Fiji Program Support Platform Overview:

The Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP, or the ‘Platform’) is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment the will contribute to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan.

The Platform will deliver key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities will address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs.

The Platform has three functional Outcomes:

The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments.

• The Platform has prioritised gender equality and disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji (GoF) agencies.
• The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management.

Australia Fiji Health Program Overview:

The Fiji Program Support Platform (the Platform) implements over fifty percent of Australia’s bilateral development support to Fiji across a range of sector programs in education, health, Australia Awards, disaster response, cyclone recovery, social infrastructure and technical assistance to improve public sector governance in Fiji.

The Platform integrates cross-cutting themes, including gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), climate and disaster resilience, across sectoral programs. In particular, the Platform seeks to strengthen program outcomes by better addressing the needs of targeted beneficiaries including those who are often marginalised.

The Australian Government is supporting Fiji’s health sector through the Australia Fiji Health Program (AFHP, the Program) working with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS).

The program’s high-level End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs) are:

• Improved systems are used by MHMS and health workers for evidence-based planning and resource allocation (workforce and budget), clinical care, digital health and medical supply chains; and
• Targeted healthcare facilities equitably deliver improved primary health services, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and non-communicable disease (NCD) services.

The funding for the program is approximately AUD 45million over 9 years (5 years, with an option to extend a further 4 years) and delivered through a range of activities (interventions) to achieve the program’s objectives where implementation modalities include technical advice, procurement of technical services and goods, minor works and infrastructure upgrades, capacity building and training support, support to Ministry led initiatives and innovations, and grants to civil society organisations (CSOs).

AFHP is designed to support the MHMS achieve the goals and objectives in its Strategic Plan and Annual Operational Plans, and AFHP’s workplans are targeted to support specific components of the Ministry’s plans.

Recent natural disasters such as cyclones, and public health emergencies in Fiji including COVID-19 have highlighted major challenges for pandemic preparedness and response during epidemics and other health emergencies. In this context, around 10% of program funding will be allocated for MHMS to assign to emerging needs and priorities as they arise. Funding may be allocated toward preparedness and responses to public health emergencies, or related opportunities for reform and innovation.

Position Summary:

The Team Leader (TL) is responsible for leading and managing the delivery of the program to achieve high quality and sustainable results to support MHMS’s strategic priorities and DFAT’s bi- lateral relationship with GoF.

This requires the TL to maintain highly effective working relationships with MHMS leadership, and the DFAT team led by the Human Development Counsellor. The TL sets the strategic direction of the program in close collaboration with DFAT and MHMS and is responsible for delivering the program through the full program life cycle.

The TL will be a member of the Platform Management Group (MG) and Platform Performance Group (PPG) and will be a champion for cross-cutting themes and accountable for ensuring compliance with DFAT and Platform organisational and operational policies and procedures across the program.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Engagement & Leadership

• Lead and manage the program and team in coordination with Platform leadership to deliver high quality development results.
• Maintain a clear and contemporary understanding of and engagement with the health sector context in Fiji (policy, political and donor/investment landscape) and draw upon this to provide relevant advice to DFAT, MHMS and Platform leadership.
• Facilitate and support shared decision making by the MHMS and DFAT on the strategic direction of the program within the context of the Australian Government’s investment plans and priorities, particularly Australia’s International Development Policy (2023).
• Ensure alignment of program objectives and activities to the MHMS’s strategic plan, evolving priorities and related GoF National Development Plan objectives and policy commitments.
• Together with relevant AFHP colleagues, participate in MHMS-led Technical Working Groups to share information and progress priority technical areas of focus.
• Lead the provision of regular (quarterly, and as required) presentations to MHMS – in collaboration with DFAT – to update the Ministry on program implementation progress, results, challenges and future perspectives.
• Engage from an AFHP perspective on potential health sector policy actions in future budget supportoperations.

