Background on Technical Support Services (TSS) Activity

The Technical Support Services (TSS) Activity helps USAID/Southern Africa’s Regional Health Office (RHO) address technical priorities, develop creative, innovative solutions to strategically allocate resources, strengthen connections with partners, and replicate best practices and effective program models. Through the TSS contract, Panagora Group augments capacity by providing technical, operational, and administrative support to USAID’s health portfolio. TSS deploys advisors in response to USAID requests for priority work with government stakeholders, implementing partners, and/or other entities. TSS supports Health Office staff and teams to integrate creative solutions into routine work. TSS also provides international and local expertise for surge support, as needed, for USAID Program Cycle requirements, planning, development, outreach, communications, and Health Office human resource functions.

General Summary or Background

South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic in the world with an estimated 7.8 million people living with HIV (PLHIV), of which 310,000 are children aged 0-14 years and 5.2 million are on treatment. The current HIV prevalence is 13.2%; adult HIV prevalence is 18.5%. Approximately 230,000 new HIV infections occur each year of which 50,000 are among children and adolescents 0-19 years. New HIV infections are disproportionately higher among adolescent girls and young women. Given the rate of new infection, South Africa has yet to achieve “95-95-95” targets and the goal of HIV epidemic control.

Annually, nearly one-third of all new HIV infections in South Africa occur in youth ages 15-24 years, with adolescent girls being up to eight times more likely to be infected with HIV than their male counterparts. Although HIV prevention interventions ranging from structural to biomedical (e.g., Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) have been scaled nationally through initiatives such as the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, Aids-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) Initiative and She Conquers, HIV incidence among this priority population remains high due to a myriad of factors - early sexual debut, age-disparate relationships to mitigate the impact of high youth unemployment, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual and gender-based violence (GBV). While HIV prevention interventions have been concentrated in districts and provinces with the highest burden of disease and unmet needs, to achieve epidemic control, South Africa will need to scale up and intensify targeted HIV prevention interventions nationally.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The TSS activity is looking for a consultant to serve as a Technical Program Advisor to support the Limpopo Provincial Department of Basic Education (LDBE) to institutionalize and harmonize the work of the USAID/Department of Basic Education (DBE) G2G into all program areas in the LDBE working with relevant structures at the national, provincial and district levels. The Technical Program Advisor will be critical to help the DBE achieve the milestones set in the year 6 work plan of the agreement for LDBE. The Technical Program Advisor will support the provincial multi-stakeholder project team in ensuring alignment and integration of the G2G work with the LDBE functions in HR, finance, curriculum, HIV life skills program management, including monitoring, reporting and evaluations.

The Technical Program Advisor will:

• Support the LDBE to institutionalize and harmonize the work of the G2G into all program areas in the Department working with the national DBE, provincial and education districts, and target schools’ structures.
  
• Help facilitate all training activities, ensure availability of training resources, and availability of all related materials at the focus schools. The Advisor will oversee the roll out activities by engaging substantially in the training, implementation, data collection and reporting.
  
• The Technical Program Advisor supports the LDBE and serves as a key staff member responsible for collaborating and engaging with the DBE national office and provincial offices and other technical assistance providers to integrate their expertise, services, and available support.
  
• Lead the technical development and implementation including Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) teacher training, integration of monitoring and evaluation activities.
  
• Facilitate regular technical meetings with national, provincial and districts education structures review program implementation, and identify measures to overcome implementation bottlenecks and enhance quality of deliverables.
  
• Help ensure that daily operations of overall program implementation activities are on schedule and that reports, new plans are prepared with enough lead time to get the necessary approvals.
  
• Support the LDBE and ensure high quality and timely submission of activity communications and reporting to DBE, Department of Health (DOH), USAID, and other stakeholders as required.
  
• The Technical Program Advisor is responsible for contributing significantly to the achievement of all the deliverables and milestones under the G2G support.
  
• Support schools in creating strong linkages to health services, by working closely with community health services, the integrated school health program teams, and PEPFAR implementing partners providing HIV prevention, care, and treatment services in support of learners.
  
• Demonstrates diplomacy and leadership to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation, in support of national and provincial education departments’ commitment to diversity.
  
• Travels to the target districts and to the national level (Pretoria) to support and conduct implementation oversight and assessment at district level and school sites.

Requirements

• A degree in public administration, education or social sciences is preferred
  
• At least 10 years' experience in education and administration of care and support programs within the education sector, including supporting teacher development and leading the development of student support programs to access health and social protection services
  
• Familiarity with key policy stakeholders at national, provincial and district levels, including policy development processes in the South African education and health sectors
  
• Familiarity and working closely with provincial AIDS council structures and donor supported HIV programs in schools
  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to think on your feet
  
• Analytical thinking and attention to detail; ability to reconcile competing viewpoints and triangulate many data points
  
• Strong report writing and presentation skills in English
  
• Proficiency in Word (Microsoft Office and Google Suite advantageous)
  
• Strong work ethic and the ability to work well independently to advance deliverables and work products with limited supervision

This position will require travel within South Africa, mostly in the Limpopo and to the national Department of Basic Education in Gauteng, Pretoria.

The position will report to USAID and Department of Basic Education representatives.

To Apply: Fill out the online application. Please include a cover letter and resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted. Only applicants who include the required application components will be considered.

Panagora Group is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

• 
  Note: Panagora does not offer visa sponsorship at this time.