Community Health Works Program Coordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION – COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKS PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Job Title: Community Health Works Program Coordinator

Reports to: Director of Outpatient Department

Location: Kigutu, Burundi

Background

Village Health Works (VHW) is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is a social justice organization founded on the belief that health equity is not a commodity but a right. Founded in partnership with the communities we currently serve, VHW’s mission is to provide the neediest high quality, compassionate health care and education based on critical thinking in a dignified environment. VHW’s holistic approach integrates clinical services with education, food security, economic development, environmental protection, music and the arts. In the context of where we currently work, this is the only way we can sustainably end extreme, multigenerational scarcity in a way that uplifts and engages communities with dignity and in their own context. We believe that the lack of access to quality healthcare and education is the biggest threat to development and world peace.

Currently VHW operates in a wide array of clinical and community programs in a catchment area of over 200,000 people within the provinces of Rumonge and Bururi, though its doors are open for every patient regardless of where that patient is coming from. Our first clinic attends over 51,000 outpatient consultations per year.  Since 2007 until summer 2023, our 60-bed inpatient wards have been providing basic adult and pediatric non-operative inpatient services including treatment of malnutrition, mental health, chronic and acute diseases and uncomplicated obstetrical deliveries. These services have been administered by our staff of generalist physicians under the supervision of our current Medical Director.

Village Health Works has embarked on a plan to expand our clinical services to provide comprehensive quality medical care and training. To achieve this goal, VHW has constructed and officially opened an 85,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art teaching hospital with several services that include surgery, obstetric deliveries, intensive care, pediatrics and neonatology, emergency, pathology lab, medical education and research center, etc.To provide excellent patient care and training we must expand the scope and skills of the healthcare providers through training, teaching and research, hiring through rigorous development and implementation of systems and structures, policies and procedures that are framed by high quality norms and international standards.

Additionally, VHW has established the Kigutu International Academy, a grade 9-12 boarding school to equip young minds with an education based on critical thinking to prepare them to become the leaders we wish their country and the continent to have for a better future.

Our core values are as follows:

• Every member of VHW’s team must value the dignity inherent in each individual, aspire to excellence in all we do, proceed with boldness and perseverance.
• Compassion and justice must be at the heart of our organization.
• To accomplish the mission of our organization we allmust be accountable to each other and to our community.

