Inactive

General Statement of the Purpose of the Contract. 1. Background USAID's Office of Country Support (OCS) is the Global Health Bureau’s (GH) hub for providing integrated strategic, technical, and progra... General Statement of the Purpose of the Contract. 1. Background USAID's Office of Country Support (OCS) is the Global Health Bureau’s (GH) hub for providing integrated strategic, technical, and programmatic assistance to USAID Mission health teams. Serving as a bridge between USAID/Washington and missions, OCS coordinates across the GH Bureau and Regional Bureaus to streamline support to missions. This support aims to assist missions to achieve country-level health emergency response objectives for USAID health programs overseas; provide urgent health crisis response capability; assist health development programs to continue to function by taking on emergency response activities;; engage GH Country Teams in supporting emergency health program activity; meet Agency emergency response design, monitoring and reporting requirements; and facilitate Washington/mission align with USAID health priorities. OCS also supports the GH Country Health Team System, which draws on GH staff expertise from across GH Bureau offices to monitor and address strategic, technical and programmatic issues, working with mission health staff to improve country and regional programming. Over the past five years, one of the most challenging issues faced by missions is staffing shortages related to emergency or crisis situations, including pandemics, natural disasters, civil disruption and other crisis situations which affect health and require immediate mission health staff attention. Crises that require experienced emergency response capability and expertise. The incumbent will work with the GH Country Team to provide support in-country and from Washington, ensuring that the Country Team is engaged in emergency response efforts. During infectious disease outbreak/pandemic, the incumbent will also engage the Office of Infectious Disease Outbreak Response Team (ORT) to ensure consistent information and expertise is provided. Lessons from recent USAID responses to outbreak and non-outbreak health emergencies have highlighted a need for GH to develop systems and processes for responding quickly to non-humanitarian aspects of health emergencies. As part of this Global Health Emergency Response Management System, GH is deepening its ability to deploy specialized staff to the field on short-notice in order to tackle specific issues related to the health emergency or to fill in for Mission colleagues, who may be redirected to the health emergency or find themselves with a sudden increase in reporting and reprogramming requirements. The new Health Emergency Response USPSCs awarded from this solicitation will join the existing group of experienced Firehouse professionals to respond to public health emergencies as they arise in the field. Those serving as Health Emergency Response USPSCs must be willing to be on call at specific times through the year to be deployed quickly to USAID missions and embassies and support the Global Health Emergency response, Deployments can be for any period of time from a few weeks to a few months. In order to respond to these emergency staffing shortages, the GH/OCS will employ intermittent USPSCs to serve in the “Firehouse Emergency Response Team.” These intermittent USPSCs will be skilled emergency response health professionals with extensive experience responding to infectious disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises(e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis) and other international health emergencies Those serving in the Firehouse must be prepared to rapidly respond to GH or mission requests to travel and work abroad in support of USAID missions , on short notice. These periods of travel will vary based on circumstances but may range from 1 to 6 months. Additional details are contained below. b. Basic Functions This position calls for experienced health professionals with emergency response capabilities and teamwork skills to serve in select USAID missions abroad during emergency health crises from one to six months. The Emergency Health Officer will support USAID missions overseas in the management of infectious disease outbreaks/pandemic to a natural disaster or civil strife affecting health systems.. The incumbent must have the flexibility and experience to drop into a USAID mission emergency situation and work under the supervision of the Mission Health Director/Deputy/Health Team Lead (Mission Director/Deputy) and manage USAID staff, local and/or international technical experts. This position calls for experienced health professionals with the skills and knowledge in health emergency response to serve at select USAID missions abroad as well as support mission staff in order to minimize the burden on mission staff. The Intermittent Emergency Response Health Officer will support USAID missions overseas to manage public health emergency programs, including overseeing emergency health programmatic activities, responding to requests for information (from the Mission or Washington), drafting cables and updates, providing technical assistance, developing strategic priorities, and otherwise participating in the coordination around health emergency responses. The incumbent should have experience in overseeing emergency health program design and development, managing local and/or international technical experts, and may be called upon to develop emergency health strategies, analytical models and/or methodologies to contribute to mission planning around a health emergency. He/she may also lead field-based assessments and participate in coordination fora with other USAID colleagues, with the broader Embassy community, with multilaterals, and with host nation agencies. The Intermittent Health Emergency Response Officer performs under the assigned mission’s authority with latitude to exercise independent judgment and decision-making in health program areas, under that authority. 2. Statement of Duties to be Performed During assignments, the incumbent may be responsible for liaising with the senior management officials within the US Department of State including the U.S. Ambassador or his/her designee in addition to direct supervision by a USAID Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director , Health Director/Deputy/Team Lead or his/her designee. The incumbent may also be required to liaise with senior management officials at other agencies of the US Government, international organizations, and the non-government community abroad. He/she may be asked to represent USAID to local officials, the private sector, diplomatic missions and international organizations; and visit program sites outside the primary office setting, acting according to United States Government (USG) protocol and regulations. The incumbent should have the skills and experience to provide authoritative advice and guidance to resolve, implement and manage emergency health policy issues and oversee local and international technical experts in health technical areas. He/she requires the expertise to advise the Agency, mission, and other development collaborators about the range and relative effectiveness of emergency health programs and contribute to overall mission planning. While every deployment is different, the incumbent may perform the following duties while deployed: Serve as a member of the USAID’s Mission Senior Leadership Team. As such, will advise Ambassador, mission leadership, and/or USAID Washington on the health emergency crisis, or conflict issues affecting health and relevant to USAID. This will also include liaising with other USG agencies, bilateral and multilateral organizations, and diplomatic missions. Manage an office of local and expatriate personnel who are responsible for a range of programs (excluding direct hire staff unless granted Mission Director waiver approval). Oversee the work of mission personnel (excluding direct hire staff unless granted Mission Director waiver approval) who manage contracts, grants and/or cooperative agreements to implement programs within the mission portfolio in a range of sectors. Report, monitor, advise, and evaluate USAID emergency health programs, and work to modify current programs or design new ones, as directed by mission management. Serve as a USAID emergency health representative, establishing and maintaining contacts with representatives of local government and communities, including civil society organizations, implementing partners, and other NGOs and international organizations. Oversee administrative and accountability requirements related to USAID office operations, ensuring these are handled in accordance with established policies and procedures. Report to and be supervised by the USAID Mission Director, Deputy or mission designee, or Mission Health Director/Deputy/Health Team Lead. As requested by mission management, establish and maintain contact with senior management officials of the US Embassy, other USG agencies, bilateral and multilateral organizations and diplomatic missions. Ensure USAID is appropriately represented at emergency health functions and meetings; work with stakeholders to further their understanding, appreciation, ownership, and participation in USAID supported programs. Mentor and support early career Foreign Service Officers as well as Foreign Service National staff. Working across missions and regions, the employee will gain a wealth of information and lessons from missions to undertake the following with OCS, Offices of Infectious Diseases (ID), Regional Bureaus, and GH Country Teams: Identify critical issues across missions that need recognition and solutions by OCS, ID, GH and/or the regional bureau Front Office. Identify opportunities for strategic learning and sharing of key lessons learned between missions/country programs, GH Country Teams and USAID/Washington health sector. Document evidence from mission experiences for global consumption, working with the Country Team, OCS and the OCS Communication Specialist to ensure broad dissemination and promotion of key findings to appropriate stakeholders. During mission assignments, the employee will maintain engagement with the OCS supervisor and the GH Country Team-ensuring awareness of key issues and health programming in-country. The employee will respond to requests for information concerning programs.