HEALTH QUALITY SPECIALIST NORTH EAST SYRIA SYRIA (RE-ADVERTISED)

(This position is being re-advertised. Please consider that if you had previously applied)

Position: Health Quality Specialist – NES

Location: Amuda, North East Syria

Type of contract: Contract of collaboration

Duration: 12 months (3-month probation period) – with possible renewals

Closing date of the vacancy: 15 February 20243 (applications on a rolling basis)

Starting from: March 2024

GENERAL CONTEXT

Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991 with a mission to prevent armed conflicts, protect human rights, and support local civil society in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Since 2015, UPP has been leading the way in the North East Syria (NES) response, developing a comprehensive system of health services delivered in 26 facilities, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centers, and rural health posts, as well as providing capacity building for local actors on Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, Child Protection (CP), Psycho-social Support (PSS) and protection mainstreaming in health programs. In 2022, UPP also launched a multi-year Health System Strengthening (HSS) programme to address the structural needs and contribute to the reinforcement of the NES health care system in the medium/long-term, encompassing the different components of HSS such as health education and capacity building of health professionals, health care planning and management at territorial level, quality of care, emergency preparedness and response, data management and production of health statistics to support evidence-based decision making.

For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/

DEFINITION OF THE POST

The Health Quality Specialist (HQS) will be responsible of achieving the programme’s outputs aimed at monitoring and increasing the quality of health care serviced delivered in NES, through assessment and research, quality improvement plans, capacity building and technical assistance to relevant stakeholders (local health institutions, NGOs, private actors). The Specialist will form integral part of UPP Health Governance Department, she/he will work under the technical supervision of the UPP Health Governance Specialist and under the line management of the Project Manager, and will closely coordinate with the Health Governance Coordinator (HGC) and the Information Management (IM) Specialist. She/he will be technically supervising and mentoring a local Quality Programming Officer (dedicated to support the health quality component) and will provide advice and recommendations for mobilising additional expertise (both international and local) to achieve the planned goals throughout the project implementation, as needed.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Health Quality Specialist, in coordination with the key figures mentioned above, will be responsible of:

• Reviewing the health quality assessment conducted under the previous action and developing a proposal for a basic set of quality indicators relevant to all the levels of care, to be shared and agreed within the different actors engaged in health care delivery;
• Coordinating with the IM Specialist in readapting the Health Care System (HCS) Dashboard to the basic set of quality indicators;
• Coordinating a review of quality of care delivered in each territory against the set Indicators;
• Based on the results of the review and on consultations with the relevant stakeholders, develop a proposal for a quality improvement and monitoring plan at NES level, with realistic objectives and adapted strategies, to be applied at territorial level;
• Develop a capacity building and mentoring plan for the UPP Health Quality Officer and for the Health Quality Managers at territorial level, to promote the rolling out of the plan;
• Regularly assess the plan implementation and monitoring the quality improvements;
• Providing advice and technical support in the technical dialogue with the Contracting Authority and in the development of reports and new proposals related to the specific area of expertise, as requested by the Line Managers;

Any other activity as requested by the Project Manager or the HGS directly related to the achievement of programme’s outputs in health quality.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Masters level qualification in Public Health or related subject (Medicine, Nursing)
• Expert in Quality assurance programs, and programs of improvement of health services at facility and territorial level, with at least 5 years’ progressive experience in the area of planning and implementing quality assurance programs liaising with local health institutions and relevant stakeholders in low-resources settings
• Health professional, doctor, or nurse, with at least three-year experience in the practice of health profession
• Experience as a healthcare manager in primary care and/or hospital settings with at least five years’ experience
• Experience in designing and delivering capacity building programmes
• Experience in the planning and programming cycle including implementation and evaluation of programs
• Accredited experience as planning, design and operation of health services and health programs
• Fluent in English

MERIT ACCREDITATION:

• Management of coordination experience of health care facilities, programs and projects
• Fluent in Arabic or Kurdish
• Organizational experience in evaluation and monitoring of health services
• Proven leadership capacity
• Working experience with NGOs in NES or Middle East
• Experience in coordination of humanitarian aid projects
• Good understanding of the project life cycle management
• Excellent capacity to work in team
• Proven capacities to plan activities successfully targeting results and objectives
• Experience of planning, organizing, and prioritizing work, working under pressure, and meeting deadlines
• Ability to work under pressure in stressful environments

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Un Ponte Per is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.

Ethical Conduct

UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. UPP participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, therefore, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates that might compromise candidates’ privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.