Vacancy Announcement: Senior Technical Advisor, HIV/AIDS Palliative Care

Position: Senior Technical Advisor: HIV/AIDS Palliative Care
Agency: U.S. Department of State, Global AIDS Coordinator?s Office
Placement: Washington, D.C.
Mechanism: Contract Position
Salary Range: $79,000 - $143,000

Background

On May 27, 2003, The President signed Public Law 108-25, The US Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003. While providing $15 billion over five years to fight HIV/AIDS abroad, Section 101 of this legislation also imposed a requirement for the Administration to develop The President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. As a result, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator (S/GAC) was established in the Department of State to lead an integrated US Government (USG) global HIV/AIDS effort; to provide a rallying point for private sector, Faith-Based Organization and Non-Government Organization (NGO) efforts; and to ensure that policies are harmonious, programs synergistic and operations efficient and effective. The Emergency Plan operates in over 100 nations worldwide, including a special focus on 15 countries ? the African nations of Botswana, Cote d?Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia; the Caribbean nations of Guyana and Haiti; and Viet Nam ? in its efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and to promote an integrated prevention, treatment and care program. In the Emergency Plan?s focus countries, the USG will support treatment of 2 million HIV-infected people; prevent 7 million new HIV infections; and support care for 10 million people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children. The US Global AIDS Coordinator reports directly to the Secretary of State and oversees and directs all USG international HIV/AIDS activities in all departments and all agencies of the Federal Government. S/GAC through proactive liaising also coordinates with non-USG stakeholders ? host-country governments and multi-lateral institutions such as the World Bank, World Health Organization, Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), etc. ? in order to develop a coordinated global effort to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Introduction

The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) will contribute to the goals set forth under the President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief by providing leadership and direction to achieve USG objectives in HIV/AIDS palliative care. Working in partnership with U.S.G. agency partners at headquarters and USG missions in the field, and in collaboration with host governments, and non-governmental implementing agencies the STA will provide support in the design, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS palliative care programs in Emergency Plan countries. In addition the STA will serve as the core team leader for one to two focus country teams, providing backstopping and mobilizing USG agency support across the spectrum of HIV/AIDS prevention care and treatment services for the focus countries.

There is a great urgency and opportunity for the USG to provide strategic leadership on palliative care, which comprises 15% of the Emergency Plan. While several palliative care initiatives are being implemented in many countries, experience has revealed a lack of awareness on how to develop, formalize, expand, improve and measure palliative care programs. Many programs to date actually consist of varied, incomplete home-based care initiatives that do not deliver a basic set of palliative care interventions or comprise hospice-linked initiatives that provide excellent care on a small scale but which do not link to the continuum of care or broader home-based or community based initiatives for people living with HIV/AIDS. Many programs are not integrated with health systems, do not address key policy issues on access to HIV/AIDS-related drugs (especially symptom and pain control), and do not link with other HIV/AIDS services or other sectors to address social needs. Unless this deficit is addressed, there are limited possibilities in expanding access to comprehensive palliative care services throughout the Emergency Plan countries.

The STA will have responsibilities across a range of areas including to: 1) lead and direct the development of the Emergency Plan palliative care strategy in collaboration with USG agencies and palliative care experts; 2) with the assistance of the palliative care technical working group, support implementation of the plan through assessment, development, improvement and dissemination of sound HIV/AIDS policies and programs in palliative care throughout the Emergency Plan focus countries; 3) facilitate collection and dissemination of information about palliative care and about programming success and failures; 4) provide technical assistance to Emergency Plan countries; and 5) serve as a core team leader for 1 to 2 Emergency Plan countries.

The STA will work in close collaboration with O/GAC staff, USG agencies, HIV/AIDS palliative care experts and according to the policy and program priorities set forth by global palliative care experts to:

• Increase access to affordable, appropriate quality palliative care services for adults and children living with HIV/AIDS which are well integrated with other HIV/AIDS services in the health network.
• Facilitate development of minimum standards of care services and training at all levels of the health system.
• Encourage governments to enact strategies and polices to include palliative care within health professionals? curricula to increase the skills base for palliative care providers.
• Integrate palliative care into existing health systems, involving all levels of care, with a special emphasis on home-based care.
• Promote palliative drug availability and policy development among the governments.

Reporting and Location

The Senior Technical Advisor will be based in Washington DC and report directly to the Program Services Division, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State. This Division is responsible for development and monitoring of implementation plans for each of the Emergency Plan?s focus countries in addition to backstopping non-focus countries. Program Services also provides support to the Center for Leadership and serves as a technical resource for the focus countries, non-focus countries, O/GAC, USG agencies, UN agencies and partners.

