Consultant: Adolescent/Youth Health at mothers2mothers

Scope of Work

m2m seeks a consultant to work closely with m2m Head Office and Country Teams to further develop and adapt m2m’s SHARP-Y programme and activities specifically for implementation in Zambia, Lesotho and South Africa as well as support the development of an HIH R34 funding proposal.

• Lead the adaptation of m2m’s SHARP-Y programme design and activities for implementation in Zambia and South Africa.
• Lead the adaptation of the adolescent/youth training toolkit for implementation in Zambia and South Africa.
• Provide technical support to Country Teams in Zambia and South Africa as SHARP-Y is rolled-out.
• The consultant would be required to join a technical working group within m2m contributing to the development and submission of a United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) R34 funding proposal. The proposal would outline a programme strategy, with an accompanying operations research platform, to enhance understanding of the factors that drive the uptake and adherence to HIV prevention strategies among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Ideally the package of interventions would utilise m2m’s community-to facility programmatic platform in Lesotho, and encompass effective, acceptable and scalable behavioural, structural and biologic interventions to prevent new HIV infections among AGYW, implemented in conjunction with strategies to facilitate an enabling environment, including increasing access to (home-based) HIV testing, access to adolescent-friendly  / adolescent appropriate health services, reducing stigma and discrimination, addressing gender issues, and fostering individual- and community empowerment. The consultant would be expected to provide technical input into the development of the intervention package, as well as the overall writing of the NIH proposal.

Deliverables

• SHARP-Y programme adapted for both Zambia and South Africa with associated strategy documents and implementation guides.
• Development and adaptation of the training toolkit (curriculum, facilitators manual, participants manual, messaging aids) for Zambia and South Africa.
• Develop workplan, monitor and advise roll-out of SHARP-Y implementation.
• Bi-weekly check-ins with m2m Head Office (Director, Programmes and Technical Support) and othe)r team members as deemed necessary.
• Research, written submissions of NIH proposal as deemed necesssary.
• Regular check-ins with Zambia and South Africa Country Teams and m2m’s NIH technical working group.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors degree in health sciences, international development, management or a related field; Masters degree preferred.
• At least 10 years experience in public health programme design and management, preferably in the field of HIV/AIDS, RMNCH, and adolescents/youth.
• Experience in planning, managing, monitoring and advising adolescent/youth health programmes.
• Experience working in Southern Africa, familiarity with South Africa and Zambia preferred.
• Experience working with a diverse groups of stakeholders.
• Ability to build and maintain diverse relationships, be culturally sensitive, and maintain a respectful demeanour in context of working within then international development sector.
• Fluency in English essential.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• High level of computer literacy (MS Office Suite).
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve, make decisions, and work independently with minimal supervision. Ability to work well under pressure, manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
• Determination, resourcefulness, and ability to think analytically.

Requirements

Travel: Occasional travel to Zambia, Lesotho and KZN, South Africa. All travel costs will be reimbursed or paid directly by m2m.

Level of effort: 100%

Location: Flexible

Duration: 6- 8 month