By Emily Rogers
Madagascar-based Country Director with Pivot
| Job Title: Country Director Reports to: Co-Chief Executive Officers (in U.S. office) Location: Antananarivo, Madagascar Percentage Effort: Full time Area of work: Global Health, Health System Strengthening Start Date: May 1st, 2016 desired but flexible Commitment: Minimum 2 year commitmentOrganizational Profile PIVOT’s mission is to combine accessible and comprehensive health care services with rigorous scientific research to save lives and break cycles of poverty and disease (www.pivotworks.org).As one of the ten poorest countries in the world with among the most under-resourced health systems, Madagascar suffers from an unjust burden of disease. PIVOT works in direct collaboration with the Madagascar Ministry of Health to enhance healthcare delivery at the community, health center and hospital levels of the district public health system. In addition to supporting and providing direct health care services, PIVOT engages in poverty alleviation initiatives, conducts monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of health systems strengthening (HSS) activities, and supports research. The HSS efforts led by PIVOT aim to directly relieve unnecessary suffering and death among the population near Ranomafana National Park and to serve as a model for national scale up. The organization is partnered with and modeled after Boston-based NGO, Partners In Health, which implements similar projects in twelve countries. Other partners include locally based international medical NGOs such as Doctors of the World, UN organizations including UNFPA and UNICEF, bilaterals such as USAID/MIKOLO, and the Universities of Harvard, Stony Brook, and Stanford. Launched in January 2014, PIVOT now has a staff of more than 100 employees in the Ranomafana office (currently including seven expatriate staff members) and five in the U.S office. The leadership team is made up of 4 directors and an additional 10 managers who supervise the following teams: community, health center, hospital, medical referrals, social support, M&E, research, logistics, pharmacy, HR, and finance. Our medical activities currently focus on maternal and child health and emergency care. HSS activities include health systems financing of patient medical expenses, an ambulance network, infrastructure reinforcement, capacity building through training and supervision, and HR reinforcement through a joint hiring with the Ministry of Health. Ifanadiana district has one district hospital and 19 health centers; PIVOT currently supports the hospital and 4 health centers, and aims to support all 19 within the next 3-5 years. The annual operating budget is $4.3M including the research-granting arm of the organization and the U.S. office. Ranomafana is an 11-hour drive from the capital, Tana, and 1.5 hours from Madagascar’s fourth largest city, Fianarantsoa. PIVOT’s office operates in French with local employees speaking both French and Malagasy. Job Description Overview Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
This is an excellent opportunity for a dynamic, driven and passionate individual to be part of an exciting and relatively new initiative that links access to quality health care to research in an ecologically important context. Applications are being accepted on an immediate, rolling basis for Malagasy and international candidates. Interested candidates should send a compelling cover letter with earliest start date, CV, and list of references to Tara Loyd atinfo(AT)pivotworks.orgwith “Country Director Application – Your Name” as the subject line in the e-mail. Please mention where you found the job advertisement in your introductory email. |
Program Coordinator with Pathfinder – French speakers needed
Program Overview
The goal of the Program Operations Unit (POU) is to contribute to the fulfillment of Pathfinder’s mission by ensuring that country programs are implemented effectively and efficiently; that they achieve the intended impact and level of sustainability; and country programs increase their resource base and expand Pathfinder’s work globally.
Position Purpose
The Program Coordinator II will work in close coordination with the Program Director and the Program Officer to provide programmatic, administrative and general support to Pathfinder field offices in various countries as assigned.
Key Responsibilities
• Update and maintain project and country office files for the Program Operations Unit.
• Coordinate scheduling of regular management meetings for the POU portfolio including: quarterly technical reviews, monthly financial meetings, start up and close outs and periodic check-ins as needed.
• Prepare reports and relevant background materials for meeting participants, be well-versed in using appropriate technology for connection of participants, and generate minutes and action items for POU and country office follow up and ensure they are distributed in a timely manner.
