Project Operational Responsible in Khayelitesha (m/f/x)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF Operational Centre Brussels is looking for a:

Project Operational Responsible (POR) Khayelitesha, Cape Town, South Africa

CONTEXT

Operational Context

The Khayelitsha project has found its niche as a catalyst program remaining a pilot site for innovative, simple and replicable interventions related to HIV/DR-TB. As the longest-running cohort of ART patients supported by MSF in Africa, the Khayelitsha project is in a unique position to nourish MSF HIV/AIDS & DRTB policy allowing the organisation to be on the fore front of the most needed novel interventions and anticipating everybody’s future challenges related to a dual growing epidemic. The outcomes of these interventions are used to inform other MSF projects within and outside of the region, to advocate for adoption with local health ministries and to influence local, national, regional, and international policies on HIV and DR-TB care. Additionally, The Khayelitsha Project is also focused on disseminating and scaling up where appropriate, clinical, epidemiology and patient support and programmatic learning. This is done in close collaboration with the South African Medical Unit (SAMU), as well as the provincial government and key academic partners.

The project plan which is scheduled to end in 2022 revolves around 4 core expected results within the MSF’s HIV/TB Advocacy Framework

Main objectives

The Project Operational Responsible, the Project Medical Referent and the Deputy Project Coordinator makes up the core of the strategic leadership of the medical humanitarian intervention. This group will be ultimately responsible for developing and adapting an appropriate strategy to achieve the agreed objectives. This group, together with the project team, will be responsible for the agile deployment of the human, material and financial resources available to the project in fulfillment of the project strategies. This group is responsible for ensuring an organizational culture that enables team members to thrive in autonomous conditions and utilities the principles of subsidiarity, consultation, decision making by consent, and ensuring OCB values are alive within the project culture.

The project timeline is the closure of the project towards 2022; the POR will be responsible for the smooth handover / transition of the various components of the project to the Department of Health and/or other partners

o Develop plan and implement the comprehensive project closure strategy – (including stakeholder mapping, activity handover/exit planning, asset management plans, financial closure planning, internal and external communication strategy, HR strategies/plans and other legal compliance strategies).

o Represent the project/MSF in different stakeholder/network/partner meetings – with specific focus on project closure and handover of activities to other actors.

o Supports the development and implementation of the project advocacy strategy as well as the development and launching of specific advocacy (and communications) activities ensuring the ongoing studies/trials are successfully wrapped up as well as a final project closure advocacy and comms objectives are achieved.

o Communicate effectively and participate actively with the Regional support team (& country support team) on both South Africa specific topics (E-prep/response, field Recentralization implementation topics, future SA vision/strategy discussions).

Purpose of the post

In mid-2019 OCB launched a reform aiming at providing more autonomy to the projects. Southern Africa missions (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa) have been chosen as a first pilot and an innovative and transformational approach will be implemented in 2020 in the region.

This unique set up will promote increasing responsibility and competences at the project level, by altering the responsibility of the today’s national coordination teams who will transition towards needs-based Country Support Teams (CST). A Regional Support Team (RST) has been established as the first line contact for the projects for strategic matters. The RST will report directly to the OCB Director of Operations.

As a result, the strategic positions (POR &PMR) within the project take on a new character as the main responsible for success of the intervention. These positions will be accountable for ensuring that decision-making is made by consultation and consent and that they are taken as close as possible to the beneficiaries and communities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensuring appropriate leadership within project:

• Ensure subsidiarity principle is followed and that strategies to capacitate and empower project members to succeed under autonomy are in place

• Promotes a culture of mentoring and coaching as opposed to traditional line management approaches

• Ensures accountability measures are in place towards community and beneficiaries

• Ensures consultation process is effective and rescue role is applied as needed Responsible for successful intervention together with PMR

• Final responsible for overall operations within scope of predefined project objectives & strategy

• Context analysis; Risk analysis; Develop, update and apply the project security rules

• Represent the project in front of local partners, central authorities and MSF stakeholders in collaboration with national representative; ensures & further establishes the network of stakeholders

• Coordinates, coaches & supports project team within predefined frame

• Accompanies the selection of priorities in terms of advice & recommendations from global expertise

• In close collaboration with project team, plans & monitors HR-associated processes for project workforce

• Collaboration with local advocacy partners & exchange with national team

• Directly manages Deputy Field Co and HP Manager

Responsible for strategic Leverage (jointly with the Leverage Responsible in project)

• Ensure streamlining of Leverage strategy within project (objective, rationale, strategies, activities)

• Ensures implementation of Leverage activities as per project planning

• Support & capacitation of project Leverage activities towards project team

• Active participation within relevant thematic Leverage Circles/ working groups (in region or globally)

• Ensures relevance of Leverage Circle(s)/ working groups linked to their intervention needs

• Gives visibility to project Leverage Strategy & needs towards Leverage Circles/ working groups

• Interprets & integrates Leverage needs of other projects in region (as relevant)

REQUIREMENTS

Education

• University degree or paramedical diploma desirable

• Desirable degree in Project Management or HR Management

• Coaching or mentoring skills an advantage

Experience

• Essential working experience: previous MSF field experience of at least 18 months in coordination positions in different context
• Experience in closing Projects or mission

• working experience in developing countries

Competencies

• Cross-Cultural Awareness

• Strategic Vision

• Participative Leadership

• Networking and Building Relationships

• Team work and cooperation

Languages

• English proficiency is mandatory

• Local language an advantage

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: September 2021
• Contract type: 18 months fixed-term field contract
• Location: based in based in Khayelitsha, Cape Town
• Salary according to MSF-OCB Field salary scale, under remuneration policy of SA mission
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments
• Family position is possible
• A dynamic and stimulating work environment alongside multicultural colleagues

Deadline for applications: August 27, 2021