Program Management & Partnership Specialist

Position description

The Office for Country and Subregional Coordination (CSC) supports the Director of PAHO in managing the PAHO/WHO Country Offices and Subregional Coordination Programs in the Region of the Americas. CSC provides strategic and policy advice to the Director on issues of country and subregional presence and operations. Principal CSC functions include: monitoring and advice regarding the development and implementation of country and subregional work plans and programs, including development of the Country and Subregional Cooperation Strategies and the Biennial Work Plans (BWPs) of all country in the Region; support for Official Visits of the Director to PAHO Member States, and visits by Ministers of Health and other authorities to PAHO HQ; preparation of Country and Subregional Managers’ Meetings, and participation in relevant global meetings; support the management of PAHO’s work at subregional level, in support of subregional integration mechanisms; support PAHO/WHO Representatives (PWRs) in matters related to the UN System at country level; management of PAHO’s Country Cooperation for Health Development (CCHD) program; provision of programmatic and administrative support to countries, in cooperation with HQ-based technical and administrative divisions; management of corporate initiatives under the leadership of the Director with high country-level impact. CSC plays a pivotal role in the organization-wide effort to strengthen PAHO’s country focus for greater impact of its technical cooperation at country and subregional levels.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Head, Country and Subregional Coordination (CSC) and the general guidance of the Directors, Planning, Budget & Evaluation (PBE) and External Relations, Resource Mobilization and Partnerships (ERP), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1.    Provide technical support to the Head, CSC and Country Program Advisors (CPAs) in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and assessment of policies, strategies, plans and programs to respond to the programmatic priorities of the Organization;

2.    Engage in corporate efforts for strategic and operational planning, budgeting and resource coordination to enable the implementation of the Central America (CAM) and South America (SAM) Initiatives within the CSC BWP, consistent with the Organization’s mandates, priorities and results-based management framework;

3.    Provide support in the overall program management functions, including management of guidance and tools to develop the biennial work plan (BWP);

4.    Support the Head, CSC and Country Program Advisors in the design, negotiation and implementation of CAM and SAM initiatives within the CSC BWP, including resource coordination, performance monitoring and assessment, and use of evaluation tools to support the sound management of funds; provide strategic support and inputs to develop new program initiatives to support the program of work;

5.    Ensure that initiatives managed by the Office are executed according to action plans and within established deadlines; ensure timely submission of financial and progress reports in accordance with donor agreements; ensure that methods used to verify progress and results are accurate and of high quality;

6.    Review project proposals and agreements ensuring that these are aligned with the Organization’s program of work and priorities;

7.    Provide strategic support to develop and strengthen partnerships to synchronize and harmonize CAM and SAM initiatives with key partners;

8.    Maintain effective partnerships with all relevant stakeholders to exchange critical information and resolve program/project implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned;

9.    Support the Head, CSC in leading the coordination of the performance monitoring and assessment of the CAM and SAM initiatives within the CSC BWP, including the preparation of reports, advising on setting realistic targets and milestones and ensuring up-to date information to monitor progress on BWP implementation and achievement of results;

10. Support the preparation of various written outputs, e.g., draft background papers, analyses, sections of reports and studies and other inputs to publications;

11. Support the Head in the analysis of the staffing needs of the CAM and SAM initiatives, particularly with respect to the human resources needed to execute the program of work; collaborate in the preparation and periodic review of the Human Resources (HR)Plan;

12. Participate actively in the Program Management and Partnership Specialist Network (PMN) led by PBE; and in the Resources Mobilization Network (RMN) led by ERP;

13. Support the Head, CSC in evaluation processes, as applicable.

14. Collaborate in the completion of risk management analysis of the BWP, and implementation of approved mitigation response plans;

15. Work in close coordination and interaction with the Office’s Administrative Team;

16. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a health or social science or in any other area related to the functions of the post from a recognized university.

Desirable: A master’s degree in public health, policy and planning, project management, health administration, public administration, management, or related field would be an asset. 

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.  PAHO, considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in one of the following databases:

World Higher Education Database (WHED), list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  The list can be accessed through the link:  http://www.whed.net/  

Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp

College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/college navigator to support the validation process.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

Experience:

Essential: Seven years of combined national and international experience in the fields of planning, project management, monitoring and evaluation, including experience in strategy formulation and strategic resource allocation. 

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

·Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

·Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others/Deal effectively with conflict – Creates team spirit; promotes collaboration and open communication in the team; proactively supports others; welcomes team responsibilities and drives team results; promotes knowledge sharing in the team. Proactively identifies conflicts and facilitates their resolution in a respectful manner; tactfully resolves conflicts between or with others and takes action to reduce any possible tension; effectively builds a rapport with individuals and teams, establishing good personal and professional relationships, as well as minimizing risk of potential conflict. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

·Communication: Express oneself clearly when speaking/Listen/Write effectively/Share knowledge – Foresees communication needs of audience and targets message accordingly. Facilitates open communication; encourages others to share their views openly and takes time to understand and consider their views.

Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant

information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.

·Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results/Take responsibility – Prioritizes work, monitors own progress against objectives and adapts plans as required; communicates adjustments as necessary. Acts proactively and stimulates action as needed; handles problems effectively and constructively. Produces high-quality results and workable solutions that meet clients’ needs. Works independently to produce new results and sets own time lines effectively and efficiently. Shows awareness of own role and clarifies roles of team members in relation to project’s expected results. Makes proposals for improving processes as required and takes responsibility for own work and/or actions, as necessary. Demonstrates positive attitude in working on new projects and initiatives. Demonstrates accountability for own success, as well as for errors; learns from experience.

·Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well – Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

Technical Expertise:

·Practical knowledge of results-based management concepts and tools and their applications, especially related to the formulation of programs and results and performance indicators.

·Theoretical and practical knowledge of international technical cooperation, with emphasis on the negotiation and management of international cooperation programs and projects.

·Mature judgment, strong technical, analytical, and conceptual skills; demonstrated ability to assess, analyze, synthesize and provide recommendations on key technical issues.

·Ability to integrate managerial and technical inputs into recommendations for decision-making processes; ability to manage multiple issues and tasks in a complex organizational environment.

·Ability to create and advocate innovative approaches to facilitate and enhance project management capacity, as well as monitoring of these processes.

·Excellent organizational and analytic skills combined with strong professional oral and writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization

Languages:

Very good knowledge of Spanish or English with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, including spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other relevant IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as, Power Bi and Visio would be an asset.

Application instructions

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