Regional Officer

Program   Background:   The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) associated with former President William J. Clinton’s Foundation is currently operating in Ethiopia carrying out a wide range of programs to support the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia in improving the health status of the country by ensuring access and quality of health services. CHAI is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without assistance. 

CHAI is committed to increasing our effectiveness through an innovative programming approach that optimizes quality, impact, and scale since 2005 in Ethiopia. CHAI Ethiopia is currently working in the following programs: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH), HIV Access, Lab Services, Vaccines, Child Survival/Essential Medicine program, and Health Financing. The RMNCH program is positioned to address the challenges in priority service delivery areas of RMNH through innovative, high-impact, scalable interventions in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia.   As such, the ultimate aim of the program is thus to design and test best practices and innovations on RMNH that can be scaled up to achieve national targets. We are committed to increasing our effectiveness through an innovative programming approach that optimizes quality, impact, and scale. 

Ethiopia is among the nations with the highest maternal, under-five mortality, and stillbirth rates.  The latest available estimates show that there are 267 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, 29 Neonatal and 68 under-five mortalities per 1000 live births annually. There have been significant improvements in access to abortion and Post Abortion Care (PAC) in Ethiopia, and more than half (60%) of abortions took place in health facilities. However, the remaining 40% of abortions still took place outside of health facilities. In 2021, the majority of women seeking care for both induced abortions and miscarriages had complications severe enough to warrant hospitalization, and most safe abortion services are provided in the private sector suggesting that service availability in the public sector may still be limited. Expanding medical abortion services can reduce the burden of surgical care and associated cost to the health system and help to increase access to safe abortion services at lower levels of care, closer to where most populations reside. Moreover, to bridge the low coverage and access of abortion services in Ethiopia and to maximize the benefits for women. Halting the problems associated with unsafe abortion requires a multifaceted effort from all health and development actors. CHAI Ethiopia is one of the prominent organizations in Ethiopia aspiring to see no more unsafe abortions in Ethiopia through the improvement of safe abortion services that are facing various problems to reach needy women. Expanding medical abortion services can reduce the burden of surgical care and associated cost to the health system and help to increase access to safe abortion services at lower levels of care. 

CHAI seeks applications from experienced experts to serve as regional officer for MA combi-pack catalytic opportunity fund project. The project will be implemented in collaboration with MOH and RHB and aims to provide technical assistance and capacity building to public health facilities in Southern & Central Ethiopia Regions to increase access to quality comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services. Qualified women applicants are highly encouraged to apply. Applications will be considered on a first come-first served bases.

JOB SUMMARY:   The Regional officer will work towards ensuring the effective introduction and implementation of CAC services focusing on MA comb-pack in the selected health facilities in close collaboration with  Regional   Health   Bureaus, Zonal   Health Departments, Woreda   Health Offices, and selected health facilities.  The Regional CAC officer will be positioned at the respective regional bureaus, under the maternal and child health case team, and provides technical and programmatic support to the regional health bureau, and MCH case team in areas of safe abortion and post-abortion care services. More specifically, the officer provides technical assistance, including clinical expertise to the MCH case team leader and other relevant teams in the region as it relates to CAC and post-abortion family planning (PAFP) services. S/He will provide training and mentoring/coaching to maternal health experts and service providers.

REPORTS TO:  RMNH Senior Program Manager

Duration: Nine (09) months and with possible extension. 

Required Number of Positions: Two (02) 

Duty station: Jinka for Southern Ethiopia Region and Worabe for Central Ethiopia region with frequent travel to health facilities.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Specific functions of the regional officer are:

1. Support Coordination and Partnership

• Provide overall guidance and leadership for the day-to-day implementation of the activities related to CAC services focusing on MA combi-pack. 

• Together with the RMNH program team, facilitate, and lead the implementation of CAC activities in the assigned region.

• In collaboration with the RMNH coordinator and M&E analyst prepare health facility-specific operational plans (weekly, monthly, and quarterly) to guide the implementation of the project.

• Ensure that all project interventions are executed in an efficient, effective, and timely manner.

• Constantly communicate and maintain relationships with the Regional Health Bureaus, Zonal Health Departments, and Woreda Health Offices as well as with the individual        Health facilities Administrators in relation to the project.

• Coordinates and actively participates in regular maternal health/SRH technical working groups, joint supervision, and other relevant regional-level-led activities.

• Collaborate with and closely work with partners supporting the regional health bureau and provide relevant input on CAC/SAC and PAFP that help to increase the performance of the region. 

• Support and work with the   EPSS regional hubs, RHBs, ZHDs, and woreda health offices to make sure all the project commodities (MA combi-packs) reach the health facilities timely.

•  Conduct ongoing assessment of the gaps in SCM (Focusing on the MA-Combi-pack) at the regional and facility level and identify areas of intervention for the project.

