GSK Immunization Project Coordinator – Gode

Child Safeguarding:

Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Activity Overview

Immunization is one of the key life-saving interventions the government of Ethiopia has scaled up to address under-five mortality. There are noteworthy successes through EPI. Ethiopia has been certified as polio-free since 2017 and maternal and neonatal tetanus are eliminated. Coverage from successive Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey revealed a positive rise in the coverage of vaccine antigens. The magnitude and trends of vaccination inequalities in Ethiopia persist by equity markers despite steady improvement in overall coverage. The major variation in coverage is geographic where there is high variation in coverage among different regions in the country. According to the Ethiopian mini DHS 2019, there are over 1.2 million zero-dose and under-immunized children in Ethiopia.

For over two decades, Save the Children has been supporting immunization programs in Ethiopia to contribute to the reduction of child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Through the different projects that have been implemented over the years, Save the Children supported the expansion of access to immunization services, supported demand raising for immunization in the community, and has supported an enabling environment for equitable service delivery and improved financing for immunization. Currently, Save the Children is implementing a funded Immunization Program in Ethiopia that supports equitable and sustainable access to life-saving immunization and essential healthcare by focusing on zero-dose and under-immunized children for a new phase of the partnership with GSK. Save the Children partnered with GSK to create an innovative partnership to help reduce preventable deaths and illnesses in children under the age of five, from vaccine-preventable diseases by combining Save the Children’s vast experience in supporting children and mothers’ health in communities around the world with GSK’s research and expertise in partnership with Ministries of Health, local and academic partners. The program is expected to ensure equitable and sustainable access to life-saving immunization and essential healthcare, working together with local communities and partners and leveraging Save the Children’s and GSK’s joint expertise to reach zero-dose and under-immunized children. The GSK-funded immunization program is multi-country and will be implemented in Ethiopia and Nigeria. This post is for the Program in Ethiopia responsible for facilitating, coordinating and leading the implementation of the project along with the project plans and deliverables.

ROLE PURPOSE: The Immunization Project Coordinator is responsible for implementing the interventions and activities under the GSK Immunization Project. S/he will support interventions on strengthening the cold chain system, delivery of routine immunization service using different strategies, support quality of EPI documentation, and support the planning and implementation of immunization campaigns. The Immunization Project Coordinator will also be responsible for the timely coordination, preparation, facilitation, implementation, and evaluation of all training/capacity-building activities as specified in the project work plan. The Immunization Project Coordinator will work closely with the Woreda health office head and EPI focal persons in the respective GSK Immunization Project Implementation woredas. S/he will ensure efficiency and timely implementation of the immunization project interventions in the project implementation areas. S/he is responsible for the preparation and submission of regular project reports and case stories and meets deadlines for reporting and regular program updates. S/he will coordinate and facilitate advocacy activities, events, and dialogues to improve resource allocation for the immunization program, for improved commitment and prioritization and to ensure the delivery of equitable service throughout the project areas and the region.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Field Office Manager – Gode – FO

