GENERAL INFORMATION

1.  SOLICITATION NO.: 21-27

2.  ISSUANCE DATE: February 23, 2021

3.  CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: March 9, 2021         (4:30 PM East Africa Time).

4.  POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (Health and         Civil Society)

5.  MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-PSC 11: (Step 1: 4,597,211.00       KSH to Step 13: 7,815,239.00 KSH per annum).  In accordance with       AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/             Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within         the listed market value.

6.  PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Initial 6 months probationary period         with 4 additional option years contingent on performance, position           need, and funds availability.

7.  PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as         stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Prior to joining USAID, the selected candidate will be required to:

• Undergo a comprehensive background investigation
• Undergo a health check to obtain medical clearance and;
• Obtain and Retain an embassy issued Security Certification.

9.  STATEMENT OF DUTIES: (See Below).

10.  AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens.             USAID provides equal opportunity and equitable treatment for                 employment of all people without regard to race, color, religion,               sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status         or sexual orientation.

11.  PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The position requirements do not involve             rigorous physical demands.

BACKGROUND

The Health Population and Nutrition (HPN) office is USAID/Kenya and East Africa’s (KEA) largest office, managing a portfolio valued at over $400 million annually. The office receives funding from a number of U.S. Presidential Initiatives, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and Feed the Future (FtF), as well as other USAID health funds for family planning, maternal, newborn, and child health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.  The position is a high-level specialist position providing technical leadership and maintaining critical partnerships with civil society organizations at national and county levels in Kenya.

The Project Management Specialist (Health & Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is an experienced professional with technical expertise in the health field. The position builds and maintains relationships with the civil society organizations and associations across the country to ensure USAID’s health activities are informed by and harness the capacity and mandate of the CSO to voice and engage Kenyan citizens in defining and implementing health priorities at national, regional and county level. The position is involved in strategic planning and budgeting activities at county level and works with Contract and Agreement Officer Representatives (C/AORs) and HPN representatives on County Liaison Teams (CLTs) to support coordinated engagement of CSOs in health activities at county level. The incumbent serves as an in-house subject matter expert on health sector CSO engagement to catalyze governance and leadership processes at county level and has an in-depth understanding of the devolved structure in Kenya.  The incumbent coordinates CSO engagement activities with cross-sectoral teams at USAID including USAID’s County Liaison Teams, keeps the HPN Office updated on developments in the CSO sector affecting health and keeps counties updated on USAID and USG policy directives, strategic priorities and technical directions as they relate to the CSOs. In collaboration with Health, Population and Nutrition bilateral and USAID Washington teams, the incumbent manages the implementation of key elements of USAID’s health programs to enhance USAID’s program visibility and impact in Kenya. The position reports to the HPN Partnerships Team Leader.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES    

1. TECHNICAL AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP                          50%

• Provide high level technical guidance to HPN and the Mission on strategies and processes for CSO engagement including liaison with senior-level officials.                                                                      
• Work in collaboration with USAID Mission staff and the County Liaison Teams to design, plan, and implement county health activities and ensure that policy and governance issues related to CSOs are addressed.                                                                                  
• Work closely with other units within the Health, Population and Nutrition (HPN) office and across the Mission to optimize opportunities for cross-sectoral integration and learning across the different program components and sectors.                                              
• Represent the USG in key Ministry of Health (MOH) and technical working groups (TWGs) at national and county levels.                      
• Develop key areas of strategic engagement, map and assess the CSO landscape in each focal county with a specific focus on CSOs working on health and social protection systems, determine key strengths, constraints and opportunities for establishing strategic partnerships; identify collaboration and networking opportunities and develop working strategies for transformative, meaningful and equal partnerships.                                                                                       
• Provide updated technical information on USAID program policies to partners and a wide group of public health collaborators as it becomes available. This information generally involves how to implement, monitor, and evaluate USAID programs, use of M&E data, and report progress to key stakeholders.                                  
• Develop and nurture formal and informal partnerships with civil society and faith-based organizations at county level and provide technical assistance to the county to develop and sustain partnerships with these organizations. 

• Support designing and implementation of strategic interventions aimed at enhancing transformative collaboration among CSOs, health development partners, county governments and local development organizations, including organization of regular meetings, discussions, roundtables, and identification of themes for CSO dialogue that are deemed essential for capacity development in the area of good health stewardship, governance, domestic resources mobilization, optimized use of mobilized resources for increased transparency and accountability for results and resources.                                                                                    
• Provide support and explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration between CSOs across borders where applicable to strengthen policies and systems at community level and address health risks that transcend borders.                                                        
• Through literature review and proactive engagement with online and other sources, as well as research and regular communication with local and international stakeholders, keep abreast of emerging developments in the national and global discourse on community and CSO engagement in the health sector and advise accordingly on how these policies, strategies and technical guidelines can most effectively be incorporated to enable the Mission to maintain the fidelity and relevance of its programs. 

