Careers at Option Consultancy Services Limited

Option Consultancy Services Limited was established in 1992 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stoped international. We are a consultancy organisation providing technical and management expertise in the health and social sectors to governments and international development partners to transform the health of women and children. We provide information, expertise and influence government, health workers, NGOs and businesses to catalyse change so that health services can be accessed by the people who need them most

The Maternal, New-born and Child Health Programme (MNCH2) is a country led programme which aims to reduce maternal and child mortality in Northern Nigeria and it is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The MNCH2 programme is being implemented in six states in northern Nigeria: Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Yobe and Zamfara States.

ACCOUNTABILITY COORDINATOR

JOB DESCRIPTION
Options Consultancy Services Limited is seeking an Accountability Coordinator to be based in Zamfara State to contribute and work within a dynamic five (5) year programme called MNCH2.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Accountability Coordinator in Zamfara will be responsible, under the guidance of the Accountability and Advocacy Advisor and the Zamfara State Team Leader (STL), for ensuring that accountability mechanisms are strengthened, ensuring government and service providers deliver quality MNCH services through active public and broader stakeholder engagement.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
The Accountability Coordinator will:
Strengthen MNCH accountability structures and be the primary means through which resources at facilities and progress on maternal and newborn health care are tracked and acted upon
Ensure that Options? successful FHC model will be scaled up significantly, covering all MNCH2 states
Coordinate a range of mentoring activities for a large number of consultants, ensuring the appropriate logistical and financial support is provided
Ensure on-going monitoring through monthly FHC reports, self-assessment reports and community scorecards. This includes quality assuring data and reports, highlighting key issues that need to be addressed to ensure good performance of and impact made by FHCs and ensure these are acted upon
Provide focused mentoring support, informed by individual FHC needs, both directly to FHCs or via CSOs/consultants who have been contracted to provide mentoring to FHCs

Ensure the facility scorecards will be shared through the accountability mechanisms and other forums at state level to facilitate data for decision making, encourage transparency on progress and advocate for improvements in the quality of services
Strengthen or establish State level accountability mechanisms (SLAMs) including FHCs and existing networks and consisting of members who have the power to influence change beyond just the health sector
Liaise with stakeholders, including State and LGA level Government, CSOs, FHCs, civil society coalitions, and representatives of relevant development programmes
Ensure close and effective cooperation with other programme staff in their State team to make sure that MNCH2 strategies and approaches are delivered in a coherent and coordinated way, in line with logframe targets
Carry out a variety of administration and quality assurance checks on all data received from CSO/consultants together with checks on invoices and timesheets before they are sent to Options HQ for data analysis and timely payment
Develop terms of reference together with the Accountability and Advocacy Advisor for upcoming consultant activities

REQUIREMENTS
An advanced degree in public health or a relevant field
Minimum of 6 years of coordination experience in international health programmes
At least 3 years experience providing expertise in the area of accountability and/or advocacy programmes in Nigeria, with a particular focus on strengthening communities
Understanding of accountability and advocacy principles and approaches
Demonstrated management, programme planning competency and effective communication skills
Experience in mentoring and training for different cadres of staff and partners
Experience of managing and coordinating a large number of consultants
Excellent attention to detail and experience of quality assurance
Excellent written and spoken English and Hausa
Ability to work to deadlines
Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including but not limited to Excel, Word and PowerPoint
In depth understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural context of Northern Nigeria.
A commitment to achieving effective and efficient delivery of essential health care for pregnant women, new-borns and children, alongside routine immunisation
A commitment to ensuring that all Nigerian citizens, including women, the poorest and other marginalized groups, are able to have equal voice and participate in holding government accountable in the delivery of public services.
Being both an excellent leader and team player, with excellent interpersonal skills and comfortable working in a multi-disciplinary team.

WE OFFER
A friendly and team-based working environment
Opportunity to work with national and international colleagues
Vital contribution to improving maternal and newborn services in Northern Nigeria
The opportunity to truly “make a difference’
A competitive salary with benefits

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

DUE DATE: 17 April, 2016