Botswana Sub Regional Coordinator – East and Southern Africa At UNOPS

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The RBM Partnership is a global health initiative created to implement coordinated action against malaria. It mobilizes for action and resources and forges consensus among partners. RBM works mainly through Partner Committees (PCs) which formalize, consolidate and amplify the Partnership priorities of advocacy, resource mobilization, and country/regional support. Each Partner Committee is supported by a Partner Committee Manager employed by the RBM Management Team.

The Country/Regional Support Partner Committee (CRSPC) provides a platform to engage the RBM Partnership community in coordinating support to countries and regions as they execute their malaria control and elimination implementation programmes. Support is tailored to suit the requirements and existing capacity in each country and region.

The Sub Regional Coordinator – East and Southern Africa will support the sub-regional approach to ensure that collaboration by stakeholders is effective at the sub-regional level. This approach will be operationalized with sub-regional support to Eastern and Southern Africa, in close collaboration with existing structures and partners. The East and Southern Africa sub-regional unit will consist of a Sub-Regional Coordinator and an Officer working under the auspices of the CRSPC, to coordinate and facilitate communications and support between national malaria control programmes (NMCPs) and partners within the sub-region.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Regional and Country Support Manager at the RBM Secretariat, the Sub-Regional Network Coordinator for East and Southern Africa will coordinate and facilitate support to malaria endemic countries to implement the approved CRSPC work plan including to:

Coordination:

Convene, coordinate and facilitate NMCPs and partners to create a vibrant network at sub/regional level, working with core regional partners including through Regional Economic blocks;
Support countries on sub-regional and country level to improve access to, absorption and effective use of funds;
Collaborate with WHO country and regional offices to facilitate countries to develop, review and/or align Malaria Strategic Plans, update gap analysis, Malaria Information Systems, program reviews, strategies, develop Business Plans;
Facilitate the CRSPC technical assistance support to countries for resource mobilization activities including the developing of Global Fund funding request proposals;
Convene various small and large scale meetings on sub regional level
Undertake joint missions as necessary with regional partners such as the Global Fund Fund-Portfolio Managers, the President’s Malaria Initiative with the Malaria Operational Plans and in-country partners to identify and resolve implementation challenges;
Facilitate the operationalising of an early warning system which is an integral part of the CRSPC work plan to identifies bottlenecks, and implement a rapid response mechanism to support countries to overcome implementation bottlenecks including enhancing absorptive capacity, addressing emergencies accelerate programme implementation, and;
Other supporting functions as appropriate and agreed with the RBM Secretariat.

Strategic Engagement with Sub-Regional Stakeholders:

Strategically explore opportunities for the RBM Partnership leadership team to engage with key stakeholders at the highest levels within the sub-region countries.
Foster diplomatic relationships and partnerships with government officials, international organizations, and other relevant bodies to advance malaria control initiatives.
Exercise strong leadership and diplomatic skills to ensure bottlenecks, challenges, and the needs of National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) managers are effectively addressed and resolved.
Collaborate with NMCP managers to identify and implement strategic solutions, demonstrating diplomacy and leadership in overcoming obstacles.
Continuously monitor and identify opportunities at the country level to strengthen malaria control efforts.
Utilize diplomatic channels to establish connections with local authorities, healthcare providers, and community leaders, fostering a collaborative approach to malaria elimination.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) preferably in Public Health, Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Public Administration, Business Administration or related fields.
A Bachelor degree with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be acceptable in lieu of the advanced degree.

Work Experience

Minimum 7 years of experience in coordination and management within the public health sector is required
Experience of working with International Coordination focusing on Malaria is desirable
Knowledge of malaria control and or other public health programmes in the East and Southern Africa region is desirable

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