• Develop a budget proposal based on CHAI finance law and submit it to the program manager for review and approval

• Manage the approved budget for specific activities and reconcile with the finance team on time 

• Coordinate with RHBs, woreda health office to ensure the implementation of EMOTIVE for the management of PPH.

1. Support the Implementation of Planned Activities of comprehensive abortion care services

• Provides technical expertise/guidance and support to the regional maternal and child health case team in the implementation of national abortion care guidelines, and standards and ensuring quality of services.

• Ensure alignment of some relevant documents related to CAC/SAC and PAFP with the context of each respective region.

• Provide technical advice and oversight on clinical standards and practices of SAC/CAC, including infection prevention, to be in accordance with the national standards, guidelines, and protocols.

• Support in service integration of CAC/SAC and PAFP with other services, such as FP, HIV Counseling and testing, management of sexually transmitted diseases, and other related services, including adolescent and youth services.

• Provide substantive technical advice on SAC to high-level regional leadership and stakeholders. This may include preparation of periodic reports or inputs into reports, attending meetings, preparing summary reports on meetings, and others as necessary.

• Provide technical support to selected hospitals and HCs on the implementation of EMOTIVE for the management of PPH, and ensure its proper implementation.

1. Capacity Building

• Identifying skill gaps and training needs of the team and creating capacity within the regional health bureau and at all levels of the health service delivery system in the public sector.

• Build the technical and program management capacity of the regional health bureau to provide effective technical leadership in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of CAC services.

• Provides technical support to enhance technical capacity on training, mentoring, and supportive supervision to experts and health service providers on CAC/SAC and PAFP), including infection prevention, pain management, post-abortion contraceptives, quality of care (QOC), and other SRH areas.

• Serve as a lead trainer and provide quality technical assistance/training related to CAC/SAC and PAFP and quality improvement, training follow-up, and coaching activities to enhance competency and performance as required

• Assist the maternal and child health case team at the regional health bureau in the development of tools and guides for supportive supervision and reviewing of the CAC/SAC and PAFP program.

• Provide technical support and inputs to prepare periodic reports and interpret results focusing on geographic and other equity dimensions and disseminates results focusing on CAC/SAC and PAFP services.

• Provide technical support to Health facilities to ensure availability of all EMOTIVE bundle drugs and supplies for the management of PPH

1. Support Planning, Monitoring, and Use of Data for Decision

• Lead and coordinate data collection and submit compiled data according to reporting timeline.

• Works with the Knowledge management, monitoring, and evaluation team in tracking regional CAC/SAC and PAFP performance data/indicators and facilitating information use for action.

• Support the RHB staff to gather evidence of the CAC/SAC and PAFP program impact and document lessons learned.

• Provides technical guidance and support to identify, document, and disseminate evidence-based best practices in relation to CAC/SAC and PAFP.

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports and share them with the program manager in a timely manner.

• Frequently travel to various, Hospitals, and Health Centers for supportive supervision purposes.

• Regularly and frequently communicate with the facilities team using all communication outlets.

5)  Other Activities

• Carries out other duties as appropriate and as assigned by immediate supervisors

Education, experience, and certification:     

• MD degree in Medicine or master’s in health sciences with relevant experience in maternal health with high-level relevant training and expertise on SAC/CAC.

• At least 5 years’ experience in clinical service delivery, mentoring, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of maternal health, preferably CAC/SAC and PAFP, other SRH programs and PPH management in Ethiopia.

• Demonstrated experience in improving access to a range of FP options including LARC (Implants and IUCDs), and permanent methods of FP and post-abortion FP services.  

• Proven experience in preparing concise reports, documenting best lessons, and sharing experiences.

• Experience in providing technical assistance for RHBs or similar entities is advantageous.   

Knowledge, skills, and abilities: 

• In-depth knowledge of the national technical and Procedural Guidelines for Safe Abortion Services in Ethiopia.

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the regional health bureau structure and health service delivery system of the country.

• Proven experience in quality assurance process, training, training follow-up, mentoring/coaching of trainers and service providers of maternal health, CAC/SAC, PAFP, and other SRH-related services.

• Ability to interact with experts and collaborators across multiple disciplines, program areas, cultures, and mentor teams with excellent interpersonal skills.

• Proven capacity to oversee the development/implementation of work plans, monitoring, and evaluation activities, and reports.

• Proven skills in report writing, publication, and communication (in English) of articles on maternal health, safe abortion services, and other related themes. 

• Computer literate, with knowledge of Windows applications, including Excel spreadsheets.

• Demonstrable experience in working effectively to safeguard children and vulnerable populations.

• Demonstrate strong verbal and communication skills and Knowledge   of other local languages will have an advantage based on the area of assignment
• Must be self-motivated and independently   deliver expected tasks as well as the ability to work as a team
•  Strong analytical skills and technical proficiency  with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, is essential

 Strong report-writing skills in English

How To Apply

CHAI-EthiopiaHR@clintonhealthaccess.org and/ Or www.ethiojobs.net