Position: Family Planning Field Officer
Duty Station: Kalangala district
Application Deadline: August 24, 2023

JOB SUMMARY

The purpose of this position is to strengthen community structures for effective mobilization of targeted populations in Kalangala and Masaka districts for increased use of family planning services.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • In close collaboration with the family planning Coordinator and trainer, the field officer will develop a monthly, quarterly and annual plan for effective and efficient implementation of the project.
  • Lead in the identification of Village Health Teams that will create demand for Family planning services.
  • Coordinate the training programs of the Village Health Teams in the enhancement of skills and its application for increased use of quality Family Planning Services by the targeted population.
  • Work closely with the Partner Health Facilities and Village Health Teams to conduct Family Planning outreaches for increased access to family planning services to the targeted populations in hard to reach areas of the targeted geographies.
  • Supervise the Village Health Teams to ensure they are providing education on the benefit of Family planning methods mix; counseling potential clients about side effects of family planning, management of referral by making a follow up to ensure that the referred clients received FP services at the targeted outreaches and facilities, conducting post FP service counselling to ensure retention of clients on a specific methods or switching to an appropriate method of one’s choice.
  • Work closely with the Partner health facilities and Village Health Teams to conduct outreaches targeting populations that are residing in hard to reach locations.
  • Work closely with the Partner facilities and Village Health Team to minimize discontinuity of the Family Planning methods through effective counseling and targeted follow up of clients.
  • Supervise the Health Facilities to ensure they are fully stocked with the family planning method mix and that the facilities have the required equipment and commodities for carrying out insertions and removal of Long Acting Reversible Methods (LARM).
  • Work closely with partner facilities and VHTs to organize and implement Family Planning outreaches in their catchment area.
  • With the technical guidance of the M&E Officer, document best practices, lessons learnt and emerging issues including side effects, client satisfaction, and discontinuation.
  • Provide support to the M&E Officer by ensuring that service data from VHTs and Service providers at the Partner Health facilities is collected for entry into the M&E database.
  • Write reports for the approval of the Project Coordinator and thereafter onward consolidation of the monthly, quarterly, Semi Annual and Annual project reports by the Program Manager and Executive Director.
  • Actively participate in the partner Family Planning / Reproductive Health (FP/RH) meetings at sub-county and district levels to review performance, discuss challenges, identify adaptation solutions in the course of project implementation.
  • Coordinate the collection of service data from point of origin, participate in the processing of data to locate missing information and make corrections as necessary.
  • Prepare, organize, check and sort data collected for entry or other use.
  • Verify data entered into the database(s) by checking printouts for errors and correcting as required.
  • Ensure proper handling of paper records and maintain extreme confidentiality of the information therein the tools.
  • Avoid omissions or commission of information on any tool without the approval of the M&E specialist.
  • Perform any other duties that may be assigned by the supervisor(s) from time to time as need arises.

QUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED

  • The ideal candidate must hold a Diploma in Nursing, Midwifery or Clinical medicine.
  • At least three (3) years working experience in the mobilization of targeted groups for increased use of health related services including Family Planning
  • Possess excellent skills and experience in report writing and participatory planning
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Luganda
  • Experience in strengthening community structures to effectively engage in development with specific focus to building the capacities of VHTs.
  • Partner engagement and collaboration for effective use of the available resources within the district set up
  • Planning skills resulting into the developments of work plans that are implemented on a timely manner
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written including report writing
  • Self-driven individual that works under minimum supervision; meeting timelines in regard to planning, submission of reporting (narrative and financial)
  • A team player with the zeal of working in close collaboration with other project members to deliver quality outputs and results

PREFERRED

  • Experience in Reproductive Health and Training in Family Planning is of added advantage
  • Demonstrable training skills spanning from assessment of training needs, facilitating community training events as well as evaluation of the outcome of the investment in training particularly of the community groups including Village Health Teams
  • Experience in the use of software applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Kobo Toolbox
  • Possession of a valid practicing license
  • Flexibility with different modes of transport including water transport.

COMPENSATION

This position is designed as a full-time (40 hours/week) position. Compensation is UGX 1,500,000 per month gross pay. Field travel expenses will be paid for by Health Access Connect.

ABOUT US

The mission of Health Access Connect is to link remote communities to healthcare. HAC currently pursues this mission through three programs:

  1. Medicycles: We use microfinance boda bodas to bring Ugandan government health workers to set up one-day mobile clinics in remote villages. In those clinics health workers give HIV testing, anti-retroviral treatment, immunizations, perinatal services, family planning, and many other services available in rural health centres.
  2. Technical Advising: We collaborate with Africa Resource Centre (ARC) and the Uganda Ministry of Health to teach and empower PEPFAR implementing partner (IP) organizations to implement alternative drug distribution point models in an effort to a) improve a) antiretroviral therapy (ART) and general treatment health service provision and b) decongest health facilities.
  3. Treat & Teach: We improves access to family planning in the communities of Masaka and Kalangala districts by a) providing low density high frequency training to health workers, b) setting up outreach clinics in remote communities, c) generating demand by collaborating with community health workers (VHTs), and d) reducing commodity stock outs by improving commodity tracking at partner health facilities.
  4. Digitalisation of the Health Commodities Supply Chain: In partnership with Signalytic, we are improving the stock visibility in selected Health Facilities in Masaka District Local Government and City. This is a push from the Ministry of Health that will see a move to paperless ordering of Health Facility commodities overtime.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be submitted on the Family Planning Field Officer application by 24th August 2023.

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