Project Manager – Lesotho PEPFAR Faith and Community Initiative
Purpose of the position:
World Vision Lesotho (WVL) is currently recruiting for the position of Project Manager, PEPFAR FCI. This position will play the technical lead role in the PEPFAR Faith and Communities initiative project
Project Overview: The Faith and Communities Initiative Project is funded by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Response (PEPFAR). Project has to engage faith and community structures to accomplish to main priority areas: a) reach men and children in the HIV Prevention and Treatment cascade and b) Strengthen Justice for Children through preventing sexual violence for boys and girls as well as linkage through the Justice Sector. World Vision Lesotho is a sub-awardee for this project under FHI360. WVL will be implementing the project across seven districts in Lesotho.
The Project Manager (PM) will lead coordination of capacity building activities with local faith and communities leaders across multi faiths and denominations to raise HIV awareness, reduce HIV stigma and combat Gender Based Violence (GBV). The position will provide technical leadership to the selected faith communities to reach populations not reached through other PEPFAR activities, specifically men and children from Pentecostal, Baha’i, Muslim, Adventist, Zionist and traditional faith communities. The PM will be the main liaison with the Pentecostal, Muslim and Baha’i Coordinators, and focal people for other faiths. This position will provide capacity building to create awareness of HIV risk and shift social norms to prevent sexual violence.
The PM will be responsible for providing leadership and management support, coordination, and technical expertise to the implementation of high quality and integrated HIV prevention, testing and treatment services for men, women children, and adolescents across the communities and health facilities. S/he will provide technical oversight and capacity building to faith and community leaders and health care workers in supported sites to assure delivery of quality, relevant and quantifiable services while integrating these services in clinical and community settings. S/he will work with the M&E team to standardize quality by taking lead in continuous quality improvement, tracking key performance indicators and strategies to determine progress and innovations across supported sites and communities to increase quality of HIV care and treatment interventions.
This position will play a key role in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with the district health leadership, faith leader representatives, and health facilities administrators. S/he will lead and participate in training, coaching and mentorship of faith and community leaders, and HCWs at supported sites. S/he will also provide direct oversight and support for the training of faith and community leaders, and direct roll-out of PEPFAR evidence based models in select communities. This position will also play a lead role in the supervision of activities related to the prevention of sexual violence in adolescents, particularly those at-risk for HIV.
The PM will directly supervise four Project Officers at the district level, and will report to the WVL Grants and Acquisition Manager.
Major Responsibilities:
- Coordinate and support training of faith leaders on new messages of hope and other resources such as the revised Sunday Pact, to cascade messages to faith communities;
- Support selected faith and community leaders to strengthen and/or create linkages between the community and the health system to facilitate bi-directional referral systems strengthening and improving HIV testing, treatment, care and support for PLHIV;
- Support and build the capacity HCWs in select communities implementing the health kiosk model, to ensure understanding of available health services and appropriate referrals;
- Build capacity and or refresh faith and community leaders and HCWs’ knowledge on HIV basic care package, current HIV epidemic, evidence-based interventions, best practices as it related to Lesotho and the targeted regions, M&E and expected project outcomes along the HIV continuum of care indicators;
- Lead coordination of and participate in training, coaching and mentorship of HCWs and faith and community leaders at supported sites and communities;
- Ensure availability and proper usage of programmatic tools and standards of care in all supported sites and communities for HIV services;
- Coordinate and support training on PEPFAR preferred evidence based models, such as Coaching Boys into Men and SASA! Faith;
- Lead coordination with field staff to roll-out PEPFAR evidence based models, providing supervision and site visits to ensure programming is rolled out with fidelity;
- Provide capacity building and technical support on performance improvement to the technical project components including HTS (HIV Testing Services), PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission), Treatment Adherence Support, GBV (Gender based Violence);
- Assist in monitoring and evaluation and ensuring quality assurance of HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment services amongst children, adolescents, men and women;
- Liaise with district and cluster health officials, community leaders & other stakeholders in coordinating the implementation of HIV services in supported site;
- Working with FBO partners and other community stakeholders will create an enabling environment to both prevent and report on GBV cases as they occur, as well promote access to services for victims of GBV
- Build capacity of selected faith communities to empower children and adolescents as advocates for their health, legal, education and social protection issues.
- Ensure timely preparation of work plans, budget requests and technical project performance reports and participate in the weekly and monthly project performance review meetings;
- Conduct routine performance review at program level with the aim of identifying performance gaps and best practices for the supported communities and health facilities;
- Submit timely project reports to the WVL Grants and Acquisition Manager;
- Directly supervise district level Project Officers and provide mentorship and support;
- Any other duties as assigned.
The following may be acquired through a combination of formal or self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training:
Qualifications, competencies and experience:
- Bachelors level degree required for this position with at least 5-8 years of experience in donor funded health programming, preferably in HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment services among children, adolescents, adults and pregnant and breastfeeding women;
- A Master’s Degree in public health or related field is a distinct advantage;
- Knowledge of PEPFAR Program and MOH reporting requirements including familiarity with the data collection and reporting tools used by MOH;
direct experience implementing PEPFAR programming is highly preferred;
- Demonstrated understanding of and respect for diverse churches and Christian organizations, direct experience working with communities of faith is preferred;
- Experience in establishing and sustaining working relationships with the MOH at regional and district and facility level;
- Experience in HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment services PLHIV with demonstrable results and expertise in initiating HIV care and treatment services in a public, faith-based or private health facility;
- At least three years of management experience;
- Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating training, mentorship and capacity building of HCWs in prevention, care and treatment areas;
- Fluency in Sesotho and English are required
- Proficiency in computer basic skills- MS Office; Internet; Basic data analysis skills;
- Self- managed, self-driven, results oriented individual with excellent communication, interpersonal, report writing and analytical skills;
- Dedicated team player with ability and experience to work in a multidisciplinary team.
Other Competencies/Attributes:
Must be a committed
Christian, able to stand above denominational diversities.
Perform other duties as required
Location: To be based at the World Vision Lesotho office in Maseru.
LOE: Full-time contact
Position is contingent on award of funding
Email application to: [email protected]
Closing date: 31 January 2020