Management, Planning, Implementation & Reporting

• Lead the development of Annual Work Plans (AWPs) based on effective and close engagement with MHMS and DFAT to ensure alignment with strategic priorities, appropriate ownership and mutual accountability.
• Oversee and contribute to the development of detailed designs for activities (the ‘business case’) that contribute to the program’s intended outcomes and meet quality standards.
• Lead the preparation of high-quality six-monthly and annual reports for the program as part of Platform reports, and ad-hoc reporting as required.
• Oversee the program’s MEL framework, so that it produces credible evidence for reporting and to inform strategic and operational decision‐making for the program – within the Platform’s overarching MEL framework.
• Use routine M&E and reporting to support the production of quality communications outputs for both DFAT and MHMS audiences.
• Establish and oversee regular program ‘reflection and learning’ sessions.
• Act as the hiring manager for the recruitment of program staff, technical advisers and other human resources according to AWP resourcing plans.
• Deliver effective performance management of program staff and provide oversight of performance management by staff managers in the program.
• Provide oversight of program budgeting and forecasting and closely monitor expenditure in close coordination with the Platform Finance Manager.
• Take overall responsibility for AFHP risk management, including producing quarterly risk reports against the risk register.
• Provide oversight of procurement processes for the program to ensure these comply with Platform policies and procedures and DFAT requirements, ensure modalities are fit for purpose and that partners and sub-contractors meet milestones, in close coordination with the Platform Management Unit (PMU).
• Act as key member of the Platform’s PPG and MG as key decision-making and governance forums and contribute to the success of the Platform’s integrated delivery model by ensuring highly effective coordination and collaboration.
• Champion, and be accountable for, the integration of the Platform’s cross cutting priorities of GEDSI and , Climate and Disaster Resilience across all aspects of the program’s activities and operations and support Civil Society Engagement and Emergency Preparedness and Response elements of the program.
• With the PMU, contribute to the planning and delivery of public diplomacy events that promote the achievements of the program and the development cooperation values of the Australian government as a key partner in development in Fiji’s health sector.
• Other duties as requested by the Platform Leader.

Key Deliverables:

Position Deliverables / Outputs

• Multi-year work or investment plans based on a portfolio of activities to deliver against program objectives and the strategic direction agreed with DFAT and MHMS.
• Detailed designs (the business case) for each activity.
• Contribute to the strategic direction and oversight of the AFHP, including through quarterly Program Coordination Committee (PCC) meetings, and weekly updates to DFAT. The PCC provides a forum for joint consultation, planning, learning, coordination and decision-making to underpin delivery of FHP results and sustainability. It is the peak forum for senior managers across MHMS, DFAT, and the Platform to engage, discuss and agree on the key direction, priorities and ongoing implementation issues for the Health Program aligned to MHMS’s strategic objectives.
• Quarterly high-level presentations of program results to MHMS and stakeholders.
• Six-monthly and annual progress reports, drawing on evidence from the program’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system.

Senior Leadership Team Deliverables

• High level of responsiveness to AHC issues and requests measured by Program receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above.
• Quality reporting, milestones, deliverables and KPIs are submitted on time and meet internal (Abt) and external (DFAT) requirements.
• Program is delivered on time and within budget and value for money principles drive all Program resourcing decisions.
• Build and maintain open, productive and outcome-oriented relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including AHC. This will be measured.
• Innovative approaches to the delivery of aid are actively pursed and incorporated into the delivery and design of the Program

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

• Master’s level qualification or equivalent professional experience related to Public Health, Health Sector Development, Health Management or Health Planning and Financing.

Experience (essential)

• Strong and credible skills and experience in health systems strengthening, public health and/or primary health care, and the ability to use these to guide strategic planning and engagement with DFAT and the GoF.
• Demonstrated experience and success in senior management of health programs in developing countries, preferably in the Pacific region, and/or in a donor funded environment.
• Proven experience in senior program management, including planning and implementation for results including financial management, reporting and work planning.
• Proven experience in the leadership of teams (team building, motivation, capacity building and performance management) of national and international staff of diverse backgrounds and varying competencies.
• Strong experience in program performance MEL consistent with DFAT’s M&E standards.
• Relevant experience in public sector management, including liaising at a strategic level with governments and other donors, providing advice to counter-part ministries/departments/senior policy makers and in policy analysis and development.
• Experience in networking and maintaining relationships across a range of program and sectoral stakeholders, including civil society.
• Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming cross-cutting themes including GEDSI and/or climate and disaster resilience.

Experience (desirable)

• Experience delivering on major reforms in a health sector program.

Personal Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a large and diverse team
• Demonstrated ability to develop and share a vision and deliver strategic approach.
• Sensitivity to other cultures and the ability to act appropriately in the context of Fijian culture and the workplace.
• Ability to work according to agreed principles and model the Platform’s principles including transparency, accountability, fairness and collaboration.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to engage at a senior level, build and maintain networks, provide advice and communicate effectively (both written and verbal) on sensitive issues with a culturally and professionally diverse range of stakeholders.
• An effective leader who is committed to coaching and mentoring others and leads by example.
• Able to manage relationships, conflicts and tensions between key stakeholders under a context that is potential vulnerable to political agendas.
• A demonstrated commitment to child protection and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and a robust fraud control and anti-corruption environment.
• Able to cope with ambiguity and a fast-changing operating environment.

Applications close on 4 November 2024 at midday.

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Please apply online by submitting a cover letter addressing how you meet the requirements of this role and up-to-date comprehensive CV.