Emergency Health Coordinator – Somali Region, Ethiopia (Merlin)

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Position: Project Health Coordinator (PHC)
Responsible to: Project Coordinator (PC)
Technical Line Management: Country Health Director (CHD)
Location: Bale, Ethiopia
Start date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 9 months
Salary: £24,600 - £25,350 per annum (dependant on relevant experience)
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, and annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date
Please note this is an unaccompanied position.

Merlin International Profile
Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.

Context and Background
After years of civil war and the subsequent border war with Eritrea, Ethiopia remains one of Africa's poorest states, with a very low income per capita and a population that is almost twothirds illiterate. The agricultural sector has suffered from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. The devastating drought in 2003 led to widespread malnutrition and diarrhoeal disease, and resulted in more than 13 million people becoming dependent on international
agencies for food. Nearly half the population of Ethiopia is without access to healthcare.
Since March 2003 Merlin has been working in Ethiopia. At that time operations were started in Oromiya Region, one of the areas worst affected by a prolonged drought. Merlin’s programs focus mainly on the provision of primary healthcare services through mobile and static clinics but include also community-based water and sanitation programs. Currently MERLIN is maintaining two interventions in the country. MERLIN’s health programs in Ethiopia are implemented in coordination with the respective Regional Health Bureaus (MoH) and nongovernmental partners.

In January 2005 Merlin started an Emergency health care support project in Bale Zone, located in Oromiya Region, which is one of the poorer regions in Ethiopia and has an approximate population of more than 25 million.
Since that time Merlin continued to provide basic curative services, support the public health system and to work on improvements of the difficult water, sanitation and hygiene situation for the population.

Our current emergency nutrition intervention in Bale Zone / Oromiya Region has secured funding until January 2011. The project covers currently nutrition support to more than 50 MoH health posts through the provision of drugs, basic equipment and capacity building of health workers in the five districts (woredas) of Ginnir, Rayitu, Sawena, Gololcha and Legehida. Merlin also currently operates a PHC programmes that it hopes to secure funding for at least another year it is subject to a successful fund application to a number of the donors (e.g. European Commission). The Project Coordinator will be based in Ginnir town.

Main purpose of the role
The Project Health Coordinator will be responsible for leading the effective implementation of quality health programming, grounded in best practice in response to acute and longer-term health needs in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, the PHC will be technically supported by the CHD located in the capital base.
The PHC will report directly to the PC and will be technically accountable to the CHD.

Overall Objectives (scope)
• Provision of quality primary and emergency health services through both static and outreach mobile clinic services
• Improving basic preventive health care at community level
• Strengthening of linkages and coordination mechanisms between communities, health facilities and government sector offices
• Establishment of health monitoring and evaluation systems

Responsibilities
Leadership
• Coordinate and functionally manage the planning and direction of Merlin’s health activities at project level.
• Develop and maintain a coherent project strategy fulfilling Merlin’s aims in collaboration with the Project Coordinator.
• Determine project direction in consultation with the Project Coordinator and Country Management Team
• Create a shared vision among all Merlin health staff related to project aims and their role in achieving these.
Programme Support
• Provide technical and managerial support to all health team members in fulfilment of their duties according to project objectives.
• Develop, plan and implement project health activities in close collaboration with health and non-medical personnel, ensuring coherence between activities and contingencies for changes in project direction and priorities related to the humanitarian context.
• Prepare the project health protocols and data collection forms in collaboration with local health representatives and ensure the team is fully conversant with and trained in the same.
• Responsible with the Project Coordinator for encouraging the community participation in health activities to ensure the long term ownership and effectiveness of the programme.
• Ensure all medical staff receive appropriate training to facilitate the maximum use of their skills and their full and effective participation in medical activities.
• Ensure health activities are implemented in accordance with Merlin policy and inter/nationally recognised standards.
• Ensure that the medical stocks are properly managed in collaboration with the pharmacy officer and logistics staff.
• Responsible for the timely preparation and approval of all medical orders.
• Assist in the development of emergency preparedness activities of Merlin Ethiopia – e.g. preparedness planning and training activities.
Programme Development
• Constantly monitor the health and humanitarian situation in the project area and propose appropriate action in collaboration with the Project Coordinator and Country Health Director.
• Undertake/ assist needs assessment as necessary.
• Prepare and write timely and accurate donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the Project Co-ordinator. These documents should reflect progress against set objectives and/or newly defined needs supported by appropriate data presentation and contextual analysis.
• Prepare and write timely and accurate monthly health activity reports for inclusion in the monthly situation report submitted to Merlin HQ.
• Support the Project Coordinator with negotiating new / changes to project activities with local health authorities.
• Together with the Project Co-ordinator, ensure reports are delivered to local counterparts in time as stipulated in the project agreement.
Co-ordination & Representation
• Co-ordinate and represent Merlin to local health authorities at district level to ensure all project activities are carried out with their collaboration and participation in order to achieve project objectives.
• Co-ordinate and represent Merlin to WHO, UNICEF, and other I/NGOs to avoid project with activity overlap whilst sufficiently addressing the full needs of the communities
• Ensure key stakeholders receive regular activity reports and statistics.
Staff Management / HR
• Line manage health staff effectively, using appropriate delegation
• Monitor health staff performance through regular appraisal
• Recruit Merlin national medical staff including the development of clear job description.
• Enhance technical and health management skills of national health staff through formal & informal training in conjunction with international medical officers.
Staff Health
• Responsible for project based international staff health and well-being as outlined in Merlin Staff Health Policy.
• Ensure up-to-date medical evacuation procedures are in place at all times and that staff are aware of their respective roles.
Other
• Carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Project Co-ordinator or Country Health Director
• Produce written, end of post handover notes.

Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Qualified doctor or nurse with post qualification experience.
• Qualification or experience in tropical medicine and/or public health.
• Excellent management and personnel skills to enable the motivation, encouragement and participation of international and national health team members
• Ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with local health representatives.
• Ability to assess health conditions quickly and calmly under pressure as required.
• Excellent communication skills, with good spoken and written English
• Experience managing primary healthcare projects
• Experience of working in emergencies
• Good computer skills to allow reporting and representation.
• Experience in epidemiological analysis including data representation and basic survey techniques (use of Excel & Epi-Info)
• Commitment to Merlin’s values and aims
• Previous experience within a humanitarian aid organisation.
• Ability to remain calm and to be diplomatic, both with the local health authorities and with the community.
• Good organisational skills with good leadership skills and/or willingness to develop them.
• Work in remote and insure environments
Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Post graduate qualification.
• Experience in Ethiopia or Horn of Africa.
• Qualification in Nutrition or experience working on nutritional projects.
To apply for this position
Please download an application form from our website www.merlin.org.uk Completed applications should be emailed to applications@merlin-uk.org stating in the subject field the job title, country and reference number (if any)