Country

Sierra Leone

City

Freetown

Type

Full Time

Program (Division)

Country Programs - Sierra Leone

Telecommute

No

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to our mission of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work at the invitation of governments to support them and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems.

CHAI was founded in 2002 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goal of dramatically reducing the price of life-saving drugs and increasing access to these medicines in the countries with the highest burden of the disease. Over the following two decades, CHAI has expanded its focus. Today, along with HIV, we work in conjunction with our partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work has also expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, and we work to accelerate the rollout of lifesaving vaccines, reduce maternal and child mortality, combat chronic malnutrition, and increase access to assistive technology. We are investing in horizontal approaches to strengthen health systems through programs in human resources for health, digital health, and health financing. With each new and innovative program, our strategy is grounded in maximizing sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, that programs are designed to scale nationally, and learnings are shared globally.

At CHAI, our people are our greatest asset, and none of this work would be possible without their talent, time, dedication and passion for our mission and values. We are a highly diverse team of enthusiastic individuals across 40 countries with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with majority of our staff based in program countries. Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI values diversity and inclusion, and recognizes that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse experience, backgrounds, and culture.

Program Overview

In 2019, CHAI Sierra Leone began assisting Sierra Leone's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to address essential challenges concerning data quality, supply chain enhancement, and the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Over the span of 2019 to 2022, with funding from Gavi and other donors, CHAI Sierra Leone provided crucial technical support to enhance data-driven decision-making within EPI. This included the improvement of data accuracy, identification of key performance metrics, tool reviews, and data workflow analysis, culminating in the establishment of a review and response system in all districts. This effort led to tangible outcomes, notably a substantial increase in stock reporting within the DHIS2 at the PHU level, which in turn enhanced vaccine stock visibility and reduced vaccine stock-outs in numerous health facilities.

In response to the global pandemic, CHAI pioneered the creation of the 'COVID-19 Impact Tracker Dashboard.' This innovative tool was instrumental in comprehending the ramifications of COVID-19 on immunization services at various administrative levels, from districts to individual facilities. The insights gathered from this dashboard empowered EPI to act swiftly, implementing measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of the pandemic on immunization efforts. Additionally, CHAI Sierra Leone has been a leading partner in the introduction of the HPV vaccine. The HPV introduction involvement spanned a range of activities including the identification of the HPV age cohort, coordination at both national and district levels, resource mobilization, and even on-ground efforts like readiness assessments, vaccine quantification, and community outreach programs.

Supported by Gavi, CHAI is deeply engaged in enhancing Routine Immunization (RI) services in Sierra Leone, with a focus on integrating COVID-19 vaccination into existing immunization programs. This includes maintaining high vaccination coverage among target and high-risk groups, supporting booster services, and improving coverage for all vaccines. CHAI's role involves implementing work plans, managing data, enhancing supply chains, and improving service delivery, all aimed at strengthening the general health system.

Our TA to the EPI is pivotal for executing some of the program's objectives, which include but not limited to reaching zero-dose children, responding to measles outbreaks, and developing country strategic workplan – the Full Portfolio Planning (FPP) and National Immunization Strategy (NIS). CHAI's support extends to designing innovative interventions for evidence-based decision-making, improving immunization data availability and accuracy, and establishing transformative program review mechanisms.

Position Overview

Based in Freetown, the Program Officer will play a vital role within the Sierra Leone EPI country team and its partners, primarily focusing on coordinating vaccine strengthening activities to achieve project activities and milestones. The primary responsibility of this role will be to support the routinization of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, alongside undertaking other tasks as delegated by the Program Manager.

Key responsibilities include assisting in the development and scaling up of new data systems/platforms and service tracking mechanisms and building scale-up plans for identified Immunization coverage improvement initiatives. Additionally, the individual will support capacity building of key personnel, coordinate with government officials for sustained program delivery, build strong tracking mechanisms for project implementation monitoring, and work both independently and in groups to execute planned immunization support interventions. The individual will report directly to the Vaccine Program Manager and will be an integral member of the CHAI Sierra Leone Vaccine team. Because of the fluid nature of our work, specific responsibilities may change over time. 

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate exceptional analytical skills and outstanding communication abilities. They should be capable of operating autonomously, showing adaptability, and embodying CHAI’s core values: resourcefulness, entrepreneurialism, flexibility, independence, humility, and a strong work ethic. The candidate should exhibit superior technical and analytical skills, coupled with a fervent aspiration to apply these abilities in developing practical solutions in challenging settings.

• Provide technical support to the EPI leadership, including developing strategies for integrating COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization programs and improving overall vaccine coverage.
• Work alongside the Associate Data Systems Strengthening to conduct rapid assessments of demand and supply factors using the (BESD approach) and surveys and assist with the development plans to address challenges.
• Assist with the development of progress report on the implementation of the road map (following the rapid assessment) and impact on vaccination coverage of target groups.
• Assist with the design and implementation of an integrated monitoring and supervision system across facilities and district.
• Act as a technical officer, advising on policies and programmatic approaches to enhance routine immunization activities and integration to reach under-immunized communities, including in hard-to-reach settings.
• Support the improvement of immunization data collection, reporting, and analysis processes to inform evidence-based decision-making and system strengthening.
• Support the Bi-Annual convening of District immunization staff at the national to review RI and Covid program data and share implementation challenges, mitigation action and lessons.
• Coordinate meetings at identified communities and liaise with local partners to reach underserved communities.
• Work alongside EPI officers to conduct convening for the development, finalization and costing of the integration roadmap.
• Monitor, track and provide updates on Gavi investments such as CCEs, PHU Solarization, Motorbikes and tablets by maintaining an inventory and providing information on distribution and use.
• Track supervision activities, analyzing supervision performance, and use the findings from the supervision to develop improvement plans. Deploy the use of ODK for supervision tracking and reporting.
• Track the regular conduct of M&E subgroup and NLTWG meetings at national and district levels.
• Strengthen the feedback mechanism and coordination at the PHUs, District and National by reviewing and updating the accountability framework and TORs of responsible staff.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials, technical partners, and donors. Provide capacity building support to healthcare workers and program managers at the national and sub-national levels.
• Work alongside other CHAI Vaccines teams to support the implementation of immunization projects, ensuring alignment with national strategies and objectives.
• Prepare and disseminate regular reports and insights on program performance.
• Work collaboratively with government bodies, internal partners, donors, INGOs, NGOs, CSOs and other partners to mobilize resources and coordinate efforts for improving routine immunization coverage.
• Develop comprehensive and compelling content for reports, presentations, and other communication materials to provide detailed program updates.
• Execute any additional tasks or projects as directed by the Program Manager to support program objectives and operational efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Statistics, or other technical disciplines with 4 years of work experience or a Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology or other technical disciplines and a minimum of 2 years of work experience.
• Ability to work independently and to develop and execute plans to achieve specified impact with limited guidance and an ability to multi-task and be effective in high-pressure situations.
• Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, limited-structure, multicultural environment.
• Proven ability to build relationships in cross-cultural contexts.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and quantitative skills.
• Attention to detail and strong organization skills.
• Ability to innovate and adapt for changing project needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver compelling presentations.
• Fluency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

Advantages

• Experience working in EPI, newborn, child and adolescent health.
• Experience in conducting data analysis.
• Experience in facilitating and coordinating meetings.
• Experience working in a developing country and/or with bureaucratic and government organizations.
• Proficiency in Krio.

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