Background:
A stable and prosperous Pakistan is a top priority in international development efforts of the UK Government. Empowerment and voice of women, girls and marginalized social groups is vital for these efforts to succeed. Therefore, enabling them to articulate their needs and influence legislation, policies and practices which affect them is at the heart of the UK’s development assistance. Better access to reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health and nutrition is an important entry point to achieve this objective.
Pakistan is off-track to achieve the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). DFID Pakistan (DFIDP) therefore is focussing on reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health (RMNCH) including nutrition to support effective implementation of health sector strategies that will lead to achievement of the health MDGs. DFID has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Pakistan on Provincial Health and Nutrition Programme (PHNP) to achieve RMNCH and nutrition results in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The Project (EVA-BHN):
Within the broader PHNP framework, Palladium Pakistan is responsible for the implementation of the Empowerment, Voice and Accountability for Better Health and Nutrition(EVA-BHN) project.
The objective of the programme is to increase the demand for better RMNCH services and nutrition and empower citizens to hold the service providers to account. Women, girls and children with the greatest needs and from underserved backgrounds will be prioritized. EVA-BHN will complement the supply-side interventions by increasing demand and strengthening mechanisms for greater and effective citizen participation and monitoring of health services. This includes:
- Influence health legislation, policy, practices, and service delivery through greater pressure and demand from the citizens. The project will work through a combination of empowerment, voice and accountability approaches including, but not limited to, awareness raising and mobilization, advocacy and lobbying, capacity building, coalitions and partnerships.
- Pilot innovative solutions for increasing access of the poor and women and girls to RMNCH and nutrition – with priority to increasing immunisation coverage, skilled birth attendance, modern contraceptive usage, child and mother nutrition, management of common child ailments and usage of primary healthcare facilities, community workers, etc.
These TORs relate to the Director Advocacy and Accountability role on Empowerment, Voice and Accountability for Better Health and Nutrition (EVA-BHN).
Outline of Position
The main objective of this position is to provide leadership and technical support to the programme team on the advocacy and accountability component. Moreover, the role holder will provide technical oversight to media and religious leader components of the project.
The incumbent will work closely with other technical leads and provincial managers to ensure the project implements different advocacy activities at the highest level of quality. S/he will be technically supervising the provincial Advocacy and Accountability Managers and will work closely with the media team.
Key Responsibilities, Duties and Tasks
Technical
- Lead and support RMNCH and Nutrition policy level engagements and advocacy interventions for different project activities
- Lead the design and support the implementation of advocacy interventions such as working with parliamentarians and civil society, networks/coalitions establishments, developing advocacy products and training packages and modes of engagement
- Identify the advocacy opportunities in governance of the provinces and undertake lobbying for pushing pro-poor RMNCH policy changes
- Effectively engage with technical counterparts in the public and private sector for strategic alliance building
- Lead the development of key advocacy materials and methods essential for project interventions scale up
- Provide support for conducting Power and Change analysis at provincial and district levels and effectively use it for required policy change.
- Provide technical guidance for conducting district advocacy forums and district based consultations in target districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Provide technical oversight to the design and implementation of mass media related activities
Mentoring and Capacity Building
- Work closely with and mentor provincial level Advocacy and Accountability Managers
- Create a team atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel
- Guide HANIF grantees on developing their advocacy strategies for scale up of their innovation when required
- Lead and support stakeholder capacity building through data demand and information use, Knowledge Management and DAF capacity building initiatives
- Support provincial managers in effective functioning of EVA supported Provincial Forums
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)
- Support the team for quality reporting of the activities by facilitating the monthly meetings, reviewing and providing feedback on reports, developing reporting tools, collating the reports both for internal and external consumption
- Provide technical support to development of project’s M&E system
- Support development of M&E tools and indicators
- Provide support in documenting the changes garnered by the project interventions at different levels
- Make recommendations to senior team for required changes in the light of M&E findings
Other Responsibilities
- Represent the project on key forums
- Contribute towards the quality assurance of the activities of EVA along with other senior team members
- Contribute towards management decisions as and when required by senior team
- Develop different TORs for the STTAs as relevant to Advocacy and Accountability work and provide inputs to other TORs as and when required by the team.
- Performing and other tasks as agreed with the Palladium Pakistan project management team.
Relationships
The Director Advocacy and Accountability will be managed by the director research Monitoring and evaluation and will work in close collaboration with provincial managers an the M&E, Community Empowerment and A&E technical specialists both at national and provincial levels. The Director Advocacy and Accountability will be technically supervising the Advocacy and Accountability Managers in the provinces.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE;
- Master’s Degree or above in related field from a well reputed institution.
- At least 10 years of professional experience in Advocacy and Accountability work specially health issues
- Demonstrated experience of verbal and written communication in advocacy settings, including media.
- Experience working with civil society, Bilateral clients, governmental organizations and private sector
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedure, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
- Computer competency with spreadsheets, databases and word processing suites;
- Knowledge of data crunching and formative research will be a plus
- Ability to develop efficient systems to manage databases used for programme planning and implementation.
- Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility and patience;
- Willingness to live, work and travel in an unstable political environment;