Options Consultancy Services Limited (Options) was established in 1992 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. Options is a leading provider of technical and management expertise in the health and social sectors. We work in partnership with national and state governments, international development agencies, the private sector and civil society to strengthen programmes and policies to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in health and poverty reduction.

Our work focuses on providing expertise in sexual and reproductive health, maternal newborn and child health, HIV and AIDS, citizen voice and accountability, gender, social inclusion and equity to enhance institutional effectiveness to support strengthening of health service delivery.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Position: Accountability Coordinator

Job Description

• MNCH2 is a country-led programme, improving the quality, coverage and demand for integrated maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), routine immunisation (RI) services, and healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP)-a more holistic and culturally-appropriate concept that goes beyond simply the use of family planning (FP) methods-in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Zamfara to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn and child deaths.
• The programme will provide support and technical assistance to government health systems, building on the achievements and evidence base developed under Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunisation in Northern Nigeria - Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Initiative (PRRINN-MNCH) and Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS2), as well as Nigerian government initiatives such as Saving One Million Lives (SOML).
• The expected outcome is to improve access to and delivery of integrated MNCH and RI services, saving the lives of 105,000 pregnant women, newborns, and children in the programme states.
• The programmes planned results, which we aim to surpass as described above, include1.1 million safe births attended by skilled birth attendants; 1.4 million antenatal care visits; 1.6 children fully immunised 700,000 newborns receiving postnatal checks within 24 hours and 97,000 additional women using a modern method of contraception.
• Options approaches under the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH2) programme are designed to ensure accountability at all levels, with a focus on using evidence for better planning and decision-making by different stakeholders including government, health care providers and civil society.
• Our work focuses on improving evidence-based decision-making and accountability at all levels for the delivery of quality integrated RMNCH services, as well as improving quality of care in the health sector, through the following key approaches:
  • Creating and strengthening mechanisms for citizen participation in health service decision making;
  • Ensuring improved use of data on MNCH services by government and service providers for evidence based decision making on service improvement.
  • Strengthen advocacy to hold government and services to account for improved performance of MNCH services on effectiveness, equity and efficiency.
  • The Accountability Coordinator in Jigawa will be responsible, under the guidance of the Accountability and Advocacy Advisor and their State Team Leader (STL), for ensuring that accountability mechanisms are strengthened, ensuring government and service providers deliver quality MNCH services through active public and broader stakeholder engagement.

Main Duties
The Accountability Coordinator will make sure that:

• This includes quality assuring data and reports, highlighting key issues that need to be addressed to ensure good performance of and impact made by FHCs and ensure these are acted upon
• Provide focused mentoring support, informed by individual FHC needs, both directly to FHCs or via CSOs/consultants who have been contracted to provide mentoring to FHCs
• Ensure the facility scorecards will be shared through the accountability mechanisms and other forums at state level to facilitate data for decision making, encourage transparency on progress and advocate for improvements in the quality of services
• Strengthen or establish State level accountability mechanisms including FHCs and existing networks and consisting of members who have the power to influence change beyond just the health sector
• Accountability structures on MNCH will be strengthened and will be the primary means through which resources at facilities and progress on maternal and newborn health care are tracked and acted upon
• Ensure that Options’ successful FHC model will be scaled up significantly, covering all MNCH2 states
• Ensure on-going monitoring through monthly FHC reports, self-assessment reports and community scoring cards.
• Liaise with stakeholders, including State and LGA level Government, CSOs, FHCs, civil society coalitions, and representatives of relevant development programmes
• Ensure close and effective cooperation with other programme staff in their State team to make sure that MNCH2 strategies and approaches are delivered in a coherent and coordinated way, in line with logframe targets.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrated management, programme planning competency and effective communication skills
• Understanding of accountability and advocacy principles and approaches Experience in mentoring and training for different cadres of staff and partners
• Excellent written and spoken English and Hausa
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work to deadlines
• An advanced degree in public health or a relevant field
• Minimum of 6 years of consulting and/or management experience in international health programmes for key health development partners, including, but not limited to, DFID, USAID, AusAID and the European Union
• At least 3 years’ experience providing expertise in the area of accountability and/or advocacy programmes in Nigeria, with a particular focus on strengthening communities
• In depth understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural context of Northern Nigeria.
• A commitment to achieving effective and efficient delivery of essential health care for pregnant women, newborns and children, alongside routine immunisation.
• A commitment to ensuring that all Nigerian citizens, including women, the poorest and other marginalized groups, are able to have equal voice and participate in holding government accountable in the delivery of public services.
• Being both an excellent leader and team player, with excellent interpersonal skills and comfortable working in a multi-disciplinary team and in a multi-cultural setting.
• Willingness and ability to travel around Nigeria, subject to security protocol
• Be a self-starter and team player, with excellent interpersonal skills and comfortable working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities