About CARE

CARE International is a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. We put women and girls in the centre of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE has been working in Uganda since 1969 and we work across all the regions of Uganda. The goal of our 2021-2025 business plan is to reach 10 million people, through our lifesaving and gender transformative humanitarian, development, and nexus programs. We are committed to working with government, private sector, and local civil society, especially women-led and women’s rights organisations. Our annual portfolio is $15 million, funded through a diverse range of donors.

Job Summary

The Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Specialist will be a technical leader on Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights related interventions under the My Body, My Life, My World - Empowering Young girls and women to decide over their own bodies and ensure universal access to comprehensive adolescent and youth friendly SRHR information and services (EYE universal SRHR) Project. S/he will be supervising and directly working with the Partner, health personnel, and DHO of Kamuli and Mayuge districts, and other CARE staff to ensure that the objectives of the project are achieved. S/he will ensure that project activities at field level which include demand creation for adolescent sexual and reproductive health services are implemented in the most effective and efficient way.

S/he works with other Specialists (SRH, Youth Savings and Loans Associations (YSLA),   and Partners to spearhead the implementation of activities.  The Specialist works closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure timely and quality planning, reporting, accountability, and documentation of learning. S/he engages proactively, representing CARE at district and national level coordination platforms for ASRH as well as collaborating with and maintaining effective robust working relations with line ministries -Health; Education and Sports; Gender Labour and Social Development and Local Government; district and sub-county Local Governments and the communities that we serve. The Specialist may have a supervisory role as assigned. S/he substantially contributes to business development, program design, and funding proposal writing in the areas of technical competency. This position reports to the Initiative Manager.

 The Specialist will be based in Kamuli district with extensive travel and presence to support project activities in all project locations in both Kamuli and Mayuge districts. The position holder may be relocated to any project location according to the project needs and CARE policies.

In addition to the above, the SRH specialist will be the focal person for CARE’s SRH interventions in Kamuli and Mayuge districts.

 Specific responsibilities and tasks

 Responsibility #1: Lead the project team in the implementation of ASRH activities (40% of the time)

• Design and lead the implementation of activities on ASRHR targeting out-of-school adolescent girls’ needs and rights and ensure that all activities, place the target girls at their Centre of action.
• Lead processes that build and integrate health system-strengthening interventions, and transformative community engagements on harmful gender and social norms.
• Lead on design, adaptation, and implementation of new, innovative and scalable SRHR actions targeting Adolescents that will then be replicated and scaled in the whole project with other consortium organizations.
• Lead the implementation of a menstrual hygiene management component that links adolescent girls from YSLAs to entrepreneurial training.
• Build on CARE Uganda’s success in demonstrating Menstrual Hygiene practices as a long-term, safe, and environmentally sustainable option to manage menstruation and conduct community awareness to build knowledge and challenge harmful perceptions around menstruation.
• Build the capacity of civil society actors to engage in long-term and sustainable SRHR policy advocacy to improve the health system for women and girls while addressing unique risks and protection needs of out-of-school adolescent girls.
• Adapt and/or develop and deploy standard IEC and ASRH training materials as approved by CARE, MoH, MGLSD, MOes, WHO and recognized entities.
• Organize and lead relevant training on Adolescents and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (AYSRHR) as required.

Responsibility #2: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (25% of time):

• Contribute to ensuring that public engagement achievements are measured through web and social media analytics as well as other key indicators.
• Participate in the development, deployment, functionalization, and continuous review of the PROJECT M&E system with specific attention to its ASRHR focus.
• Prepare quality weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual plans and reports for implemented activities.
• Provide ongoing support supervision and monitoring to the selected partner and project staff and to ensure delivery of quality services.
• Contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge by synthesizing and documenting impact stories, lessons, success stories, best practices, strategies, and approaches.
• Participate in the evaluation progress of the project.

Responsibility #3 Coordinate and nurture relationships with Local Governments, Partners, and Ministries for synergy (25% of the time)

• Coordinate with and maintain productive professional relations with field staff, local governments, and district, and sub-county levels.
• Support building referral mechanisms and ensure ASRH needs, youth and especially out-of-schoolgirls are considered and addressed by service providers, especially MSU.

• Develop and support a collaborative and transparent working relationship between CARE, and stakeholders on the ground based on effective and timely communication.
• Represent CARE in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health coordination mechanisms aimed at harmonizing the integration of programs and technical working groups at national, and district levels when required.

 Responsibility #4: Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor (5%)

·        Perform roles as assigned by the Initiative Manager and any other duties incidental to the position.

 WORK CONDITIONS

The position is based in Kamuli district. A significant amount of time (at least 50%) is expected to be spent in Mayuge district, liaising with partners, local government, and stakeholders within the area of operations. It is essential that the SRH specialist maintains a close effective presence in the field to ensure proper management supervision, guidance, and leadership on-field activities. However, s/he will be required to travel to Kampala and elsewhere, from time to time for meetings, and training events, among others.

 Level of Authority

The SRH Specialist will formally report to the Initiative Manager. S/he will organize her/his day-to-day work based on the agreed weekly and monthly work plans with the Initiative Manager in coordination with the other field staff, partners and stakeholders. S/he has no authority to enter into formal partnership agreements, nor any formal financial authority, apart from standard expenses for day-to-day activities. The SRH specialist is responsible for the safety and custody of organization assets in her/his possession. Travel to locations outside project areas should be done and coordinated with the knowledge of the Initiative Manager.

 Relationship and collaboration

The SRH specialist will work as a process-oriented support person to CARE Gender Justice Program to achieve on the SRMH-related interventions within the CO.

It will therefore be essential for her Post Graduate /him to develop relationships with partner organizations to ensure effective support. This requires both sensitivity and responsiveness to the capacities and needs of the different partners.

S/he will also collaborate with other Country office-related initiatives within CARE and will be expected to provide support based on clearly and jointly agreed Programme priorities. Teamwork is therefore a key element of the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

·        A Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Public Health or a closely related clinical field.

·        A Post Graduate Degree in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health or Public Health, Social Sciences, Social Work, or any other closely related field Qualification with substantial content in Sexual Reproductive Health Rights is a MUST.

·        A minimum of 6 years’ practical experience in SRH programming and implementation with hands-on professional experience in community development, including experience and knowledge of working within conflict and post-conflict recovery, with a humanitarian and development background.

·        Proven extensive experience implementing and technically leading program activities on Sexual Reproductive Health.

·        Strong working knowledge of M&E, report writing and documentation.

·        Experience working through partnerships and implementing partners.

COMPETENCIES

• Excellence: Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; successfully completes assignments; ensures interactions and transactions are ethical and convey integrity.
• Integrity: Maintains social, ethical and organizational norms; firmly adheres to codes of conduct and ethical principles inherent to CARE.
• Communicating with Impact: Diplomatically, logically and clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the recipient/audience and helps them understand and retain their message.
• Facilitating Change: Supports and manages the change process at CARE Uganda by developing a culture affirmative of change; encouraging others to seek and act upon opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities; critically analyzing evolving and fluid situations; facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace; actively engaging with resistance to change.
• Strengthening Partnership: Identifying and utilizing opportunities within and outside of CARE Uganda to develop effective strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas/departments/units or external organizations to achieve CARE’s objectives.
• Management Excellence: Makes the connection between values and performance. Influences the performance of others, and ultimately, the performance of the organization. Sets direction, coaches & develops, promotes staff wellness & safety, practices & promotes compliance, models gender equity & diversity and communicates effectively.
• Developing Teams: Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team; facilitates the completion of team goals.
• Diversity - Promoting, valuing, respecting and fully benefiting from everyone’s unique qualities, background, race, culture, age, gender, disability, values, lifestyle, perspectives or interests; creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes diversity.
• Adaptability- Expected to well adjust with the country, the cooperating environment and with the Project team to function effectively and efficiently.
• Coaching - Ability to demonstrate to enhance skills and capacity of staff working in the field and office for them to continue to serve CARE in future program activities.