Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor at Global Health Fellows Program

Location: Bamako, Mali
Last Date: October 20, 2010

Global Health Fellows Program
Technical Advisor Level III: Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor
United States Agency for International Development/Mali
Location: Bamako, Mali
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP-10-192


The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute (PHI) in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, Management Systems International, and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. GHFP is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The goal of GHFP is to improve the effectiveness of USAID Population, Health and Nutrition programs by developing and increasing capacity of health professionals in Washington, DC and overseas. This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of junior, mid and senior level health professionals; a diversity initiative focused on providing internship and mentoring opportunities in international public health to underrepresented communities; and professional and organizational development activities to bolster USAID’s ability to maximize results and strengthen its leadership role in global health.

BACKGROUND
Mali’s HIV epidemic, with an estimated adult prevalence of 1.3 percent based on the 2006 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), is considered to be generalized, although relatively small for the West Africa region. While progress has been made among highly vulnerable groups and prevention knowledge has improved in recent years, risk behaviors and vulnerability are still of concern. Populations including sex workers, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, military personnel, truck drivers and miners are most vulnerable. HIV prevalence among commercial sex workers in Mali is 35.3 percent.

The epidemic in Mali is feminized, with women accounting for approximately 60 percent of infections among adults aged 15 and older. The early onset of sexual activity among young women poses an increased risk factor for infection among women ages 15 to 29 compared to men the same age. Recent data show that the HIV prevalence among pregnant women remains high, at more than 3 percent. A 2006 sentinel study found 8.6 percent of pregnant women in the Ségou region to be HIV positive, indicating a serious, localized epidemic.

USAID is Mali’s lead bilateral donor in funding HIV/AIDS activities and is involved in donor coordination across HIV/AIDS-related interventions and programming. USAID activities focus on preventing the HIV/AIDS epidemic from escalating in Mali by working with 23 local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to provide behavior change messages to a quarter of a million at-risk people; providing technical assistance (TA) to voluntary counseling and testing services (VCT) targeting 5,000 at risk individuals; assisting the Ministry of Health to develop and train agents in VCT norms and procedures; and providing TA to municipalities in HIV/AIDS project design, execution and accountability.

USAID programs in Mali are implemented in partnership with the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The first five years of PEPFAR was a $15 billion, multi-faceted approach to combating the disease in more than 100 countries around the world. PEPFAR recently entered its second phase of authorization, at approximately $50 billion, to treat four million individuals, prevent 12 million new infections, and provide care for 12 million individuals, including five million orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The US Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) oversees and directs all United States Government (USG) international HIV/AIDS activities.

The Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor (the Advisor) monitors the design, implementation, and performance of USAID-funded activities in the Mali HIV/AIDS country program, and ensures a fully coordinated and collaborative response to HIV/AIDS. This position builds on the strengths of USAID in program management and monitoring to complement the work of partner USG agencies in country, particularly the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Peace Corps. The Advisor will:
• Serve as USAID’s HIV/AIDS program coordinator, interacting with other USAID/Mali Technical Teams (Education, Economic Growth, and Governance/Communications), other USG agencies, multilateral agencies, the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism, NGOs and other key stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS programming
• Liaise with development partners active in HIV/AIDS, and specifically with the Country Coordination Mechanism and administrative agents of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, to ensure optimal integration of USG efforts with those of others
• Actively foster and facilitate USG interagency collaboration and cooperation
• Facilitate communication between named representatives of other USG implementing agencies (i.e., CDC, NIH, DOD, Peace Corps and any other USG agency involved in HIV/AIDS programs in Mali) to ensure critical communication between and among agencies, including action requests, and policy guidance from USAID/Washington and OGAC
• Communicate with the Malian Ministry of Health to promote maximum collaboration and integration between the host country Government HIV/AIDS programs and those being planned and implemented by USG agencies and their partners
• Play a key role in the HIV/AIDS prevention technical area to complement the skills of the rest of the USG HIV/AIDS country team. The Advisor will coordinate with USAID central and regional offices and liaise with in-country implementing partners, provide technical leadership to projects, and reinforce project planning, monitoring and reporting guidance
• Under the programmatic direction of the Senior USAID Health Officer, provide day-to-day program management and oversight for specific activities as determined by the needs of the program
• Ensure detailed planning, budget tracking, and performance monitoring of all USAID-funded activities in the program
• Serve as a technical advisor for USAID HIV projects

