OVC Technical Officer x5

Jhpiego

Jhpiego is an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The Johns Hopkins University. For 40 years in East and Southern Africa, Jhpiego has empowered front-line health workers by designing and implementing effective, low-cost, hands-on solutions that strengthen the delivery of health care services, following the household-to-hospital continuum of care. Jhpiego partners with organizations from the community to the national levels, building sustainable, local capacity through advocacy, policy development, human resources for health and quality and performance improvement approaches.  For further information about Jhpiego, please visit our website at www.jhpiego.org.

Jhpiego seeks candidates for the following positions on the Department of Defense (DOD) – funded HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment project.

OVC TECHNICAL OFFICER (5)

Location: Chipata, Kabwe, Kasama, Lusaka and Ndola.

Reports to: OVC Technical Advisor

Position Supervised: OVC Case Managers and Case Workers

Position Overview

The Provincial Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Technical Officer will provide technical leadership and project oversight at the field office in the area of OVC social welfare for pediatric and adolescent OVC and families affected by HIV and ensure that pediatric and adolescent OVC are provided with case management services focusing on continuity of care, comprehensive and family centered care in DFZ sites. S/he will be responsible for strengthening the linkage and integration of community and clinical service delivery with a focus on accelerating and maintaining results towards “95-95-95”.

Responsibilities

  • Participate in the development and routine refinement of program standard operating procedures (SOPs), case management protocols, bi-directional referral tools, and vulnerability assessment tools
  • Work closely with the OVC Technical Advisor and Provincial Technical Coordinator on setting project priorities and directions, and responding to requests for support from local counterparts
  • Together with the Provincial Technical Coordinator and Technical Officers, develop a Provincial/ district-wide supervisory and mentorship system for Case Managers and Case Workers
  • Coordinate with service delivery partners to provide routine supportive supervision and mentorship to Case Managers and Case Workers in line with the supervisory and mentorship guide and protocols
  • Supervise and provide mentorship to facility-based Case Managers and community-based Case Workers to ensure OVC are:
  • Identified in line with set criteria
  • Enrolled into the Jhpiego/ DOD OVC Program
  • Linked to appropriate facility-and community-based HIV preventive and care services and other social services
  • Retained on the program until graduation.
  • Closely collaborate with Government community and district level health and social service structures such as primary health facilities and community welfare assistant committees to ensure standardization of referral protocols and seamless bi-directional referrals
  • Strengthen bi-directional linkage between community OVC program and facility pediatric HIV /ART program by ensuring all children and adolescents LHIV are linked to, and screened for OVC eligibility, and all OVC and the care givers are screened for HIV and those who are found to be HIV positive are linked to care and treatment
  • Continuously track challenges and best practices in the bi-directional referral system and timely implement corrective action in partnership with service delivery partners and stakeholders
  • Share documented challenges, corrective action implemented, and best practices with the program management unit
  • Inform the continuous iteration of the program work plan to ensure the program strategy is continuously adapted to address emerging needs and challenges in the bi-directional referral system
  • Participate in district continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities and support the documentation of findings and development of corrective action plans
  • Support district data associates and provincial Strategic Information Officers to collect and document accurate linkage and case management data and support service delivery partners and stakeholders to analyze district-level data, and timely use data for decision making
  • Participate in Provincial and district-level multi-sectoral OVC service delivery coordination meetings as advised by the Provincial Technical Coordinator
  • Prepare and submit to the Provincial Technical Coordinator weekly quantitative reports and monthly quantitative and qualitative reports in coordination with service delivery partners
  • Work with M&E staff to implement a plan to track data/results related to OVC services to inform adjustments in project implementation.

Qualifications and Experience

  • A Bachelors’ Degree in Social Work, Public Health or related field
  •  6-7 years work experience in a related field including HIV/AIDS, community-based case management, OVC para social work, Community PMTCT and cohort case management of Mother Infant Pairs, or DREAMS case management
  • Experience in OVC care, support and community mobilization
  • Extensive knowledge of child safeguarding services in the context of Zambia required
  • Strong understanding of characteristics, issues, and drivers of vulnerability for OVC
  • Prior experience working with literate and non-literate audiences
  • Prior experience working in health facilities to support community-health facility continuum of care services or experience working in DREAMS centers
  • Experience in supervising field teams
  • DREAMS Program graduate will be an added advantage
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Computer skills in basic applications such as MS work and MS excel

To apply, please send your application letter and curriculum vitae in a single document, stating the position in the subject line to the Human Resources Manager: [email protected]

Kindly note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Closing date is Friday 30th July, 2021.


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