Vacancy Announcement: District Program Officer VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT  

BACKGROUND

Welbodi Partnership (WP) is a UK-registered charity working to reduce maternal and child  mortality and morbidity in Sierra Leone. Since 2008, Welbodi Partnership has worked in  partnership with hospital management, health facility staff, and the Ministry of Health to improve  maternal and child health outcomes in Sierra Leone. We do this through a range of bold  innovative partnerships models across health system strengthening activities, healthcare worker training, hospital improvement projects, research and community engagement.

Our vision is that all women and children in Sierra Leone will have ac cess to effective essential  healthcare services characterised by respect and dignity for all. Our mission is to build the  capacity and effectiveness of the health system in Sierra Leone using evidence-based practice to  reduce the number of women and children who are sick, suffer, or die unnecessarily.

The organisation’s guiding principles are:

1. Deliver Lasting Results
2. Working in Partnership
3. Quality improvement and patient safety
4. Valuing People
5. Evidence Based Approach

For further information, please see: www.welbodipartnership.org 

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE  

The District Program Officer will work in the District Health Management Team (DHMT) under the  guidance and supervision of the Welbodi Partnership Programs Manager. The post holder will lead CRADLE Vital Signs Alert (VSA) planning, implementation and reporting in the district under the Saving  Lives 3 Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded project in the respective district of posting which include Bombali, Moyamba, Kenema, Kono, Kambia and Western Area Urban (WAU).  He/she shall lead CRADLE training preparation and implementation together with the DHMT and the

Vacancy Announcement: District Program Officer

CRADLE Champions at district and facility level. He/she will be pivotal in extending CRADLE to the  community level through training and mentorship of Community Health Workers (CHWs) who act as the  first point of contact for healthcare access in Sierra Leone. The incumbent will lead integrated supportive  supervision and will represent the program in key district activities and ensuring respectful and  professional engagement with medical professionals from the DHMT, Hospitals and Peripheral Health  Units (PHUs), as well as local authorities, Community Chiefs and pregnant women. The role requires  frequent movement within the district to PHUs in remote Chiefdoms, including during rainy season. Candidates are required to have an in depth knowledge of the Sierra Leone healthcare system and their  target district, including stakeholder and community dynamics.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS: 

∙ District Health Management Team (DHMT)

∙ Peripheral Health Unit (PHU) and Hospital Staff

∙ Local authorities and Community Chiefs

∙ Health led services and pregnant women

∙ Welbodi Programs Manager

∙ Welbodi Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) Manager

∙ Other consortium partners.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES 

The District Program Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the CRADLE district program under the Savings Lives 3 project by:

Program Implementation 

∙ Drawing monthly work plans for the project activities and align them to routine DHMT key work  plans

∙ Identifying, establishing and maintaining strong contact with medical professionals from the  District Health Management Team, Hospitals and PHUs

∙ Arrange CRADLE trainings at district level in collaboration with the DHMT, Programs Manager and  CRADLE Champions.

∙ Hold CHW engagement meetings and lead CRADLE to community level for CHWsfor all Chiefdoms in the district.

∙ Work with DHMTs to review CRADLE stock levels at facility level.

∙ Ensure CRADLE devices are in sound working condition through coordination of maintenance  pipeline.

∙ Any other duty assigned by the Line Manager.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) 

∙ Work closely with the MEAL Officer to compile and submit monthly and quarterly reports as per  reporting schedules.

Vacancy Announcement: District Program Officer

∙ Collecting clinical data from the DHMT, hospitals and PHUs, as well as routinely collected Ministry  data through effective communication, diplomacy and respect with partners

∙ Recognizing and reporting in a timely fashion any problems in obtaining data and district level  activities and dynamics and providing feedback from field program activities.

∙ Adhering to confidentiality procedures, policies and legal requirements when collecting, storing  and sharing data

∙ Collect and report feedback from beneficiaries to the MEAL manager for logging and follow up. REPRESENTAION 

∙ Liaising with local authorities and Community Chiefs and represent the programme at district level ∙ Represent Welbodi Partnership at district level consortium meetings

∙ Represent Welbodi Partnership at district level consortium cross cutting activities eg Public Health  commemorations.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS 

∙ Qualifications: 

An individual holding university Bachelor’s degree in any social sciences like sociology,  anthropology, public health etc. A diploma in medical disciplines like Community Health  Officer, Nursing and Midwifery will be an added advantage.

∙ Experience: 

Familiarity with health service delivery, clinical research or NGO clinical project  implementation in Sierra Leone, those who benefit from experience with women and  children would be at an advantage.

Experience with logistical, operational and monitoring procedures required for donor  funded projects.

Experience in clinical mentorship and capacity building will be an added advantage.

At least 3 years’ experience in similar roles in NGOs.

∙ Knowledge: 

Knowledge of project implementation processes that relate to planning, resource  management, problem solving, monitoring and reporting.

Knowledge of healthcare system strengthening approaches at facility and district level.

Skills: 

Proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, publisher and Google applications

Proficient in logically organising and retrieving electronic and hard copy information.

Proven ability to identify the root causes of simple and complex issues and find practical  solutions.

Ability to self-motivate, take initiative and work autonomously within the scope of the  role with minimal supervision.

Proactive in communicating and resolving issues with colleagues.

Aware of own limitations and able to refer appropriately.

Excellent interpersonal skills, verbal communication skills, and demonstrated ability to  work collaboratively across different hierarchy lines and in cross cultural teams.

Ability to work well under pressure and deliver deadlines whilst maintaining an excellent  level of written and oral communication and respectful working relationships.

Vacancy Announcement: District Program Officer

∙ Other: 

Fluency in written and spoken English and Krio. Working knowledge of regional languages  will be an added advantage.

Confidence, diplomacy, and sensitivity in working with local authorities, healthcare  providers and senior staff from partner organisations including the Government.

A team player who shows enthusiasm and is committed to the goals and principles of  Welbodi Partnership.

Ability to ride a motorcycle with valid Riders permit.

∙ Values: 

Honesty: Shows a high level of integrity and will not fabricate responses or misrepresent  the programme.

Communication: Confidently expresses self, able to clearly ask questions and help the  respondent understand what is needed from her/him

Relationship Building: Able to build trust with colleagues and stakeholders and maintain  confidentiality.

Accuracy: Must be able to complete documentation accurately.

Endurance: Must be able to work for full day working hours and be willing to work in  different offices or locations and make trips to remote healthcare facilities.

Pro-activeness in handling duties independently

Adaptability to respond flexibly and effectively to broad range of tasks.

Responsiveness towards Line Manager, team members and stakeholders.

GENERAL POLICIES PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES  

In addition to the key job responsibilities detailed in these Terms of Reference, all employees and  volunteers at Welbodi Partnership are expected to comply with the general duties outlined below and  detailed in full in our policies.

SAFEGUARDING 

Welbodi Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of women, children, young  people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are therefore expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment. All new staff undergo mandatory safe guarding training and sign the  safeguarding policy before the commencement of work. Applicants for this position should be aware that  if successful, they will be requested to complete a Police check.

DATA PROTECTION  

Welbodi Partnership complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Vacancy Announcement: District Program Officer

APPLICATION PROCESS  

The closing date for applications is the 24th November 2023 – we encourage potential applicants to submit as soon as  possible.

To apply for this position please send your cover letter, CV not more than 3 pages and contact details of 3 referees in one email to jobs@welbodipartnership.org using the following subject title: Application – District Program Officer. 

 Please specify the district you are applying for on your letter.

For any queries relating to the position, please email jobs@welbodipartnership.org.  

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY