| DEPARTMENT | Project Implementing Unit |
| JOB TITLE | LC19EPRP Program Officer |
| PROJECT | Lesotho COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project |
| RESPONSIBLE TO | Project Coordinator |
| DATE OF ISSUE | 13th April, 2022 |
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis that has become the greatest challenge to countries in a short period of time. The pandemic has disrupted essential health services and negatively impacted multiple aspects of lives and likelihoods. To counter the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Lesotho (GoL) has implemented several strategies based on the WHO guided pillars, including in surveillance, rapid response teams, and case investigation, national laboratories, and case management, as well as for COVID-19 vaccine introduction and implementation.
The Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Health (MoH) is implementing the Lesotho COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project. The project aims to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19, including by supporting routine COVID-19 services such as testing and case management as well as large-scale deployment of COVID-19 vaccines.
In an effort to implement this project effectively, the MOH seeks to recruit a Program Officer who will work closely with the various technical and support programs within the MOH including Family Health Division – Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Disease Control Directorate, Clinical Directorate, Quality Assurance and other stakeholders.
The Program Officer will primarily support and facilitate the Lesotho COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project – which focuses on one part on strengthening the capacity of the MoH to respond to COVID -19 response through interventions such as case management and diagnostics and IPC advocacy and community mobilization and on the other part strengthening the capacity of the MoH on bringing the immunization program at scale and adapting to the dynamic nature of the COVID 19 vaccination strategy. As a senior member of the project team, S/he will also contribute to supporting the implementation of other health projects coordinated by the Project implementing Unit (PIU) within the MOH, i.e. the Lesotho Nutrition and Health System Project and the Southern Africa Tuberculosis and Health Systems Support Project.
Job Summary
The Program Officer will lead the provision of technical and programmatic support in the implementation of the COVID-19 project. Core support activities will include:
- activities to strengthen COVID-19 diagnostics,
- Activities to strengthening case management,
- Working with EPI provide support for and COVID-19 vaccine interventions.
The Program Officer will work with responsive government units in ensuring that plans for the scale up of COVID-19 vaccination under the project are appropriately developed, implemented and monitored, including providing advice and technical support in vaccine logistics and deployment, such as on distribution and inventory management, ensuring that field sites have access to appropriate logistics, trainings, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as well as other aspects related to the deployment of the vaccine. As part of the PIU, she/he will work with the EPI program to ensure the safe delivery and storage of COVID-19 vaccines through the implementation of a cold supply chain strategy for the vaccination program and support vaccine distribution data management.
The Program Officer will work under the supervision of the project coordinator at the PIU and work in close collaboration with the EPI team, MOH Programs and the other COVID-19 response pillars. The Program Officer will be member of the various Technical Working Groups (TWGs) for the COVID-19 response and immunization program and ensure linkages between the various pillars and the project.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Program Officer will be responsible to:
- Work in collaboration with pillar leads of the COVID-19 pillar lead, MOH program and national technical working groups, including the EPI and the National New Vaccine Introduction (NNVI) group to ensure timely planning, monitoring and implementation of COVID-19 activities including vaccination related activities;
- Liaise with other technical partners and different MOH departments to ensure efficient and effective planning and subsequent implementation of project activities;
- Provide technical support to the implementation of the COVID-19 project including in the areas of COVID-19 diagnostics, case management and vaccination;
- Facilitate development and updating of relevant guidelines, terms of references (TORs), and other guidance documents to support the roll out of project activities including to support the development and roll out of a national health information reporting system to track COVID-19 vaccination;
- Review routine data including vaccines receipts into the country from the COVID-19 program and produce monthly and quarterly reports in collaboration with the Project M&E Specialist and Data officer;
- Produce the quarterly vaccine distribution report which will include among others vaccine distributed up to the last mile, vaccines used, damaged and expired.
- Review work plans and project implementation progress against results framework targets and provide quarterly updates to the Project Coordinator on implementation of the COVID-19 project;
- Facilitate review meetings at district, national levels and with the World Bank to discuss progress, challenges and proposed solutions as relevant;
- Support the monitoring of the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and deployment to minimize vaccine wastage and help ensure the quality, efficacy, proper tracking, reporting of vaccine utilization and safety of COVID-19 vaccines;
- Work with ESS in supporting the assessment, design and implementation of appropriate waste management mechanisms to safely treat and dispose waste while protecting the environment and populations;
- Working with the technical working groups, identify training needs of health workers, develop training plans, oversee and coordinate training activities, and participate in training and Micro planning activities;
- facilitate support to the EPI to monitor adverse events from the COVID-19 vaccine, ensuring that adverse events are recorded appropriately, and liaise with the EPI program to ensure that the events are addressed accordingly;
- Provide TA to improve data archiving, analysis, interpretation and use of disease surveillance and immunization data for evidence-based decision making and action, coordinating with District Health Management Teams to review data.
- Liaise with the environmental and safeguard (E&S) specialist with regard to E&S related risk management.
- Provide technical support and facilitate implementation of other projects managed by the PIU as required.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree in public health relevant to program implementation including epidemiology.
- Degree in business management in health care management or project management.
- At least a bachelor’s degree in any medical health field,
- A combination of the above will be an advantage;
- The candidate must have at least 3 years’ experience in national immunization systems including introduction of new vaccines, or vaccine supply chain management or health systems strengthening or other related public health related field;
- At Least 3 years’ experience in managing projects within the health sector supported under development partners or donors
- An added advantage in managing World Bank supported Projects
- The candidate must have at least 3 years’ experience working with the health care delivery systems in Lesotho or other Southern African settings
Key Skills
Technical skills
- Knowledge of public health, surveillance, infectious diseases, immunization system (including vaccines storage, distribution and administration);
- Strong data and analytic capacity and ability to analyse complex information. Good mastery of standard computer applications: Microsoft Office Package;
- Ability to think strategically and conduct dialogue on social development policies and priorities, while maintaining a strong sense of realism with regard to in-country conditions and competing demands for resources.
- Understanding of Lesotho’s context, including the health and immunization systems;
Soft skills/competencies
- Excellent communication and writing skills, including to both technical and non-technical audiences;
- Good listener with demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas as well as make effective and timely decisions;
- Result focused and able to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
- Ability to work independently, be creative and innovative but also be a team player with strong leadership skills. Experience working with large teams with members with different backgrounds.
Language requirements
Excellent knowledge of written and oral English. Knowledge of the local language is an added advantage.
Reporting
The candidate will be supervised by the Project coordination under the Ministry of Health/PIU.
Duration
The duration for this position is about two years starting as soon as possible until June 2024. The contract is subject to 4 months’ probation period and the contract period will also be subjected to performance monitoring.
Duty Station
The duty station for the position is the MoH Headquarters with frequent travel to districts, as needed to effectively carry out required responsibilities
Remuneration
Successful candidate will be offered market related remuneration.
Facilities to be Provided
The Candidate will be provided with Office space and necessary equipment such as Laptop and phone.
Application Instructions
Interested and suitably qualified candidates should hand deliver their applications indicating the advertisement and position on the subject line of letter and envelope together with detailed curriculum vitae indicating work experience. Day time telephone contacts, names and telephone contacts of 3 referees should be included in the CV. Applications to reach the undersigned not later than 28th April 2022, 1600hour to:
Procurement Unit Ground Floor,
Room 11 Ministry of Health,
Corner Constitution & Linare Roads, Kingdom of Lesotho,
Telephone: (+266) 27323277