DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME:

GOAL has been operating in Sudan since 1984 and currently implements programs in the North Darfur and South Kordofan states. These programs focus on health, nutrition, food security and livelihoods (FSL), and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Recently, GOAL successfully completed a health systems strengthening project called HealthPro in North Darfur, specifically in the localities of Kutum, Umbaro, and Serf Umra. The follow-on project, HealthPro-2, commenced in February 2024 and is being implemented in both North Darfur and South Kordofan, with potential plans for scaling up in White Nile. Funded by the European Union (EU), the project aims to improve the health conditions of vulnerable populations affected by extreme poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition in the target states. HealthPro-2 is being implemented in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health (SMOH), the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and the National Medical Supplies Fund (NMSF) across these states.

The implementation encompasses various activities at the state, locality, health facility, and community levels. These activities will include a range of health systems strengthening (HSS) and social accountability (SA) activities along the six World Health Organization (WHO) health system building blocks to improve the availability and quality of health services in 16 primary healthcare (PHC) facilities, as well as the referral linkages between the PHCs and the rural hospitals. Additionally, several HSS and SA initiatives will be carried out at the State and Locality Health Department (LHD) levels, including the strengthening of the governance of the decentralized health system in the target states and localities. Despite the ongoing war in Sudan posing several challenges, GOAL remains committed to delivering humanitarian and development interventions to communities in North Darfur, South Kordofan, and potentially White Nile State. Consequently, GOAL is currently seeking a senior, competent, and dedicated HSS and SA Coordinator to lead the implementation of a wide range of HSS and SA activities in White Nile State, at both the State level and three target localities, the selection of which is yet to be finalized.   

General Description of the Role

The HealthPro-2 HSS and SA Coordinator will lead the implementation of the project strategy and components related to health system counterparts and stakeholders, as well as community engagement, health promotion, and accountability. The coordinator will work closely with the SMOH, LHDs, NHIF, and NMSF, as well as national NGOs, Community Health Committees (CHCs), and other health system stakeholders in White Nile, which are central to the overall project strategy. GOAL will coordinate this action closely, including monitoring the implementation of various agreements signed by these stakeholders and promoting each stakeholder to fulfil their role in the sustainable health system. The HSS and SA Coordinator will also lead the project actions to build and strengthen the communication and accountability linkages between communities and health system actors. They will also oversee community-based health promotion and livelihood activities implemented by GOAL and national NGO partners. Given the many interlinkages between different components of the HealthPro-2 project, all HealthPro-2 staff will be expected to work effectively as a team and closely support the achievement of all project objectives. Reporting to the HealthPro Project Coordinator, the HSS and SA Coordinator will oversee the staff and budget for health system and social accountability components of the project and must ensure that all EU and GOAL compliance and policies are upheld.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Technical & Programme Management

1. Health System Strengthening

• Lead the implementation of the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) components of the HealthPro project, ensuring that the planned HSS activities are executed, and maintaining close collaboration with the White Nile HSS stakeholders, including the State Ministry of Health (SMOH), the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the National Medical Supply Fund (NMSF), and the Locality Health Departments (LHDs), all of which are critical counterparts in HealthPro-2 implementation.
• Take the lead in facilitating discussions regarding the implementation of the HealthPro-2 project. This includes regular communication with SMOH, LHDs, NHIF, NMSF, and other relevant counterparts to build consensus on implementation modalities, sign the necessary agreements, and effectively carry out and oversee HSS interventions at all levels.
• Monitor and ensure the implementation of the various agreements signed with project counterparts, especially with SMOH, NHIF, and NMSF to effectively implement the project strategy.
• Develop and monitor detailed implementation and procurement plans for all HSS activities, in collaboration with SMOH, NHIF, NMSF, LHDs, and other key project counterparts and stakeholders.
• Work closely with SMOH, NHIF, and NMSF to achieve the implementation of a uniform and sustainable model of health service delivery in the 6 target PHC facilities in White Nile, including any construction/rehabilitation, staffing, the provision of medical equipment and furniture, and facilitating the implementation of the full package of primary health care services in each health facility.
• Work closely with the HealthPro-2 Construction Coordinator to define needs and support the oversight of all construction/rehabilitation of health facilities and LHD offices alongside SMOH, NHIF, LHDs, health facility management, and Community Health Committees (CHC), to ensure SMOH infrastructure and service delivery standards are met for all the targeted health facilities, including any construction/rehabilitation, staffing, equipment, furniture, training of health workers, as well as the expansion of primary health care services.
• Lead the implementation of interventions aimed at improving the referral linkages between PHC facilities and rural hospitals in each target locality. This involves ensuring the effective implementation of referral standard operating procedures (SOPs) and facilitating the provision of referral support for emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and Stabilization Center (SC) services.
• Work closely with the SMOH, LHDs, and the health facility quality management teams to improve quality of PHC services in the target health facilities.
• Work closely with GOAL's humanitarian team, SMOH, and LHDs to strengthen the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) at the target PHC facilities and enhance the EmOC and SC services at the rural hospitals within the three target localities. 
• Coordinate with the HealthPro-2 DHIS-2 and Database Managers in the implementation of the HealthPro-2 Health Information Systems (HIS) interventions, as well as in the development, implementation, and use of project databases.
• Work closely with GOAL's humanitarian team, SMOH, and LHDs to ensure a timely response to public health emergencies in the targeted localities, including disease outbreaks. 
• Together with project stakeholders and other project staff, ensure the monitoring and effective implementation of the project interventions at the state, locality, and community levels, including through periodic review meetings, joint supportive supervision and regular internal monitoring.
• Build and maintain effective, productive relationships with critical project counterparts and stakeholders including the SMOH, NHIF, NMSF, and LHDs as well as other state level stakeholders, to represent GOAL and HealthPro-2 in an effective and positive manner.
• Work closely with GOAL's humanitarian team to ensure a coordinated and coherent implementation of humanitarian and development initiatives within HealthPro-2 and other GOAL programs.

