PROGRAM COORDINATOR - HEALTH

• Location: National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
• Industry: Community, Non Government Organisations (NGOs)
• Job ID: #11616
• Date Posted: 21st June 2021
• Source: www.pngworkforce.com
• TITLE:Program Coordinator - Health
• REPORTING TO - Senior Program Manager
• LOCATION: Port Moresby, NCD
• CLASSIFICATION: E
• EMPLOYMENT DETAILS/HOURS
• START DATE: Full time   July 2021

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Introduction

WaterAid has been operating in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since 2004, working with local partners to increase access to gender sensitive, socially inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. WaterAid PNG’s geographic focus is on Central Province in the Southern Region and East Sepik Province in the Morobe Region.

WaterAid, through its health-focussed work, works to integrate WASH into health systems strengthening and health focussed programs. strives to improve the quality of health care and support stronger health security across the Pacific through improving access to safe WASH in healthcare facilities. To achieve this, WaterAid works to integrate WASH within health policies, investments and programming with a focus on health security, maternal and newborn health and the delivery of safe, quality health services to achieve universal health coverage.

Through additional support from the Australian Government’s (DFAT) Water for Women Fund, WaterAid proposes to implement a Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Health Care Facilities program to strengthen national leadership, coordination, planning, and accountability for WASH in health care facilities in line with PNG’s responsibility to the WHA 72.27 Resolution on WASH in health care facilities.

The WASH in Health Care Facilities program will run until December 2022. WaterAid requires a full-time Program Coordinator to support this program.

WaterAid’s mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to WASH. Our vision is that all Papua New Guineans should have access to WASH by 2030

Everything we do is shaped by our six values:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Collaboration
• Courage
• Accountability
• Innovation

WaterAid is a child safe organisation. We recognise that we must meet community expectations and the trust placed in our personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.


WaterAid is committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. The values and standards we uphold are highlighted in our Global Code of Conduct. All positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Global Code of Conduct.

Position Summary

Access to safe and quality WASH services and behaviours is fundamental to infection prevention and control in health care facilities, for preventing the spread of infections including Covid-19, and to ensure strong and resilient health systems that provide safe, quality care.

Health care facilities are high-risk settings where basic WASH services are prerequisites to effectively treat and prevent infections and disease. Inadequate or absent WASH services deter the use of health services and present additional health risks to patients, caregivers, and health care staff.

To complement DFAT’s and other health partners’ existing investments in WASH, anti-microbial resistance, and health system strengthening, this program will work to improve governance, policy, coordination, and monitoring for WASH in health care facilities.

The program of work will include:

1) A detailed situation analysis and assessment of WASH in healthcare facilities within current health and WASH governance, financing and policies in PNG. This will include an analysis of health and WASH policies, standards, governance structures, roles and responsibilities, planning and coordination mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation tools, data availability, coverage of WASH in health care facilities (HCF), investment and funding sources. This assessment will be undertaken by a local consultant/research organisation.

2) The establishment or strengthening of a cross-sector coordination mechanism for WASH in HCF eg. a working group with relevant stakeholders from government, research, NGOs, private sector and UN agencies to align progress and improve accountability.

3) Outlining a roadmap that defines the approach, intervention areas, responsibilities, targets, timeline, and budget for WASH improvements with the aim to achieve universal access by 2030.

4) Support to the development of national standards for WASH in HCF and implementation mechanisms to improve and maintain WASH in HCFs.

5) Reviewing and strengthening monitoring data and systems.

The Program Coordinator will be involved in all activities of the WASH in HCF work. The main objective of the Program Coordinator is to ensure all activities are executed in a smooth, coordinated and timely way. This is a complex program of work that requires excellent coordination skills to ensure that all activities and key players are optimised.

