Publish_MCH Program Manager_Laos_

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

Mother and Child Health Program Manager



Country: Lao PDR



City/Site: Based in Sepone

Districts of Sepone, Villabuly and Nong in Savannakhet

Province



Project: Mother & Child Health Project



Number of Employees The HIB Lao program includes 3 main sectors of

Disability, Road Safety and UXO. The total number of

employees including support staff is 105



Size of Team: 9 national staff (includes 2 drivers)



Title of Position: Mother and Child Health Program Manager



N + 1: Country Director



Direct Team Management: MCH project manager (TBR)



Indirect Team Mgmt: Yes. MCH project staff, and staff working in district

hospitals, health centers, and Provincial Rehabilitation

Center



Budget Responsibility: Yes



Contract: Fixed term contract



Other advantages Housing and bills covered (not telephone)



Expected Date of Arrival: January 15th 2012



Duration of Mission: 12 months



International Travel: Regional visits to other MCH projects, participation in

regional seminars, conferences & trainings



Travel between Sites: Travel to and within the 3 target districts in

Savannakhet province, to and from Savannakhet town

and Vientiane



Possibility of a couple: Yes (but very limited work and leisure opportunities for

the partner)



Possibility of children: No

Job Financed: Yes





BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF POSITION



Lao Context

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

Although the overall socio-economic and health situation of Lao PDR has improved

over the years, the country is lagging behind its neighbours. Lao PDR is ranked 133

out of 179 on the Human Development Index (HDI). While overall poverty rates in

the Lao People‟s Democratic Republic have dropped, there is growing inequity

between the poorest and wealthiest segments of the population. In accordance with

the Millennium Development Goals, under-five and infant mortality rates are

dropping (98 and 70 per 1000 live births, respectively), yet these remain much

higher in the remote areas of the country. 46% of deaths occur in the first 4 weeks

of life, and are most often linked to poor maternal health, unsafe delivery conditions,

malnutrition and birth-related complications. Increased rates of childhood disability

exist in areas with high under-five mortality.

Child malnutrition, which is associated with certain forms of disability, remains

significant, with 37% of children under 5 years old underweight, and 40% suffering

from stunting. In rural areas, this increases to 1 out of every 2 children. Children

remain highly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and

meningitis, and from the resulting disabling consequences.

The maternal mortality ratio, although falling, remains one of the highest in

Southeast Asia, with 405 deaths per 100 000 live births, with particularly high rates

in the south and south-eastern regions of the country. In Lao PDR, 3 women die

every day from birth-related complications. For every woman who dies, another 20

survive, many with lifelong disabilities.

Essential health care and outreach services remain poor, with rural and ethnic group

areas particularly affected. In our target districts, 80% of women deliver at home or

in the forest, without access to quality health care facilities or skilled attendants.

Handicap International Belgium has been working in the 3 target districts for several

years, with ongoing Community-Based Rehabilitation (slated to end in December

2010), Road Safety, and UXO projects. As a result, we have not only acquired a

good understanding of these communities; we are also building trust and

collaboration with community stakeholders.



DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AND POSITION:



Project:

A mapping activity was planned to provide further information on our target area.

The needs assessment/situation analysis focused on the 3 districts of Sepone, Nong

and Vilabuly of Savannakhet province. It was conducted at the Savannakhet

provincial hospital level, in the 3 district hospitals, and in 11 health centers. Further

community needs will be assessed and analyzed once the community-centered

actions begin.

The mapping in Savannakhet province was designed to meet the following

objectives:

- To learn more about the health needs of people in the target districts

- To better understand the priorities and constraints faced by the health

structures and the communities they serve

- To assess the availability and quality of mother and child health care, with a

specific focus on disability

- To map the available resources in terms of mother and child health, with a

specific focus on disability



The main issues identified were:

- Neither the community nor the health center staff have any knowledge of

disability, the attendant risk factors/causes, or how to prevent/treat it

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

- There exist a number of significant risk factors associated with disability

- There are no standards or protocols for the screening or diagnosis of newborns

and children with disability

- There are no rehabilitation services available at either the health center or district

hospital levels

- There is no data on disability

- There is no referral system in place to the specialized services existing at the

provincial level

- There is no continuum of care around disability

- A number of traditional beliefs and practices contribute directly to an increased

risk of mortality and morbidity among newborns and young children

- The families of children with disabilities have expressed a strong need for

increased support

- The quality of existing essential and emergency health services for mothers and

children remains poor

- Linguistic and cultural barriers and low literacy are important factors to take into

account in the project design. Other key constraints are: high rates of poverty,

high workload so people do not have time to take care of themselves or their

children, big distance between some villages and the nearest health structure.