Roles and Responsibilities

A. Technical Leadership and Strategy in Palliative Care

• Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of the Emergency Plan palliative care strategy in collaboration with palliative care experts and USG agencies (USAID, US Embassy, HHS, CDC, DOD, and Peace Corps).
• Convenes and chair the inter-agency USG Palliative Care Technical Workgroup, identifying and following up on key issues, including those related to policy and implementation for action by the USG programs, both in-country and home agency programs. Develops and overseas working group work plan and budget.
• Assist O/GAC, USG agencies (USAID, US Embassy, HHS, CDC, DOD, Peace Corps) and their partners in the assessment, development, improvement and dissemination of sound HIV/AIDS palliative care policies and programs.
• Provide support to field programs on palliative care issues through core teams. Bring together expertise from USG agencies to provide appropriate technical assistance to the field in issues surrounding palliative care for PLWHA as well as supporting development of annual Country Operational Plans (COPS).
• Analyze, synthesize and disseminate cutting edge methodologies, lessons learned and best practices to the O/GAC, USG agencies, regional offices and partners regarding HIV/AIDS palliative care and their application to policies and programs.
• In partnership with the Strategic Information team, facilitate development of targeted evaluation priorities relevant to USG on HIV/AIDS palliative care. Advise O/GAC, USG agencies and partners accordingly.
• Coordinates closely with technical work group leads for OVC care, all Care and Treatment workgroups and the Food and Nutrition workgroup to assure strong linkages between program areas.

B. Communications, Data Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation

• Promote information exchange with USG agencies, partners, regional institutions and networks about effective program implementation practices and lessons learned on all aspects related to HIV care.
• Promote improved field communication under the Emergency Plan across government agencies, focus and non-focus countries, other donors and palliative care institutions.
• Represents the USG position in international forums and with key US constituencies including other donors, UN Agencies and Congress.
• Provides advice and assistance in the preparation of material to be presented to the media, interest groups, Members of Congress and/or their staffs, host government officials, FBO?s, NGO?s, etc. on HIV/AIDS issues in assigned portfolio.
• Liaise with the Strategic Information team to assist O/GAC, USG agencies, regional USG programs and the bilateral Missions in monitoring and evaluation of palliative care activities under the Emergency Plan.
• Analyze, synthesize and disseminate key research findings and trends; apply findings to future program and project design, strategy, project management and measure of assistance impact, and prepare reports documenting these findings and ensure that they are effectively communicated and disseminated to the Missions, USG partners and others.

C. Core Team Leader and Country Backstop

• Serve as an Emergency Plan core team leader and country backstop for 1-2 Emergency Plan countries. In this capacity, the STA would serve as the principal point of contact for the public and private entities in the assigned country portfolio. Based on a comprehensive knowledge of the overall country context, the HIV/AIDS situation, in-country HIV programs and the PEPFAR, coordinates an inter-agency team to provide support across the range of related programmatic and technical areas to strengthen in-country program performance. Based on an in-depth knowledge of the country situation, provides advice and recommendations for funding allocation mechanisms for Emergency Plan initiatives and efforts with the US embassy?s Chief-of-Mission , USG representative(s) in-country conducting HIV/AIDS programs, non-Government Organizations (NGO?s), host government officials and their medical professionals.
• Liaises with the Chief-of-Mission, the relevant USG department or agency, the host-country government, the NGO sector, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other stakeholders in the development and approval of the one-year operational and five-year strategic plans as well as issues related to implementation. Coordinates closely with financial officers to quickly resolve any funding or reporting issues or problems.
• Conducts in-country visits to assess the impact of planned and funded activities; to address the concerns and needs in the focus countries; and to reinforce efforts to accomplish program and spending goals.

Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience

1. Advanced degree(s) in public health, nursing, medicine or other relevant training in international health.
2. Minimum of five years experience in international public health programming and/or implementation.
3. Minimum of five years experience working in technical oversight, design and implementation of HIV/AIDS care programs in developing countries. Prior overseas work experience would be advantageous.
4. Specialized knowledge and demonstrated expertise in the area of HIV/AIDS palliative care, including provision of HIV/AIDS clinic/home/community care; psychosocial and spiritual support; clinical monitoring and management of opportunistic infections and other HIV/AIDS-related complications; facilitating and linking to culturally appropriate end-of-life care and social support; nutrition and facilitating linkages to food security programs; treatment and support programs in resource-poor settings; knowledge of clinical and ethical issues involved in HIV/AIDS programming in the region.
5. Strong quantitative and analytical skills, verbal skills and ability to communicate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical colleagues.
6. Excellent management, interpersonal and teamwork skills.
7. Familiarity with USG systems and implementation mechanisms
8. Ability to obtain security clearance at the secret level.
9. Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen.
10. Foreign language skills desirable but not required.
11. Strong computer skills including data base manipulation.

Other Desired Attributes

1. Demonstrated technical expertise on issues related to HIV/AIDS through publications, conference presentations, or other means.
2. Strong conceptual, analytical, and reasoning skills.
3. A high degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret technical and political opportunities and constraints.
4. Willingness to travel.