Senior Sector Advisor (SSA) Health & Nutrition

Senior Sector Advisor (SSA) Health and Nutrition

Services Designation: Senior Sector Advisor (SSA) Health & Nutrition

LAO/035 Programme – “Health and Nutrition” 

Location: Vientiane, LAO PDR

Starting date: 01.07.2023

Duration: 24 months (renewable)

1. Background

The Lao and Luxembourg governments decided for the fifth Lao-Luxembourg Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP V) to maintain and deepen collaboration nationally, but with emphasis on the provinces of Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane, through following four sectoral programmes (2023-2027) with a total budget of approximately 100 million EUR, as follows:

·       Health and Nutrition (H&N) with a budget of 32,5 million EUR.

·       Local Development with a budget of 34 million EUR (including Swiss co-financing).

·       Skills for Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry (STAF) with a budget of 25 million EUR (including Swiss and EU co-financing).

·       Rule of Law, Access to Justice and Good Governance (ROLAG) with a budget of 9 million EUR.

The earmarked interventions will be interconnected through a common human capital development approach towards sustainable results. This will be the foundation of ICP V and key to contribute to eradicate extreme poverty and strengthen socio-economic inclusion in the target areas.

The Health and Nutrition programme is the continuation and further expansion of two previous healthcare support initiatives named Lao-Luxembourg health sector support programme (LL-HSSP). The programme will work in close cooperation with the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP), especially at the provincial level in the fields of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and nutrition – latter in close concert with ongoing initiatives undertaken by Caritas Luxembourg.

The duration of the sectoral programme is set at five years comprising a total budget of 32,5 million EUR, including 4,5 million EUR for Aide au Développement de la Santé (ADS), a Luxembourg non-governmental organization (NGO) working for more than 20 years in Lao PDR in the field of cardiology.

The programme will predominantly contribute to the long-term change objective that Lao people have access to an essential health service package (including RMNCAH and nutrition services) of adequate quality and affordable to all, leaving no one behind, whereby Lao people do indeed have “access” to those health services, those health services are affordable to all, and those health services provided to Lao people are of good quality.

The programme will uphold a geographic focus on all districts in the three provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane Province but aims to deepen interventions to enhance overall effectiveness and efficiency. Programme expansion to Bokeo province will interface with a parallel Luxembourg-financed Local Development programme as well as the UNJP.

For good quality health service to be provided to Lao people, eight broad areas of intervention are described as part of the Theory of Change (ToC) pathway, each contributing to Human Resources Capital Development (HRCD).

Overall, the ICP V sectoral programme aims at creating favourable conditions for institutional and technical sustainability with:

·       the accent put on HRCD, training and capacity development activities,

·       an emphasis on embedding supported activities into the national management structures, and

·       the institutionalisation and expansion of the Joint Participatory Mechanism i.e., a “multiplication” co-financing apparatus between Laos and Luxembourg to finance health care operations and out-of-pocket expenses at grassroots level in the participating provinces.

Regarding the national level, the Health and Nutrition programme will closely work together with other bilateral and multilateral actors in the sector to ensure Luxembourg interventions are harmonized, including in policy dialogue, practical collaboration, and coordination.

2. OBJECTIVES

The SSA represents LuxDev with the implementation of the sectoral programme and ensures that all processes defined by the Agency are implemented in accordance with the LuxDev Quality Manual.

The SSA is the representative of the donor (first-level authority) for the execution of technical and financial commitments contributing to the programme.

The SSA will be fully responsible for all institutional, organisational, skills and technical matters dealing with her/his sectoral field of competence overall meaning nationally and be in very close contact with the provincial (operational) teams as per above schematic.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

Implementation of the interventions

·       Lead the Luxembourg Health Sector human resource capital development initiate at national and provincial level.

·       Strengthen governance and process ownership at the provincial level.

·       Guide technical staff/sectoral advisors based in Vientiane capital and at provincial levels.

·       Strengthen service delivery and quality of care at provincial level.

·       Provide expert technical assistance at the central level (Vientiane capital) to counterparts related to key central-level functions such as policymaking, sectoral coordination, monitoring, evaluation and learning including strategic support to the Luxembourg Embassy and LuxDev.

·       Ensure efficient implementation of the interventions in the provinces and at national partner organisations in Vientiane capital.

·       Provide sector-specific, strategic and technical guidance to the province-based technical staff/sectoral advisors, while liaising closely with LuxDev’s international provincial coordinator(s) who are overseeing provincial support teams in charge of day-to-day operations in all 4 sectoral programmes.

·       Promote knowledge management and experience sharing between the provincial sectoral advisors, their counterparts and other stakeholders.

Specific tasks in close concert with LuxDev’s mutual/collective ICP V (i) cross-cutting and (ii) administration and finance pools complementary to all 4 programmes:

·       Warrant that programme monitoring and evaluation is adequately implemented.

·       Ensure that gender, rights-based approaches, climate change, D4D and capacity strengthening thematic areas are incorporated and perfectly addressed throughout the programme.

·       Accompany the HR, administrative and financial management of the programme.

·       Have a technical representation role in close concert with the Regional Office and the Luxembourg Embassy in Vientiane.

4. EXPERT PROFILE

Education, experience, and languages

·       Master degree in medicine is a prerequisite, a post graduate specialization in health systems (e.g. public health, health economics, medical engineering or other is an advantage).

·       Clinical experience is an advantage.

·       Minimum of 15 years’ work experience including 5 years in international development (private sector, embassy/ies, university, multi-bilateral aid, NGOs, etc).

·       Demonstrated experience in leading a health programme with a budget exceeding 20 million EUR.

·       Demonstrated experience in strengthening health systems in developing country.

·       Previous work experience in Laos or Southeast Asia.

·       Fluency in English language.

·       French, Lao or Thai language skills will be an advantage.

Professional competencies

·       Project and programme cycle management.

·       Change management.

·       IT skills.

·       Human resources management.

·       Networking, governance and policy dialogue skills.

Technical competencies

·       Knowledge of health systems’ strengthening core components: (i) service delivery, (ii) health workforce, (iii) health information systems, (iv) access to essential medicines, (v) financing, and (vi) leadership/governance.

·       Knowledge in some or all following sub-sectoral areas: public and primary health care, nutrition, communicable and non-communicable disease patterns as well as specific medical and health niche subjects such as cardiology.

·       Governance strengthening.

·       Writing for development.

Transversal competencies

·       Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.

·       Capability to integrate cross-cutting themes into programme operations.

·       Team management.

How to apply:

Please apply via our website: https://careers.luxdev.lu/job-invite/1101/

Deadline: 30 April 2023