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Senior Health Adviser-AusAID
Australian High Commission
Islamabad
Terms of Reference
About AusAID
AusAID advises the Government on international development policy and manages Australia’s overseas aid program. AusAID’s work contributes to a global commitment to achieve eight ‘Millennium Development Goals’. With a Head Office in Canberra, and strongly complemented by its country offices around the world, AusAID works in close partnership with Australian and foreign government officials, international and multilateral organisations (including the United Nations, World Bank and Asian Development Bank), the private sector, non-government and community organisations, and civil society.
About the AusAID Health Program
Australia’s development assistance in health is focused on strengthening health systems in order to deliver basic services in a sustainable way, especially to the most vulnerable population groups, addressing the priority needs of women and children, supporting country-specific work on health problems such as malaria, and ensuring that systems can reduce vulnerability to HIV and emerging infectious diseases.
In line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, AusAID is working with partner governments, multilateral agencies and other development partners to ensure that our assistance is aligned with country needs and priorities. AusAID also works closely with global health agencies at the international, regional and country program level.
AusAID has a major health program in Pakistan which has a strong focus on addressing the priority needs of women and children. Australia is making major investments to support improvements in maternal, neonatal and child health, assisting Pakistan’s progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5: reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. In accordance with AusAID’s Pakistan Health Engagement Strategy, Australia is supporting the Government of Pakistan’s Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) Program, via a delegated responsibility arrangement with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). The MNCH program aims, by 2011, to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to 200 per 100,000 live births (from 350-500) and the neonatal mortality rate to less than 40 per 1000 live births (from 54) in line with MDG 4 and 5 targets.
Job Description
The Health Adviser’s position will be located at the AusAID Office in Islamabad. The Adviser will work as part of a small team to provide effective high quality health policy and technical advice to the health sector components of the Pakistan program.
The successful applicant will be expected to:
o Provide high level strategic and technical advice to AusAID, partner development agencies and Federal and Provincial governments on health sector policy and programs in Pakistan.
o Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of the health system of Pakistan and advise on ways to increase the effectiveness of the health system and AusAID’s health program.
o Analyse key strategic issues relevant to the health sector, including global and regional health and development issues as they relate to Pakistan. Provide sound input to AusAID, the partner government and other development partners on these issues.
o Enhance aid effectiveness by supporting effective engagement with partner government agencies and other development partners, including key bilateral and multilateral institutions. This will include representing AusAID at the relevant fora and supporting donor coordination efforts in the health sector. It will also involve working towards an agreed ‘division of labour’ between DFID and AusAID in donor coordination efforts and in managing inputs to the national MNCH program and potential future programs.
o Contribute to the development and oversight of AusAID funded health initiatives in Pakistan including their program design, management, activity implementation and review processes, as well as corporate briefing and quality reporting responsibilities. This will include participating in the oversight and governance mechanisms for the AusAID-funded components of the national MNCH program.
o Build the knowledge and capacity of AusAID staff engaged in the health sector, including through mentoring, structured training and the development of a knowledge management strategy.
o Maintain strong links with the AusAID Health and HIV Thematic Group and build an in-depth understanding of AusAID health policy goals, and aid effectiveness and performance policies and mechanisms as appropriate to Pakistan’s context. Develop links with AusAID Health Advisers in the region, where appropriate.
o Understand gender analysis and its application in integrating gender considerations into health programs, particularly in the context of South Asia.
Eligibility/Other Requirements
Educational:
A postgraduate qualification in health administration, public health, international development or related area.
Occupational Experience:
Over five years experience in international development in the health sector, or other highly relevant health systems experience, is required for this position.
Selection Criteria
Important: The Selection Criteria are used to assess an applicant’s suitability for a position. Applicants must provide a short statement (maximum 800 words) addressing the combined selection criteria below. The statement should detail suitability to perform the duties of the position including personal qualities, experience, skills and knowledge relative to the selection criteria.
Essential
1. Sound knowledge of health and development, including an understanding of the main challenges for health systems and service improvement in Pakistan and the South Asia Region and the broad range of health development partners involved in this work.
2. Ability to provide effective, high quality policy and technical input to program design/management, program quality and performance assessment processes, as part of ongoing efforts to improve aid effectiveness.
3. Strong analytical skills, sound judgment and the capacity to think strategically, including the ability to produce high quality policy materials and advice for development implementation.
4. Relevant work experience in managing or guiding health system development in one or more developing countries.
5. Ability to develop effective means of securing support and technical advice for the design, implementation and monitoring of activities including Sector Wide and other programmatic approaches.
6. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to engage at a senior level, build and maintain networks, provide advice and communicate effectively (both in writing and verbally) on sensitive issues with a culturally and professionally diverse range of stakeholders.
7. The ability to work effectively as part of an organisation and a small team.
Desirable
Familiarity with women’s and children’s health programs, preferably in a developing country context.
Demonstrated understanding of gender analysis and ability to incorporate gender into health program design/management and assessment.
To apply, please send your updated Curriculum Vitae, and accompanying motivation letter, to
Shoaib Tayyab, Senior Program Manager shoaib.tayyab@dfat.gov.au by 17 October 2008
AusAID, Australian High Commission
Cnr Constitution Avenue and Ispahani Road
Diplomatic Enclave I
Islamabad, Pakistan