Innovations for Poverty Action Senior Field Officers (Medicine Access Project) Jobs in Kenya

Position: Senior Field Officer – Medicine Access Project
 

Deadline to Apply: 10th June, 2016
 

Start Date: 20th June 2016

Duration: 3 Months
 

Location: Kakamega / Samburu / West Pokot / Narok / Nyeri / Embu / Kwale / Makueni.
 

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty problems. 

 

In close partnership with decision makers – the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with the poor around the world – we design and evaluate potential solutions to poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation method available. 

We also mobilize and support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs and policies at scale.

About the Project: IPA Kenya seeks qualified applicants for the position of Senior Field Officer for the Medicine Access Project that aims to evaluate the impact of a new medicine access program on the availability and price of the new medicine included in the program portfolio at health facilities and households in 8 counties targeted by the program in Kenya using a cluster-randomized trial design. Access to medicine in Kenya is via public, non-for-profit. 

In the private sector patients pay the price of the medicines out-of pocket; in the public and not-for-profit sector – Ministry of Health facilities or facilities affiliated with faith-based organizations – patients may be charged either the full price or a partial cost-recovery fee.

Out-of-pocket spending can result in catastrophic health expenditure and increased poverty. 

A household survey conducted in 2008 indicates that 82% of patients pay out of pocket for their Non Communicable Diseases medicines. About 33% of respondents who reported being diagnosed and prescribed an NCD medicine had that medicine available in their house at the time of the survey. 

We seek to evaluate the impact of the new medicine access program on the availability and pricing of the new medicine in the program at the facilities and households in target counties. Data for the evaluation will be collected at two levels: health facilities and households.

We are preparing for the baseline data collection, the first of the five phases of data collection, prior to the program implementation.

Responsibilities
 

This job description outlines some of the tasks that are typical to the Senior Field Officer (SFO) position across IPA-K projects. 

The tasks below are in no way exhaustive of the expectations of the SFO position, thus flexibility, innovation, adjustment and conscientious efforts are expected depending on day to day events and the ever changing areas and needs of the job.

General

• Data collection management which includes: Assist in survey translations, overseeing, monitoring conducting data collection and survey field work, planning field work and field logistics, organizing data collected from the field, and providing feedback on field operations and survey instruments that will inform and monitor improvements, conducting back checks.


• Human resource management which includes: Assisting in training, monitoring staff attendance and updating attendance records including leave forms and to enforce all human resource policies and procedures in coordination with IPAK’s Human Resource Manager and the FM/RA


• Operations management which includes: taking and updating inventory of all project items, participating in general procurement and logistics for the project and liaising with the operations department for necessary action


• Financial management which includes: working with IPAK financial staff to keep detailed accounts of all project activities and to monitor project field expenses


• Public relations which includes: building and maintaining relationships with civil administrators and community officials and representing IPAK at stakeholder meetings. The SFO will identify and network with representatives from all relevant projects operating in the same areas as the NAP Project, to avoid/inform decisions where contamination of results is concerned.


• Communication and reporting: The Senior Field Officer will be expected to report to the FM on activities and plans. The SFO will also be communicating directly with the RA and will be required to participate in weekly calls with the RA and/or RM.


• Organization of Field Activities: The SFO will help organize field activities. We expect the SFO to work on the following specific areas with regard to field activities together with the FM:


• Work closely with field staff to develop work schedules before any field activities begin.


• Discuss and seek the approval of the FM/RA on the work schedules make changes/adapt if necessary following the outcomes of these discussions.


• Develop and discuss a supervision plan with the team leaders and other field staff.


• Help organize for recruitment, interviewing and hiring of new staff, if necessary


• Help organize for training for both old and new staff before any activity


• Ensure that all the field teams have all necessary material/tools required for the data collection. This must be made available on time. GPS cells and stationery must be bought in bulk to benefit from discounts and to ensure each team has enough at the beginning of the field activities.


• Be proactive in thinking through the schedule for the next day anticipate challenges (and more generally for the rest of period). Communicate to the RM the plan for the day, expectations, number of staff needed, staff allocation, number of days needed to achieve tasks and challenges foreseen at the end of each day.


• Other tasks as assigned by the FM/RA/RM.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Science, Social Science and other related disciplines.


• Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Swahili


• Excellent management and organizational skills


• Flexible, self, motivating, and able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, a team player.


• Computer literate


• Previous experience in data collection and survey administration


• Experience with position responsibilities listed above


• Comfortable managing a large team of enumerators


• Previous tablet based survey experience.

Desired

• Over 2 years’ of experience managing midline or endline respondent tracking


• Experience using process maker system


• Fluent in local languages of the areas of operation.

To Apply:

Click here – 

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Senior Field Officer-Medicine Access Project. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA