Public Health Expert

General Information

Context

GVC – Gruppo di Volontariato Civile, is a non-governmental, secular, and independent organization, founded in Bologna in 1971. We are active in international development aid projects with complex action strategies: from humanitarian aid to populations suffering from conflicts and natural disasters to reconstruction, hygiene, and food security; from rural development to education, to the protection of women's and children's rights.

In over forty years of activity, GVC has operated in all parts of the world, carrying out thousands of projects. We collaborate with public institutions, cultural associations, cooperatives, and Italian and European NGOs, organizing seminars, conferences, exhibits and festivals, laboratories in school and training courses for teachers. We produce educational materials and carry out communication activities on sensitive issues such as differences, human rights, women's issues, sustainable trade, and biodiversity.

GVC’s development strategy in the country

The consolidation of the Palestinian Authorities institutional infrastructure open to foster democratic participation of civil society, through the improvement of representative processes and the implementation of specific effective tools to promote dialogue. These criteria, together with the empowerment of vulnerable communities and people, should lead any kind of intervention, preparing both decentralized institution and civil society to better advocate for a final recognition of Palestinian statehood.

GVC focuses strategically on 4 main sectors for its development program, namely:

- Local Development and Governance

- Integrate Water Resource Management  

• LRRD: Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development
• Integrated Protection

Gender mainstream, special attention to vulnerable categories, community-based approach and good governance are cross-cutting issues included in all GVC interventions.

Background

Several major rounds of consecutive destructive conflicts and 11 years blockade have led to a severe deterioration in access to basic WASH and Health services in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the Gaza Strip is facing immense challenges related to WASH and health sectors and the limited capacity of public health care providers, which pose significant health risks to its residents, affecting public hospitals and clinics and deteriorated the health system.

The lack of WASH services compromises the ability to provide safe and quality care, places both health care providers and those seeking care at substantial risk of infection-related morbidities and mortality, and poses a significant economic and social burden.

In order to provide quality of care and reduce infections, health care facilities must have the appropriate infrastructure and staff capacities to provide safe, effective, and equitable services. WASH services strengthen the resilience of health care systems to prevent disease outbreaks, allow effective responses to emergencies (including natural disasters and outbreaks) and bring emergencies under control when they occur. Emerging and growing threats from antimicrobial resistant infections and infectious disease outbreaks can also be significantly reduced by improving WASH services.

Information gaps on the conditions and functioning of water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene practices in health care facilities limit the provision of adequate WASH services. This lack of availability of information on the provision of water and sanitation and hygiene practices increases the risks of site related or preventable infections among health care facility staff, patients, and the wider community. WASH and Health actors needed to access reliable information to design adequate WASH services in health care facilities which is essential to provide and sustaining quality care.

Job Description

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the WASH in Health Working Group, in cooperation with the GVC WASH Expert and Staff, and under the supervision of the GVC Gaza Area Manager, the Public Health Expert will be responsible to design/plan, establish and fine-tune a surveillance system of WASH in health facilities. He/she will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data related to conditions and functioning of water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene practices in health care facilities and hospitals, especially related to limits of the provision of adequate WASH services.

The health Expert will build a baseline data of WASH in health facilities, which would be used by the WASH and Health Clusters to track and concurrently monitor priority WASH preparedness and response interventions and establish/institutionalize a surveillance mechanism for WASH in Health facilities within MoH and other key stakeholders from the WASH sector.

Tasks and responsibilities are, but not limited to:

1. Support the WASH in Health Working Group on achieving its ToR’s scope and objectives.
2. Design, conduct and implement a detailed needs assessment of WASH needs/gaps in health institutions, focusing on main priorities water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and services, as well as water quality control;
3. Analyze the need assessment’s outcomes and results, and develop full detailed reports of the findings, solutions and current and/or future perspectives;
4. With the assistance of GVC Technical Team, initiate a fast response to identified needs in selected health facilities, approaching both WASH in Health as a main components of the action;
5. Establish a concurrent monitoring system and surveillance mechanism, which would ultimately be institutionalized with the Ministry of Health and/or other relevant stakeholders, in close coordination of key WASH actors; this will include, but not limited to, the definition of methodology, indicators, tools, applied procedures, data process, and workplan of the WASH in Health surveillance system;
6. Establish/strengthen the SOP/mechanism of existing WASH protocols from MoH, as well as standards and best practices from other countries, with clear definitions of roles and responsibilities, reinforcing of life-saving hygiene practices and maintaining overall cleanliness.
7. Participate in the development, modification and analysis of Public Health program data for use in reports, planning and evaluation;
8. Prepare plans for the control of communicable disease, in addition to support the local response to outbreaks by providing field epidemiology assistance;
9. Lead the evaluation and quality assurance of epidemiology services, regularly reviewing the management of outbreaks and incidents of communicable diseases;
10. Conduct and leads professional trainings to health workers to enhance their knowledge, skills and attitudes to adopt life-saving WASH practices;
11. Plan, organize, secure, monitor and manage resources to bring about the successful completion of project goals and objectives;
12. Identify areas for quality improvement in facilities, including strengthening WASH and infection prevention and control policies and standards that will lead to lower infection rates, better health outcomes for patients and improved staff safety and morale.
13. Support the development and the implementation of a set of national policies and standards along with accountability mechanisms that support health care facilities to improve WASH infrastructures and services, in coordination with the MoH.
14. Support the implementation and the institutionalization of WASH practices in health care facilities and beyond.
15. Support the development of WASH in Health related protocols, procedures and tools.
16. Perform any other tasks assigned by line Managers.

Report to

• GVC Gaza Area Manager

Works in coordination with

• Programme Officer
• Technical Coordinator
• Field Coordinator
• Hygiene Promotion Officer
• International WASH Expert

Duty Station

Gaza Strip

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Core and Functional Competences

Required knowledge and skills

• Advanced University Degree in Medicine, Public Health, Engineering, Social Sciences or any other related field;
• An advanced academic or professional qualification in WASH/Health Facilities’ Management, and evidence of specific knowledge/ qualification WASH in Health would be a clear advantage.
• A minimum of 7 years post qualification experience in the health sector, working with government at the policy/ strategy level, in assessments, the development of policies, guidelines and frameworks and sector coordination mechanisms; including at least 2 years in health governmental institutions;
• High reporting skills;
• Computer skills, including epidemiological data management and use of various Microsoft Office applications is desirous;
• Ability to collect, analyze, interpret and present data professionally;
• Valid driving license;
• Previous work experience with international NGOs will be preferred.

Required Personal Characteristics

• Analytical, flexible, unbiased approach.
• Ability to draw conclusions from examinations of extensive data, reports, procedures and site visits and explain these clearly and concisely in written reports.
• Ability to suggest realistic and feasible solutions that reflect resource constraints to support step-wise improvement, particularly for small systems.
• Ability to think strategically and conceptually, and to translate these into concrete results.
• Ability to identify, initiate and maintain good relationships with partner organizations, donors and national authorities including building professional relationships with senior decision-makers and influencers/ leaders.
• Proven organizational skills and ability to effectively manage multiple tasks while fostering quality, team spirit and positive working relationships with colleagues.
• Strong interpersonal relationships and demonstrated ability to leverage business networks and partnerships for continued growth.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, knowledge of Italian is a plus.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrates integrity with regards to NGO values and ethical standards.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Computer skills, in particular MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, MS Project.

Interested applicants should send a detailed CV with references in English no later than 1st Sep 2018 to:
Email - [email protected]