The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (“CHAI”) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org.

With funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), CHAI will support the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the implementation of the People at the Centre (PeaCe) Health Program.

From 2015 to-date, Sida has worked in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), has worked to improve Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) service delivery in Zambia. The PeaCe Health program is a government program that will build on the successes of the RMNCAHN program and will be based on the WHO Integrated People-Centered Health Care Service (IPCHCS) framework. The Embassy of Sweden in Zambia will be supporting this phase of the PeaCe Health Program which will run from 2021 to 2024, supporting the MoH at both national and sub-national levels.

Project Description:

The broad objective is to strengthen the accountability and coordination on the People at the Centre (PeaCe) of Health Program in delivering Integrated People-Centered Health Care Services (IPCHCS) in Eastern and Southern Province. This broad objective will be achieved through the following pathways:

1. Improve people-centered RMNCAHN Program Management & Coordination: This will involve strengthening strategic oversight and planning through a re-engineered program implementation committee and stakeholder engagement. Interventions under this pathway will ensure participatory planning and equity with key voices being part of the planning process.
2. Adoption of IPCHCS approach in the provision of RMNCAHN services and improved human care services: This will be done by ensuring IPCHC adoption in the provision of RMNCAHN services through capacity building and strengthening human resources to deliver People-Centered RMNCAHN services.
3. Improve Program Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation of people-centered RMNCAHN services through the strong systems for tracking program progress which will seek to optimize program performance by monitoring key performance areas where necessary by drawing from CHAI’s experience on Result Based Financing.
4. Improve Documentation, Dissemination and Learning: This will be strengthened by improving the quality of program reports, knowledge products and how they are disseminated and translated into practice. People-centered research designs, as well as participatory action research methods, will be considered.
5. Improve Financial Accountability for the PeaCe Health program. This will be improved by supporting the effective use of Navision and other financial controls. This will ensure that beneficiaries enjoy the optimal benefits of the program.

Scope of Work

In order to achieve the outlined objectives, CHAI seeks a Program Officer, Neonatal and Child Health to be based at the MoH Headquarters to support the management and implementation of the PeaCe Health Program and will be required to effectively coordinate the Neonatal and Child Health activities on the Program.

The incumbent will work under the supervision and report to the Assistance Director, Child and Newborn Health. In addition, they will also report and work closely with the Program Coordinator on all areas relating to the PeaCe Health program. They will support MOH in ensuring that all neonatal and child health activities on the PeaCe Health program are adequately planned, implemented and reported in a manner that is in line with the program objectives and achieves sets targets.

Specific responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Support the Child Health Unit to ensure that newborn and child health activities on the PeaCe Health are adequately planned, implemented, and monitored to achieve the program set targets.
• Support MOH and other partners to reverse the negative trend in Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) and ensure that high-impact interventions are implemented.
• Work with the MOH to provide strategic direction and technical guidance to project districts in implementing the Newborn and Child Health component on the PeaCe Health program.
• Support MOH hold regular technical working group meetings involving players in newborn and child health services and ensure that the nutrition component is adequately addressed in the discussions. Support the MOH in the Newborn and Child Health weeks and other important national events.
• Work closely with the program team to ensure that other technical sectors are coordinated, integrated and support each other to optimize the project purposes and objectives.
• Prepare quality quarterly and annual reports and timely submission of deliverables.
• Actively contribute to learning, evaluating, capturing, and disseminating lessons from the program to improve program performance and overall outcomes.
• Support capacity building of health workers through (on the job) training and mentoring in integrated people-centered approach in the knowledge and skills to improve newborn and child survival.
• Work with MOH and program districts to improve and make available all essential key commodities, equipment for delivery of newborn and child health services, and necessary laboratory diagnostics to ensure basic tests are conducted.
• Work with MOH to develop newborn and child health IEC/BCC materials to encourage health care providers to adapt to the integrated people-centered approach for better health practices.
• Work with MOH to ensure that program districts conduct integrated community outreach services, promote male involvement, and strengthen referral systems between different care levels.
• Work with MOH to support the regular engagement of community structures to address newborn and child health problems associated with gatekeepers, traditional structures, beliefs, attitudes, and practices in all program districts.
• Support MOH to strengthen accountability and budget tracking regarding newborn and child health funds allocated by the MOH and provided by cooperating partners.
• In collaboration with the M&E officer, ensure that high-quality data on newborn health indicators are collected, analyzed, and utilized to inform decision making, resource allocation, and interventions.
• Any other duties assigned.

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field (medicine, nursing, public health) with a specialization in reproductive health, pediatrics, obstetrics, or other related fields from an accredited/recognized institute. Master’s degree in a relevant field will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in newborn and child health programs, developing capacity and policies linked to high-quality maternal, newborn, and reproductive health care programs.
• Experience and knowledge of Phase one (1) Results-Based Finance in Zambia is desirable.
• Excellent collaboration and partnering skills in a teamwork environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.