Technical Assistant to the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme At MENTOR Initiative

Position Title: Technical Assistant NTD

Country: Angola
Base: Luanda, with occasional travels to provinces
Duration: 1 year
Start Date: ASAP

Reporting to: Country Director

Background: The MENTOR Initiative is supporting the National Program for Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NPC NTD) from the Ministry of Health Angola (MoH), targeting neglected tropical diseases across the country. The program mostly focuses on mass drug administration campaigns but al integrates WASH activities and technical assistance to the NPC NTD.

The Technical Assistant (TA) will support the NPC NTD to plan and implement daily operations and ensure the annual plans are dully drafted and executed. The TA will be responsible to support key processes to support NTD control activities are in place. This includes ensuring all drug donation requests are filled and submitted on time, all MDA data is compiled and properly stored, all training materials are developed and shared according to international standards, etc.

The TA will report directly to the Country Director and will be based in Mentor office in Luanda with frequent presence in NPCNTDs.

Technical Assistance to NTD control:

• Establish and maintain strong and effective co-ordination and collaboration with Ministry of Health and other national partners for the strategic planning, delivery and monitoring of all programme activities;
• Analyse and address challenges, offering high level solutions to problematic situations or hindrance to programme progress
• Advocate for and communicate the five areas of the programme as necessary: Capacity building & coordination, health services support, supply chain and data reporting, MDAs and Information, Education and Communication (IEC),
• Work with the national NTD programme with a view to building their own capacity and improving their self-reliance, based on joint assessments of needs and priorities
• Provide technical support to MoH staff at the national and provincial level, to improve their skills in planning, management and monitoring related disease control programmes;
• Assist the national NTD programme specifically with developing their annual workplans and budgets, and drug donation requests
• Assist in the definition of national NTD program resource allocation and advocacy for internal resource mobilization of central and local government of Angola state budget for NTD control
• Ensure that programme data and information is regularly shared between and discussed with local and national stakeholders, including the Angolan MoH and all the MENTOR technical and provincial coordinators involved in the NTD programme
• Liaise and network with NTD stakeholders, such as other government departments (eg. Ministry of Education), UN-agencies (WHO, UNICEF, PAM…), NGOs, and other health partners
• Ensure stakeholder coordination meetings are held in Luanda at least quarterly and technical discussion meetings are regularly convened and technical guidance is issued by the NTD Program
• Collate relevant MENTOR Initiative NTD programme information and results, and communicate these to Luanda based national and international stakeholders, programme donors and MENTOR HQ
• Contribute to and assist with the quarterly reporting for the NTD programme and the production of informative bulletins of NTD program performance and activities
• Conduct related needs assessments and development of programme proposals as requested
• Technically support NTD program on the design and implementation of key assessment activities such as mappings, stock control activities, field investigations as necessary
• Encourage and support quarterly data review meetings at central level with NTD team to ensure continued monitoring and learning of program achievements and challenges
• Support the organization and implementation of technical and coordination meetings and trainings between NPC NTD and provincial officers to be held in Luanda
• Work with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, WHO, NGOs and other organizations at national and international level to support planning and implementation of the neglected tropical disease programme;
• Support MDA implementation when needed providing operational and technical support to MDA implementation when requested by the MENTOR Management team in country to act as NTD Coordinator to ensure smooth MDA implementation in requested provinces.

TA to MENTOR NTD Program

• Within the scope of the work in Luanda, work to advance towards all objectives in the agreed NTD programme performance framework
• Work with the national NTD programme and MENTOR coordinators to support the MoH in MDA implementation and health data collection, collation and analysis at all levels
• Work with MENTOR staff to support planning and implementation of the neglected tropical disease programme;
• Periodically visit the MENTOR provincial projects as required to assist them with technical support and workload (for example with trainings, monitoring, etc. when the MDAs are on, or supervisions with the MoH).

Training and Capacity Building Support

• Conduct a needs assessment of training needs related to NTD at central, provincial and municipal level, clearly detailing the needs of training manuals and curriculums;
• Work towards the development of key training materials and curriculums ensuring alignment of contents and approaches with international guidelines and local reality;
• Support training at different levels (Central, Provincial, District) ensuring quality of contents delivered and continuous monitoring of training results;
• Support the joint development of MDA guidance, SOP, supervision and drug management guidance and bench aids to ensure harmonization of processes across country
• Monitor central, provincial and district capacity to use MDA and supervision tools effectively and monitor information from MDA and supervision data collected in these activities.
• Assess training and capacity building need within MENTOR and NPC NTD staff on a regular basis and provide ad hoc support to overcome potential knowledge and capacity gaps.

Monitoring and Evaluation Support

• In close collaboration with M&E Coordinator, support the transition of data processes into DHIS2 platforms ensuring regular information provision and engagement of the NTD program at central and provincial levels
• Support the M&E teams to revise data and identify key gaps and mistakes in data reporting processes
• Routinely engage the NTD program in data review and validation processes supporting the production and visualization of dashboards and the elaboration of action plans according to data findings
• Routinely engage with M&E teams to support in data processes to streamline adjustments of forms and procedures that enable a smooth transfer of quality NTD data
• Support the design, pilot, validation and role out of data collection forms and data entry systems that enable quick and quality data processing and visualization.

Operational Research

• Assess research needs within NTD framework in Angola and specifically within MENTOR program implementation providing recommendations on potential knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.
• Develop, with NPCNTD, a research agenda that targets key questions defining research priorities and plans for research implementation
• Develop, in collaboration with NPC NTD and DNSP, research protocols that address key research needs.
• Support the implementation of operational research in collaboration with MENTOR, NPC NTD or other partner organizations involved
• Encourage the dissemination and use of operational research results for guiding program implementation and development of new tools and procedures

Representation

• Ensure effective technical representation of the programme to all Luanda based national partners, NGOs, UN agencies, donors, and other health partners and ensure that they receive regular feedback on the progress and results of the programme.
• Ensure the effective participation of MENTOR in relevant technical and operational planning and cordination forums related to the programme in Luanda;

Operational Support Services:

• Ensure that all relevant administrative and financial information requested by the Program Management / Finance and Logistics team is supplied as per the organisation’s monthly reporting time lines
• Ensure best financial practices are followed up according to MENTOR processes and guidelines
• Assist the National NTD Coordination team with management and administrative tasks relating to the NTD programme as mutually agreed with Country Director and HQ based Programme Manager, to be defined according to the ongoing in-country work planning.
• Maintain regular and quality reporting of activities performed detailing strategies to improve performance and activity implementation.

Other Services:

As mutually agreed with the MENTOR Country Director.

Job requirements:

– 5 years experience in similar position

– Familiar with NGO working environments and standard procedures

– Post graduate education (MSc, Phd) in a health-related subject, preferably Public Health or Epidemiology

– Experience and knowledge working with DHIS2

– Experience working in public health programs in African context

– Experience working in NTD programs is highly valued

– Previous experience working with Government of Angola public health agencies and programs is highly valued

– Fluency in English and Portuguese