Chief of Party Zimbabwe

Khulisa Management Services
Closing date: 30 Apr 2010
Location: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is where the project is located but the home office is Johannesburg, South Africa

Khulisa Management Services (see www.khulisa.com) is a South African-based firm that provides a wide range of monitoring, evaluation, research, and information management services. Since 1993, we have served over 140 different clients including the governments, local and international donors, corporations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other service providers.

Khulisa is seeking a Chief of Party for an anticipated project in Zimbabwe. The project is a large scale multi-million dollar, five-year project. The Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of a health data dissemination and information use project in the Republic of Zimbabwe. Working closely with the home office Project Director, s/he will lead project implementation, ensuring that the program meets its administrative, programmatic, technical, and operational objectives. S/he will supervise and guide field office personnel and coordinate the work of partner organizations. The COP will represent Khulisa and the project in Zimbabwe, interfacing with the US Centers for Disease Control, Ministry officials, and other stakeholders.

S/he must demonstrate excellent program management, staff management, and technical skills; demonstrate a high level of diplomacy; and will be able to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation within the project. S/he must be an effective negotiator and mediator, and will be able to facilitate large team meetings internally, as well as facilitating external more formal interactions with program participants and partners.

The incumbent will be based in Zimbabwe over a five year period. Fluency in both Shona and English is a requirement.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide technical, strategic, logistical, and administrative leadership for the implementation of the project.
• Ensure that all work planning is completed effectively with counterparts and partner organizations.
• Establish productive working relationships with relevant stakeholders.
• Prepare project reports, including monthly and annual progress and financial reports.
• Participate in face-to-face meetings and telephonic conference calls and other relationship management responsibilities with project officers and other relevant stakeholders and policy makers.
• Lead project activities and technical strategy in close collaboration with project partners and MOHCW counterparts including the following:
o Strengthen capacity of MOHCW to coordinate and conduct effective strategic information, policy and systems strengthening activities supported through PEPFAR
o Strengthen management capacity of the MOHCW to formulate and implement strategic information policies
o Strengthen capacity of provincial, district and clinic level health workers in use of data for decision making
o Strengthen capacity of MOHCW to develop and refine national strategic information guidelines and policy documents in accordance with the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS
o Collaborate with National Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group to ensure data quality issues are given priority and that HMIS reporting rates are improved
o Provide HMIS technical assistance in systems requirements, analysis, design, specifications, development, piloting/testing, implementation and evaluation
o Collaborate with CDC staff across HIV/AIDS technical areas to ensure that data generated by USG supported surveys and by the MOHCW surveillance systems are useful and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy and impact evaluation
o Assure that monitoring and evaluation activities work as part of the national HIV/AIDS framework by clearly specifying proposed outcomes
• Ensure issues of data quality are given priority, including the improvement of reporting rates from all health institutions across the country.
• Ensure that data generated are useful and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy, and impact evaluation.
Required Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications:
• Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Management, Public or Business Administration or a related field.
• Demonstrated success as the Chief of Party/Project Director/Deputy Chief of Party of a comparable multi-dimensional donor-funded project, managing professional and financial resources on a similar scale preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible management experience, including at least five years in southern Africa.
• Demonstrated competence in program management, including managing documents and information systems, budgets, timelines, and a track record of meeting deadlines.
• Extensive experience in leading the planning and management of large scale M&E/ research projects.
• Experience working on Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) including analysis, design, specifications, development, piloting/testing, implementation, and evaluation.
• Experience working within a ministry or government department in a developing country on a long term assignment and demonstrated understanding of operating principals required to achieve success in that environment.
• Extensive experience in large scale quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis preferably in the health sector.
• Database management and design knowledge is required.
• Familiarity with Zimbabwe culture/languages.
How to apply
Interested candidates should email a cover letter, current CV and writing sample to Maliile Ramashamole (mramashamole@khulisa.com) no later than 30 April 2010.

Please reference “COP Zimbabwe” in the subject of the email. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.