• Update and maintain Pathfinder’s website and intranet site for the Programs Operations Unit, as well as individual country sites.
• Copyedit and review donor deliverables, including reports, work plans, and presentations.
• Generate reports and materials for countries when requested.
• Support the production and coordination of communication materials for field offices.
• Prepare country/project specific information to support HQ staff TA trips including as needed: Travel Approval Forms, SOWs, itineraries, , VISA related documents, hotel accommodations, safety and security packets, and concurrence.
• Coordinate HQ visitors from the field and potential employees (meetings, scheduling travel, accommodations, etc.).
• Be conversant with Pathfinder’s processes for working with local partners and liaise with the HQ grants manager and the country office in development and monitoring of sub-grants, including preparation of sub-grantee documents (SOWs, budgets, work plans) for circulation. Review sub-grant reports for completeness and follow up with project staff on missing documents.
• Prepare Independent Contract Agreements; collect all pertinent information from contractor (Scope of Work, CV, Bio-Data sheet, W9), circulate agreement for approval and send approval notification and documents to contractor and all relevant offices, modify agreements, facilitate payment to contractors, and coordinate travel.
• Assist with preparation and review of budgets and procurement, including, but not limited to, preparing requisitions, gathering vendor estimates for competitive bids, following due diligence procedures, and producing sole source justifications if needed.
• Assist with preparation of presentations and documents.
• Responsible for communicating deliverable reminders, including reports to donors and HQ, data collection, and project status updates.
• Organize and attend department meetings, retreats, and trainings as requested.
• Coordinate logistics of participant travel arrangements (flights, hotel, per diems, visas, concurrence requests, and letters of support) for international conferences and other meetings, in compliance with Pathfinder’s and donor’s travel policy.
• Serve on task forces as requested.
• May be responsible for supervising interns and other administrative support such as temporary and casual employees.
• Perform other duties and special tasks as assigned.
Basic Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree (preferably with an emphasis on international work and/or business administration) and at least two years administrative experience.
• At least 6 months international or public health related experience.
• Excellent English language skills and high-level professional proficiency in French.
• Excellent communication and meeting coordination skills, including experience with Skype and other teleconferencing systems, such as GoToMeeting, including screen sharing of documents.
• Demonstrated high proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with databases and website content maintenance.
• Experience and comfort working with budgets and/or financial systems.
• Excellent writing and copy-editing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to interact professionally and diplomatically with culturally diverse staff, clients and consultants.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective team member in a complex and fast paced environment.
• Must be a self-starter and possess good judgment, flexibility, and patience.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with ability to take initiative, work independently, and prioritize work flow and deadlines from multiple team members simultaneously.
• Identification with the Mission, Vision and Values of Pathfinder International.
Preferred Qualifications
• Additional language skills in Haitian Creole, highly desirable.
• Familiarity with reproductive health, family planning or maternal health desired.
• Previous grants management experience helpful.
• Demonstrated knowledge and usage of various social media platforms.
• Master’s degree in relevant field
• Experience living and working in Africa, Haiti or other developing regions
First monthly meeting of the Peace Corps Master’s International Program
The first monthly meeting of the Master's International Program (http://www.bu.edu/sph/academics/degrees-and-programs/peacecorps/) will take place on Thursday, Feb 18, from 5-6p.m in CT-305. Our guest will be Isabel Hirsch, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua. Please RSVP.
More about our Speaker:
Isabel Hirsch served as a health promoter in the large, hot, urban center of Leon, Nicaragua. During her service she worked in HIV, adolescent pregnancy, and maternal child health, got stung by two scorpions, and hiked up 10 volcanoes. Her health promotion projects included supporting resource-poor NGOs that engage in HIV mitigation and LGBTQ human rights, coordinating Camp GLOW, a national girl’s empowerment camp, and supporting a maternal shelter for rural pregnant women to stay before their due dates so that they could be closer to a hospital. Come learn a little bit about “the hardest job you will ever love” as well as a little bit about the beautiful and interesting country of Nicaragua.
