1) General Statement of Purpose of the Contract.
The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) represents the U.S. Government (USG) response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history. Thanks to American leadership and generosity, alongside the work of many partners, PEPFAR has saved millions of lives, averted millions of infections, and changed the course of the epidemic. As countries progress towards HIV/AIDS epidemic control, the point at which new HIV infections have decreased and fall below the total number of deaths among HIV-infected individuals, PEPFAR is now undertaking the challenge of controlling the pandemic. This position is in Health
HIV/AIDS Office (OHH). OHH is the largest Strategic Objective Team in USAID/Uganda and manages an annual budget of $284.5M portfolio. In addition to the office leadership group, there are six technical units in the OHH, namely (1) Health System Strengthening Unit (HSS), (2)HIV & TB Unit (HIV/TB), (3) Malaria Unit (PMI), (4) Global Health Security and Emerging Pandemic Threats Unit (GHS/EPT) (5) Family Health Unit (FHT), (6) Strategic Information Unit (SI). This position is in the HIV/TB-Prevention sub-unit.
This is a mid-level professional position responsible for providing programmatic expertise and technical leadership in comprehensive biomedical, behavioral, and structural HIV prevention. The PMS ensures that the mission has the necessary technical and management expertise to handle and successfully implement HIV/AIDS programs and activities in USAID/Uganda’s portfolio; demonstrates experience in planning, implementing, monitoring of HIV/AIDS prevention including: HIV testing and counselling, voluntary medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, condom promotion, the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) initiative, social and behavior change communication, gender based violence prevention, care and mitigation as well as targeted key and priority population programming; provides strategic direction and technical guidance to HIV/AIDS prevention programs and linkages to the USAID Mission, other USG agencies, the Government of Uganda (GOU) and donor and other implementing partners (IPs); provides full COR/AOR oversight and professional management, implementation, and direction to programs/projects/activities conducted by IPs under Contract, Cooperative Agreement, and/or Grant. The assignments include responsibility for the monitoring and evaluation of existing prevention programs/projects/activities and for developing and implementing new programs/projects/activities, as required; working across OHH and other offices in the Mission to support a coordinated, strategic approach to HIV prevention programming; providing expertise in organizational capacity strengthening, entailing transfer of knowledge and skills to local partners in HIV prevention programming and institutional development including leadership and governance, management, fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
The PMS identifies opportunities for maximizing USG investments in HIV prevention through fostering strong partnerships with the GOU and other development partners to ensure that the Mission’s HIV prevention interventions are coordinated with, complement, and leverage the efforts of government and its partners; exercises considerable judgment and discretion in dealing with senior-and mid-level partners in other USG agencies and with the GOU, donors, other local organizations, IPs; performs emerging duties necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of USAID/Uganda; and reports to the Senior HIVAIDS Prevention Advisor and has no supervisory responsibility.
2) Statement of duties to be performed.
1. Project Planning and Management (65 percent of time)
Provide expert guidance in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV prevention programs.
Support USAID IPs both within the public and private sectors to develop strategic work plans with realistic and measurable targets to support effective implementation of the Mission’s and PEPFAR HIV prevention program.
Engage actively as the Mission’s HIV prevention expert in the preparation of key annual and mid-term planning and reporting documents including the Country Operational Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual Progress Reports.
Contribute to and where applicable participate in HIV/AIDS related program reviews and evaluations with aim of documenting and scaling up good practices.
Serve as C/AOR on designated HIV/AIDS and other health programs.
Provide expert guidance in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV prevention programs.
Participate in Mission Reviews of technical proposals to potential grantees, to ensure that proposals are technically sound, realistic, and meet the needs of the target beneficiaries and communities.
Prepare quality documents including Concept Papers, Action Memoranda, Scopes of Work, and budgets for assigned activities in a timely and efficient manner and consistent with USAID regulations and policies.
Ensure quality and efficacy of HIV prevention services at facility and community-level through monitoring compliance to national and international guidelines, approaches and tools and provision of supportive supervisions to IPs.
Monitor program resources allocated for HIV prevention activities to ensure that they are being used rationally and that there are no cost overruns.
Report implementation obstacles to relevant OHH team members and make appropriate recommendations to resolve them.
2. Coordination (35 percent of time)
Participate in consultations with USG implementers and other key stakeholders, including civil society groups, involved in improving HIV prevention services in Uganda both in the public and private sectors.
Engage with other PEPFAR agencies, technical counterparts in Ministry of Health and other national stakeholders to shore up the Mission’s leadership in key HIV prevention interventions.
Ensure that USAID successes, best practices, and approaches are shared widely with partner country officials, private sector, civil society, and other donors.
Provide on-going technical assistance to USAID supported local partners to ensure that their activities are evidence-based; services offered are transparent, equitable and responsive to current needs and priorities; that partners practice sound management and robust accounting and that local partners are well-prepared to assume and sustain leadership of the HIV response.
Work with the Office of Financial Management to undertake routine reviews and assessments of local partners aimed at identifying internal control weaknesses and taking remedial action.
3) Supervision Received.
The PMS works under the general supervision of the Senior HIV/AIDS Prevention Advisor. Assignments are made orally and in writing. Assignments occur in the normal course of the work, but the PMS is required to determine those that must be coordinated with the supervisor. The supervisor provides a review of the assignment, the goals, and objectives to be achieved, and the results expected. The PMS will seek advice and assistance as required. Work is reviewed in terms of results achieved.
4) Supervision Exercised.
Continuing supervision of other Mission staff is not contemplated. However, the PMS has responsibility of local capacity building by coaching and mentoring local partners on HIV prevention programming, institutional development, fiscal responsibility, and sustainability.
12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
Offers will be initially screened for compliance with application instructions and eligibility in accordance with the minimum qualification criteria listed below. To ensure compliance with the entire set of this solicitation instructions (please see page 7 to 10 – III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS and IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER sections), the offer package must be completed and signed (hand or electronic signature) where indicated – and offerors must include in their offers information to demonstrate that they:
(1) have attained the required education level; and
(2) meet the experience requirements, etc.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Medicine, Public Health, International Development, or other closely related field required.
Prior Work Experience:
Five (5) years of progressively responsible, professional experience in HIV/AIDS with USAID and/or other multi-lateral or bi-lateral organization Increasingly responsible experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives in developing countries.
Demonstrated experience with developing, implementing and assessing of institutional processes and systems particularly in local organizations.
Experience with PEPFAR programming and reporting.
Language Proficiency:
Level IV (fluent) English language proficiency, speaking and writing, is required.
