Touch Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 to help strengthen healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Touch was founded by Lowell Bryan, a former Senior Partner with McKinsey & Co. who understood that Tanzania faced a daunting healthcare environment, with declining life expectancy and increasing maternal and infant mortality. After working to address the dearth of health care workers in Tanzania (one of the biggest impediments to access to healthcare) through the successful co-creation of a large medical school in the Lake Zone of Tanzania, Touch began focusing on others of the most pressing global health challenges.Touch applies a three-phase strategic approach to bring cost-effective and sustainable solutions to these challenges. In collaboration with funders, local partners and governments, Touch designs programs and implements them at a small scale to test their potential impact. Successful solutions are then scaled up to a national level, setting the stage to ultimately adapt and replicate them in other countries facing similar challenges to achieve broader impact.Touch’s current programmatic priorities include its program to ensure access to emergency transport and high-quality care for obstetric and neonatal emergencies, leading to a reduction in maternal and infant mortality, and the use of its innovative and data-driven solution to optimize planning and decision-making around production, deployment and retention of scarce health workers. Given the private sector background of its Board members and several members of its staff, Touch is also focused on developing market-based solutions for portions of the private health sector to complement the role of the public health system in providing broader access to care to their population. To date, Touch has successfully implemented programs in Tanzania, Lesotho, Nigeria, Mozambique and South Africa.Touch’s work is data driven and evidence based. Its goal is to prove impact of innovative programs by testing and implementing in Tanzania and then scaling to other African Countries. Ultimately, Touch intends that its programmatic work be used as a blueprint for expanding and improving healthcare services across Sub-Saharan Africa. Touch shares the knowledge and the information obtained through its work with policy makers and other stakeholders.Touch’s budget is in the $6 million range and its funding comes from a variety of sources, including a cooperative agreement with USAID. Most of its people work overseas in Africa and other countries with the administrative and development functions centered in New York City. The people who work at Touch are very collaborative, focused, and driven to excel which has contributed to the impact that Touch has made.
The m-mama program is an innovative and cost-effective at-scale Emergency Transportation System for pregnant women and newborns led by Vodafone Foundation and implemented by Touch Foundation.
The program goal is to reduce maternal and newborn mortality by providing safe and timely emergency transportation to pregnant women and newborns experiencing an emergency.
Vodafone Foundation and Touch Foundation launched m-mama in 2013 in Tanzania in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania, Pathfinder International, D-tree International, and other partners. This program addresses the high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in rural areas by reducing delays in access to care and improving the entire health system. The aim is to improve the quality of and access to care at health facilities and leverage innovative digital solutions to provide transport to mothers and newborns during an emergency. The central component of m-mama is an emergency transport system to address complications as quickly and effectively as possible, recognizing that many fatal pregnancy complications are difficult to predict. This innovative transport solution uses digital technology to triage a patient remotely 24/7 and then dispatch an ambulance or community driver to bring the patient to a health facility.
Lesotho is the first country outside of Tanzania where the m-mama program is being replicated. The m-mama Lesotho program has been co-designed and currently co-implemented with the Government of Lesotho (GOL) in phased approach since late 2019.
Phase I: Initial roll-out phase:
The initial roll-out phase included the co-design and set up of the m-mama Emergency transportation system in the 3 northern districts of Lesotho: Berea, Butha-Buthe, and Leribe in collaboration with the Government of Lesotho (GOL). The launch of the system is expected during the first quarter of 2021.
Phase II: Replication and national scale-up:
During this phase, the m-mama Lesotho program will be scaled up to cover the entire country. Two additional dispatch centers will be launched for the remaining 7 districts. As in the initial phase, activities will be co-implemented with the GOL. Continued training and capacity building of the GOL to manage the m-mama system will occur during this phase. The implementation team will work to fully transition the ICT component to the GOL team and ensure that system is fully integrated and embedded within GOL systems. The GOL will fully manage the system by the end of the project.
Touch Foundation seeks to appoint a Project Manager to support the implementation and national scale-up of our m-mama program in Lesotho.
The purpose of the Project Manager will work with Touch’s m-mama program teams and will be under the direct supervision of the Program Manager and the Director of Programs in charge of the m-mama international programs. The Project Manager will join a team of highly mission-driven professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, ranging from management consulting to global public health. The Project manager will support the m-mama Lesotho Program Manager as well as the broader m-mama program team, becoming an integral part of Touch’s commitment to improving health in sub-Saharan Africa.
Responsibilities:
The Project Manager will support the Program Manager as well as the broader program team to perform the following:
1. Project Management
2. Monitoring and Evaluation
Implement monitoring and evaluation systems and designing monitoring tools in collaboration with team
Determine data analysis procedures and use of quantitative and qualitative analysis tool
Ensure data is collected by implementing partners and GOL partners
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data and summarize findings
Develop monthly, quarterly, or annual reports depending on project requirements
Disseminate evaluation findings and project results to program team, donors and other stakeholders
3. Stakeholder Engagement and Management
Build strong and collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders including: Government of Lesotho, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Vodafone Foundation, Vodacom Lesotho, Riders for Health, District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) and ICT development partners while demonstrating high level engagement skills, both in written and oral form
Develop and update core project communication materials including key messages and presentations, tailoring messages to specific audiences, to be used across multiple channels
Prepare and conduct meetings with stakeholders to ensure communication regarding program progress, key decisions, and issues
Work collaboratively with all stakeholders and program team members
4. Knowledge Management
Accurately document deliverables of the program during all the phases
Conduct post program evaluation and identify key lessons learned
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the Project Manager may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
Proven experience as a Project Manager (minimum 5 years’ relevant experience)
Master’s degree in project management, international development or related field or equivalent demonstrated professional experience
Prior experience in Lesotho and/or in developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa
Strong understanding of formal project management methodologies
Budget management experience
Proven stakeholder management skills
Ability to self-manage and work independently without day-to-day oversight to complete deliverables on time and at a high level of quality
Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially presentations and demonstrations
Leadership, negotiation, organizational and problem-solving skills, and excellent attention to detail
Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook
Fluency in Sesotho and English
Good judgment and discretion to represent the Touch Foundation in a highly professional manner, as well as respect for local culture
Please submit your resume and application letter to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please specify your available start date and annual salary in USD. We request no calls.
This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of an incumbent. An incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required. Management may at its discretion assign or re-assign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This job description does not change the at-will employment relationship existing between the organization and its employees. Touch Foundation, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer (M/F/D/V).
For more about Touch Foundation, refer to https://touchfoundation.org/a