MCH Indonesia Consultant
Location: Global Operations
Location type: Indonesia
Reports to: Head, Program Management Team

Who we are
PSI is a global non-profit organization focused on making it easier for all people to live healthier lives and plan the families they desire. PSI’s mission is to support countries to build adaptive and resilient health systems that can effectively prevent, detect, respond and adapt to health threats shared by people, animals, and the environment. We view global health security as a continuous series of actions that ensure health systems can respond to and remain resilient in the face of health threats.

What we are looking for

Despite recent progress in reducing maternal mortality in Indonesia, mothers and newborns are still dying at unacceptable rates. Hypertension in pregnancy and post-partum hemorrhage are the leading causes of maternal deaths, with low antenatal care coverage and poor quality of health services, including inadequate essential medicines, as key drivers[1]. More specifically, research has shown that a poor application of protocols, poor information flow from frontline hospitals to referral hospitals, delays in emergency care, and delays in management of deteriorating patients all contribute to the high rate of maternal death in Indonesia[2].

Against these challenges, is a complex ecosystem of stakeholders working to improve the healthcare of mothers and newborns. This includes international non-governmental organizations, (INGOs), bilateral organizations, local NGOs, civil society organizations (CSO), the private sector and the government of Indonesia. Within this ecosystem, organizations like UNICEF, Jhpiego, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation can operate at-scale through large grants to create systemic change for better maternal health. Meanwhile, civil society organizations, including community-based organizations, play an essential role in increasing the quality of care, with a more nuanced understanding of the local context. These local organizations more fully grasp the issues mothers and local providers face and can apply this understanding to designing targeted and impactful solutions. In Indonesia, CSOs are seen as strong advocates and skilled community mobilizers[3], and are often known and trusted by community members. Together, large organizations and community-based partners can complement each other’s efforts and make progress toward the shared goal of reducing maternal mortality.

We are looking for an experienced and energetic professional with a solid understanding of the MCH ecosystem in North Sumatra to 1) Find and assess the key implementers/stakeholders 2) Connect with these organizations to better understand their needs/challenges 3) Understand how information is being shared/disseminated at the different levels of the system (personal, community, local/national private/public sector, etc). 4) Analyze how the health financing and service delivery arrangements are operationalized at the local level (funding flows, payment mechanisms, incentives, governance, tracking of performance/quality, supply chain logistics/constraints, etc.) for the different levels of care and types of providers (midwives, birth attendants, community health workers, public health officials, private sector providers, pharmacies, hospitals, etc.) We require strong strategic and analytical skills, with experience working with CSOs, private and public health providers (midwives/birth attendants as well), local and national government bodies, and a keen interest in health sector reform. Must be a self-starter with the willingness and ability to work independently.

Sounds like you? Read on…

[1] https://indonesia.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Disparity_of_Access_Quality_Review_of_Maternal_Mortality_in_5_Regions_in_Indonesia.pdf

[2] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247911

[3] https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00T6KQ.pdf

Your contribution

You will work closely with the Global Operations Asia team but with great autonomy. You will receive technical guidance/support from our Health Systems Accelerator (HSA), Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), and Quality Assurance departments and your contribution will be focused specifically on:

• Health system landscaping: Building on PSI’s recently conducted desk review of the Indonesia HSS/MCH stakeholders/strategy, collect, analyze and synthesize information (e.g., through key informant interviews and site visits, etc.) relating to Indonesia’s health system and health financing environment (current situation, ongoing reforms, vision for the future- nationally, and specific to North Sumatra/MCH). Develop user-friendly processes and tools to facilitate such landscaping exercises.
• Civil Society Organization review: Identify the local community-based organizations in North Sumatra that are conducting maternal health work and develop framework for assessing quality and impact of care (technical competence, client safety, continuity of care, information exchange, and interpersonal connection during care). Additionally, conduct analysis of financial management capabilities to understand risks and capacity-building needs from an operational perspective (financial and cash management policies, historic stewardship of funding, accounting software, and reporting capabilities).

Your profile

We are looking for someone with the following background/profile:

• Graduate degree in public health, Nursing, Midwifery, or related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the health sector with increasing levels of responsibility
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in MCH, preferably working closely with or within national governments or with or within community-based organizations
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders (including different types of donors)
• Strong strategic and analytical skills
• A keen sense of urgency and strong work ethic, positive mindset, and comfort with the ambiguity and pace of a dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• Fluency in written and oral English and Batak (and/or languages native to North Sumatra desired)
• A passion for improving the lives of the women, men and children that PSI serves.

Ideally, the candidate should be based in North Sumatra, or willing to travel there from a base within Indonesia. #li-lm1 #li-onsite