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As part of the interagency USG HIV/AIDS Team, the Advisor will assist in coordination of the team as well as provide technical leadership in prevention for the country program. Responsibilities will include:

Coordination
• Convene regular meetings with the USG Mali HIV/AIDS Country Team. Prepare and disseminate records of these meetings
• Facilitate meetings, as well as disseminate and retain records of meetings with any technical working groups
• Facilitate operational and strategic planning processes to ensure development of a balanced HIV/AIDS program in Mali, and mediate interagency conflicts that may occur in the planning process
• Facilitate timely financial and programmatic reporting by participating USG agencies and their implementing partners
• Coordinate interagency and Washington clearance processes for technical assistance visits (TDYs), and promote interagency benefit from TDYs whenever possible and appropriate
• Support efforts by USG implementing agencies to recruit, qualify, and successfully engage new partners (especially indigenous) in HIV/AIDS activities
• Prepare and disseminate periodic internal and external updates/status reports on HIV/AIDS in Mali. Internal audiences shall be limited to USG participants, including USAID/Washington and OGAC. External audiences shall include host country Government partners and stakeholders; non-governmental implementing partners; and, less frequently, the host country’s media and the general public

Project Management
• Provide technical input on annual work plans for implementing partners and ensure these are consistent with current USG and Government of Mali priorities. Maintain specific and in-depth knowledge of applicable USG laws and legislative directives as well as regulations, particularly regarding the allowable use of HIV/AIDS funds in the spectrum of HIV/AIDS programming
• Assume a technical advisor role in the financial management of USAID-funded HIV/AIDS activities, which includes ensuring that obligations, expenditures, and budget pipelines conform to action plans. With the AOTR/COTR, ensure appropriate and timely incremental funding of activities
• Review performance reports to ensure that partner(s) are in compliance with bilateral government agreements and with the performance expectations outlined in their work plan and in their contract/agreement(s) with USAID. As a technical advisor, maintain detailed and updated project management files for each activity
• Coordinate and as needed lead key HIV/AIDS country planning exercises, such as preparation of strategies and operational plans, Annual Report and project implementation reviews

Technical Leadership
• Support the development, improvement, and dissemination of sound HIV/AIDS policies and programs in response to evolving epidemiological data, and liaise with Government of Mali officials, development partners, NGOs and other implementing agencies in the specialized areas for which the Advisor is responsible, including prevention and Most At-Risk Populations
• Maintain state-of-the-art expertise on relevant programmatic behavioral research in the reduction of high-risk behaviors related to HIV transmission
• Provide technical and program assistance (including drafting briefing papers, activity reports, meeting outcome and trip reports, etc.) for all USAID-funded HIV/AIDS activities
• Work closely with USAID/Washington monitoring and evaluation staff to develop and to update the Mali HIV/AIDS Country Program’s Performance Monitoring Plan on an annual basis
• Assume responsibility for verifying the data quality, tracking tools and data synthesis and use of HIV/AIDS performance indicators, particularly for USAID-funded partners. Ensure all routine and ad hoc reporting requirements appropriately reflect program priorities and activities

Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming need and/or (b) the Technical Advisor’s own interests.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
• Master’s degree in relevant discipline such as Public Health, Public Policy, Administration, Social Sciences, Nursing, or Medicine
• Minimum ten years’ experience in international public health programming and/or implementation of HIV/AIDS, health or other development programs of which at least three to five years’ experience working in international/developing country or resource poor settings
• Minimum three years’ experience working in technical oversight, design and implementation of HIV/AIDS programs in developing countries
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills
• Excellent French oral, reading and writing ability
• Demonstrated ability to develop and coordinate implementation of detailed work plans/timelines for major time-sensitive and complex work projects that are dependent on contributions from multiple USG agencies and dozens of individuals
• Proven interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in an independent capacity and as a member of a team
• Familiarity with USG systems and implementation mechanisms
• Strong conceptual, analytical and reasoning skills
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment
• Demonstrated skill to work effectively and diplomatically as a part of an interagency team, with host country government agencies, NGOs, faith-based organizations, and the private sector
• Exercise of good judgment and independent decision making skills
• US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required
• Ability to obtain a medical clearance to live and work in Mali required

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary will be based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2010_Benefits_for_GHFP_Fellows.pdf

TO APPLY:
All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP’s online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Time October 20, 2010.

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