Skip to content

PBF Assistant Verification Officer

Closing Date: 10-December-22

Location: Yabello, Oromia

Employment Type: Regular – Fixed term

Salary: As per the organization scale

Reference number: Rec/102/22

Introduction

Cordaid Ethiopia, being operational since 2006, initially focused on disaster risk management. Through these programs, we enabled local communities to develop the capacity to deal with unexpected man- made and natural disasters. In 2015, we expanded our work to different sectors, including health care. We strengthen the health care system in fragile areas and vulnerable communities. This includes strengthening the capacity of healthcare service providers to deliver comprehensive and quality healthcare service for their communities. Cordaid Ethiopia implements projects in humanitarian aid, health care, private sector development, and food and income in close collaboration with local partners. Within these sectors, we focus on strengthening health, food security and livelihoods, job creation, women, peace and security, resilience building, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian responses.

Aim of the Organizational Unit

Performance Based Financing (PBF) differs from classical health financing which relies on input financing for its activities that are not linked to any results produced by the health facility. In a supply side PBF health system strengthening approach, the financing of the health facility is linked with its performance. PBF creates a strong motivator for actors to perform better, improve their HMIS and provide quality services. Cordaid has long been a pioneer in the implementation of Performance Based Financing (PBF) in the health sector. Since 2015, we have been running a PBF showcase project in the Borana Zone in Oromia Region (Ethiopia), in close collaboration with the Oromia Regional Health Bureau (ORHB) and the Borana Zonal  Health  Department  (BHZD).  More   information   about   this   project   can   be   found   online on http://www.pbfethiopia.org.

Building on the success of this project, we were invited by the Netherlands Embassy to develop a proposal for a second Ethiopian PBF project, targeting a substantial part of the Jimma Zone in Oromia Region, for a duration of four years. This project aims at improved health service delivery in participating districts (through independent monthly quantity and quality verification of the facilities), as well as improved governance of health service delivery, and an enhanced health information system.

Purpose of the position/Job’s aim

The Assistant Verification Officer (AVO) is part of the verification team consisting of already existing 6 other Verification officers. S/he works in direct collaboration with and under the responsibility of the PBF Programme Coordinator in Yabello, to whom s/he reports directly.

The Assistant Verification Officer (AVO) conducts monthly verifications of the under PBF contracted Borena Zone Health Facilities in order to verify declared monthly HMIS data; as well as gives support to contracted Community Based Organizations (CBO) in conducting quarterly verifications of the Health Facilities registers attendance and client satisfaction surveys (perceived quality of care).

Responsibilities and Accountability Business plan & Contracting

  • Assist the responsible VOs to facilitate the timely preparation and signing of HFs, Woreda Health Offices (WHO), Borena Zonal Health Department (ZHD) and CBO contracts with Cordaid Yabello Office operating as the Purchasing Agency.
  • Assist the responsible VOs in facilitating regular BP reviews and timely submission to Cordaid Yabello office.
  • Assist with contracting of CBOs and PBF project

Verification

  • Conduct monthly quantity verification visits to each Health posts and assist VOs health centre/Hospital monthly verification contracted (only Health Facilities with big catchment population)
  • Assist with cross triangulation of registers and process follow check data fabrication,
  • Assist entering the declared and verified PBF-data of the contracted facilities HPs and actors into the PBF data base system.
  • Collect random samples from the health facility registers and provide client relevant information for quarterly the client satisfaction surveys to be done by the contracted CBO’s.
  • Verify the quarterly client satisfaction questionnaires of the contracted CBOs for completeness and accuracy of data.
  • Verifies and supervises the work of community-based interviewers at the household level
  • Assist the VOs and WHOs staff to conduct quarterly quality supervisions of the Health centers,
  • Ensure that client satisfaction surveys are conducted by the contracted CBO’s according to the PIM and the agreed guidelines and deadlines.

Trainings and Coaching

  • Train the newly contracted Borena Zone HFs, CBOs, in PBF as formulated in the PIM of the PBF project.
  • Identify and make recommendations to overcoming obstacles and challenges encountered during the whole implementation of the PBF-project.
  • Coach the Health Posts & contracted HFs on how to manage their documentation, on how to reduce errors in their reports and how to improve their HMIS.

Networking

  • Plan and coordinate the activities of the contracted CBOs

Monitoring

  • Monitor the use of subsidies of the contracted HF’s (with focus on HPs) monthly and compile
  • Monitor if the contracted HFs are in line with their BPs with regards to Health Posts activities and follow financial procedures. If not, report discrepancies to the responsible VO
  • Monitor if all documents all related to use of subsidies are kept properly and chronologically.

Reporting

  • Compile weekly, monthly, and quarterly updates to the Project Coordinator.
  • Assist VOs to ensure that proper PBF files of all contracted parties are maintained.
  • Submission of the monthly returns of the logistics, finance, and administrative activities to the PBF Project Coordinator/Administration Officer

Representation and networking

  • Represent Cordaid and the PBF-project within the Borena Zone. Where needed, liaise with relevant stakeholders in and outside the project area to ensure its success. Function as an active member of the PBF-Borena Zonal Steering Committee

Job Requirements Qualifications and Experience

  1. Public health background with a degree in Nursing, Midwife, Health Promotion or Public Health and at least 1 year working experience (attachments and internship) in the health sector with exposure to PBF processes.
  2. 6 months working experience with the Ministry of Health (at district, zonal or regional level) is an advantage.
  3. Basic exposure and understanding of Performance Based Financing

Knowledge and Skills

  1. Knowledge of and working experience in the Borena Zone is an advantage.
  2. Effective internal/external communications – a team player, with the ability to establish a team and to work as a team, adapting to different personalities and situations, maintaining positive working relations.
  3. Ability to work and succeed under distant supervision and guidance, meeting deadlines.
  4. Independent, dynamic and capable of organizing his/her work, while having the ability to work accurately.
  5. Good networking and social skills.
  6. Good command of the Afan-Oromo and English language.
  7. Good experience with relevant computer software packages.
  8. Able to meet deadlines.
  9. Ability to analyses and present data. Good report writing skills.
  10. Able to ride and in the possession of an (Ethiopian) motorbike license

Competences

  1. Collaboration
  2. Integrity
  3. Organizational Awareness
  4. Networking
  5. Planning & Organization
  6. Problem solving

How to Apply

Interested and qualifying applicants can submit their application letter and CV in English, with both phone and email contact details of at least 3 professional references, to the following email [email protected]. The vacancy reference number along with the title of the post needs to be written in the subject of the email.

CORDAID is an equal opportunity employer and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

All applications submitted cannot be returned.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early as interviews are done on a rolling basis and the advert can be closed when a matching candidate is identified.

An integrity screening will be part of the application procedure.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest to join us. Please visit our website to learn more about our interventions in Ethiopia