Project Officer – Lesotho PEPFAR Faith and Community Initiative

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Project Officer – Lesotho PEPFAR Faith and Community Initiative  

Four (4) field positions to be based in: Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek

Purpose of the position:

World Vision Lesotho (WVL) is currently recruiting four (4) Project Officers for the PEPFAR Faith and Communities Initiative (FCI). This position will play the lead role in implementing all project activities at the district and community levels for the PEPFAR FCI 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 Officers (PO) will lead coordination of all project activities at the district level. This primarily entails capacity building and promotion 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 direct coordination with 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. This position will provide capacity building to create awareness of HIV risk and shift social norms to prevent sexual violence. The PO will report to the PM based in Maseru.

The POs will be responsible for directly leading and coordinating all district level project activities. The POs will play a key role in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with the district health leadership, faith leader representatives, and health facilities administrators in their respective districts. S/he will work with data assistants to ensure project monitoring and 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. 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.

Major Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate and support district level trainings 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;
  • Lead district level coordination of and participate in training, coaching and mentorship of HCWs and faith and community leaders at supported sites and communities;
  • Support and build the capacity HCWs in select communities implementing the health kiosk model to ensure understanding of available health services and appropriate referrals;
  • 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;
  • Coordinate with community partners to roll-out PEPFAR evidence based models, providing supervision and site visits to ensure programming is rolled out with fidelity;
  • Coordinate with data assistants at the district level, and assist in monitoring and of project activities;
  • Liaise with district and cluster health officials, community leaders & other stakeholders in coordinating the implementation of HIV services in each supported site;
  • Build capacity of selected faith communities to empower children and young 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 district level with the aim of identifying performance gaps and best practices for the supported communities and health facilities;
  • Submit timely activity reports to the project manager;
  • 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 3 years of experience in a Program Officer or Coordinator role in donor funded programming, preferably in HIV programs;
  • Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating training, mentorship and capacity building of community leaders of health workers;
  • Experience coordinating trainings, community activities and logistics at the field level;
  • Knowledge of PEPFAR Program and MOH reporting requirements including familiarity with the data collection and reporting tools used by MOH is an added advantage;
  • Direct experience implementing PEPFAR programming is an added advantage;
  • Demonstrated understanding of and respect for diverse churches and Christian organizations, direct experience working with communities of faith is preferred;
  • 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:  Positions based in Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka, Quthing and Mohale’s Hoek

LOE: Full-time contact

Please indicate you location preference in your cover letter.

Position is contingent on award of funding

Email application to: [email protected]

Closing date: 31 January 2020

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