HIV and AIDS Specialist, Somalia (IOM)

[Admin]

II. Background Information

The overall prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Somalia is estimated around 1.3% which is considered to be low compared with the prevalence rates of the neighboring countries. However, many factors could exacerbate the situation. The ongoing war and armed conflicts in the south and central regions of Somalia and the recurrent droughts resulting in forced displacement, collapse of social structures and breakdown of rule of law put people at much greater risk of HIV infection. Despite this, the existence of HIV is still denied among certain communities because HIV is associated with the promiscuity which is shameful to be address among the Somali society. Stigma is high in some regions as a result; affected families and individuals are abandoned by their family members. The Puntland HIV and AIDS response is led by Puntland AIDS Commission (PAC), a national institution chaired by the President with the membership of six line ministries, religious leaders, civil society organizations and people living with HIV (PLHIV). The mandate of PAC is to lead the coordination and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the integrated prevention, treatment, care and support services (IPTCS) according to the National HIV and AIDS strategic framework. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is one of the key partners in the sector of HIV and AIDS, Primary Health Care (PHC) and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Puntland. IOM has been working with PAC since 2007 and provided technical assistance to PAC and other stakeholders to manage various scientific studies to identify the drivers of the HIV epidemic in Somalia and to map the key populations who are considered to be at-risk to the HIV infection. The results of these scientific studies were based on the development of the Somalia National HIV and AIDS strategic framework (2009 – 2013). III. Activities / Key results expected Under the overall guidance of the PAC Executive Director and IOM Health Programme Coordinator, in coordination with IOM colleagues and partners, the HIV Capacity Building Specialist will train PAC staff to build various technical capacity on:

Effective coordination especially by strengthening decentralized governance structures to support the HIV/AIDS response in Puntland. This is required to link efforts being made at a national level to those at district level, in order to ensure the participation of a wide range of stakeholders, communities, across local government & ministries as well as with civil society and the private sector.
Identification of appropriate monitoring systems, including indicators, targets and benchmarks, tools and methods for tracking the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment activities in relation to the financial resources allocated to these activities.
Development of work-plans and tracking systems for all HIV related activities in Puntland.
Development of new programme by facilitating participatory stakeholder workshops with HIV experts in education/training institutions, writing high quality proposals that will assist in adequate resource mobilization.
Review of the current policies for combating HIV/AIDS and recommend the appropriate steps required for improving them and aligning them to international standards.
Supervision of designing of community mobilization messages on HIV/AIDS in key areas.
Timely and quality submission of both financial and narrative reports. IV. Target outputs (Measurable results)
• Institutional capacity building of PAC by increasing technical capacity of staff in HIV/AIDS responses. • Quarterly reports of the trainings conducted, institutional impact made and best practices/lessons learnt. • Gap analysis with suggested sources and steps to address these gaps V. MIDA requirements In order to fulfill their contractual requirements, and to facilitate payments, participants will have to deliver the following results in a timely manner. 1. Work plan: A work plan will have to be developed with the supervisor during the first week of assignment, which will provide clear and time bound activities to successfully implement the outputs of assignment. This work plan will be shared with the MIDA/MHD. This work plan can be revised during the mid-term review to reflect new developments or changes in strategy. 2. Capacity building strategy: The participant will develop a two page document outlining their capacity development approach, including landmark trainings and candidates for mentoring. 3. Interim and final reports: Progress reports will be submitted by the incumbent to the Supervisor and to the MIDA/ MHD on a quarterly basis. A final report will be provided at the end of assignment.

To perform the job successfully, the HIV and AIDS Specialist must demonstrate the following competencies: • Excellent written and communication skills. • Ability to coordinate and deliver multiple assignments and meeting deadlines. • Setting high standards for quality of work and consistently achieving goals. • Good leadership and supervisory skills. • Translation of strategic direction into plans and objectives. • Strong interpersonal skills and professional attitude. • Strong proposal development skills. Qualifications

Level of education: Advanced University degree in Medical, social sciences or Public Health with a strong emphasis on skills in communications for behavior change Area of study: Specialization in HIV/AIDS in particular, project management, policy formulation, guideline development, M&E, coordination, and epidemiological research.

Years of work experience in that area:
Language needed: Fluency in English and Somali languages. Arabic will be an advantage General skills / other requirements: Computer skills. Strong interpersonal management and organizational skills. Flexible and able to adapt quickly to new, different environments, proven management and interpersonal skills and is capable of working with minimal supervision. Personal commitment, efficiency and results-driven, Sound organizational skills with strict attention to detail. Excellent communication skills and Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a diverse team. Experience working with PLHIV and key populations.

VI. Salary Band 2-3 Stream A (salary range between $3,500-$4,000). VII: Security and insurance modalities

Health insurance, including evacuation due to medical emergency, will be provided by MIDA. However, participants will be requested to provide a recent medical certificate stating that they are physically well and apt to work in a hardship area in Africa. Please note that neither IOM, according to the contract, will be responsible for the security of the qualified Somali expatriates. The host beneficiary institution will be responsible for the security of the individual. Before leaving the country of residence and upon arrival in Nairobi or in Somalia, the qualified Somali expatriate will receive a pre-departure briefing including security advice and cultural background.

How to apply:
All applicants must apply online through the QUESTS-MIDA website: www.quests-mida.org. To start the application process, the applicants are required to register an account with the MIDA website. Go to login and register as a user, then fill the form and create a password to enter in the applications section. Short-listed candidates will be informed of the status of their application. If you encounter any problems when applying, please send an email to quests-mida@iom.int.