Program Intern with Medicines for Humanity
Medicines for Humanity (MFH) is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children in impoverished communities worldwide. MFH works in countries throughout Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean to provide critically needed health services to women and children.
MFH is seeking a Program Intern to assist with research on public health interventions, monitoring and evaluation, and project management. This is an unpaid internship with flexible hours and ability to work from home.
Responsibilities:
- Research evidence based interventions in maternal, newborn and child health (MCNH).
- Research income generating activities (IGAs), impact of IGAs on health status, and integration of IGAs with health interventions.
- Research training curricula for use with Community Health Workers, Care Groups, and other MCNH projects.
- Provide research briefs on interventions to the Program Director and Program Manager.
- Research up to date tools for monitoring and collecting data on MCNH related project goals, indicators and activities.
- Assist in the creation/adaptation of health education materials.
- Assist in the review and analysis of project reports from the field on a quarterly basis for reasonability, accuracy, and consistency.
- Assist in coordination between field offices and Boston headquarters office as needed.
- Assist Program Director and Program Manager with other project management or research needs.
- By the end of the internship the intern will have produced several research briefs on MCNH interventions and health education materials for use in the field.
Qualifications:
- Current MPH, DrPH, or PhD student, preferably focusing in global health or health promotion.
- Strong interest in international development and healthcare.
- Self-motivated, and ability to work independently.
- Excellent analytical skills.
- Excellent skills in the use of excel.
- Fluency in Spanish preferred.
- Experience working/volunteering in a developing country preferred.
Interested candidates should send an email to kmuko@medicinesforhumanity.org and kfanfant@medicinesforhumanity.org immediately.
GH Meetup Kickoff Event: Sustainable Development and Universal Health Coverage
We hope you will join us for the first ever Global Health Meetup! This student-run event series will be a casual but engaging opportunity for global health students to connect over a current or relevant topic. Students will have the chance not only to learn from the discussion, but to learn from one another and get to know one another outside of the classroom. Meetups will take place on Fridays and a purely social event will follow each discussion. Snacks will also be provided!!
Friday, February 19
3:30 - 5:00pm, CT-305
Social event to follow
February 19 topic: Sustainable Development and Universal Health Coverage
As public health and development professionals, we must be knowledgeable and work within and for the global framework of human progress and change.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) titled “17 Goals to Transform Our World” in a historic gathering of member states and other interest groups. The Adoption of SDGs marked a shift in a number of Global priorities including health.
Join us for the first GH students Meetup to learn more about SDGs; how the different goals interact with and influence Global Health; and the subsequent change in international funding and aid directly influencing our work in Global Health.
If you have never heard of the SDGs OR if you know all about them but would like to discuss the Global Goals with other like-minded students, this event is for you.
Everyone is also invited to join our GH social event after our discussion.
Santander Applications Deadline Extended
The deadline for Santander Applications has been extended. Student now have until March 3 to apply. To learn more about the application and funding opportunities, please visit http://www.bu.edu/ghblast/gh-practicum/santander/
Pathfinder International Practicum Opportunity
PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL- PRACTICUM OPPORTUNITY
Location: Watertown, MA
Duration: Spring, 2016
Hours: 10-15 hours a week
Student qualifications:
History or background in sexual and reproductive health
Interest in women’s rights and social justice
Strong research and analytical skills
Project title: Abortion in India, the disconnect between policy and practice
Project description
Abortion in India is legally unrestricted, however women are too often unable to access safe, rights-based, comprehensive abortion services; so unsafe abortion and related deaths and morbidity are still high especially among the poor and young. Some contributing factors include sub-standard services in the public sector in particular (both clinical quality and quality as perceived by the women), but also the private sector, that is somehow related to stigma around abortion, lack of clarity around the law and abortion rights, and absence of political will.
