JOB SUMMARY

Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia (IRCE) was established in 2010 with the goal of bringing together all religious leaders by joining hands and hearts around common interests at the national and sovereign level. It has a membership of seven major religious denominations in Ethiopia and is certified by the Ministry of Federal Affairs of Ethiopia, and is represented at the federal, regional and district levels. IRCE’s vision in Ethiopia is to develop religious freedom and equality based on peace, love and tolerance, which will be mutually beneficial to all. IRCE is a non-profit faith based organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions.

IRCE currently implements peace building and conflict resolution and harm full traditional practice prevention projects through support of various donor organizations. Its staffs have expertise in in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology; creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges.

Our organization anticipating the awarded of a grant by USAID Ethiopia to implement PEPFAR’s Faith based Retention and Adherence Initiative. The project’s life is expected to be for 23 months based on availability of funding and performance. The grant intends to strengthen organizational capacity by the recipient and, concurrently, deliver strategic HIV advocacy, communication and social mobilization (ACSM) to faith-based audiences in close collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia in PEPFAR geographic areas of focus.

IRCE seeks Project Officers, who will be based in regional towns and provide technical leadership and strategic direction for the implementation PEPFAR’s Faith based Retention and Adherence Initiative and achievement of desired result.

Overall Responsibility

• The project officer will be responsible for the implementation of all project activities to ensure the project produces the results identified in the annual work Plan. The incumbent of the position will also provide technical support and expertise, coordination and supervision of Faith Based Retention and Adherence activities at regional and healing site levels of the project area ensure effective delivery of the desired results.in compliance with national and donor guidelines and policies.
• The post holder will be responsible to successfully lead and implement the project by managing and strongly working with trained spiritual leaders, volunteer, PLHIV associations, and other stakeholders. The officer will champion use of evidence–based interventions along the continuum of HIV care services by guiding adherence to the principles of continuous quality improvement through use of data.
• . Reporting to the Project Director, the key duties and responsibilities include:
• Ensure the successful implementation of the work plan and
• Conduct appropriate and tailored communication strategy and activities to ensure faith communities are aware about the existence of HIV services, increase up take of the services, identification of those who interrupt treatment and re-engage them to treatment, etc.
• Support and facilitate healing site level trained spiritual healers, volunteers  providers to scale up high-impact retention and viral load strategies towards a 95% enrollment into care and treatment and a 95% viral load suppression rate.
• Provide technical support in creating and strengthening linkages and networks between facility and community activities ensuring there is seamless implementation of activities leading to improved retention and adherence of  treatment;
• Participate in site preparation for supportive supervision and SIMS assessments and ensure recommendations are implemented at facility level by project team in collaboration with head office project staff;
• Organize community mobilization activities within the worship places to increase uptake of HIV services among congregations, increase adherence and retention to treatment through reinforcement of compatibility of ART with spiritual healings;
• Establish and maintain partnership and good working relations with religious youth groups, PLHIV associations, community structures,  USIAD implementing partners and   health facilities  to facilitate implementation of planned activities;
• Support and facilitate Continuous Quality Improvement initiatives at the community level to increase the utilization of and retention in care and treatment services and effectively improve viral load suppression;
• Assess barriers to faith based community clients retention in care and monitor trends by site level, collaborate with spiritual healers, volunteers religious youth groups and health facility workers  to reduce dropout from treatment and ensure retention to ART;
• Closely work with USAID local implementing organizations in the monitoring of children, adolescents, PLHIV among faith communities to identify those who tested but not started treatment; those who are already on treatment but have adherence gaps; and those who interrupt treatment and support them accordingly
• Ensure that gender and stigma reduction interventions are streamlined with and linked with the project activities to ensure maximum retention and viral load suppression;
• Disseminate and distribute materials prepared by the project to target audience, to improve knowledge and understanding and motivate behavior change.
• Track project implementation, review  performance, assessing progress towards achievement of target set and take corrective action  as needed;
• Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly semi-annual and annual project performance report;
• Accomplish other duties assigned by immediate supervisor

Representations and Coordination 

• Represent the project in technical forums, coordination/stakeholders meetings on behalf of the organization.
• Participate in joint work planning, supervision and review meetings conducted at regional and district level as appropriate/
• Facilitate and actively participate in Faith based TWGs at regional and district level.
• Closely work with USAID implementing partners and PLHIV associations in implementation of case identification & management and referral activities.

Reporting to: Project Director

Place of Work: IRCE, Regional Towns /Out of  Addis Ababa/

Number of Position: (05)

Duty Station: IRCE; Bahirdar, Dire Dawa, Gambella, Hawassa and Mekele

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in public health, social sciences, communication or its equivalent with training on Health Communication/ Behavior Change Communication strategies

Experience

• A minimum of 7- and 5-years’ experience for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree reactively providing direct technical support in implementation of HIV service delivery projects, including implementation of retention and adherence strategies.

Skills, Attitude and Attributes:

• Knowledge and experience in social, behavioral change communication strategies; advocacy, social mobilization, and organizing outreach community HIV services.
• Excellent interpersonal and supervisory, mentorship and coaching skills,
• Experience with and technical knowledge of current HIV/AIDS issues and trends.
• Have the ability to work in a religious and culturally sensitive community.
• Self-driven personality able to work with minimum supervision.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Prior experience of working with the faith and religious institutions and communities an added advantage