• Serve as Contracting or Agreement Officer’s Representative (C/AOR), and/or Activity Manager, for the Mission’s health programs.  

• Perceive, determine, and arrange for procurement of short-term technical assistance (STTA) and ensure that objectives and outcomes of the TA are consistent with and support the furtherance of Mission priorities and programs.

• Provide a leadership role in advising other HPN Office colleagues on CSO engagement, management and methodologies to improve the performance of USAID’s health programs at county level. 

• Creates sustainable coalitions that advance the joint USAID-Government-CSO transparency and accountability agenda and transforms these coalitions into key advocates for equity and quality health care services that are affordable, accountable, accessible and reliable to the most vulnerable households.                 
• Identifies strategic partnership opportunities for aligning and amplifying specific CSO perspectives and priorities with the work of USAID builds trust with a vital community of partners, ensures relevance and consistency of USAID’s engagements with Civil Society, and leads the development of joint action plans aimed at generating collective, broad support and the advocacy base within the CSOs community to expand the good governance of national and county health care systems that guarantee increased ownership and management of health system using domestic resources.

2.  COORDINATION AND REPRESENTATION                           40%

• Using diplomacy and technical acumen, establish strategic working relationships with senior health officials and CSOs at county and lower levels to enhance coordination and regular and timely sharing of information on USAID’s policies, and legal and regulatory environments that could affect collaboration and coordination efforts with CSOs and other community groups. 

• Provide guidance to the HPN team on identifying and developing relationships with CSOs and related stakeholders at national and county levels and ensure that results and impact of partnerships are monitored and reported in quarterly and annual reports. 

• Represent USAID at designated county, national, and regional health meetings and ensure regular participation in county and regional technical working groups and related committees. 

• Together with the Partnerships Team Leader, represent USAID on USG Technical Teams. 

• As requested by the Mission Director, HPN Office Director, Deputy Director-APPS, or the Partnerships Team Leader, represent USAID at meetings within the interagency, as well as at outside meetings. 

• As a member of the HPN, respond flexibly and capably to a wide range of work-related requirements including responding to requests for information from HQ, Congress and OGAC. 

• Organize site visits and prepare orientation materials for delegations from USAID, the State Department, and other agencies. 

• Participate in publishing the body of knowledge for relevant technical areas in peer-reviewed journals and make presentations at key conferences. 

• Represent the HPN Office when requested at official meetings and events as appropriate.

3. COACHING/MENTORING, AND STAFF SUPPORT            10%

• Provide expert advice and guidance to USAID colleagues on health CSO policies and priorities and how best to collaborate and coordinate programs with the national and county governments. 

POSITION ELEMENTS

A.  SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Project Management Specialist (Health & Civil Society) will report to the Partnerships Team Leader in the HPN Office of USAID. The Supervisor provides overall work objectives, suggests approaches to consider, reviews completed assignments for adequacy, and evaluates performance primarily in terms of conformance with policy and results achieved. Incumbent functions with a considerable degree of latitude and independence.

B. SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None. No direct supervision of other staff is anticipated.

C. AVAILABLE GUIDELINES: PMI and PEPFAR Guidance and Directives, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR); AID Acquisitions Regulations (AIDAR); AID Automated Directives System (ADS Series); Acquisition and Assistance Policy Documents (AAPDs), Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs); Office of Procurement Acquisition Memoranda (OPAMS); U.S. Department of State Standardized Regulations; Federal Travel Regulations; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and Controller General Decisions, USAID Mission Orders, Project Papers, Mission Strategy, and other documents available, USAID policies and procedures, Technical Documents and Policy Papers. The incumbent is required to understand Mission and Agency-specific policies and procedures that govern project activity management in addition to administrative operating procedures, policies and formats established by the Department of State. The incumbent will be required to be proactive in keeping abreast of evolving guidelines and policies which affect PMI, PEPFAR, RMNCAH and other health programming.

D. EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT: The incumbent will exercise a high degree of independent judgment in representing USAID and in providing guidance to Mission staff, government officials and implementing partners. Substantial reliance will be placed on the incumbent, a recognized expert and well-qualified professional, to independently plan, prioritize and carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position. The incumbent will be expected to analyze and address problems by applying relevant guidance (for management/administrative issues) and evidence-based strategies (for technical issues) to advance the Mission’s objectives. The use of initiative, discretion, cultural sensitivity, collaboration, and teamwork is expected of the incumbent, to resolve challenges for which there are no clear or immediate solutions. In the event that no formal guidance exists, the incumbent will use her/his own personal, well-informed judgment, making independent decisions that can be defended as necessary, and seeking input when appropriate.

E.  AUTHORITY TO MAKE COMMITMENTS: When fully designated as an AOR/ COR s/he will have full authority and responsibility as delegated by the ADS, as well as other Mission and USAID guidelines. However, because of the incumbent’s expertise and professional standing in his/her field, substantial weight will be given to his/her recommendations, while commitments are made by those with the authority to do so.

F.  NATURE, LEVEL, AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: The incumbent occupies a high profile and important position in the Mission. S/he represents USAID in engagements with a variety of high-level Ministry of Health officials at the county, regional and national levels, donors, and private and non-governmental organizations, and provides policy recommendations as well as strategic and programmatic advice to senior USAID and US Government officials, other donors, and implementing partners. S/he is required to establish and maintain professional contacts/relationships with senior officials and leaders of private and nongovernmental sector institutions that partner on health and PMI activities and to seek to leverage funding. Internally, the incumbent has routine and frequent contact with senior officials of the other members of the USAID Mission, personnel at the U.S. Embassy, USAID/Washington, and other USG agencies such as the CDC, partnering organizations, institutional contractors, and consultants.

G. TIME EXPECTED TO REACH FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: One year.

PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE: Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in managing partnerships for a development organization, including managing malaria programs or other relevant public health programs that involve coordination with a wide variety of stakeholders in a government department, international agency or implementing partner, is required.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of malaria public health programs, strategies, methods, processes, and techniques used to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate the results of treatment and prevention programs is required. Extensive knowledge of the country and region’s health context including national and county priorities and the key stakeholders engaged in health at community and county level in Kenya is required.

Demonstrated knowledge of the overall health sector context and thorough public health knowledge regarding current health sector priorities at county level is also required. The incumbent should have professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to the devolution of the health sector and the increasing roles and responsibilities of the counties. The incumbent should have an understanding of civil society, donor, multilateral and private sector involvement in health in Kenya. The incumbent must have a good knowledge, or the potential to quickly acquire such knowledge, of USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to development assistance, programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities. The incumbent must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the county governments, and the role of units within each level, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program/project strategy and implementation plans.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The incumbent must possess strong skills in communication, advocacy, and networking. S/he must have strong conceptual and analytical skills to be able to quickly grasp and translate new concepts into operational plans and results. This position requires outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to exercise flexibility in analyzing and reacting to evolving planning and implementation contexts. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent computer skills, including skills with Microsoft Office, web-based databases, and electronic filing. S/he exercises individual judgement in his/her roles. S/he takes initiative and offers leadership in developing strategic partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, and in reviewing the progress of programs and projects under his/her responsibility, including performance reports, budgets, and program implementation reviews, in the course of fulfilling other USAID and USG activity management requirements. S/he demonstrates timely decision-making ability and extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, using diplomacy and tact.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Applicants must submit a resume/cv which describes how their relevant professional experience and education has prepared them to meet the specific challenges of the duties and responsibilities described above.  As part of the interview process, those applicants ranked highest may be required to submit a timed writing sample on a topic provided.  The selection committee may conduct reference checks at any time during the selection process.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. 

• Prior work experience (30 points)
• Job Knowledge (40 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points)

Total possible points:  100

Candidates meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks.  References will be asked to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above criteria.  USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed applicants.  The interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

How to Apply

Step 1:  Register in MyJobsInKenya at www.myjobsinkenya.com      

Step 2:  Complete the job application questionnaire at www.myjobsinkenya.com  The applicant must answer all the questions in the Questionnaire.

Step 3:  Internal Applicants/Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages), a copy of your most recent Performance Evaluation Report, and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the documents and upload to MyJobsInKenya.

                                                       OR

External Applicants/Not Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages) and copies of all relevant certificates. Upload all the documents to MyJobsInKenya.

Note to Applicants:

1. Applications must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted through myjobsinkenya.com as stated in Section IV.

2. Submissions will only be accepted through myjobsinkenya.com Late and Incomplete applications (those that do not contain the applicant’s most current and up to date detailed CV and relevant education certificates) will not be considered for the position. The closing date for receipt of applications is indicated above.

3. USAID DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING) AND DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.