Project Management Specialist (Orphans and Vulnerable Children)

USAID/Uganda is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Project Management Specialist (Orphans and Vulnerable Children).

The AID Project Management Specialist (Orphans and Vulnerable Children – PMS/OVC) position is located in the Education, Youth and Child Development (EYCD) Office. This position supports cross-cutting activities within EYCD and regularly liaises with colleagues in other technical offices to ensure coordination of holistic services for OVC.

Recognizing the global HIV/AIDS pandemic as one of the greatest health challenges of our time, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003. Uganda receives approximately US$200M in FY funds to support a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment program, including support for OVC, systems strengthening, and overall improvements in service delivery. The OVC earmarked funds amount to approximately US$22M per year and are dedicated to comprehensive child protection and family strengthening services including non-health assistance and HIV and violence prevention programming with young people ages 10-14.

The PMS/OVC serves as Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (A/COR) of OVC activities and is a technical expert in OVC child protection, and related technical areas of social service provision and support to OVC.

The PMS/OVC is a key member of the EYCD Office. The PMS/OVC provides technical and professional leadership to plan, implement, monitor, and oversee OVC and child protection activities. The PMS/OVC has responsibility for ensuring coordination of OVC programs funded by the USG through a variety of governmental and non‑governmental (NGO) partners at provincial, district, and community levels. The role of the PMS/OVC includes planning, designing, organizing, directing, and coordinating development programs and arranging for monitoring and evaluation of activities implemented by NGOs, CBOs, UN Agencies, and other partner organizations through grants, cooperative agreements, and/or contracts. The PMS/OVC is responsible for PEPFAR and non-PEPFAR program activities that strengthen community-level capability to cope with the hundreds of thousands of children and families affected or infected by HIV/AIDS, to ensure that the OVC program is comprehensive and broad-based, and to ensure that Implementing Partners (IPs) follow the Government of Uganda (GoU) OVC and child protection guidance, as well as USG requirements and guidance for OVC and child protection programming.

Requiring a multi-sectoral response to effectively address the needs of OVC participants, all planning, management, implementation and monitoring must be in concert with key USAID focal areas including Education, Health, and Economic Growth. The PMS/OVC is responsible for identifying and building/strengthening linkages with other HIV initiatives and activities, such as pediatric care and treatment, HIV counseling and testing, elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, (EPMTCT), early infant diagnosis, and HIV prevention for youth. Non-health interventions are also required to ensure that children and families are health, stable, safe and schooled..

The PMS/OVC applies community-based services knowledge and experience to help achieve higher levels of service delivery for communities, and a better quality of life for in the most vulnerable Ugandan children and families, including those affected by HIV/AIDS.

The PMS/OVC reports to the EYCD/OVC Team Leader

A. EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Social Work, Psychology, International Development, Community Development, or the equivalent in a job-related field is required.

B. PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE

-- Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in community-based service provision, with an emphasis on family strengthening, child development or child protection, and/or service provision is required.

-- Of those seven years, at least six (6) years must include experience with planning, developing, managing, and evaluating OVC and/or child protection programs and community activities with donor organizations, GoU organizations, and/or NGOs and analyzing program data and presenting findings in written or oral form.

C. JOB KNOWLEDGE:

-- Strong knowledge of OVC and child protection programming and strategic needs in Uganda and in other sub-Saharan African countries, including lessons learned that are applicable to Uganda; and a thorough understanding of the social, economic, and cultural determinants that contribute to vulnerability of children and families in Uganda.

-- Expert knowledge of OVC and child protection policies, including the National Child Policy; Understanding of other donor involvement in OVC, child protection, and social service provision; understanding of community-based care activities and family strengthening approaches; and knowledge of US Government and PEPFAR policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation.

-- In-depth knowledge of social systems strengthening, and service delivery is a must.

D. SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

-- Technical expertise in OVC and/or child protection programming.

-- Ability to develop and maintain effective working- and management-level contacts counterparts in the Mission, interagency, host government, other donors, and NGOs.

-- Ability to work effectively with team and interagency environments, and to train, mentor, and effectively coordinate with others.

-- Ability to interpret regulatory directives and related guidance.

-- Proficiency in Google Suite (and/or similar Microsoft products), MS Word, Excel, database software, Email, and the internet.

-- Strong management skills, including financial and administrative, management, and monitoring skills to track the performance of IPs and activities.

-- Ability to present information, analyses, and recommendations in clear written and oral formats.

-- Ability to travel within Uganda upto 20% of the time, with occasional international travel.