Technical Coordinator, Project BIRCH (Sierra Leone)

This role was posted on May 7, 2024. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis.

The Role

At Last Mile Health (LMH), we go as far as it takes for our patients. Are you passionate about advancing community health systems strengthening in Sierra Leone? If so you may be the Consultant we’re seeking to serve as our Technical Coordinator position for Project BIRCH. 

Sierra Leone is dedicated to strengthening its National Community Health Workers Program (NCHWP), with approximately 8,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) deployed across all 16 districts. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and partners have invested significantly in the NCHWP to enhance community-led health services. Project BIRCH, funded by the Global Fund, aims to support community health programming in Sierra Leone by providing technical assistance in health financing, operational planning, and stakeholder coordination.

The Consultant will support the implementation of the Africa Frontline First (AFF) project BIRCH in Sierra Leone. This position will play a vital role in coordinating and implementing BIRCH activities to strengthen the Sierra Leone National Community Health Workers Program (NCHWP) in alignment with key milestones and interventions. The Consultant will provide hands-on support to the CHW Hub to facilitate the implementation of BIRCH activities with quality and timeliness. They will also represent MOH/CHW Hub in all BIRCH related activities throughout the grant period. 

Project Details: 

• Location: This role is located in Freetown, Sierra Leone and is open to Sierra Leonean nationals. This role is an on-site role in Freetown with the expectation that the candidate would split their working hours between the CHW Hub and Last Mile Health offices.
• Deliverables: Please review the deliverables outlined in this scope of work.
• Duration: This consultancy entails a 70% Level of Effort (LOE) and spans a total duration of 20 months, from May 2024 to December 2025. Initially, a contract for eight months (May to December 2024) will be issued to cover the activities of 2024. This contract is subject to renewal based on satisfactory performance.
• Fees: The lump sum budgeted for this role in 2024 is USD 12,600 (approximately USD1,575 monthly).

What You’ll Do:

• Work closely with Last Mile Health’s Sierra Leone and global technical support teams to coordinate and implement BIRCH activities from the CHW Hub.
• Lead stakeholder engagement to ensure everyone participates in and contributes to all BIRCH activities, including planning, identifying tasks, managing invitations and follow-ups, and providing feedback.
• Lead the design and implementation of all Project BIRCH activities, including tasks related to health financing, monitoring & evaluation, supply chain, leadership and governance, human resources for health-supervision, micro planning, and operational plans.
• Track and map the resources invested in CHWs and participate in any non-BIRCH NCHWP activities funded by the Global Fund, such as GC7, NFM3, & C19RM.
• Oversee the review of CHW recruitment and pre-service training package, develop CHW in-service training SOPs, and validate and roll out materials.
• Ensure all BIRCH project information and communication materials are effectively managed, including pictures, and submit quality reports on time.
• Manage all project items and resources provided, ensuring they are used solely for project-related activities and hand them over to Last Mile Health at the end of the project or upon request.
• Provide relevant information to Last Mile Health and, where necessary, obtain written consent from the MOH for project activities.
• Coordinate district (DHMT and CHWs) involvement in BIRCH activities.
• Participate in BIRCH check-ins with Last Mile Health Sierra Leone Team, Program Strategy & Performance team, Africa Frontline First (AFF) team, and Global Fund (GF) as required.
• Lead Project BIRCH reporting to donors (AFF and GF), including quarterly monitoring and feedback on community health investments implementation.
• Prepare budget requests, maintain financial documentation, and submit liquidations for BIRCH activities.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health or a relevant field.
• Several years of experience in Health Systems Strengthening within the Sierra Leone health sector, especially in community health. Deep understanding of the Sierra Leone National CHW Program.
• Proven experience in health financing related to community health, including resource mobilization for community health systems strengthening, costing community health management tools (operational plan, strategy, etc.), identifying funding gaps, and analyzing funding opportunities within the CHW program.
• Experience working with major donors, familiarity with funding cycles, and expertise in proposal development preferred.
• Fluency in English with excellent writing, analytical, financial analysis, conceptual, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS tools (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

You’ll Impress Us If You Have:

• Experience in Health Financing, Monitoring & Evaluation, and/or Supply Chain management.
• Hands-on experience implementing the National CHW Program and/or working within Primary Health Care.
• Previous involvement with Global Fund grants.

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health (LMH) saves lives in the world’s most remote communities by partnering with governments to bring critical primary care services to the doorsteps of people living in the last mile. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and currently works in Liberia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Sierra Leone with US offices in Boston and New York. For more information, visit www.lastmilehealth.org

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.