Key Performance Areas/Accountabilities

Program Management

• Act as the primary focal point representing WaterAid for WASH in Health Care Facilities in PNG
• Establish and maintain regular contact and good relationships with and among the Working Group or Steering Committee, both by running and attending regular meetings.
• Participate in and contribute positively to coordination meetings, provide progress updates, make presentations and requests, and receive information and direction from the working group and respond to these requests as appropriate.
• Organise and facilitate special purpose meetings such as learning workshops, consultation events, and other meetings.
• Provide input into the methodology and content of the situation assessment
• Assist specialists and sub-consultants/research organisations to identify and obtain key documents and materials to enable them to carry out their work. Facilitate access to key informants, including government staff in PNG, development partners etc.
• Coordinate and manage sub-consultants/research organisations to ensure quality and timely delivery of outputs
• Provide input into the methodology and content of the WASH in HCF standards
• Liaise with health staff in selected provinces, with non-government health providers, and staff at individual health facilities
• Attend program management/progress review meetings with relevant stakeholders
• Assist the Program Director and the Senior Accountant to monitor expenditure, manage fraud risks and ensure that WaterAid and donor standards regarding financial management are met by WaterAid staff and partner organisations.
• Ensure timely processing of acquittals.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Knowledge and Learning
• Support the working group and stakeholders to increase understanding of key issues in WASH in HCF, including sharing global guidance and frameworks, and case studies from other countries
• Support the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Officer to gather information which contributes to Water for Women Fund learnings
• Using the PNG experience, contribute to WaterAid’s WASH in HCF practice learning
• Coordinate quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis to contribute to reporting on WaSH in HCF activities and outcomes for consortium reporting to donor and stakeholders.

Equity and Inclusion

• Support partners and staff to engage effectively with women, people with disabilities and marginalised members of the community throughout project planning and review processes.
• Identify opportunities to further engage the community in the planning, monitoring and review of WASH services and work with local authorities and community representatives to design and implement feedback mechanisms about community access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
• Consult with the GEDSI Advisor on the equity and inclusion aspects of the work and ensure that WaterAid staff and external stakeholders are sensitive to gender and social inclusion considerations.
• Promote a ‘Do No Harm’ approach amongst WaterAid staff and partners and ensure that referral pathways are accessible for stakeholders and beneficiaries affected by WaterAid’s work.

Partner Engagement

• Maintain constructive working relationships with program stakeholders and WaterAid’s partners.
• Facilitate consultation meetings with stakeholders to obtain relevant feedback and input into the assessment and standards which reflect PNG’s reality.

The role requires engagement with a moderate degree of complexity, due to the need to:

• Coordinate with multiple stakeholders, including formal program partners, as well as government agencies.
• Assist the Senior Program Manager with management of a large grant with multiple separate activities
• Ensure that risks concerning financial mismanagement and fraud are adequately managed.

Communications and Working Relationships

Internal

WaterAid PNG

• WaterAid Australia (Health Advisor, PNG program support staff)
• WaterAid UK and other country programs (WASH in HCF global lead and practice group)

External

• National Department of Health
• Department of National Planning and Monitoring
• National WASH Project Management Unit (PMU)
• Provincial Health Authorities
• Other Health providers including churches
• NGOs
• Development agencies and donors in WASH and health in PNG and regionally eg. DFAT, UNICEF, WHO

Physical Environment and Demands

Low travel requirements within NCD and potentially occasional travel outside Port Moresby.
Level of contact with children

The role may involve contact with children and infants in health care facilities. The position will be required to maintain WaterAid child safeguarding principles and standards at all times.
Qualification, Skills & Attributes (Key Capabilities/Selection Criteria)

All applicants must address these criteria in their application:


Essential

Knowledge, skills and experience

At least five years of experience working in the health sector
Experience in:

health care facility settings
health-related research
program management, including the management of consultants, client/donor reporting; and
networking and liaising with key stakeholders within government and civil society
Knowledge of WASH is desirable
Excellent communication skills including written documents, meetings, presentations,
High-level facilitation skills
Fluent in Tok Pisin and English – both written and spoken
Proficient with the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook
Education

Degree, Diploma or equivalent training and experience in a relevant field such as public health, health sciences, medicine nursing, midwifery or epidemiology
Personal qualities

Organised, proactive, and persistent
Personable with a sensitivity to the communication styles of external stakeholders and internal staff.
Confidence working with senior officers in both government and non-government organisations, and with WaterAid international staff
Commitment to the ‘Do No Harm’ approach to aid and development work.
Able to travel
Applications for this role must comprise of:

An application letter addressing the essential person specification criteria outlined above (maximum 2 pages).
A curriculum vitae (maximum 4 pages). The CV must include three professional referees (referees will not be contacted until after interviews, with permission from the candidate).
Applications which do not address the Selection Criteria specified and the page limits will NOT be considered.

Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.

WaterAid is committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, culture and experience. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We will make any practical adjustments to enable people with a disability to participate fully in an inclusive working environment. Please let us know if require any special assistance in making your application or attending an interview.

Email applications to: [email protected] with the subject line: “Application Program Coordinator - Health”.


Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Note: WaterAid is a child safe organization. The successful applicant will be required to comply with our child protection policy.

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