The main gaps that fall within HIB‟s mandate are:

- Prevention of disability

- early detection of disability

- rehabilitation

- data collection related to disability and health

- family support of children with disabilities

- general community and health staff awareness on disability

The overall objective of this project is to reduce childhood disability and its

consequences. This will be accomplished via interventions in the areas of

prevention, early detection, and early intervention (mainly through Play activities

and education of the mothers), with a focus during the first phase on building the

capacity of the health system to address issues of childhood disability, and in a

second phase building the knowledge/understanding of disability and promoting

behavior change at the community level (through awareness & education campaigns,

health outreach activities integrated into existing campaigns, mothers‟ groups, etc.).



This project recognizes that the most effective way to reduce the prevalence and

incidence of disability is by addressing the key risk factors and causes, as well as by

intervening as early as possible to minimize the consequences of impairments and

disabling conditions. Many disabilities only become evident once a child starts

attending school – whereas such conditions could be treated, prevented or otherwise

appropriately addressed at a much earlier stage in life, thus significantly improving

the child‟s chances of survival and of he/she, and his/her family, benefiting from a

much greater quality of life.

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

We have identified 2 poles of action to optimize the impact of this project. The first

pole of action is the health system. In 2009-2010, actions were undertaken to

improve diagnostic capacity, appropriate case management and follow-up/referral,

and strengthen outreach to the communities, primarily through the development and

implementation of a training curricula for a group of nurses from the target health

centers, district hospitals and the PRC. The second pole of action is the community.

In 2011-2013 actions will be undertaken in order to increase community knowledge

and understanding of disability, to increase appropriate and accessible care and

information by community providers, to promote key family behaviors, and to

improve the links between the communities and the health facilities.



At the end of 2010, the Core Group will have received all the theoretical training

related to detection and early intervention and the referral system will be in place. A

first draft of the monitoring system is finished and the main focus will be on the

practical „early stimulation‟ sessions that will be organized on a regular basis in the

target health structures with families.



The goal of this project is to produce an evidence-based, reproducible and scaleable

model for effectively addressing childhood disability in resource-poor conditions,

which can be appropriated by the Ministry of Health and other health NGOs.



General Objective



The Program Manager will provide overall leadership for the MCH team while guiding

the national Project Manager in the fulfillment of his primary responsibilities of

project implementation. S/he will also provide both methodological and technical

support to the project team and our partners. The PM should have a strong

background in community health and development, with significant field experience

in rural, limited-resource areas.



In terms of methodological support, the PM will bring to bear his/her experience in

project development, particularly in terms of data collection, implementation of the

logical framework, monitoring of indicators, and identifying project priorities during

the quarterly planning of activities. The PM will be the lead person responsible for

setting up an effective monitoring and reporting system of the project activities and

indicators. S/he will also contribute to the overall vision and strategy, and be able to

guide the project staff and our partners in the fulfillment of this strategy. The goal is

for the project‟s management to be the responsibility of a national Project Manager,

and it is the responsibility of the Program Manager to guide the development of the

Project Manager‟s capacity.



In terms of technical support, the PM will be responsible for ongoing capacity-

building of our partners at the district and provincial level, in terms of ensuring the

overall quality of project activities, such as training and supervision and outreach

services. The PM will also provide ongoing support to the trained health staff in the

development and implementation of community-based activities, and as such, should

be prepared to play an active operational role in the field. The PM should feel

comfortable facilitating capacity-building through “learning by doing”.

Starting in 2012, activities within the communities will be taking place. These will

include new activities with mother‟s groups, the Lao Women‟s Union, village decision-

makers, as well as participation in existing activities such as vaccination drives,

health education campaigns, etc. PM will be responsible for supporting the project

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

staff and District health actors in the development and implementation of these

activities, with an eye towards sustainability and scaling-up.



Responsibilities



Programming Conception/Strategy

 Provide direction and guidance to the Country Director, the MCH project team

and partners in the development of a sustainable and effective strategy on

how to incorporate disability components into Maternal & Child Health

policies, protocols and activities, taking into account the rural context and

available resources.

 Contribute to the process of renewing or developing new MOUs with relevant

government partners

 Adopt and integrate the rights-based approach into the project‟s strategy

 Ensure that the project‟s experiences and practices are capitalized

 Communicate regularly and collaborate with the Brussels-based Community

Health Advisor in the development of HIB‟s strategy on Maternal & Child

Health

 Collaborate with the Country Director in supporting the revision of HIB‟s

prevention and rehabilitation program strategy





Project Management

 With the assistance of the Project Manager and in collaboration with the

partner, ensure project cycle management, with particular attention to:

o Revising the project strategy and proposing changes to the logical

framework if needed;

o Ensuring that the quarterly planning of activities is not done in a

mechanical way but that it addresses identified priorities and problems

o Ensuring that information coming from the project‟s M&E and regular

measurement of indicators are properly taken into account

 Strengthen local HIB project staff and partner managerial capacity, increasing

the role and responsibility of the partner in project management over time,

through an advisory and collaborative approach

 Assume primary responsibility for developing an effective monitoring system

 Support project staff and partners in thinking through sustainable solutions to

the problems encountered

 Prepare with teams annual and quarterly monthly planning

 Recruit and supervise project teams

 Prepare budget request and authorize expenditures for the project





Technical Support to the capacity building of the target group



The PM will be responsible to:

 Continuously assess the relevance of the trainings already planned and

propose new trainings if needed; develop new training curricula and material

and, based on needs, revise and improve existing ones.

