The Position:

The Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Programme Officer advises project formulation and evaluation, joint programming initiatives and national development frameworks. You will provide technical support to the Lead executive Officer, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Service, FMOH, on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programmes in both development and humanitarian contexts. The Programme Officer-SRH will be mainly focusing on providing support to family planning, maternal and newborn health and Adolescent and Youth Programmes. The Programme Officer will leverage the nexus approach to ensure linkages in both the humanitarian and development settings. You will also be responsible for providing technical assistance towards the implementation of MISP (Minimum Initial Service Packages) in humanitarian settings. Furthermore, you will serve as an in-house expert in ISRH programming and support MOH in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the RMNCAYH program in general and Maternal Health programs in particular. Technically, you will be reporting to the Lead Executive Officer, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Service, and administratively, to the SRH Team Lead of the UNFPA Ethiopia Country Office.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, and exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

In the last decade, Ethiopia has made significant progress towards achieving its national and international development goals, and sectoral programmes and strategies for improving maternal health, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and combating the HIV epidemic.

The Maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Ethiopia reduced from 356 in 2016 to 267 per 100,000 live births in 2020. However, approximately 10,000 women die annually from preventable causes, with obstetric hemorrhage as the leading cause. 13% of women aged 15-19 years have begun childbearing, with regional differentials ranging from 23% in Afar to 3% in Addis Ababa. Modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) increased from 35% in 2016 to 41% in 2019 with marked regional disparities that range from 3.4% in Somali to 49.5% in Amhara.

The unmet need for family planning is 22.3% and unintended pregnancy is a major reproductive health challenge faced by young women. Abortion accounts for 60% of gynecological and about 30% of all obstetric and gynaecological admissions. Over half of the 19 million women who seek abortions annually are between the ages of 15–24 years. Cultural and religious barriers, compounded by the limited participation of private entities, hinder access to family planning services.

Ethiopia is concluding the current GTP II and other sectoral strategies. Home Grown Economic Reform which is the overarching government strategy as well as sectoral strategies are under development and will run for the next five years. FMOH has developed its 3 years health sector strategy 2024-2026. The Health Sector Strategy is aligned and harmonized with the Home-Grown Economic Reform and SDG goals.

The purpose of the assignment is to affect a paradigm shift in the health sector through the implementation of the SRHR key interventions in an integrated and holistic manner with health and non-health sectoral plans to ensure that they are aligned with the FMOH Agenda, the Home-Grown Economic Reform, ICPD plan of Action, SDGs and other international commitments while serving the needs of the under-served segments of the population. Additionally, it will help the director of RMNCHY-N with the integration of the SRHR programme into SDGs framework, while localizing the SDGs at the country level.

You would be responsible for:

• Advise Maternal, Child and Adolescent Lead Executive Office on all issues regarding Family Planning, maternal Health and IRHR in the context of the National Health Sector Development Programme, Health Policy and other national SRH strategies
• Develop the basic information required for advocacy for the inclusion of issues of maternal health into the national policy, strategy, development framework and annual work plans; and develop messages and strategies;
• Analyze a country’s situation to identify opportunities for programme development, resource mobilization, proposal development, work plans formulation/implementation in the areas of IRHR, Family planning and maternal health and national SRHR strategy documents including the HSTPII, RH strategy and the AYH strategy
• Coordinate and follow up project implementation at national and regional levels. Liaise with the Government counterparts, represent UNFPA at MOH and regularly prepare and submit project reports.
• Provide technical support to assist national and regional partners in the implementation of sexual and reproductive health programmes and initiatives. Promote and coordinate SRHR/population sensitization activities to facilitate smooth integration of SRHR/Population dynamics in the SDGs framework
• Represent the Country Office in technical meetings related to maternal health, Family Planning policies and programmes. Assist in national and regional advocacy efforts in favour of comprehensive sexual reproductive health and rights.
• Follow up and monitor UNFPA-supported interventions with other Lead Executive offices at MOH and serve as UNFPA focal point for the partnership with MOH.
• Support the development and implementation of national strategy documents and guidelines/SOPs.
• Provide support to SRHR Programming in the context of the Triple Nexus (Development, Humanitarian and Peace Nexus) Agenda
• Support MOH and Ethiopian Public Health Institute in responding to SRHR in humanitarian contexts
• Support the Maternal, Child and |Adolescent Health Lead Executive Office (LEO) at FMOH in policy synthesis and formulation for high-level advocacy and policy dialogue on Family Planning and ISRH.
• Monitor specific stages of projects/programme implementation and write periodic reports;
• Assess and evaluate project/programme performance to identify success factors compile a list of scalable good practices, and provide support for their implementation;
• Participate in the formulation of project proposals and ensure substantive rigour in the design and application of proven successful approaches;
• Establish and nurture positive communication with partners; analyze and select materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;
• Generate new ideas and propose new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Document and analyze innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
• Ensure the creation and documentation of knowledge about current and emerging issues in the area of Family Planning and SRH , by the programme team through the analysis of programme, projects, strategies, approaches and ongoing experience for lessons learned, best practices, and uses this knowledge for information sharing and planning future strategies;
• Participates in advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the Country Office by ensuring preparation of relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in related donor meetings and public information events;
• Manage Implementing partners, engage in joint work plan development process, review physical and financial reports
• Support the implementation of periodic supportive supervision to regions, zones, districts and facilities
• Support the facilitation of various review meetings and workshops in combination with in-person and virtual platforms
• Undertake other activities as assigned by the immediate supervisor and/or by the senior management of the country office.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

• A health background (Medical doctor, nursing, midwifery, Health Officer,) with masters in public health or any health-related fields

Knowledge and Experience:

• A minimum of two years of professional experience in the field of Family Planning, Maternal Health, and SRH both in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in programme/ project management including experience in large multi-sector projects, designing and appraising proposals and actively liaising with relevant and potential project partners;
• Field experience in various regions of Ethiopia on SRHR program focusing on family planning and Maternal health
• Prior experience with the UN system is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

Required Competencies

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.