The Team Leader will work as part of an interdisciplinary team, reporting to the Technical Director. S/he will provide technical and programmatic oversight in the design and day-to-day management and monitoring of implementation of Result 1. In collaboration with the project team and partners, the Team Leader will support the application of evidence-based service delivery and social change strategies to reduce socio-cultural barriers to use of key services and practices for improved health. The Team Leader will work to strengthen community systems and linkages to MNCH/FP services through the following:
- Working with local partners to strengthen the membership and functioning of Health Center Committees (HCCs) to increase community collective action for improved MNCH/FP outcomes
- Strengthening the capacity of volunteers, including VHWs, to improve linkages with health facility providers and wider civil society
- Working with existing community based organizations, networks and groups to promote appropriate MNCH/FP health seeking behaviors, timely referrals to facility services, and strengthened delivery of community MNCH/FP information and services to adults and youth, including through self-sustaining community groups
- Increasing use of community level accountability mechanisms, including citizen scorecards and other community/facility approaches for client-centered feedback, measurement and improvement of health service delivery and satisfaction
- Engaging civil society organizations and faith-based organizations to advocate for quality priority MNCH/FP services, including youth inclusive services
This position will only be filled if the funding is awarded by the donor.
- Contribute technical leadership and expertise to the development of the project strategic plan, work plan, and project monitoring, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), USAID, and other partners and stakeholders
- Provide technical oversight and support for the implementation of community capacity and mobilization activities and supervise related technical advisers
- Create and strengthen partnerships with community groups and VHWs to promote self-sustaining and appropriately incentivized approaches to community-capacity strengthening
- Guide the integration of community systems strengthening activities with other key project activities, including key MNCH/FP services and demand generation initiatives
- Identify and support agencies/organizations implementing community-based activities
- Refine evidence-based training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials needed for implementation of community mobilization/engagement to meet the needs of USAID, the MOHCC, and the Government of Zimbabwe
- Coordinate assessments, site strengthening, follow-up and supervision, capacity-building and M&E across project sites as required by project activities
- Work with health care providers, local government, community members and project team members to identify and resolve community-based service delivery issues that impede service access and use
- Identify community systems strengthening training needs and assist in the design and implementation of measures to address those needs, including facilitating training of trainers in partnership with local, district and provincial counterparts
- Conduct regular reporting to the Deputy Chief of Party, and project and technical staff, of successes, challenges and lessons learned in implementation related to areas of technical expertise
- 7+ years experience with progressively increasing responsibility for designing, managing, implementing and monitoring complex community capacity strengthening and community/facility linkages and engagement programming in Zimbabwe involving multiple stakeholders and implementing partners
- Demonstrated hands-on experience in building community capacity for increased collective action for improved health outcomes
- Demonstrated supervisory experience of professional staff
- Experience training and mentoring VHWs and health workers to promote community/facility linkages and promotion of appropriate MNCH/FP health care seeking by adults and female and male youth
- Experience effectively liaising with MOHCC officials and dignitaries, executives of NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, the for-profit business community, and members of the donor community
- Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, particularly the public health system
- Strong oral and written communication and presentations skills in English
- Familiarity with USAID or other USG administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
- Proven track record managing small project teams, working as a team player, and fostering team work
- Zimbabwean nationals are encouraged to apply
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.