 Develop IEC materials and health system protocols (including in the areas of

prevention and referral system).

 Coordinate trainers (PRC, MCH Hospital, etc.) and, if needed, improve their

skills through ToT training or capacity building. Provide or coordinate the

provision of technical expertise in training sessions if needed.

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

 Develop a system to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of each

training; participate to such evaluations if needed.

 Assist the PRC (and other partners) to conduct the on-the-job capacity

building sessions with the target group; conduct the sessions if needed.

 Identify and bring in outside technical expertise for the project, as needed.





Other technical Support

 Oversee the development of methodology and materials for the community-

based activities; provide ongoing technical guidance to support their

implementation and to monitor their effectiveness.

 Identify gaps and propose solutions in the existing health system, including

the referral and counter-referral system as it relates to addressing childhood

disability

 Implement organizational and protocol changes that facilitate more

effective/efficient implementation of activities and use of resources





Monitoring and evaluation

 Responsible for developing an effective monitoring system and ensuring

quality control for measuring the indicators of progress and impact of the

project, and teach this concept to project staff and partners

 Actively support and advise project staff in the collection, storing and analysis

of data

 Participate in the planning, management and follow up of internal/external

evaluations (preparation of evaluators‟ ToR, recruitment of evaluators, review

of recommendations, etc.)

 Take into account the recommendations of evaluation made by external

consultants and assess their implementation relevance





Networking

 Initiate new partnerships and strengthen current partnerships through

meetings and collaborative activity implementation (for instance with WHO,

UNICEF and the MOH at the national, provincial and district levels, and other

INGOs)

 Network and develop relationships with similar projects in Laos and in the

region (including but not exclusively with other HIB projects working on the

Maternal and Child Health thematic), in order to draw from and capitalize on

these experiences

 Identify the most pertinent fora for HIB participation in the development of

national health strategy, in order to advocate for the mainstreaming of

disability issues within the national health priorities





Reporting

 Ensure that concerns or difficulties, especially those affecting the quality of

activities, the achievement of projects‟ result and the impact on beneficiaries

are promptly reported to the Country Director

 Ensure internal reports and reports to donors and partners; in particular,

review and ensure the quality of reports before final submission

 Organize the project‟s capitalization and give the necessary support to ensure

its realization

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010





Coordination

 Develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with government

partners at all levels, ensuring adequate involvement and ownership of both

provincial and district level partners

 Coordinate with other INGOs working in the same sector or geographic area

to ensure duplication is avoided and synergies are enhanced





Profile required for the job



Knowledge:

 Degree in a health profession or related field (e.g. Public Health, Nursing,

Medicine, Health Education, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, etc).

 Excellent command of the Project Cycle Management approach (logical

framework, tools for monitoring activities, measuring indicators, and

evaluation)

 Excellent command of English language (working language)

 Helpful to have knowledge of other languages including Lao and French

 Preferred: strong public health background (bachelor‟s or master‟s) with a

focus on community health and/or reproductive health or maternal & child

health

 Preferred: background in disability and/or rehabilitation





Skills

 At least 4 years experience in project development, especially in project

monitoring evaluation as well as strategic planning

 Knowledge, experience and willingness to engage in skills transfer, capacity

building and pedagogical methodologies

 Knowledge and experience in designing and implementing training programs

and/or awareness campaigns, particularly in rural settings and/or geared

towards vulnerable/ethnic groups

 Understanding of Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) and Knowledge Attitude

and Practice (KAP) survey methodology a plus

 Strong leadership, supervisory and people management experience and skills

 Capacity to provide and communicate a coherent strategy and vision

 Computer literate (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)

 Excellent writing skills (English and possibly French)

 Working experience in Lao PDR or similar experience in another

developing/Southeast Asian country is an asset



Personal Qualities

 Ability to adapt to the Laotian context

 Mature and diplomatic, but with a strong will

 Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with a variety of colleagues

 Creative

 Interest in working in rural and remote areas

 Excellent inter-cultural communication and problem-solving skills

 Able to integrate easily and to negotiate effectively with local partners

 Patience

xxx Program

JD- PRPM

Version: July 2010

 Strong motivation to adhere to HIB‟s vision: a world in which all forms of

disability can be prevented, cared for or integrated, and in which the rights of

people with disabilities are respected and applied