Health Officer

Job Description

Lelep Health Project (2022-2023)

Action for Nepal is a high performing, community-centric organization building healthy, educated communities in Nepal through effective projects, sound strategies, efficient processes, and successful partnerships.

Action for Nepal is committed to respecting, protecting, and promoting internationally recognized human rights including civil and political, economic, social, and cultural rights, with particular emphasis on gender equality, the protection of children, people with disabilities and the rights of minorities, vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Purpose of the role

The Health Officer (HO) will work closely with health posts, health mothers’ groups, Health Facility Operation Management Committees (HFOMCs), FCHVs and rural municipality health authorities to deliver efficient health care, particularly maternal child health and sexual and reproductive health services. The position holder will work in a team led by the  Program Director and assist in planning, implementing and monitoring the health project activities. 

The HO is primarily responsible for facilitating and implementing the health activities to improve the service delivery of the   health facility, increase community satisfaction of health services, contribute to strengthen HFOMC and support the FCHVs to conduct awareness sessions in the community effectively.  The HO will coordinate with ward level health stakeholders so that they can advocate for increased government resources in the health sector.

The HO reports to the PC while implementing health activities and will receive from them technical guidance and support as required. 

The HO will also work closely with the Finance & HR Manager of AF Nepal while preparing financial reports, project expenses settlement/liquidation and quarterly budget forecast plans. 

Key Responsibilities

A.  Project implementation and monitoring

The HO will work with a range of stakeholders as noted below:

RM representatives

1.  Work closely with the RM health authorities to develop the Rural Municipality Health Sector Plan and to improve management and planning capacity of the Health Coordinator- local health unit representative and the  health representatives of the RM.

2.  Improve ability of RM to rebuild/renovate health facilities in line with DRR standards

HFOMC

3.  Contribute to improving governance and management capacity of the Health Facility Operation Management Committees, including by conducting capacity assessments, development of capacity strengthening plans, organisation of training, regular monitoring and review (HFOMC meetings frequency, composition and attendance, health facility and staff management) . 

4.  Monitoring HFOMC activities and hold at least six monthly meetings with HFOMC of the wards to monitor action plan implementation and resourcing, skills uptake, HFOMC meetings and composition, participation of HFOMC members, conduct in depth interview with the female members of the HFOMC and to review health facility attendance records and staff performance.

Health Facilities and Staff

5.  Ensure availability of essential equipment, medicines, and medical supplies as per government's Minimum Service Standard in the health facility of the ward in Phaktanglung RM, with a focus on maternal, child, sexual and reproductive health and conduct quarterly stock management in coordination with the Health Post In charge.

6.  Assess and monitor staffing gaps, knowledge, skills, motivation and attendance of current staff, and capacity development/ training needs based on MSS in the health facility of the ward with a focus on MCH and SRH.

7.  Review and support the trained staff to implement knowledge and skills from training in the health facility.

8.  Monitor access to health services in the ward and collect relevant data.

FCHV

9.  Support capacity strengthening of FCHVs to raise awareness, provide regular services and refer women regarding MCH and SRH and review capacity development needs annually.

10.  Conduct quarterly monitoring of FCHV activities, including to assess attendance of mothers in meetings, engagement of new mothers, mothers with disabilities, mothers-in-laws and male members of the family. 

Community

11.  Conduct meeting to mobilise community (including FCHVs, ward chair, representatives of health mothers’ groups, other stakeholders), with input from PC and health facility staff, to lobby HFOMCs for their health needs and for adequate funding for health facilities, including presentation of a list of needs with justifications.

12.  Support the PFM and other team members to conduct baseline survey, organize project start up workshop, share project expected outcomes and available project budget to the local stakeholders like RM and District Health Office.   

Project Team:

1. Provide support to conduct baseline review and final evaluation of the project.
2. Conduct regular monitoring, collect information from the field (including stories of change, lessons learned), effectively record documentation of the relevant reference materials and support the preparation of timely reports to consortium members.
3. Provide regular and timely updates of the field activities to project team members as required.

B.  Documentation, Monitoring and Evaluation

Formally review capacity development needs of FCHVs in selected wards annually

C.  Coordination, Collaboration and Representation

1. Coordinate with Health Program Coordinator of Rural Municipality, Ward Chair and HFOMC in order to receive their advice and increase their ownership to implement health related activities and to provide necessary updates of improving quality health services contributed by the project.
2. Participate in HFOMC meetings
3. Attend community level meetings such as FCHVs and HMG.
4. Establish effective communication, linkage and networking with different health stakeholders (District Health Office, Rural Municipality, Health coordinator, HFOMCs, Health facilities, FCHVs, HMG members), other NGOs and local government. 
5. Build positive relationships with all the stakeholders in the district and community.
6. Ensure that all project partners and stakeholders are kept regularly informed about the progress of the project activities.
7. Ensure effective coordination with primary stakeholders of the project (ensuring individuals from vulnerable groups are included), involve them in project monitoring and review and promote their views.
8. Develop an effective working relationship with project field team members.

D.  Safeguarding and risk management

1. Contribute to assessing, mitigating and reporting on risks, including risks of child abuse and exploitation and sexual abuse and exploitation, in the project area;
2. Support the development and implementation of effective incident reporting mechanisms both within the health centres and in the community.
3. Ensure immediate reporting to AF Nepal of any incident of abuse and exploitation.
4. Follow directives of AF Nepal for follow up required regarding incidents, including reporting to concerned authorities;
5. Ensure safety of survivor, confidentiality and survivor centred approach. 
6. Contribute to raise awareness and practice of Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion, Child Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment with all health stakeholders.

Required Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in public health (preferable)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education 

Relevant Experience / Requirement

Work Experience

• At least 2 years’ experience in working in health community development projects
• Strong experience in working with local government authorities and community level health institutions – community basic health centres, health posts, HFOMC, HMG, FCHV  
• Proven experience of conducting community level health sector planning    

Skills and knowledge

• Good understanding of Nepal government health policies and strategies   
• Skills in training need assessment, providing mentoring support to health workers, FCHVs and HFOMCs in particular
• Sound understanding of monitoring processes
• Proficiency in Microsoft office and google environment  
• Ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders and to communicate in English and Nepali 
• Knowledge of gender, disability and social inclusion in health 

Salary and Benefits

Npr. 36,900 gross/month

All interested individuals who meet the minimum qualifications are encouraged to apply for this position. Completed application letter alongside with your resume (CV) should be sent by email to actionfnepal@gmail.com by 5 pm, 23 September 2022.

Candidates from the project location will be given preference. We encourage to apply the people with disabilities as well.