Staff directly reporting to this post: N/A

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Project Management

• In collaboration with the Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager, develop project detail work plan, budget forecast, and procurement plan for the project implementation woredas.
• Ensure procurements specified in the project documents are planned, requested, purchased, delivered distributed and reported in a timely manner
• Closely work with the Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager, Sr. Technical Specialists at CO, and SBC Coordinator to come up with culturally appropriate EPI messages to raise awareness of community members and influence their behavior positively on EPI.
• Provide monthly updates on project progress and flag any concerns promptly for Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager and FO Management
• Manage all activities, resources, and assets for the projects under supervision
• Identify critical issues in the implementation of projects and take the necessary actions to address problems and constraints
• Prepare periodic reports on the implementation of project activities as per the requirements of SCI, regional MOUs, and specific project donor
• Ensure that strategies for phasing out are taken care of during implementation, and project closeouts are properly planned and executed
• Closely work with RHB/Zonal and Woreda Health Offices for the smooth implementation of the project and to ensure project sustainability
• Support Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager for any project activity and budget revisions, support prepare justification for request of amendments in keeping with donor regulations and procedures, closely working with the relevant award and management team to ensure timely action.
• Ensure effective and efficient utilization of project budget and other resources for the intended purpose; follow up on budget utilization and project expenditure
• Prepare/Review and submit for Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager timely donor reports, including development/review and verification of both narrative and financial reports and confirmation of accuracy and consistency between narrative and financial reports.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical assistance and facilitate logistics support for Woreda health office and health facilities in the development of woreda level bottom-up immunization micro plans ensuring every eligible child is mapped, identified, and targeted for reach with different strategies
• Coordinate with government, and project partners working on EPI at different levels in the project area through organizing woreda-level EPI taskforce meetings, enduring documentation, and implementation of action points to improve leadership and governance of immunization program in the area.
• Support regular delivery of static, outreach, and mobile vaccination sessions in the implementation areas
• Organize, support/facilitate training for EPI Managers, HW, HEWs, CVs, and other community members, on immunization, and community mobilization
• Conduct mentorship and post-training follow-up visits and regularly assess the improvement in the capacity of HWs and HEWs
• Support community and facility-based surveillance and early response for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
• Support regular transportation of vaccines to all HFs and support proper handling of cold chain equipment. Facilitate maintenance of unfunctional vaccine refrigerators
• Provide technical and coordination support during national and sub-national immunization campaigns
• Support proper documentation of EPI activities through technical assistance and provision of recording and reporting formats (EPI and outreach monitoring charts, tally sheets, and refrigerator temperature monitoring sheets) and
• Ensure data quality through regular data validation and data triangulation and support the use of data for decision-making
• In collaboration with the SBC Coordinator, Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager, and GSK Project Senior Technical Specialists, build the capacity of community structures at the root level to support EPI activities in the implementation of woredas
• Facilitate, and conduct regular consecutive dialogue and consultative meetings to influence woreda and zonal government partners’ engagement in immunization programs and allocation of budget for immunization service delivery improvement, maintenance of CCE, capacity building of HW/HEWs, and for sustaining project interventions and gains
• Establish, support, and empower community influential members to hold government and vaccination service providers accountable for providing equitable and quality vaccination service
• Organize review meetings with the Woreda health office to review the activities of HWs/HEWs and CVs as well as for experience sharing and reflective learning
• Organize/conduct regular supportive supervision to review and support the EPI activities of the assigned woredas.
• Closely work with GSK Sr Technical Specialists to ensure quality implementation.
• Develop project briefs, which document the project learnings and results.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Quality Assurance

• Prepare, review, and submit weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual donor, government and internal SC reports and updates of the project promptly with acceptable quality to the Health, Nutrition, and WASH Program Manager including development/review and verification of both narrative and financial reports and confirmation of accuracy and consistency between narrative and financial reports.
• Support and coordinate during the planning and implementation of project-related assessments such as LQAS and baseline and end-line surveys and studies
• Document, organize, and share the proceedings and reports of all trainings/ capacity building workshops and project-related meetings with the project manager;
• In collaboration with the Immunization Strengthening Project Manager assist in the development of articles, case studies, or other written materials regarding best practices, lessons learned, etc.
• Document experiences and challenges encountered in the process of project implementation: capacity building, provision of technical support, and demand creation
• Conduct regular supportive and joint supportive supervision to project sites with respective government partners
• Plan and facilitate regularly scheduled reviews of projects with woreda health office heads/experts and HWs/HEWs, and community volunteers, community influential leaders in the implementation areas
• Facilitates visits for donors, members, and others as necessary
• Conduct any related task assigned by the supervisor

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), take responsibility for their personal development, and encourage others to do the same
• Widely shares their vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future-orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• BSc degree in public health, nursing, or related fields
• A minimum of 5 years experience in an NGO environment of which a minimum of 3 years of technical and managerial leadership focusing on child health and specifically immunization
• Training on Immunization in Practice (IIP), Immunization Cold chain users, and Immunization MLM training is required
• Solid understanding of the Ethiopian health policy and strategies, as well as the health sector transformation plan and the health extension platform
• Experience working with the Regional, Zonal, and Woreda Health Bureaus
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
• Experience in managing and shaping programs to deliver greater efficiency and effectiveness, and of strengthening the implementation of financial control processes
• Solid budgeting skills and knowledge of key donor regulations
• knowledge of the local language is required
• Commitment to Save the Children values