Health Literacy Advisor

Code of Conduct

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POSITION:                  Health Literacy Advisor                                                                                                                

REPORTS TO:            Deputy Chief of Party

DUTY STATION:       Addis Ababa

PROGRAM:               USAID-Empowered Communities Activity (ECA)

MINIMUM HOURS OF WORK:   40 hours per week

Background

Project HOPE is an international NGO of more than 500 engaged employees and hundreds of volunteers who work in more than 25 countries, responding to the world’s most pressing global health challenges.

Activity Overview

Empowered Communities Activity is a four-year USAID funded activity implemented by Project HOPE led consortium that includes JSI, and seven (8) local implementing partners (LIPs) The activity covers five (5) geographic regions of Ethiopia; namely, Oromia, Amhara, Afar, South Ethiopia and central Ethiopia). The goal of this activity is to strengthen community systems and platforms to improve health and nutrition outcomes. It aims to improving community level health literacy and engagement, capacity strengthening of non-state actors (NSAs) and accountability systems as well as increasing service delivery through NSA managed health facilities.

USAID ECA strives to achieve a higher level of engagement by the community whereby members develop influence and take ownership in the decision-making processes that can improve their own health status. This relies on a multifaceted approach to increase health literacy among communities to improve health seeking behaviour at various levels.

JOB SUMMARY

The health literacy Advisor will be responsible to provide technical guidance for the health literacy activities across the ECA project both nationally and at Regional/ area office level. S/he will work closely with the USAID Health Behavior Activity to ensure coordination and reduce duplication.

Under the direct supervision of the DCOP, S/he will provide technical guidance for the health and health system literacy at national/ regional/ area office level. This role will transition to local partners in years 3-4.

Project HOPE seeks an experienced Health literacy Advisor to technically lead the health literacy intervention of ECA and build the culture of collaboration and work closely with the government sectors, LIPs, and other implementing partners in the design and implementation of SBCC Strategies interventions and messages throughout the life Empowered Communities activity.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSILBILITIES

The Health Literacy Advisor is a full-time staff of Project HOPE, under the USAID Empowered Communities activity. He/She will be in-charge of lead the development, planning, and implementation of health literacy development strategy, message guide, and tools. Engage in SBC coordination platforms and provide technical assistance in relation to health and health system literacy representing ECA.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Lead the development, planning, and implementation of health literacy development strategy.

• Apply human-centered design techniques and approaches, social marketing model for health, and behavioural economics principles and concepts in the design, implementation, and monitoring of health and health system literacy interventions and activities.
• Work closely with MOH and RHBs to strengthen the SBC coordination platforms and provide technical assistance in relation to health and health system literacy.
• Work closely with the Learning, Monitoring, and Evaluation team to generate evidence on the determinants of health literacy, socio-cultural, and behavioural factors to inform the design of behaviourally informed health literacy interventions and activities.
• Develop and/adapt health and health system literacy guide, SBC materials, messages, and tools.
• Contextualize health and health system literacy interventions and activities to different contexts including pastoralist areas.
• Create health literacy friendly primary health care facilities in collaboration with other USAID investments.
• Support the health system to strengthen health-facility based health promotion for health and health system literacy.
• Ensure use of effective mix and contextualized of communication channels to increase reach of health and health system messages and interventions to the wider community.
• Integrate health and health system literacy interventions into the existing community structures and platforms, community dialogue, discussion, and social mobilization activities.   
• Build on school health and nutrition initiative to reach school communities with health literacy messages and improve their health and health system literacy.   
• Provide technical oversight in the development and implementation of various health literacy implementation guides, manuals, tools, and training materials in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Enhance the capacity of Local Implementing Partners (LIPs) related to health and health system literacy interventions and activities through training, support systems, and performance reviews.
• Ensure the health and health system literacy interventions and activities are gender-responsive and inclusive of diverse community groups including vulnerable and marginalized groups
• Work closely with the ECA’s regional team and LIPs to facilitate the implementation of health and health system interventions and activities in ECA’s implementation areas
• Design, pilot, and implement local innovative solutions to address implementation challenges in relation to health and health system literacy.
• In collaboration with LIPs and ECA’s Regional Team, identify and document success stories, lessons, and challenges.
•  Prepare and submit quarterly progressive report and annual and budget work plan for health literacy activities.
• Perform other functions assigned by the DCOP,COP and Country representative of Project HOPE.

• Master’s degree in health fields, health education and communication, Social Science, or related fields with training and/or experience related to Social and Behavior Change
• More than seven years of demonstrated technical and programmatic experience on Social and Behavior Change
• Familiarity and demonstrated experience with Ethiopian Primary Health Care system including the Community Health Program, community engagement, community structures
• Robust experience on SBC materials, strategy, protocols, tools, manuals and training materials development and implementation
• Demonstrated experience on capacity development of NSAs/CSOs
• Familiarity and demonstrated experience with Ethiopian Primary Health Care system including the Community Health Program in Agrarian and pastoralist contexts.
• Strong experience in evidence synthesis and analysis for program and intervention design
• Strong communication, interpersonal skills, and writing skills.
• Experience in evidence synthesis and analysis for program and intervention design.
• Experience of working with local governments, international organizations, other bilateral donor and civil society organizations, and senior level government officials is desired.
• Excellent track record of successful teamwork, good presentation/facilitation skills interpersonal and communication skills, including oral and written fluency in local language and English.
• Excellence planning, organization, and supervision skills and Able to work with minimum supervision. 
• Experience in practical fieldwork and supervision skills and ability to travel to project operation sites nearly half (50%) of its time.