ThinkWell
The USAID Family Health and Nutrition (FHN) project supports capacity strengthening efforts for the Zambian public health system to sustainably deliver reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) services through improved service-delivery capacity, strengthened health management and financial systems, and improved engagement of communities. The FHN Activity is being implemented by a Jhpiego led consortium in which ThinkWell contributes technical expertise in the areas of health financing, governance, and public financial management. The Health Finance & Governance Officer within FHN provide technical assistance and analytical guidance to the Ministry of Health and the districts, health facilities, and communities in four focus provinces in Zambia. With a current understanding of health financing and system reforms, the Health Finance & Governance Officer will contribute to efforts by the provincial and district managers of Zambia’s public health system to build health financing and public financial management capacity into the annual planning process that improves the delivery of RMNCAH&N services.
Proficiency in the use and application of NAV 2018 is essential.
Responsibilities:
- Working in close collaboration with MOH counterparts, the Health Finance & Governance Officer will serve as part of a multi-disciplinary FHN technical assistance team to provide evidence-based timely inputs to coordinated efforts to improve the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) annual planning process to support improvements in RMNCAH&N services
- Ensure that FHN support to MOH efforts at the provincial and district levels to synthesize available evidence, performance data, and community feedback to identify priorities and generate annual plans is thorough and timely and feeds into MOH and FHN efforts at the national level to consolidate and launch the MTEF.
- In consultation with provincial and district health system managers, encourage and mentor consultations with facility in-charges, community leaders, and implementing partners when drafting plans
- Through facilitated efforts in concert with relevant MOH counterparts and relevant members of the FHN TA team, support bottleneck analysis efforts to inform prioritization and targeting setting including the prioritized activities of results-based financing mechanisms
- Mentor and support District Health Officers (DHO) to defend budgets effectively to the District Development Coordinating Committee
- Support DHOs to disseminate finalized annual plans through comprehensive and detailed plan of action that includes both GRZ and Sida-funded activities as a single costed annual plan
- Work independently, the Health Financing & Governance Officers will provide support to DHOs to lead effective implementation of the annual plan for improved RMNCAH&N results
- Provide technical assistance to improve NAV[1] user support that is based on surveys of user experiences that inform revisions of the on-the-job NAV user and health desk support
- Mentor planners at the provincial and district levels on public financial management and build their skills in using NAV functions related to planning and expenditures analysis to inform annual budgeting
- To reduce budget related implementation delays, provide support through application of standardized change control measures and approval processes developed with the support of the FHN Activity at the national level that will build flexibility at the district and provincial levels in their use of the MTEF.
- Provide direct inputs to FHN Activity development of deliverables including the annual workplan, the Annual Planning Cycle (MTEF) report, the Sustainability Framework, annual progress reports, and the final activity report.
- Provide support and inputs to other technical and administrative tasks as assigned by supervisor
We Are:
ThinkWell core values are our fundamental organizational guiding principles. They define our corporate culture, influence our behavior at work and help us achieve our mission. Our values are:
Think big
Influence the conversation
Empower others
Be exceptional
Always question
Relate authentically
Evolve by learning
You Are:
ThinkWell core competencies are foundational skills and behaviors that align with our values and are expected of all employees.
An entrepreneurial, results-oriented ‘do-er’ with a willingness to take risk, think big and challenge conventional wisdom.
A change maker who reaches independent judgement with an open mind, influences the conversation, and seeks innovation.
Able to help create an empowering environment in which everyone feels free to take initiative, be accountable and fail intelligently (learn from mistakes).
A collaborative colleague who engages constructively with people from different cultures, orientations, and perspectives and maintains positive relations in a virtual world.
Principally motivated by a growth mindset, meaning the pursuit of knowledge, experience, and self-improvement. You always question and continuously learn.
Authentic, honest, direct, self-aware and open to giving and receiving feedback.
Requirements
- BA/BS and 8+ years of experience or graduate degree and 6+ years of experience;
- Proficiency in the use and application of NAV 2018 is required;
- Substantive, relevant work experience in health systems with a development agency, NGO or government. Adept at communicating technical information to non-technical audiences;
- Previous experience and proven track record in providing technical advice to counties in strategic and operational planning, public financial management in the health sector;
- A strong understanding of the current Public Financial Management Landscape or health economics in Zambia specifically at a county level;
- Demonstrated experience delivering institutional strengthening assistance to counties in public financial management;
- Demonstrated experience designing and utilizing PFM training materials or manuals;
- Demonstrated interest and ability in growing staff, mentoring and coaching junior professionals;
- Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with external strategic partners, donors, and stakeholders;
- Outstanding cross-cultural communication skills, including the ability to relate respectfully with staff at all levels, ages, genders, nationalities and orientations as well as across work areas;
- Ability to be based in the Southern province and willingness to travel up to 25%