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Title: Senior Strategic Information (SI) Advisor, GS 15 equivalent
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Summary Statement
In this position, the incumbent serves as the Senior Strategic Information (SI) Advisor in the Health Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Zimbabwe based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The primary objectives of the position are to: 1) provide technical expertise in SI and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to the Health Office, implementing partners, and other counterparts; 2) generate, analyze, and utilize health sector data to inform program design and implementation; and 3) foster program learning and adaptation to maximize the public health impacts of USG investments in Zimbabwe. In doing so, the incumbent will work closely with staff from the Health Office and the rest of the Mission, other USG agencies, host-country government, and other donor officials to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.
The incumbent is expected to quickly demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of USG policy, the USAID Mission Country Development Cooperation Strategy, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEFPAR) Country Operational Plan, and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Country Strategy. S/he will operate within the context of the U.S. Country Team by actively promoting collaboration and coordination with the Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the PEPFAR Coordination Office, and others. In addition, the incumbent must possess sufficient experience to provide senior-level advice and expertise in formal consultations with the wide range of USAID/Zimbabwe partners, including the Ministry of Health and Child Care, other line Ministries, National AIDS Council (NAC), various local, U.S. and international non-governmental organizations present in Zimbabwe, as well as representatives of the private sector and civil society.
The Senior SI Advisor is a member of the Program Support team within the Health Office that includes sector-wide monitoring, evaluation, supply chain, and management systems activities for the health program portfolio. The Team Leader of the Program Support Team reports directly to the Health Office Director, and will be the USAID point of contact for the Senior SI Advisor.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Providing expert level strategic guidance and technical expertise in SI and M&E, including assisting
with the preparation and/or review of strategies and plans to address needs at the global level, to
USAID, other USG agencies, implementing partners, host government counterparts, and donors.
Assessing and reviewing current health literature and international guidelines, policies, and standards,
and providing recommendations to USAID.
Contributing to technical updates, briefers and other documents that describe USAID’s activities,
research and progress; preparing portfolio reviews and reports; reviewing documents such as annual
reports and operational plans; and preparing responses to Q&As and other requests for information
Leading the technical design of program strategies, health-assistance mechanisms, and the
identification of new health activities
Designing and co-managing performance and impact evaluations, analyzing evaluation findings and
lessons learned for applicability to mid-course corrections and future programs, and ensuring that
findings are communicated effectively to Mission, partners, government, and USAID/Washington.
Leading or managing annual Health Office submissions for recurring technical planning or
programming requirements, such as: the PEFPAR Country Operational Plan (COP), Annual Program
Report (APR), SAPR, PEPFAR Quarterly Reports, the USAID Operational Plan, Program Performance
Report (PPR), Portfolio Reviews and others. In doing so, ensure that the technical components of the
entire USAID health portfolio is accurately represented and documented.
Working closely with Program Managers to support implementing partners in adaptive management
and implementation processes to address constraints to iterative adapting for better results.
Analyzing program and health sector data and presenting evidence to facilitate discussion of emerging
program priorities. Through these discussions, along with bi-annual portfolio reviews, engaging the
Participation and viewpoints of key stakeholders. Documenting emerging programming priorities and
Learning, and ensuring that these are shared within the Health Office, across the Mission, and with
Implementing partners and other stakeholders as necessary.
Supporting management of implementing partners through coordination of quarterly and other
Performance reporting processes, analyzing and synthesizing results and identifying and
communicating opportunities and obstacles to achieving results including opportunities for cross
partner engagement and collaboration.
Monitoring key contextual indicators and development objective assumptions that may indicate the
need for convening of larger reflection meetings to determine course correction actions such as
reprioritization of activities, communication of changing guidance, activity scale up or scale down, etc.
Conducting regular site visits to review program implementation including PEPFAR Site Improvement
through Monitoring System (SIMS) visits and documenting findings through standard monitoring
tools.
Ensuring that learning emerging from M&E efforts, including from the PEPFAR SIMS visits, is fed back
in appropriate forms to USAID staff, partners, host country government, other donors, or
beneficiaries as appropriate. Support after action reviews, as needed, to establish simple feedback
loops over quality, relevance and effectiveness of implementation.
Strengthening capacity of the Health Office to improve data utilization, visualization, and presentation
in order to effectively communicate program results to key stakeholders and audiences.
Developing a Communications Strategy that supports regular communication of program data, project
achievements and impact, and best and promising practices. Leading the execution of the strategy
within the team, and related duties could include the regular development of success stories for
various audiences, preparation of talking points and other communications documents, and visiting
program sites with dignitaries.
Preparing and submitting papers to professional journals and meetings with implementing partners.
Providing technical advice and expertise in inter-agency USG meetings and in external fora and
technical working groups involving host-country officials, international organization representatives
and other donors.
Competencies
Performance Criterion
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, creates high-quality, timely reports, delivers presentations to multiple audiences, shares information and exchanges ideas with others, demonstrates diplomacy in written and verbal communication.
Compliance with Policy, Law and Regulation: Employee demonstrates compliance with safety regulations, rules of conduct, other applicable laws and regulations and company policies.
Customer Focus: Builds customer confidence, is committed to increasing customer satisfaction, sets achievable customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met, solicits opinions and ideas from customers, responds to internal and external customers.
Dependability: Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, meets attendance/punctuality requirements.
Initiative: Tackles problems and takes independent action, seeks out new responsibilities, acts on opportunities, generates new ideas, practices self-development.
Interpersonal Skills: Has good listening skills, builds strong relationships, is flexible/open-minded, negotiates effectively, solicits performance feedback, and handles constructive criticism.
Job Knowledge: Understands duties and responsibilities, has necessary job knowledge, has necessary technical skills, understands company mission/values, keeps job knowledge current, is in command of critical issues.
Judgment: Employee demonstrates ability to exercise good judgment and make appropriate decisions as situations arise.
Planning: Develops realistic plans, sets goals, aligns plans with company goals, plans for and manages resources, creates contingency plans, coordinates/cooperates with others.
Problem Solving/Analysis: Breaks down problems into smaller components, understands underlying issues, can simplify and process complex issues, understands the difference between critical details and unimportant facts.
Teamwork: Meets all team deadlines and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, helps team leader to meet goals, welcomes newcomers and promotes a team atmosphere.
Nature of Work
Tasks are highly complex and required strategic thinking, planning, and oversight. Tasks require comparing alternative courses of action and making a decision after considering the options. Tasks require contact with sensitive and confidential information. Work requires imagination, originality, and/or creativity.
Collaboration and Interaction
Identify needs/concerns of others, determine potential solutions, resolve or redirect appropriately. Persuade, gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas or collaborate on significant projects. Resolve conflict, negotiate or collaborate on major projects.
Oversight and Direction
Employee plans and carries out assignments and resolves most conflicts that arise.
Education and work experience RequirementsMaster’s degree in public health, social and economic development, public administration, international health, or other relevant field of study and 11+ years’ relevant experience (majority of which is overseas) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
This position requires a highly experienced, senior development expert. Positive recommendations from past work experience, preferably working with or for a bilateral donor in progressively responsible positions is required.
At least 5 years of experience related to the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of USG health programs, especially HIV and AIDS, TB, FP, and/or MNCH is required
Demonstrated senior-level experience in both monitoring and evaluation, and program management is required
Relevant NGO or private sector experience will be considered.
Work experience with USAID, in Africa and/or a complex emergency will be given strong preference, as will related PEPFAR or PMI work.
Required Skills
Required Experience
Job Location
Harare,
