Volunteers wanted! Healthcare managers

Voluntary Position Available – Programme Manager (Hospital Management)
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Assignment Length: 1 year
Application Deadline: 31st January 2011
Starting: July 2011 (starting date may be flexible)

Job Description

The Programme Manager will provide technical leadership and contribute to the development and implementation of ongoing and new programme activities aimed at improving the quality of paediatric health care in Sierra Leone, starting at the country’s only specialist paediatric facility, Ola During Children’s Hospital (ODCH).

Responsibilities

The Programme Manager will be responsible for the design and implementation of hospital management programme work. You will be one of two volunteer Programme Managers working under a Medical Coordinator who is already in place. The role includes:

1. Needs assessment and planning: Work closely with the management at ODCH and where appropriate the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, to analyse barriers to the delivery of timely and effective healthcare for children and develop ongoing plans to address these barriers.

2. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation: Take joint responsibility with ODCH management and staff for implementing, monitoring and evaluating work to address management issues in the hospital. This may include coordinating and delivering in-service training for hospital management and other staff.

3. Teamwork: Work closely with the national and international staff and volunteers who comprise the Welbodi Partnership team, including contributing to planning, monitoring and evaluation, fundraising and reporting processes.

Qualifications

1. At least two years’ experience working in hospital management is highly desirable, although candidates with other relevant experience in delivering or managing healthcare will also be considered. Additional postgraduate qualification in international development, public health or public policy is highly desirable.
2. Professional experience of healthcare in Africa.
3. In-depth, substantive knowledge of healthcare policy in developing countries.
4. Excellent people skills and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds in a dynamic and constantly-shifting environment.
5. Excellent written and oral English communication skills.
6. Flexibility, focus, and the presence of mind to work in sometimes difficult and chaotic circumstances.
7. Commitment to the goals and principles of the Welbodi Partnership.

Applications

The Welbodi Partnership (WP) is a UK-registered charity established to support the provision of paediatric health care in Sierra Leone and in particular to support the Sierra Leone Institute for Child Health (SLICH). SLICH is a joint project between the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Ola During Children’s Hospital, and the Welbodi Partnership to create a centre of excellence in paediatric care. It forms part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s Strategic Plan for Reproductive and Child Health.

Ola During is Sierra Leone’s only specialist children’s hospital, located in the poor and densely-populated eastern part of Freetown. More than 15,000 patients are treated at the hospital each year, spread across three inpatient wards, an outpatient department, emergency room, ICU and a therapeutic feeding centre. The hospital is under-resourced and providing adequate care is still a challenge.

To learn more about us, please visit our website at www.welbodipartnership.org.

We are seeking individuals to fill the role of Programme Manager described above. You will work as part of a team of three international volunteers at ODCH. You will also be part of the wider Welbodi team, including the charity’s Directors in the UK, USA and Freetown, our Fundraisers and a network of local and international partners.

Interested candidates should please send a CV and cover letter by 31st January 2011 for the attention of: Dr Emily Spry.

emily@welbodipartnership.org


Further important information for applicants

The Welbodi Partnership is a small organisation with limited financial resources. To keep our overheads low, this position has been filled on a voluntary basis over the past 3 years.

We will provide you with an apartment shared with other Welbodi Partnership international volunteers and transport to and from the Hospital on a daily basis. We can also contribute towards cost of travel to Sierra Leone, visas, and medical insurance. However, all other living costs will be your responsibility.

Although Sierra Leone is a very poor country, it is surprisingly expensive to live an expatriate lifestyle. It is possible to by a local meal of rice and sauce for just a few dollars, but an individual pizza in one of the Western-style restaurants costs $12. The minimum that you will need in living costs is around $300 per month, with many spending around $500 per month.

As Programme Manager of the Welbodi Partnership, you would have a direct and significant impact on the quality of care provided to children both at ODCH and throughout the paediatric healthcare system. You would be part of building a relatively new organization from the ground up, of identifying and implementing high-impact interventions -- including quality training for Sierra Leone's young doctors and nurses -- and of building a foundation for lasting change. You would join a committed core team and would be responsible for leveraging the contributions of a wider network of volunteers and partners to bring significant and lasting change to ODCH and the public healthcare system.