Some steps have been taken by government, including, to an extent, bringing services down to the PHC level and expanding medical abortion in some places. But the continuing problems in services provided to women, as well as the unknown and untold number of women who never reach a facility or show up in a data bank need, to be addressed. The project will build on the 2014 literature review conducted by the Guttmacher Institute which began to explain the barriers and start to point to solutions. The task is to conduct a situational analysis of the state of abortion in India as a whole, and then focus on one state, most likely in the North, to assess the barriers and opportunities for significantly changing this situation for women as a model for other states. The inquiry will look at policy, service delivery and community barriers to access and quality. The intern will work with the Pathfinder Country Team in India and the Senior Advisor for Women’s Health and Rights at Pathfinder International in Watertown, and. Regarding policy, the intern can use the Pathfinder Straight to the Point Tool “Abortion Policy Scan for advocacy” and walk through the advocacy process, gain country level policy expertise on abortion, as well as have the opportunity to work with abortion advocates and practitioners to reduce high maternal mortality and morbidity from unsafe abortion in India.
In addition to abortion, and continuing the focus on neglected areas of women’s health and rights, the Pathfinder India Country team is looking for opportunities to address cervical cancer prevention in India. A parallel inquiry is needed to gain better understanding of the extent of the disease, the lack of programs and services, and how and where Pathfinder could intervene most effectively.
For both, we would be looking for strategies to address information needs and behavior change, like mHealth, to build demand for services as well as to make sure improved, quality services were available to women, especially the poor and young.
Unfortunately, opportunity is without financial compensation. Interested students can apply by sending a cover letter and their résumé or CV to:
Ellen Israel, Senior Advisor for Women’s Health and Rights, via:
eisrael@pathfinder.org with a cc to:
Justin Maly, MPH, Technical Advisor, mHealth, via:
Email: jmaly@pathfinder.org
Info Session: LeBoHA Practicum
Info Session:
Thursday, February 11
5pm - 5:50pm, CT-305
The Lesotho-Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHA) was formally established in 2007 and is a local NGO responsible for implementing Boston University activities in Lesotho. LeBoHA prides itself on being an organization that is Basotho-led and the majority of LeBoHA staff are Basotho. LeBoHA aims to strengthen management, policy, planning, and clinical capacity in the health sector of Lesotho. Our intent is to assist the country in responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis with the long-term goal of contributing to the development of a sustainable health sector that is 1) attractive to Basotho physicians and nurses and 2) improves the population’s access to good quality, relevant primary care services.
Interns provide essential support for the implementation, evaluation, and continued development of this program. We are currently seeking a full-time intern to be based in Lesotho for summer 2016. Start and end dates can be flexible and there is an opportunity to extend the internship. The intern will primarily focus on a new LeBoHA program, “Strengthening Civil Society for Better Health in Lesotho.” This program focuses on empowering communities and health workers to advance services and policies that will improve access to and quality of health care for Lesotho’s citizens. A special focus of this program will be on improving maternal health outcomes through increasing access to skilled attendants at childbirth.
The intern will work closely with the in-country LeBoHA team and provide key leadership and oversight for the successful implementation of this program. Airfare, accommodations, and a small living stipend will be provided. Interested candidates should submit: (1) your statement of interest, (2) your current CV to Gabrielle Newton at gnewton@bu.edu by March 1, 2016.
Student leaders needed for Social Enterprise Ideation Labs
ArchGrpU Social Enterprise Ideation Labs
Archimedes Project is recruiting student leaders to organize Ideation Labs at their universities. An Ideation Lab brings together a diverse and engaged group of students for three days to design a practical, scalable business model for a clean water or sanitation enterprise. From March to November ArchGrpU Student Coordinators lead a planning team of fellow students to plan and manage event logistics, recruit experts and mentors, raise funds, and research country specifics and appropriate technologies. Interested students can learn more and apply at archgrp.org/archgrpu.
For more information, please contact:
Angela McIntosh
Director of Special Events
617-657-4666
