Chad: Senior Public Health Officer

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT

Current Situation

Direct supervision and guidance, as well as the overall supervision is received from the Assistant Representative (Operations). Close functional linkages and technical guidance will be established with the Senior Regional Public Health Officer and the Snr. Regional HIV Officer.
In order to ensure wider reach out to the refugee and ensure their close involvement in the delivery and management of health services, the incumbent will need to establish an appropriate consultative and monitoring framework which would draw the experience and expertise of a wide range of actors both internally and externally.
The incumbent of the position will oversee and supervise the Public Health programmes in all refugee camps in Chad, as well as in urban areas (N'Djamena), and provide strong technical guidance to partners, monitor and evaluate the programme and ensure and lead monthly health coordination meetings. The incumbent will demonstrate strong representational, networking and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders such as the Government counterparts (MOH, PNLS, PNLM, CNARR, etc.), UN Agencies and Embassies.

Desirable Attributes

Training and capacity building of implementing and governmental partners; Consensus teambuilding and cultural sensitivity needed as the team is diverse; On-the-job coaching and mentoring of national staff; Multi-agency co-ordination.
Experience, advance training, balance and combined knowledge in different subjects: e.g. public health, reproductive health
Experience in UNHCR Field Operations (Emergencies)

Working and Living Conditions

The operational circumstances have been such that each year the UNHCR Chad operation has been required to respond to emergencies or influxes of refugees arriving from Sudan, Central African Republic and Nigeria sometimes receiving influxes simultaneously from two different countries. As such the resource capacity in Branch Office N¿Djamena becomes overstretched in what appears to be a continuous response to emergencies whilst continuing its regular work with urban refugees and coordination work for the Chad operation.
The incumbent may be required to travel on mission to field locations classified as E hardship. Field locations are isolated with very little local infrastructure. Climatic conditions are harsh, and despite fumigation some reptiles and insects exist. Medical facilities in the field are limited; therefore staff assigned must be in good health.
N'Djamena is a non-family category D duty station with limited health and educational facilities available locally. Malaria and Typhoid are common illnesses and preventative measures should be taken. The climate is hot, dry and dusty. There is a Western Union and several banks with ATMs. There are a small number of stores, restaurants, bars and pools which expatriates frequent for leisure and recreation. There is an international airport with daily flights out of Chad. ¨

Security Considerations

N’Djamena is a category D non-family duty station with Level 2 security and there have been recent Boko Haram suicide bomb attacks. For safety reasons UN staff are advised to avoid congregating in groups of expatriates and frequenting restaurants, night clubs and pools used by expatriates.

Additional Factors

Strong representational, networking and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders such as the Government counterparts (MOH, PNLS, PNLM, CNARR, etc.), UN Agencies and Embassies.
Excellent knowledge of French (written / oral / comprehension) is essential. Working knowledge of another UN language (preferably English) is desirable.

JOB DESCRIPTION

DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This incumbent is responsible for the public health and nutrition programmes in Chad. The Senior Public Health Officer is a member of the senior management team in his/her duty station and region, will coordinate and provide technical support to a network of country-level Public Health and HIV focal points as well as Protection and Programme Officers based in the offices in the country. The Senior Public Health Officer plays a major role among the senior management team supporting all issues related to Public Health, HIV and Reproductive Health, Nutrition, including Protection issues, Programme issues as well as community services, gender and age, education and sexual and gender based violence. The incumbent will need to travel within the country on a minimum of a monthly basis to ensure monitoring and support to the field operations.
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

• There is a viable standard Health Information System in place for data collection, analysis and interpretation to serve as evidence base for planning and interventions.
• Nutritional survey and other assessments for food and nutrition are adequately conducted and implemented.
• Technical support missions are conducted on regular basis in the country.
• Immediate respond is provided to refugee emergencies.
• UNHCR is an active memver of UNAIDS as a cosponsor and respond to HIV needs.
  Responsibility

Coordination and Strategy:

• Work in a multi-sectoral and co-ordinated approach in co-operation with governments, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners.
• Coordinate HIV activities in line with UNHCR's role as UNAIDS co-sponsor and ensure that decisions are implemented as agreed upon.
• Work closely with UNHCR programme, field and protection staff to identify priority health issues and key data requirements for programme planning and monitoring to ensure that minimum UNHCR and international standards are being met.
• Emphasise local integration and livelihoods approach for the Chad operation, working within existing and emerging mechanisms.
• Update and disseminate standard practices on public health, nutrition, HIV and reproductive health among partners.
• Support the prioritization of the Primary Health Care strategy focusing on preventive and basic curative health, including mental health, reproductive health, HIV and nutritional components.
• Support in the programming exercise in developing sub-agreements, monitoring of the health partners and draw proposals and budgets related to public health, HIV, RH and nutrition.
  Technical Assistance:
• Provide technical assistance in development, integration and mainstreaming of appropriate and cost-effective public health, reproductive health and HIV prevention, treatment and care, and monitoring and evaluation programmes for refugees, including local integration and where applicable for returning refugees.
• Prioritise HIV prevention and education activities, including provision of voluntary testing and counselling and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, as well as behavioural surveillance surveys and HIV sentinel surveillance.
• Emphasise prevention and treatment of diseases with heaviest burden and promotion of comprehensive reproductive health programmes
• Provide technical assistance and support to urban programmes, as well as health insurance/mutuelle in the country
  Monitoring and Evaluation:
• Ensure implementation of UNHCR health information systems and support analysis of public health data.
• Support the implementation and analysis of nutritional surveys.
• Actively involved in all aspects of programme monitoring and evaluation with a main emphasis on checking levels of implementation and impact vis-à-vis resource inputs to measure cost-effectiveness and re-orient the programme as appropriate.
  Capacity Building:
• Ensure the capacity of UNHCR staff and its implementing partners to address public health, nutrition, reproductive health and HIV programming in a co-ordinated, multi-sectoral way by:
  i. Supporting the development of a training plan, organising and acting as resource person in workshops and training both in-service (formal) and on the job (coaching).
  ii. Sharing with local and international partners on the ground relevant guidelines and information materials on refugee HIV, reproductive health, general health and nutrition.
  iii. Supporting country-level health focal points to promote the establishment of Refugee Committees to enable their active participation in the process of health planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  Advocacy:
• Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for access to refugees, returnees and other persons of concern to local public health, reproductive health (RH) and HIV/AIDS services and lobby for inclusion of refugees, returnees and other persons of concern as a specific group in government policies related to health, RH and HIV/AIDS.
• Promote information sharing on all aspects related to HIV and persons of concern to UNHCR and the UNHCR role in the UNAIDS division of labour.
• Ensure regular update and share information within UNHCR as well as with relevant government, UN and NGO counterparts and donor communities in the host country on the health status and needs of the refugees.
  Authority
• Provide guidance and make recommendations on the overall strategy and focus of Public Health programmes.
• Represent UNHCR in Health Coordination meetings.
  ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
• A Clinical background (nurse or MD) with postgraduate training in Public Health or Social Science.
• Minimum 10 years of previous job experience relevant to the function and in national/multinational organizations.
• Knowledge of public health, nutrition and HIV in humanitarian emergencies.
• Very good communication and computer skills.
• Excellent knowledge of French and English.
  ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.
• A Clinical background (nurse or MD) with postgraduate training in Public Health or Social Science.
• Minimum 10 years of previous job experience relevant to the function and in national/multinational organizations.
• Knowledge of public health, nutrition and HIV in humanitarian emergencies.
• Very good communication and computer skills.
• Excellent knowledge of French and English.

Please apply through the UNHCR website at http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c491.html under "Employment" then "Current Vacancies"