Team Leader - Health Systems Improvement, Congo
Project Overview and Role:
Palladium is seeking a Team Leader for a DFID health programme in the DRC called Programme d’Amelioration de la Qualite des soins de Santé (PAQS) (Improving Quality of Health Care in DRC programme).
The programme will continue DFID’s investments in the region and focus on reducing maternal and under-five mortality. It aims to achieve these impacts through a stronger public health system which is able to deliver quality maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services, contributing to improved human capital, reduction in stunting rate, reduction of fertility rate and poverty reduction.
PAQS will increase access and uptake of essential health, family planning and nutrition services (provide continuum of care), an increase in modern contraceptive prevalence rate, and health systems strengthe ning including emergency preparedness, capacity building of health workers, strengthening supply chain management system, governance and financial management, health information systems and infrastructure support.
PAQS will be delivered in the provinces of South Ubangi, North Ubangi and Kasai and provide support at the federal level.
Location: Kinshasa (with travel), DRC
Reporting to: Project Director (Based in the UK)
Duration: 5 years, full-time
Responsibilities
The Team Leader will be responsible for overall leadership and management of all aspects of the project, including overseeing the technical, financial, and administrative matters to achieve the project’s objectives and ensure successful delivery of the programme. The Team Leader will establish and maintain good working relationships with host government at the national, provincial and district levels and local partners. The Team Leader will take the overall responsibi lity for ensuring the delivery and quality of the project deliverables, results and milestones. She/he will represent Palladium to the client and other donor groups, ministries, sub-national government at provincial and district levels, community organisations, and other key stakeholders. She/he will ensure that project objectives, outcomes, and milestones/deliverables are met and that financial, operational, and reporting requirements of the donor are adhered to.
Technical Delivery
* The TL will be ultimately responsible for the development and successful delivery of all project outputs/outcomes/deliverables throughout the lifetime of the project.
* Assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of the project and achievement of the programme's objectives and milestones on time and within budget;
* Monitor progress on delivering outputs, use of resources, impact and results;
* Ensure timely delivery of quality services and contrac tual commitments outlined in the head contract;
* Monitor implementation progress; maintain up to date project logs and registers; work to resolve issues, manages and mitigates risks; and escalate material issues and risks as appropriate;
* Lead the refinement of the project design and planning during the inception phase including finalization of the implementation phase work plan;
* Provide technical expertise and oversight, working closely with the three provincial teams against a costed workplan plan to ensure delivery on time and budget.
* Take overall responsibility for the technical content of the programme, workplans and manuals;
* Oversee timely and accurate reporting to DFID and Palladium including the production of all quarterly reports and any additional reporting the client may require including on Value for Money;
* Work with the programme team and the evaluation team where appropriate to develop and prepare materials and project annual reviews, programme specific reviews and the programme completion review;
* Provide direct technical inputs to the programme as required and in the development of programmatic functions, e.g., development of work plans and budgets.
Project Management
* Provide guidance, oversight and quality assurance for all project activities, outputs and deliverables.
* Assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of work plans to ensure delivery is on time, within budget, meets client and stakeholder expectations and is contractually compliant.
* Develop and implement plans for results measurement, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, value for money analysis and communication management.
Relationship Management
* Represent and promote the programme as the Team leader for PAQS as the primary in-country point of contact of the project for DFID.
* Develop strong working relationships with the programme’s contact po ints in the Congolese Government (national and at provincial level), DFID (including the programme SRO) and other donor programmes in the health space, and leading on reporting to them, through both formal and informal channels.
* Manage relationships with the host country government, counterpart agencies, project partners, stakeholders and business partners.
Management of the Team
* With support from the Project Director, direct and coordinate the programme team to ensure achievement of programme objectives and milestones;
* Work with the team to develop and update the overall programme work plan and ensure technical and operational programme activities are comprehensively tracked and shared amongst relevant team members and partners;
* Ensure adequate oversight of the implementation of PAQS activities by national and International partners as per the programme's workplan.
* Work with Palladium’s project management team to develo p TORs for programme staff, brief and facilitate the interview and selection process for the technical staff;
Required Qualifications:
* Educated to university degree level or above, preferably holding a Master’s degree and/or a M.D qualification; lack of academic background can be compensated by experience.
* Extensive experience in leading integrated health and/or primary healthcare programmes in the DRC and more specifically, in Kasai, South Ubangi and North Ubangi.
* Areas of experience and expertise encouraged include: Health Systems Strengthening, Service Delivery, and Health Governance and Financing (MNCAH and Family Planning).
* Strong pre-existing relationships with the DRC Ministry of Health and relevant health stakeholders in the target provinces.
* Expertise in building and managing programmatic relationships with high level stakeholders from government, civil society and donors involved in the DRC health sp ace.
* Experience working with donors on health programmes in a management role.
* Strong expertise in a management role in complex, large programmes, including managing and mentoring senior members of staff, with some experience doing so in the DRC or in conflict-afflicted regions.
* Good understanding of governance and public administration in the DRC.
* Strong experience in managing complex teams.
* Fluency in French and English.
Congolese nationals are strongly encouraged to apply
