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Job Title:   DREAMS Program Manager

Organisation: Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC)

Duty Station: Lira, Uganda

About US:

The Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) is an indigenous medical organization that was established in 1991 as a limited liability not-for-profit Joint-venture between the Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Defense and Makerere University Medical School (now Makerere College of Health Sciences).

About USAID Project:

USAID’s Local Partner Health Services – Kigezi & Lango is a five-year Activity implemented by The Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). The Activity is aimed at supporting the continuation of technical assistance for the implementation of a district-based, integrated package of quality HIV/AIDS and TB services to the beneficiary population in the Nine districts in Lango sub-region. The main goal of the activity is to increase the availability, accessibility and utilization of quality, integrated HIV and TB services.

Job Summary:   The DREAMS Program Manager will support the USAID LPHS-Kigezi & Lango activity interventions to implement the DREAMS Program. S/he will provide strategic, technical and operational oversight, partner coordination and management including; planning, implementation, capacity enhancement, quality improvement, monitoring/evaluation and reporting on the delivery of high- quality DREAMS interventions.

S/he will work closely with MOH and district teams to support implementation. The Program Manager will be responsible for providing technical oversight and program management for DREAMS capacity building and related activities. S/he will supervise the DREAMS Program Officer(s) and DREAMS M&E Officer.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Implementation

• Lead strategic, technical and operational oversight for the DREAMS program in all USAID LPHS-Kigezi & Lango activity supported districts and communities to attain operational targets and achieve/exceed performance objectives;
• Manage the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of innovative, technically sound, evidence-based, sustainable and cost-effective interventions to scale up and improve the DREAMS interventions in the Lango region;
• Lead and coordinate capacity building activities for USAID LPHS-Kigezi & Lango activity partners to improve competencies, knowledge and skills in the implementation the DREAMS interventions through training(s), mentorship, meetings and workshops;

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Strengthen reporting on DREAMS activities through National Information Systems as required by the donor and MOH;
• Provide technical oversight to the Program for timely and accurate reporting;
• Monitor DREAMS project performance and reporting in UDTS, HIBRID and DHIS2;
• Work with the Project technical teams and the District
• Project Coordinators to contribute to the compilation and analysis of data ensure that DREAMS data is extracted from the database for reports and feedback and is regularly used to inform planning and decision-making;
• Provide leadership for Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement measures for implementation of the DREAMS strategies;
• Produce periodic reports as per the organizational, government and donor requirements;
• Ensure thorough familiarity with CSO grant award M&E documents;
• Present findings, progress, goals, problems and other relevant information to staff in regular staff calls and/or meetings;
• Continuously document new developments in DREAMS programming and align them to proposed activities;
• Conduct routine data quality assessments and/or site visits with grantees and build data management capacity of sub- grantee staff, facilities and communities;
• Participate in project evaluation activities, including gathering feedback on grantee activities and programs from beneficiaries and stakeholders through focus groups, site visits, and M&E data;
• Assist in the preparation, review, and dissemination of project reports, results and lessons learned;
• Write reports, work plans, strategic plans and other program- related documents in a timely manner and provide prompt feedback to donor requests for information;
• Contribute to documentation and strategic dissemination ofbest practices, success stories, abstracts, and lessons learnt from implementation of the essential DREAMS health package.
• Support the synthesis and curation of evidence and experience emerging from the project’s programming and routine data analysis.
• Represent the Project and contribute towards the MOH guidance on technical issues and participate in relevant advisory and/or technical working groups with counterparts and partner institutions in development, adaptation and operationalization of national guidelines and policies
• Support functionality of DREAMS coordination structures in districts, communities, schools and health centers;
• Conduct coaching and mentorship to district partners to support DREAMS activities which includes training and
• joint supportive supervision at multiple levels (district, health facility and community). This capacity will result in the districts’ ability to manage DREAMS activities and use the learnings from the program to improve USAID’s Collaborating Learning Adapting approach.
• Establish relationships with the public and private sector representatives in the region to potentially partner around DREAMS activities; identify other potential partners working in DREAMS districts to strengthen implementation and coordination;
• Oversee the development of comprehensive work plans and budgets for the implementation of quality DREAMS activities and track Project budgets; S/he will work closely with project, district, facility and community teams;
• Ensure technical compliance with USAID rules and regulations.

Capacity Strengthening

• Conduct routine quality improvement or site visits with districts / facilities/ communities and grantees and build their technical and data management capacity;
• Participate in the development of DREAMS related training curricula, other tools and materials for regional and in-country technical events such as assessments, workshops, trainings, etc;
• Provide training and technical assistance to DREAMS program staff on project database reporting requirements and procedures, and select M&E related organizational capacity development.

Other

• Innovatively think of ways to improve performance and address challenges that arise in the course of DREAMS implementation;
• Perform any other duties as requested.
• Support coordination for DREAMS work with other partners in the region and in the country;

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Social Science or Statistics or similar field preferred; A Masters’ Degree in the related fields will be an added advantage.
• At least five years of experience in community development work, program management, M&E, advocacy, and/or community engagement/mobilisation; experience working with multiple grantees desirable. Knowledge of and experience working in collaboration with MOH, international and local donor agencies, districts and health facilities (public/private) is desirable;
• Strong knowledge of DREAMS implementation and the evidence behind successful approaches to attaining the Program objectives. A proven track record in working to scale up DREAMS implementation is an advantage.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Uganda health and community systems, and ability to build and sustain strong relationships with national / regional partners in DREAMS — including representatives from Implementing partners, districts, NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector.
• Knowledge of major DREAMS best practices as well as implementation of DREAMS programs in Uganda;
• Experience in capacity building initiatives, an advantage;
• Ability to develop, implement and monitor project activities, including documenting project learning;
• Demonstrated skills in collaborative engagement, program planning, knowledge management, facilitation, networking and communication;
• Experience managing staff and local organizations;
• Previous experience working with USG projects or other donors and multilateral agencies with an in-depth knowledge of USG programs, regulations, compliance and reporting;
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform;
• Excellent technical writing, data collection, analysis and reporting skills required;

How to Apply:

All applications must be addressed to: Manager Human Resource & Development at Joint Clinical Research Centre, Plot 101 Lubowa Campus off Entebbe Road, P.O Box 10005, Kampala-Uganda and send to jobs@jcrc.org.ug  Strictly two documents combined in one PDF are required (Application letter and CV not exceeding 6 pages).

Note: JCRC is an equal opportunity employer. Any attempts of influencing the recruitment process will lead to automatic disqualification.

Deadline:  29^th March 2024

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