USAID Family Planning & Population Advisor

Opportunity in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted through CAMRIS International partnered with IAP World Services Inc, (IAPWS), to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:

Title: Family Planning & Population Advisor
USAID/Bangladesh, Office of Population, Health, Nutrition and Education United States Agency for International Development

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Family Planning & Population Advisor will provide senior technical expertise and management leadership to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of USAID/Bangladesh’s FP/RH programs, including integration of FP/RH with maternal and neonatal health (MNH) activities and implementation of best practices in FP/RH. S/he will work closely with USAID technical advisors on behavior change communications (BCC) in the design, implementation, coordination and monitoring of FP/RH programs. S/he will provide policy, strategic, technical, programming and budgetary guidance to USAID/Bangladesh, GOB counterparts, and USAID’s implementing partners to strengthen FP/RH and population programming. S/he will work within the OPHNE team and its implementing and donor partners to ensure that maximum program synergies and targeted results are achieved.

A. Family Planning Advising: S/he will:

• Serve as Family Planning & Population Advisor to USAID/Bangladesh’s mission management and the Office of Population, Health, Nutrition and Education
• Provide technical, programmatic and results-oriented leadership in all aspects of USAID/Bangladesh’s FP/RH programs.
• Play strategic role in expanding contraceptive method mix, including long acting and permanent methods (LAPM) within the NGO, private and public sector.
• Play a lead role in developing OPHN’s five-year strategic vision in FP/RH, a vision which should reflect opportunities for integration with MNH, scale-up of evidence-based interventions, sustainability and impact on maternal and neonatal mortality and family planning use.
• Liaise and coordinate with the GOB, donors, USG agencies, and international and local partners, playing a highly proactive role in repositioning family planning as a preventive health and a socioeconomic development intervention.
• Undertake technical reviews of implementing partners’ annual work plans to identify opportunities for application of evidence-based best practices and partner synergies and to avoid duplication of effort and no missed opportunities to integrate family planning into their activities.

B. Technical Leadership: As the Mission’s technical expert on FP/RH and population matters, s/he will:

• Plan and lead an innovative, sustainable FP/RH and population strategy focused in selected low-performing regions, which includes coordination of inputs and resources of key USAID, GOB and non-USAID partners and identification of synergies and opportunities to achieve impact.
• Plan and lead the scaling-up of a FP/RH service delivery strategy to increase access and use in selected low-performing regions focused on applying evidence-based best practices, which includes coordination of inputs and resources of key USAID, GOB and non-USAID partners and identifies synergies and opportunities to achieve impact.
• Collaborate with key USAID partners to develop and scale-up in selected low-performing regions a sustainable, integrated, community-based postpartum service delivery model that includes evidence-based messages for improved health of the mother, newborn and infant.
• Identify and implement strategies to advance understanding of the value and use of long-acting and permanent methods, especially for women who wish to use family planning to delay their first pregnancy, and/or space their next pregnancy at least two years after a live birth or limit future pregnancies.
• Stay current with and review literature and ongoing research activities related to FP, Population and BCC trends.
• Liaise regularly with USAID/Washington, Bureau for Global Health colleagues to share lessons and technical information and to apply lessons learned from research and evidence-based best practices in USAID/Bangladesh programs.

C. Programming: S/he will:

• Develop strategies and detailed implementation plans for improving FP/RH services and systems to improve FP outcomes under USAID/Bangladesh’s Operational Plan.
• Maintain a working knowledge of FP/RH epidemiology and trends and needs.
• Work with government officials at all levels to reposition family planning as a preventive health intervention; bring Bangladesh and other data to decision makers on pregnancy delay, spacing and limiting and improved health outcomes, to increase commitment to FP/RH.
• Ensure the development of evaluation plans and use of evaluation findings; prepare the FP/RH sections of the Mission’s annual reports.
• Work with USAID staff to monitor USAID-funded and non USAID- funded Bangladesh research related to family planning use and behavior change communication.
• Through annual training, mentoring and rigorous monitoring, lead the Mission’s efforts on Family Planning Legislative and Policy Requirements to ensure that FP/RH programs are compliant with relevant and applicable US government FP/RH statutes and regulations.
• Fulfill FP/RH related reporting requirements, including periodic updates of the health and population situation in Bangladesh (with the U.S. Embassy); prepare other briefing documents as required.
• Perform other duties as required that support the overall goal of the health office

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSE, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OR OTHER EXPERTISE REQUIRED. The contractor must have:

Education:

A minimum of a Master’s degree in public health, reproductive health, social science or other field related to international development. Specialized training in behavioral science/health education and population dynamics preferred.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing and implementing FP/RH and population programs is required, of which at least 3 years must be in a developing country setting, preferably in South Asia/South-East Asia. Demonstrated broad technical knowledge and experience in results-oriented family planning and reproductive health program planning and implementation required. Demonstrated broad technical knowledge and experience in planning, designing, implementing and evaluating behavior change communication programs required.

Experience working on FP/RH and population issues with international and national working groups with a variety of stakeholders including, host country government, program managers, policy makers and donors.

Experience in analyzing/synthesizing FP/RH and population data and effectively communicate results and policy implications through oral and written presentations to various types of stakeholders

Experience working with personnel from different USG agencies, host country governments, donors as well as USG contractors and/or grantees in a cross-cultural environment.

Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply FP/RH and population directives to ensure compliance with USAID policy and regulations.

Experience with USAID programs, procedures and systems for program design, procurement, logistics, management and monitoring is strongly preferred. Experience/knowledge of state of the art FP/RH and population practices and programming required.

Language Proficiency and Communication Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skill in English is required. Proven ability to communicate complex and technical issues, orally and in writing in a clear and organized manner is also required. Ability to communicate technical health information to both health and non-health audiences is essential.

Demonstrated ability to make verbal and written presentations logically and persuasively to a wide variety of stakeholders, for example to senior USG officials, host country government policy makers, public and non-public health program professionals, donors, researchers, civil society members and the media.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Comprehensive knowledge of Bangladesh’s health, cultural, social, economic and political setting desired.

Thorough knowledge of issues and current evidence related to FP/RH and population and links with MCH, nutrition, TB and HIV-AIDS in order to advise the host country government and USAID Mission on effective programming. Sound knowledge on FP/RH and population issues to guide and advise host country Health Ministry and USAID on use of appropriate approaches for restarting national family planning and population program.

Excellent analytical skills and understanding of the current FP/RH and population concepts, priorities to shape USAID new learning agenda. Ability to monitor USAID FP/RH program performance and provide evidence based policy and program guidance to implementing partners to achieve desired results.

Excellent leadership, communications and interpersonal skills to work effectively with a broad range of USG personnel, host-country high level policy makers, health program managers, international and national partners and donors.

Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment

High degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret strategies, and to analyze, develop and present work results

Ability to use various computer packages (MS Word, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint, other data analysis statistical package).

Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and teambuilding skills

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

This is an opportunity for employment or a contract, but we reserve the right to make no selection or award.

CAMRIS International and IAP World Services Inc. offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Candidates meeting the requirements for the position will be required to provide a USAID 1420-17 Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet to document employment and salary history.

CAMRIS and IAP are Equal Opportunity Employers EOE M/F/D/V

How to apply:

Please submit your resume online at www.iapws.com.