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Job Vacancies Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP)
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute (PHI) in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, Management Systems International, and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. GHFP is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Position: HIV/AIDS Costing Advisor
Closing Date: Monday, 20 September 2010
Location: United States of America (the) – Washington, DC

Global Health Fellows Program
Technical Advisor Level II: HIV/AIDS Costing Advisor
Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Reporting Division, Office of HIV/AIDS, Bureau of Global Health, United States Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC
Assignment: Two year fellowship – GHFP-10-193

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute (PHI) in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, Management Systems International, and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. GHFP is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The goal of GHFP is to improve the effectiveness of USAID Population, Health and Nutrition programs by developing and increasing capacity of health professionals in Washington, DC and overseas. This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of junior, mid and senior level health professionals; a diversity initiative focused on providing internship and mentoring opportunities in international public health to underrepresented communities; and professional and organizational development activities to bolster USAID’s ability to maximize results and strengthen its leadership role in global health.

INTRODUCTION
The United Stated Government (USG) has made the fight against HIV/AIDS a top priority, not only for humanitarian reasons, but because the HIV/AIDS crisis threatens the prosperity, stability and development of nations around the world. USAID has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of the USG response in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, funding seven billion dollars in activities since inception of its international HIV/AIDS program in 1986 with programs in nearly 100 countries worldwide. PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease. In July 2008, the United States Congress re-authorized the PEPFAR legislation in the amount of $48 billion, $35.4 billion of which is dedicated to HIV/AIDS services, $3.8 billion to tuberculosis, $4.8 billion to malaria, $1.7 billion to research and $2.3 billion to training health care workers. The Global Fund will receive at least $2 billion per year.

PEPFAR recognizes health systems strengthening (HSS) as a key strategy to secure the sustainability of its past and future achievements. PEPFAR’s reauthorization provides an opportunity to strengthen health systems and health policy, as the USG’s and its partners’ efforts to combat HIV/AIDS transition from an initial emergency approach to a more long-term sustainable approach. The PEPFAR II legislation prioritizes strengthening HIV/AIDS health policies and health systems and assigns USAID with the complementary task to develop and implement a plan to strengthen host country health systems and health policies to combat HIV/AIDS. USAID’s HSS program provides support to ensure that developing country health systems are effective, efficient, and equitable. USAlD’s assistance in the area of health systems is an integral part of creating effective basic services in maternal and child health, infectious diseases and other priority services.

The overall objective of USAID’s Bureau for Global Health (GH), Office of HIV/AIDS’s (OHA) HSS program is to provide USAID leadership in building sustainability in the HIV/AIDS response through investment in health systems. OHA views health systems strengthening as a continuous process of implementing changes in policies, management arrangements and systems within the health sector. Health systems strengthening activities may encompass all levels and will address any of the six building blocks of the World Health Organization’s health system framework: financing, service delivery, human resources for health, health information systems, pharmaceutical management, and health policy and governance, including advocacy and civil society participation. OHA works collaboratively within USAID, with other USG agencies, and with the international community to implement its HSS vision through coordinating activities, evaluating programs, developing guidance and supporting countries to ensure the application of up-to-date health systems development interventions in both the public and private sectors.

Efforts rapidly are increasing to identify and realize potential programming efficiencies under PEPFAR, and to promote efficient resource allocation within partner countries’ HIV/AIDS programs. Cost analysis will be undertaken through the FY10 Headquarters Operational Plan in the areas of adult and pediatric treatment, PMTCT, and counseling and testing. Cost analysis may expand to OVC and other prevention activities. In fiscal year (FY) 2011, PEPFAR will begin to pilot routine expenditure analysis activities as a method to update cost estimates more rapidly. These analyses will begin to yield cross-program area cost data on a more regular basis, and over time will reduce the need for the type of time-consuming, labor-intensive special data calls to the field and reviews relied upon for this study.

The HIV/AIDS Costing Advisor will be assigned to the Bureau for Global Health, Office of HIV/AIDS, Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Reporting (SPER) Division, and will receive programmatic and technical guidance from the HSS Team Lead. S/he will focus on the economic evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs and interventions, with primary emphasis on the generation of information to support efficient resource allocation decisions. Key technical emphases include costing, cost modeling, cost effectiveness analysis and the use of cost information.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The HIV/AIDS Costing Advisor will serve as a member of the HSS Team and the Team’s focal person on costing activities within the context of PEPFAR and the Global Health Initiative, advancing OHA’s vision for the use of cost information in collaboration with other technical staff. S/he will:
* Provide technical assistance to other OHA divisions, USAID missions and country PEPFAR teams in the assessment, design and implementation of HIV-related economic evaluations and cost analyses
* Liaise with multiple technical working groups to provide technical support to cost analyses and other economic evaluation activities
* Monitor implementing partners’ economic evaluation work in the field, including fulfillment of a technical advisory role on specific projects as assigned
* Serve as a member of the PEPFAR Finance and Economics Working Group and ad hoc modeling working group
* Serve as a liaison and technical resource to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) and other PEPFAR implementing agencies on OHA-led and jointly led cost analyses
* Participate in the annual PEPFAR Country Operational Plan technical assistance and review process
* Participate in OHA’s HSS planning in the development of PEPFAR’s Headquarters Operational Plan
* Maintain knowledge of state of the art economic evaluation practices and serve as a technical resource for OHA, USAID, and PEPFAR
* Serve as a resource to junior team members and other staff in economic evaluation activities
Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming need and/or (b) the Technical Advisor’s own interests.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
* Master’s degree or higher in public health, health management, health economics, health policy, HIV/AIDS or other relevant field
* Minimum five years’ experience in public health programs or activities with at least three to five years’ experience in cost analysis, economic evaluation and capacity building in developing countries, including research design
* Experience in resource mobilization, research management and implementation, with at least two years’ experience in international or resource-poor settings
* Demonstrated understanding of and ability to apply accepted tools, techniques and frameworks for economic evaluation and cost analysis of HIV/AIDS interventions
* High degree of judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret strategy, to analyze, develop and present work and to monitor and evaluate implementation of programs
* Strong leadership and group facilitation skills
* Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment
* Demonstrated experience working with a wide range of development partners, including multilateral and bilateral donors as well as private foundations and civil society
* Demonstrated knowledge of internal processes within the USG and/or other health sector development partners, (e.g. thematic priorities, decision-making mechanisms, and preferred funding channels)
* Experience with global health partnerships and disease-specific initiatives
* Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills and ability to work with diverse teams
* Strong teamwork, multi-stakeholder collaboration and management skills
* US Citizenship or Permanent Residency required

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary will be based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2010_Benefits_for_GHFP_Fellows.pdf

How to apply
All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP’s online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/ , which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Time September 20, 2010.
We are proud to be an affirmative action employer.

Reference Code: RW_88UHMG-98

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