Panagora Group is a social enterprise dedicated to providing high-quality, high-impact international health, development, and learning consulting. We are a dynamic woman- and employee-owned small business partner focused on market-based and integrated local solutions that strengthen country capacity and independence; and on learning, communications, and technology solutions to accelerate and heighten impact. As a small business, we are able to implement novel and innovative approaches using highly participatory approaches to mobilize community, civil society, and government energy in defining and owning solutions, and to promote inclusive development that benefits all groups.
Background
The Technical Support Services (TSS) Activity helps USAID/South Africa and Regional Health Office (RHO) to address technical priorities and 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 largest 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.
Description of Position
The Solutions Advisor: Health Programs provides public health programming, process reengineering, and technical writing support across TSS projects to support USAID/South Africa as well as USAID regional health offices (including but not limited to RHO, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Mozambique) to meet critical program objectives. S/he will be responsible for various tasks as described below; for these tasks, the Solutions Advisor: Health Programs will both complete the work and (as requested) develop the capacity of colleagues, USAID, and/or government or implementing partner (IP) counterparts. The Solutions Advisor: Health Programs will integrate innovative solutions into projects, leverage what has worked previously, and adapt approaches to integrate lessons learned and to customize solutions to the unique needs of each Health Office.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
The Solutions Advisor: Health Programs will support one or more of the following tasks, core activities, and deliverables as listed below and as assigned, based on TSS’ work plans. For these activities, the consultant may be asked to complete the tasks and/or develop the capacity of colleagues, USAID, and/or government or IP counterparts to complete these tasks.
Program support
Conceptualize, facilitate and contribute to communities of practice to bring the latest knowledge and resources to influence data analytics, visualization, and best practices for programmatic results.
Critically appraise and evaluate health and other information relevant to the practice of Public Health, Preventive Medicine, and Global Health Security and apply this appropriately.
Develop strong narratives to support USAID in its interagency PEPFAR engagement, which will help USAID articulate its value-add and contribution to epidemic control.
Work across USAID country teams (including South Africa, RHO, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho) to use priority data to highlight programmatic success and opportunities for improvement in issue briefs or presentations in a variety of settings, including: PEPFAR Country Operational Planning (COP) and PEPFAR Oversight and Accountability Response Team (POART) meetings, stakeholder engagement meetings with the Ministries of Health (MoH) or relevant government departments, partners, other funders, at conferences, etc.
Contribute to the development, dissemination, and translation of new knowledge and practices in the domains of Public Health, Preventive Medicine, and Global Health Security.
Incorporate evidence of the effect of emerging epidemics on HIV risk, treatment, and prevention services to specific populations, such as key populations, pediatrics, adolescents, etc.
Program Planning & Data Viz support
Assist with the document management and development of internal and external PowerPoint presentations.
Support basic data analysis and visualization of MER or program data analysis as needed by technical teams.
Find innovative solutions to show and/or visualize data with the goal of facilitating its understanding and use by USAID and its stakeholders.
Utilize experience in COP planning and management where requested to support in document management, technical proofreading, editingas well as supporting basic data analysis and visualization of program data for technical teams.
Other COP-related tasks as identified.
Technical writing, information capture and synthesizing
Support the development of engaging, well-written communications and knowledge products which document good practices and innovations, learning, results, and achievements for specific audiences using appropriate platforms and tools andfacilitate their strategic distribution in compliance with the USAID branding guidelines.
Conduct data analysis, assist with development of slides, tools and strategic documents to reflect the direction of health programs.
Anticipate the resources and guidance needed for IPs and support USAID to amass evidence of program success to better respond to the annual COP and to develop alternative scenarios. Do this by leveragingthe knowledge and experience of the wider team to build and maintain institutional memory.
Contribute to the preparation and presentation of PowerPoint-based reports on the progress and results of program activities, including quarterly and annual program reports to USAID.
Contribute to the design, development, and facilitation of effective collaboration opportunities for TSS, USAID, and other key stakeholders.
Attend key meetings and utilize templates, populate meeting minutes, agreed actions and/or deliverables; synthesize complex discussions into salient points, actively listening and capturing key information for decision making.
As needed, copy-edit key documents from other Panagora work areas and teams.
Other activities as assigned.