1. Social Accountability

• Lead the implementation of the project strategy related to community engagement, health promotion, and accountability, including partnerships with national NGOs and Community Health Committees (CHCs), all of which are central to the overall project strategy.
• Oversee the implementation of the community engagement, health promotion, community health committees and accountability interventions of the project ensuring the achievement of project deliverables and targets in a timely manner.
• Design and lead the implementation of strategies to strengthen communication and accountability linkages between targeted communities and health system actors, working closely with the SMOH, NHIF, NMSF, health facility managers, and CHCs.
• In coordination with the communities, LHDs, and PHC facilities, lead the process of establishing and registering community health committees in each of the 6 target PHC facilities. 
• Coordinate effectively with local authorities, community leaders, CHCs, and other stakeholders to ensure effective community engagement and accountability. 
• Work with SA managers to organize basic health and social accountability training for CHCs as well as facilitate the active participation of CHCs in locality coordination meetings and health facility monitoring.
• Work with NHIF, LHDs and the community to implement NHIF awareness creation and enrolment campaigns among communities in the catchment areas of the 6 target PHC facilities.
• Design and implement strategy for implementation of NHIF premium subsidies for vulnerable households in the target areas.
• In coordination with relevant sectors and health system stakeholders, plan the strategy and lead the initial community dialogues in new areas, share and explain project activities to target beneficiaries.

Team Management and Human Resources

• Responsible for line management of HSS and SA Managers and for setting objectives and guidance for the HSS and SA teams in White Nile. 
• Oversee the management of relationship between GOAL and health facility and LHD staff. 
• As part of the project management team, work closely, collaboratively and in coordination with all project staff and stakeholders to support the implementation of all project strategies and objectives at the state, locality, health facility and community levels. 
• Ensure strict compliance with EU and GOAL’s policies, regulations, and internal controls.
• Support the GOAL HR staff in the recruitment of staff as needed to ensure a complete HealthPro-2 project team.
• Always maintain a professional and collaborative working style and represent GOAL in a positive way to stakeholders and partners.

Grant Management

• Ensure that the HSS and SA components of the project budget are used efficiently and effectively for planned activities.
• Build and maintain awareness of all EU and GOAL regulations regarding budget and grant management, and, working with all project staff, ensure strict compliance and maintenance of required project documentation.
• Provide quality assurance over technical materials to ensure high quality, timely, responsive products that are in line with the SMOH policies.
• Guide the learning agenda for the project in collaboration with the GOAL MEAL team and document lessons learned from this project to modify project approaches and strategies, as well as disseminate findings to key stakeholders 
• Identify obstacles and risks related to implementation in a timely manner and recommend strategies to overcome them to the HSS Coordinator. 
• Communicate issues, risks, and challenges, as well as proposed solutions and mitigation measures, in a timely manner to the Project Coordinator. 
• Ensure that the communication and visibility requirements of the EU and GOAL are fully implemented according to set policies.
• Participate and represent GOAL in various meetings and forums, including state and locality level coordination, strategic planning, learning and review meetings that are relevant to the HealthPro-2 project.
• Ensure EU visibility in all project activities and provide quality assurance over technical materials to ensure high quality, timely, responsive products that are in line with SMOH, GOAL, and donor guidelines.

Partnership

• Work with the GOAL partnership team to identify and select national partners for implementing SBC interventions.
• Set clear objectives and relevant budget for project partners’ community health activities and ensure close coordination of partners’ activities with the other HealthPro-2 project interventions. 
• Together with relevant project staff, monitor and oversee the work of national partners, including technical quality, timeliness of implementation, and compliance with EU and GOAL rules and policies.

Reporting

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly progress reports using GOAL templates and keep the Project Coordinator informed and updated on all HSS and SA activities.
• Develop comprehensive and quality annual reports that adhere to the reporting guidelines set by the EU, for timely submission to the donor. 

Requirements (Person Specification)

• Medical Doctor or Public Health officer with a master’s degree in public health or health policy or management
• At least 5 years of senior-level experience implementing and managing health programs with an emphasis on health systems strengthening. 
• Senior-level experience implementing and managing community health, community mobilization, accountability, and/or other relevant humanitarian or development programming. 
• Training on health systems strengthening, health management, social accountability in health
• Demonstrated technical in depth understanding of the health policy environment and governance in Sudan 
• Experience working in a conflict or post-conflict setting strongly preferred, with a willingness to live and travel within White Nile State of Sudan. 
• Experience building and maintaining partnerships with the Federal and State Ministry of Health (FMOH), SMOH, NHIF, NMSF and local and international NGOs and UN agencies.
• Experience organizing training, providing supportive supervision, mentoring, and other forms of health office or health facility support.
• Excellent leadership and adaptive management skills
• Excellent negotiation and inter-personal skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic required.
• Enthusiastic with a vision and long-term commitment to the role, and ability to work long hours when required.

GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Child Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. GOAL also has a confidentiality policy ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of GOAL, acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organisation without authority, except in the normal execution of duty. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies any job offer made is also subject to police clearance. GOAL is an equal opportunities employer.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated.  Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible.  This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate and this may be before the published closing date.  We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.