Roster for State Programme Officer- Sexual and Reproductive Health

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

Overview of the programme

WHO India Country Office collaborates with the Government of India and relevant stakeholders within the framework of the collaborative Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), to actively support the development and implementation of national health policies, strategies and plans aiming at promoting access to and utilization of affordable and quality health services and improving financial protection against health-related risks.

WHO Country Office for India is supporting the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to strengthen the existing health systems to cater to the growing needs of mental health and substance abuse.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO), 13th General Programme of Work (GPW 13) recognizes that access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) can only be fully achieved through Universal Health Coverage (UHC), promotion of better health and well-being, and meeting the needs of those living in humanitarian settings, i.e., all three of WHO’s strategic priorities.

The framework of GPW 13 builds on the existing expertise and long standing work on SRHR at WHO, committing the organization to make the strategic shift of stepping up its leadership on this issue so as not to leave anyone behind and ensure it has the capacity to support countries to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services (Sustainable Development Goal 3.7) and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (Sustainable Development Goal 5.6) and to reduction of maternal mortality (Sustainable Development Goal 3.1) under the overarching umbrella of Achieving Universal Health Coverage (Target 3.8).

Government of India has recently expanded the contraceptive basket with inclusion under National Family Planning Program with inclusion of Subdermal single rod implants and Subcutaneous MPA in 10 priority states (Phase 1). WHO is technically supporting GoI and the state government of West Bengal, Delhi and Karnataka for roll out of new contraceptives. Promoting and protecting RHR is crucial to the wellbeing of all people and to enabling them to contribute to the overall development of their communities and societies, As indicated above it also remains a priority area under WHO GPW13.

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

WHO’s mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage (ii) health related sustainable development goals (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005) (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.

The South–East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 11 countries, with over 1.9 billion people, with India’s population of 1.4 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste), share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All of WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation.

Description of Duties:

Located in State NHM Office, the incumbent will work closely with State FP Division and WCO-India, Under the overall guidance of Technical Officer - Reproductive Health, WHO-Country Office for India and the direct supervision of NPO- Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, WHO Country Office for India the incumbent will have the following responsibilities:

1. Technical and overall support in strengthening Family Planning (FP) services across all districts of the state and implementation of state specific roll out plans, for new contraceptives -Implants and SC-MPA in identified districts and facilities
2. Techno-managerial support to state and district FP teams in strengthening comprehensive data collection and reporting system for FP services with specific focus on Implants and SC-MPA.
3. Provide technical support in the robust implementation of overall Sexual and Reproductive health (SRH) services including Family Planning, Safe motherhood and Comprehensive Abortion Care services.
4. Build the capacity of health and field functionaries for service provisioning, demand generation and logistics personnel for reproductive health commodities with emphasis on logistics and supply chain management information system (FPLMIS).
5. Conduct regular field visits to provide techno managerial support for strengthening SRH services and operationalization of facilities for New Contraceptive service provisioning-Implants and SC-MPA at the district and sub-district levels.
6. Support in developing and designing of state specific Technical Materials/Learning resources packages as per evolving program needs on RH programs especially New Contraceptives.
7. Coordinate with relevant stakeholders for the procurement, distribution and management of FP commodities including Implants and SC-MPA.
8. Develop and maintain strong relationships with various stakeholders within the State like State Health Societies, training institutions and medical colleges to ensure quality based trainings within the State.
9. Support in organizing and conducting the state, regional, district level orientations, sensitizations, review meetings, training, on-site mentoring, and workshops to ensure smooth program implementation. Monitor the trainings and assist the State in developing the training calendar and follow up the training activities.
10. Technical support for strategizing demand generation activities for improved SRH services.
11. Support in providing technical assistance to identify the needs and strategic areas for the development of annual National Health Mission (NHM) Program Implementation Plans (PIP) for various SRH interventions especially new contraceptives roll out.
12. Regular review of monthly, quarterly and annual reports in consultation with State government and work in close coordination with the state and WHO team for developing strategies for program strengthening.
13. Develop and produce documents like situation analysis reports, assessment reports, success stories, gap analysis plans, procurement plans etc. to capture the program’s results/lessons/experiences and ensure that the program reports capture the outcomes of the programs being implemented.
14. Strengthen network and partnership between State HFW, WHO and other stakeholders on developing FP/RH interventions, exploring synergies and leveraging resources, and forging collaborations.
15. Any other task assigned by the supervisor(s) and/or WHO Country Office.

Education:

Essential: University degree in Public Health or Medicine or equivalent in related field from a recognized institution/university.

Desirable: Advanced University Degree in Public Health. Additional specialization in Reproductive Health and prior experience in strengthening family planning service delivery will be an asset.

Experience:

Essential: At least one (1) year of professional experience in the areas related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and Health System Strengthening at the State/National level. Experience of working with multidisciplinary technical teams.

Desirable: At least 2 years of working experience within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in advocating, formulating, and implementing Family Planning Program Policy at the national/ state level in India. Experience in providing programmatic and/or technical assistance through or within the UN system.

WHO Competencies:

• Teamwork
• Communication
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Producing results
• Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.

Functional Skills and Knowledge:

• Sound technical knowledge of the public health aspects of Family Planning Services/RH services.
• Ability to work with multiple external partners and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders particularly with State and National government HFW teams.
• Ability to innovate, integrate, synthesize, and communicate complex concepts and ideas verbally and in writing.
• Ability to understand and work on complex SRH policy and program issues in general and more specifically on family planning.
• Exhibit tact and maturity in dealing with sensitive topics.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiating, intercultural communication skills and political acumen.
• Good understanding of key initiatives/schemes and global commitments under the national programs.
• Proficiency in the use of standard MS Office packages and the Internet.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and working knowledge of local language will be an asset.

Remuneration:

Monthly remuneration is INR 157,449 (NOA) taxable as per Indian laws and the appointment will be through Special Services Agreement (SSA) extendable subject to satisfactory performance and continuing need for the function. The position is at state level in Delhi, Kolkata (West Bengal) and Bangalore (Karnataka).

Additional Information

• This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
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• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
• Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.