About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years.  Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda.  The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Peace Corps

Job Summary:

USAID/Uganda is seeking for a qualified individual to fill the Project Management Specialist (Public Financial Management and Health Financing) (PFM & HF PMS) position located within the Office of Health and HIV (OHH)’s Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Unit but based within the Ministry of Health (MOH) – Quality Assurance and Inspection Department to facilitate the advisory role of this position. The PMS is responsible for supporting the U.S. Government (USG) in its efforts to strengthen Government of Uganda (GoU) Ministry of Health (MoH) Public Financial Management for health financing processes internally. The PMS provides critical, high level policy advice and technical support to the Government of Uganda (GoU), specifically the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED). The PMS also supports the MoH to improve budget and procurement processes, increase execution rates of allocated funds, resolve key budget preparation and execution/procurement bottlenecks, and use data to justify, oversee, and manage their health budget. These efforts will enable the MoH to expand services, enhance quality and improve health outcomes for the people of Uganda, helping the country advance its journey to self-reliance.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership (50%)

• Stay abreast of state-of-the-art knowledge, programming and best practices related to public financial management and utilize this information to improve health financing in Uganda.
• Use diplomatic skills and technical acumen to influence the MoH and MoFPED in their strategic decisions and policy formulation to strengthen financial management systems, including transparency and accountability, and encourage the GoU to take concrete steps in the overall journey to self-reliance.
• Support the continued transition and sensitization/awareness building of program-based budgeting (PBB) for all local stakeholders, including MoH officials, District Health Officials, and USG IPs.
• Provide technical assistance to increase budget execution rates.
• Assist the budget team to develop a more realistic fund release plan that considers seasonal needs, including lump-sum budgets for commodity procurement.
• Maintain link with USAID’s district-based programs to help unlock budget constraints at the national level which are impacting district-level receipt and execution of their budget.
• Support the MoH’s budget preparation process, procedures, develop and assist the MoH in implementing recommendations to improve budget preparation.
• Advise the MoH in improving internal governance and operating systems to effectively oversee and develop the health sector financing budget.
• Maintain and support improvement measures in monitoring budget performance, accounting for expenses, enhanced budget processes and improving on documentation.
• Participate in key technical budget fora related to budget implementation and management at the national level, such as the Health Sector Budget Technical Working Group.
• Influence other donors, and the private sector to leverage resources for health systems strengthening to achieve mutual goals such as those related to PEPFAR, PMI, the Global Health Security Agenda, FP2020, and preventing child and maternal deaths.
• Provide health financing technical support to USG implementing Partner’s during their program planning, and implementation aligning to MoH Health Financing Strategy and Framework.
• Collaborate with USAID Health technical teams to review health financing program data, identify performance gaps within USAID-funded health programs and design health financing interventions to close performance gaps.
• Coordinate with other USG Health Systems seconded staff at the MoH to ensure holistic health financing technical assistance is provided to MoH.
• Serve as the USG point of contact liaising between MoH and MOFPED in health financing.

Program Management (30%)

• Serve as an AOR/COR/Activity Manager for one or more activities (and assist the AOR/COR in performing certain technical oversight duties); ensure that USAID exercises prudent management over the award and monitor the recipient’s progress in achieving the objectives of the program description.
• Collaborate with the USAID Impending Partners that are providing ongoing technical support to the MOH Department of Planning to ensure alignment of the PBB expenditure framework with the new Results Based Financing framework.
• Work with the USAID Health/HIV team to monitor the financial performance of IP-supported health programs.
• Coordinate exchanges and sharing of best practices among USG and other stakeholders in health financing program areas to strengthen public financial management across all levels of health care.
• Provide project management support for health systems awards covering health financing within the Mission.
• Support MoH to set up and implement key performance health financing processes that indicate improvement in public financial management.
• Participate in the country operational plan and Health operational plan in collaboration with the PEPFAR team, HSS, Malaria and Family Health Teams by providing public financial management expertise.
• As the PMS position cuts across all areas of the health portfolio, work closely with other CORs, AORs and AMs to review and support annual work planning to ensure activities are aligned with MoH policies and plans, coordinated with other USAID and development partners’ activities, and reflect state of the art interventions and best practices in public financial management.
• Travel within Uganda for site monitoring visits, up to 10% of time.

Design of New Activities – 10%

• As the HSS programs evolve and funding levels change, the PMS should apply critical analysis and strategic health financing thinking skills to identify areas for strategic support, participate in the selection of implementing mechanisms, design and review proposals or applications, participate in procurement process and guide the implementation of activities.

Integration of health financing best practices with critical Mission activities – 10%

• Coordinate with other Office of Health and HIV staff through key systems developed to ensure effective integration of health financing guidance across all the relevant portfolios.
• Contribute to activities that support the provision of health systems technical and administrative oversight of USAID programs implementing integrated USAID health systems approach. The HSS cross cutting support is covered under the areas of HSS, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, family planning, reproductive health, child survival, and nutrition activities at both national and district/site levels.
• Coordinate other activities within the health portfolio as they relate to Health Systems Strengthening, particularly health financing.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE:  All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

• The applicants for the United States US Embassy Project Management Specialist (Public Financial Management and Health Financing) job opportunity should hold a Masters’ Degree, or the local equivalent, in Public Health, Health Economics, Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, or in a field related to public financial management and health financing.
• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience working in Uganda in the public financial management field. This work experience should include at least seven (7) years of project management in relation to health financing.
• Health financing experience working with the GoU at National, district and/or project level is required.
• Experience collaborating with and/or working for key donors, development partners, or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of working in the public sector financing area.
• The knowledge and experience should cover some areas such as national budget and financial policy and systems, as well as Health and HIV/AIDS service delivery in the public and private sector in Uganda.
• Solid understanding of donor engagement in supporting health financing efforts.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including financial management, administrative, and monitoring skills used to track the performance of implementing partners and activities.
• Ability to present information, analyses, and recommendations in clear written and oral formats.
• Ability to work effectively within a team and interagency environment.
• Ability to initiate and self-manage work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and organize stakeholders at national and lower levels of management.
• Ability to travel to regions and districts within Uganda.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural, dynamic and fast paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to support policy development, interpretation and implementation.
• Excellent computer skills including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as data and financial analysis tools.
• Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) spoken and written English language proficiency is required.

All those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their applications and strictly adhere to the following:

A typed and hand signed (around Section 6 - Declaration) DS-174 Employment Application for Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (Click Here; Version Exp. 06/2022). Offerors are required to complete sections 1 through 6. (Make sure to use additional Work Experience pages (Section 4), if needed, to provide complete work history).

Cover letter (addressed to the USAID Supervisory Executive Officer) clearly indicating the position for which you are applying and describing how you meet the minimum requirements.

Complete curriculum vitae/resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, the resume must include:

Paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month/year). Please specify unpaid or part time work. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year) will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements. (NOTE: Resume and DS-174 work experience should match.)

Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job- related honors, awards or accomplishments.

Name and contact information (phone and email) of three (3) professional references. At least one of the references must be a prior or current direct supervisor.

Supplemental [separate] document specifically addressing each QRF as outlined in the solicitation.

Copies of Academic Transcripts

Offers should be in a standard file type such as Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). All should be in one document which should not exceed 10MB.

Submitted offers and documents become the property of USAID and will not be returned.

Submit Application To:

Human Resources Office

By email at [email protected]

NB: Your application will be reviewed if you have fulfilled all the requirements including submission of standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) in a single attachment (No Zipped files, Links or Multiple Attachments) and should not exceed 10MB. Please clearly indicate the position number and title you are applying for on the DS-174 form.

Closing Date : 7^th July 2020