Community Linkages Advisor – Mbarara – Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

About US:
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) seeks to end pediatric HIV/AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs. We are a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, working in 15 countries and at 7,000 sites around the world to prevent the transmission of HIV to children, and to help those already infected. Today, because of the highly successful work of the Foundation and its partners over the last 25 years, pediatric AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the United States and new infections in children have declined by 58% worldwide. EGPAF Uganda Country program is currently implementing a number of projects in partnership with various donors.

About USAID RHITES Project:
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) implements the USAID Regional Health Integration to Enhance Health Services in the South West Uganda Project (RHITES) whose aim is to increase the availability, accessibility and quality of integrated health services including HIV and TB prevention, care and treatment; maternal, neonatal and child health services; family planning; nutrition assessment, counseling support; malaria prevention and treatment and other primary carer services.

Job Summary: The Community Linkages Advisor will offer technical and program oversight and direction in the areas of linking the community and facilities in the regional integrated health program (HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, nutrition, family planning, and maternal, neonatal and child health care). The job holder will provide leadership and technical guidance in the development and implementation of activities that facilitate linkage between and within communities and health facilities under the leadership of the Director Community linkages and Demand creation. The incumbent will ensure the technical and methodological soundness of activities implemented by sub-partner in charge of community linkages and civil society organizations (CSOs) that are part of the project implementation.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
· Take lead in the strengthening the existing referral network model that facilitates linkages between different service delivery points to create an orchestra of interlinked community to facility health care service delivery in the project area.
· Offer technical oversight and coordinate the activities of the sub-partners and CSOs that are sub granted as part of the integrated health service delivery project.
· Offer assistance, mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level in specific areas of expertise including but not limited to
· Identify and collaborate with agencies/organizations implementing community-based activities
· Provide technical guidance to support the linking of health facilities, CBOs and communities
· Develop/adapt evidence-based training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials needed for implementation of community mobilization, referral and linkage activities
· Integrate project within DHMT framework
· Provide technical guidance to health workers, Linkage facilitators, VHTs and partners on comprehensive integrated technical support related to referral and linkages
· Work in liaison with District Health Educators and Community Development Office to strengthen community based structures that will create demand for HIV/AIDS care, treatment, Nutrition, SMC, MNCH, malaria and PMTCT and TB/HIV services; and also act as a major platform for referrals and linkages to enhance access to these services.
· Actively participate in identification, training and support supervision of the Village Health Teams (VHTs)
· Organize and facilitate periodic reviews of community HIV/AIDS, MNH/SRH/FP, Malaria and Nutrition activities at the health center level, as well as linkages to care, with the involvement of VHTs, community representatives, health center staff and members of the DHMT
· Strengthen the performance management and capacity building mechanism for community resource persons and peer educators that the project engages to implement the integrated project. Support peer educator follow-up and supportive supervision to community health workers.
· Coordinate and support linkage facilitators and other psychosocial support groups including Arial clubs and family support groups to efficiently and effectively execute their roles and responsibilities in the community and health facilities.
· Participate in district level planning and implementation with the DMHT and stakeholders; provide information and feedback from field level observations to facilitate follow up actions by the district
· Offer technical direction, capacity-building and supervision to CBOs, NGOs, VHTs and other stakeholders/partners in community health, including the involvement of youth and men
· Work with all sub partners and other technical advisors to successfully integrate MNCH, SRH, FP, HIV, nutrition, and water/sanitation interventions with the delivery of other health services at the community level.
· Contribute to the development of project annual and quarterly work plans and budgets and ensure that the community mobilization and linkages component is well represented.
· Strengthen documentation of referrals and linkages for different services within the integrated project to ensure a continuum of care and response.
· Document best practices at community level and within the referral and linkage system in form of case studies, success stories and abstracts; and share at designated forums at district level, project and national level.
· Work closely with the QI advisors to adopt the use of quality improvement approaches in referral and linkage system and other community activities with an aim of strengthening continuum of care.
· Work in liaison with the Monitoring and Evaluation team ensure that data collected is accurate and valid and captures process and outcome indicators.
· Prepare and ensure timely submission of quality monthly, quarterly, semiannual and

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The applicant should preferably hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences or Community Development or Community Health or Nursing.
· Possession of a post graduate in Public Health, Sociology or Community Health would be an added advantage
· At least five years’ experience in community work with experience gained through serving within a government institution or NGO with proven ability to coordinate activities of different stakeholders at district and or sub national level.
· Five years’ experience training community health workers and/or CBOs in MNCH, Nutrition, Malaria, HIV and TB interventions
· Previous experience building capacity at individual and organizational levels;
· Skill in at least two or more of the following technical areas: strengthening service delivery programs, performance and quality improvement, psychosocial support, and integrating health service delivery into community structures.
· Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff
· Excellent written and verbal communication or interpersonal skills is a must.
· Excellent analytical skills and ability to support a cross section of frontline health workers
· Ability and willingness to travel within the supported districts in northern Uganda

How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to send their applications to this address;

The Country Director, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Plot 18A Kyadondo Road, Nakasero, P.O. Box 21127, Kampala, Uganda

E-mail to: UgandaRecruitment@pedaids.org

Deadline: 14th December 2015

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