Chief of Party, Indonesia Maternal Newborn Health (MNH) Flagship Activity

Chief of Party, Indonesia Maternal Newborn Health (MNH) Flagship Activity

Abt Associates

Jakarta, Indonesia

The Opportunity

Abt Global seeks a Chief of Party for the upcoming USAID-funded Maternal Newborn Health (MNH) Flagship Activity in Indonesia. This Activity will draw upon valuable insights gained from existing Government of Indonesia (GOI) programs and past USAID initiatives. It aims to enhance and expand successful strategies at both provincial and national levels, taking advantage of the recent lending program by Multilateral Development Banks for acquiring and installing necessary equipment. Moreover, the Activity will proactively evaluate emerging challenges to maternal and newborn health outcomes to refine practices. It will integrate considerations of climate and gender. The implementation will prioritize the delivery of technical assistance at the province and district levels, with the aim of bolstering the expansion of effective approaches and interventions to a province-wide scale. This effort will concentrate on achieving three primary objectives: Objective 1) Strengthening the supply of quality maternal and newborn health services, 2) Improving the demand for quality services through social behavior change communication and accountability mechanisms, and 3) Fostering innovations and building the evidence base to inform national and sub-national policy reforms which will establish institutional quality standards.

The Chief of Party (COP) provides leadership, management, and strategic direction for the entire project and is accountable for the successful implementation and achievement of project results in compliance with the contract and annual workplans. This position is responsible for guiding senior technical staff and for ensuring the responsiveness and quality of work along with efficient use of resources and achievement of results. The COP has the final authority within the project team for decisions related to technical, management, and resource allocation and personnel issues. In carrying out these responsibilities, the COP works with USAID, national and local government agencies and officials, the private sector, local national and community level organizations, other partners, and project staff. The COP will ensure compliance with the terms of the contract, Abt and US government policies and regulations, and Indonesian law. He or she will report to a US-based Portfolio Manager.

This position is contingent upon a successful contract award to Abt Global.

Core Responsibilities

Program Leadership, Strategy & Implementation

• Provides strategic direction and technical leadership to produce project results and deliverables including an innovation process aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths;
• Provides overall management of the project’s operational, financial, and administrative aspects;
• Sets and pursues a results-oriented program strategy in coordination with the project team and in consultation with USAID and GoI counterparts and other implementing partners;
• With input, as appropriate, from the home office support team:
  • Guides participatory development and monitoring of annual project workplans;
  • Oversees development and timely implementation of the M&E Plan, ensuring that activities, outputs and results are carefully monitored, and that performance data is available to meet the planning and information needs of the project, USAID and government counterparts;
  • Develops a quality assurance and review system to ensure the highest possible level of technical quality for all project interventions and deliverables;
  • Ensures that all project technical reports and deliverables are produced and submitted promptly.
• Ensures that Abt staff and partner team members understand their roles, responsibilities and level of accountability for implementation of project activities towards achievement of project results; arranges for training and skill building of team members as required for them to perform optimally in their roles;
• Identifies short-term technical support needs for the project and works with the home office-based Technical Program Officer to source short-term technical assistance, as required, to ensure the technical soundness of project interventions;
• Leads the project Senior Management Team and guides this team to provide technical and managerial oversight for all aspects of project activities and operations;
• Develops and implements systems and procedures to directly manage the performance of subcontractors on the project, with support from the home office team.

Representation

• Serves as Abt Global’s main point of contact for the project Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other members of the project management team at USAID/Indonesia;
• Functions as the primary liaison between Ministries of Health, local national organizations, the private sector and other partners and stakeholders;
• Coordinates effectively with key GoI counterparts at national level and develops and oversees protocols for project liaison with GoI representatives at zonal and district levels, ensuring that the project is represented effectively at key meetings and planning sessions;
• Represents the project to members of the donor community and other implementing partners in Indonesia, making presentations on project strategy, activities and results as required to key stakeholders;
• Ensures close collaboration with USAID and GoI counterparts in development and implementation of the project communication strategy and dissemination of project results;
• Ensures responsiveness to ad hoc requests for information and reports from USAID and the GOI.

Financial Management and Operational Support

• In collaboration with the home office support team and the Activity’s Deputy Chief of Party, develops annual project budgets and monitors spending carefully, taking corrective measures as required to avoid over or under expenditure and compliance with project spending plans;
• Working with other members of the project Senior Management Team and the home office support team, ensures that the systems, skills and procedures are in place for compliance with Abt Global’s and US government policies and regulations for:
• financial management;
• procurement;
• human resources management;
• ethics and compliance;
• information technology;
• office operations; and
• security.
• Reviews and approves all project expenditures, ensuring that adequate back-up documentation for expenditures is in place before expenses are incurred.

What We Value

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, or equivalent field with at least 10 years of senior-level international project management experience, including significant experience designing, implementing and managing large, complex health programs in developing countries;
• Balance of technical, managerial and interpersonal skills and experience;
• Experience interacting with host country agencies, including central and local government, development partners, civil society and community-based organizations is essential.
• Prior experience successfully implementing donor-funded programs with wide geographic reach;
• Experience in Indonesia, including thorough knowledge of specific health priorities, is required;
• Ability to liaise effectively with and develop consensus among key stakeholders, including USAID, national and local officials, public, private and civil society partners to assure effective collaboration among stakeholders;
• Experience developing project vision, aligning key stakeholders around that vision, and assuring that the vision is translated into implementable strategies;
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, manage complex programs, and ensure that project staff members adhere to the highest standards of quality, relevance, and timeliness;
• USAID experience required;
• The ability to travel extensively to program locations within Indonesia, as required;
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and oral and written English communication skills.

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