which took on new dimensions following independence in July 2011. The security situation remains fragile and testing operational challenges abound. The International Rescue Committee has been implementing health programming in South Sudan since 1989. IRC has recently accepted the role of host for the NGO Health Coordinator.

The NGO Health Forum for South Sudan was set up in 2005 to facilitate communication among Non-Governmental organisations working in the health sector, and to enable NGOs to contribute consensus opinion to the Health Sector Working Group. The NGO Health Forum is a key location for cross-agency information sharing and coordination among NGO health actors. The NGO Health Coordinator is attached to the Directorate of External Assistance and Coordination of the Ministry of Health.
In mid-2010 with the global transition to a cluster system of humanitarian coordination, the South Sudan Health Cluster was formed. WHO, as the international Lead Agency for the Health Clusters, provides the Co-Chair and the Health Cluster NGO Co-chair slot was filled by the NGO Health Coordinator. Since November 2012, Merlin has seconded separate a health professional to serve as NGO Health Cluster Co-Chair.

The main responsibility of the NGO Health Coordinator is to assist with coordination and communication among health partners in South Sudan (MoH RSS, NGOs, UN agencies, WHO, etc.). With over 140 NGOs in health, coordination needs and representation responsibilities at the many technical working groups require a full-time dedicated post.

SCOPE OF WORK: The NGO Health Coordinator provides leadership to the NGO Health Forum and enhances the NGO Forum Secretariat in linking the health NGOs with the Ministry of Health.

• Represent the activities and concerns of the health NGOs to the MoH RSS, UN agencies, and Development Partners.
• Orient health NGOs to the health delivery system in South Sudan and provide technical assistance to them as needed.
• Provide technical assistance to MoH RSS as requested.
• Participate in the Health Sector Working Group and other Technical Working Groups of the MoH RSS, assisting in developing strategies, policies, and work-plans related to health and in identifying funding needs.
• Share the health NGO perspective on challenges, lessons learned, and gaps in health sector and donor support.
• Lead the monthly health forum and participate in the monthly Health and Nutrition Clusters meetings.

The NGO Health Coordinator will be administratively managed by IRC under the supervision of IRC's Deputy Director for Programs, and is accountable to both the MoH RSS through the Director General of Directorate of Planning and External Coordination and Research, and the Health Forum Advisory Team (HFAT).
The NGO Health Coordinator will submit monthly work-plans for feedback to the Ministry of Health, Development Partner Working Group, Health Forum Advisory Team as well as the IRC. The work-plans will be guided by and discussed at the monthly HFAT meetings. In additon, quarterly reports will be submitted through the IRC to the Health Pooled Fund (HPF) which is supporting the position.
Furthermore, a 360 degree appraisal, led by the IRC, will be conducted every six months, to allow feedback from key stakeholders to improve the services provided by the position.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Communication & Coordination
  • Facilitate communication between NGOs and the MoH and Development partners for improved health services delivery.
  • Assist the MoH to arrange NGO presence at special meetings and workshops as requested.
  • Assist the NGO Health Cluster Co-Chair as needed to assure MoH, WHO, OCHA and UNCHR communication to health partners for emergency preparedness and response.
  • Provide NGO representation where required, e.g. Health Funding Steering Committee(s), Oversight Committees, MoH Technical Working Groups, etc.
  • Communicate regularly with the National HFAT Co-Chair and the national health NGOs in order to strengthen their ability to be significant providers of health care in South Sudan.
  • Share NGO perspectives on decentralisation approaches at state and county levels
  • Participate in coordination forums as requested, such as the Country Coordinating Committee (CCM) of the Global Fund (GFATM) and GAVI.
• Administration
  • Arrange the monthly Health Forum meeting (50–80 participants), which includes representatives of health NGOs, MoH, development partners, fund managers, and UN Agencies, post Forum documents and minutes following the meetings.
  • Moderate the messages and request for access of the Health Forum Google group, South Sudan Health Forum, which now has over 1,500 members.
  • Assist new health NGOs to register with and complete a memorandum of understanding with the MoH.
  • Information
  • Share dates and outcomes of key meetings including all MoH Technical Working Groups, through the Google Group or direct sharing.
  • Maintain the Health NGO Information Matrix, documenting the location and types of services provided by the health NGOs in South Sudan.
  • Assist the MoH Department for M&E with maintaining an accurate mapping of the health facilities in South Sudan, their functional status and NGO partner for BPHS and Nutrition, and their access to regular drugs supply from the CMS of the MoH.
  • Include requests for information on planned NGO exits and transitions in the Information Matrix, working in cooperation the Fund Managers to provide this information to the MoH.
  • Represent the health NGOs in the monthly Development Partner Group for Health and other relevant groups.
  • Respond to requests for information and updates by the NGO Forum Secretariat to create synergies around advocacy and information sharing.
  • Regularly update an electronic folder for new NGO staff on MoH procedures, policies and other critical information.
• Direct MOH Support
  • Support various directorates with individual initiatives as appropriate.
  • Provide technical assistance to the Health Sector Working Group of the MoH in the budget planning process and efforts for Local Support Services Aid Instrument (LSSAI).
  • Act as a resource for Technical Assistants to the MoH – providing information for consultants and donors and sharing the advocacy issues of the health NGOS.
  • Advocate and assist in the preparation of annual work plans to support the Health Sector Development Plan.
  • Provide advice and assistance to improve information sharing between Juba, the states and counties, including supporting linkages with state coordination mechanisms and transitional funding state focal points (HPF, WB and USAID)

Linkages with the Health and Nutrition Clusters
WHO is the lead for the Health Cluster, and the WHO and NGO Co-Chairs are responsible for calling and hosting the monthly meetings, in consultation with the MoH. UNICEF is the lead for the Nutrition Cluster, and provides the Co-Chair. The NGO Health Coordinator participates in the monthly meetings to provide additional input to discussions and to share information from the Clusters with the larger health NGO community.

• Share information from the MoH and health NGOs such as the Health NGO Information Matrix and health facility mapping with the Cluster Co-Chairs.
• Participate in the Health Peer Review or Strategic Action Group for review of CAP and CHF documents and planning.

REQUIREMENTS

• Essential Requirements
  • Postgraduate degree in health or related discipline;
  • At least five years overseas experience in the health sector, at a senior management level in coordination / policy or a related role
  • Extensive experience liaising with governmental / local authorities, especially Ministries of Health, and international and national health organizations.
  • Experience in dealing with institutional donors such as OFDA, ECHO, USAID, and DFID
  • Excellent interpersonal, motivational and management skills;
  • Excellent analytical and English language writing and presentation skills;
  • Proven advanced IT literacy levels;
  • Experience of leading technical workshops (both large and small groups)
• Desirable Requirements:
  • Experience of South Sudan, either working with the MoH or running health programs at senior management level in South Sudan
  • Field experience in implementation and provision of basic health services in rural and hard-to-reach communities
  • Experience of Pooled Fund Mechanisms.

Shortlisted applicants will be selected with agreement and consultation with the MoH. The post holder may be asked to submit previous work as evidence of clear presentation and writing skills.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Housing: in IRC Guest House. Internet, DSTV on-site.
Security level: Yellow, stable with occasional local clashes
Work assignments with IRC in South Sudan are unaccompanied posts.