Position Overview

The candidate will join a dynamic and multidisciplinary team within the Community Health Workers program, which oversees both curative and preventive health services provided by 200 Community Health Workers (CHWs) to a population of over 175,000 individuals across 18 collines in the Bururi and Rumonge provinces. The candidate will participate in designing and implementing the change management process of the program, providing implementation support for program and service delivery improvement initiatives, managing the data collected by the CHWs, organizing community outreach activities, as well as managing various administrative duties under the supervision of the Director of the Outpatient Department and the Chief Medical Officer . In addition, the candidate will support the daily operations of the digital health (mHealth) tool, ensuring the integrity and reporting of its data. The ideal candidate should possess demonstrated leadership and capacity-building skills relevant to health workforce development and quality improvement in primary care settings. They should have clinical expertise in various aspects of Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) and preferably exhibit strong quantitative and computer literacy skills. A well-organized and systematic thinker is essential for program planning and design, quality data management for monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) processes, as well as excellent communication and advocacy abilities for building partnerships with external stakeholders and donor reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the overall strategic and financial planning of the Community Health Workers program and provide operational and partnership-building support with external stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other international partners to ensure alignment with national health policies and contextualized community health needs across our catchment area.
• Oversee the design and implementation of the change management process within the program to improve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, ensuring that programmatic standards adhere to national community health guidelines and update the program’s theory and other existing M&E frameworks as needed. Additionally, contribute to developing a manual on Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and other necessary technical and administrative documents as needed (work plans, MoUs, etc.)
• Supervise program supervisors in data collection and data entry tasks, ensuring accurate transcriptions of key performance indicators (KPIs) on patient outcomes, referrals, home visits, and health education sessions into electronic indicator tracking sheets/software and databases, including Excel, the mHealth tool, KoboCollect, and DHIS2.
• Analyze and interpret data from the mHealth application, create visualization dashboards, and develop comprehensive reports on community health events, point-of-care workflow adherence, CHW performance, and patient outcomes to inform timely programmatic decisions.
• Ensure timely assessment and verification of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) reports, providing actionable insights and updates to the Director of the Outpatient Department and the M&E team.
• Identify and address barriers to effective supportive supervision of CHWs, CHW data collection, and the operation of the mHealth tool, deploying problem-solving strategies to mitigate these challenges promptly.
• Provide administrative oversight and support for daily operations related to the digital health tool including liaising with the implementing organization and the MoH to develop and enhance future modules for CHWs and health facility users as needed, and ensure standards comply with existing national patient and health information sharing protocols.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of community outreach initiatives in collaboration with the Outpatient Department and the Kigutu Hospital, such as mobile clinics and mass screening campaigns, ensuring active community engagement and participation as needed.
• Supervise and mentor the CHW Program Supervisors and the CHWs, fostering a supportive environment and culture of continuous learning and quality improvement through targeted capacity-building activities and performance monitoring.
• Support the planning, execution, and reporting of MNCH interventions and CHW service packages to meet community health targets in areas like family planning, antenatal & postnatal care, nutrition, immunization, HIV/TB, NCDs, and mental health services.
• Manage logistics and supply chain operations for CHW job aids and medical commodities, ensuring optimal inventory levels and timely delivery to support CHWs’ activities under the national Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) framework.
• Facilitate collaboration with Community Health Committees (COSA) and Community-Based Organizations (ASLO) to assess community health needs, mitigate issues, collect data, and present findings to stakeholders and donors effectively.
• Manage the monthly budgeting for CHW stipends, phone credit allowances, and other program-related expenses. Ensure cash withdrawal authorization is obtained from the appropriate personnel in the Finance Department, facilitate timely disbursement to beneficiaries, and deliver comprehensive reports on the allocated funds and recipients.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with external stakeholders, advocate for the program and its CHWs, attend events and activities as needed, and ensure consistent communication and reporting of progress to donors and partner organizations.

Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Medical degree or Bachelor’s degree (Bac+3 ou Licence) in nursing, midwifery, or public health PLUS a master of public health, or a postgraduate degree in a connected field of health sciences or health administration from an academic institution accredited and recognized by the MoE in Burundi or elsewhere. Additional knowledge or experience in primary healthcare delivery at the clinic or district health center level, and/or in other fields of public health programming on the regional or national scale is a plus (proven through professional development training, internships, or past positions held).
• Compulsory post-bachelor level professional experience of at least 5 years in the field of community health programming including at least 2 years of management level responsibilities such as program planning and design, direct supervision of field team, budgeting, supply chain & logistics management of medical commodities and CHW job aids, etc. in an NGO or an MoH-partnered institution.
• Compulsory knowledge of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) processes demonstrated in previous tasks or responsibilities and/or as part of skills acquired through professional development learning (with course certificates). Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in program planning and design, results-based management, change management and process improvement methodologies for health programs is a plus.
• Compulsory competencies in spoken and written English at an upper intermediate (B2) level or above i.e. being able to hold a high-grade conversation or technical discussions and use the language for professional written correspondence and communication with stakeholders and partners for regular remote video calls or conferences.
• Proven knowledge of and experience with data collection methods (survey conception, census taking, etc.) with electronic and medical data capture tools such as DHIS2 software, OpenClinic, OpenMRS, KoboCollect, ODK, CommCare, etc.

Required competencies

• Have a strong sense of empathy, compassion, dedication, and diligence needed to work, live and serve in under-resourced populations and settings.
• Have a strong sense of organization and collaboration, be open-minded and always attentive to details, and good capacity for teambuilding and peaceful conflict resolution.
• Have excellent computer and technology literacy skills: be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite, Zoom, and/or Microsoft teams.
• Have a good grasp of intermediate-level statistics and epidemiology. Experience with data analysis software or data visualization tools such as Excel, PowerBI, MySQL, SPSS, Stata, etc. is an advantage.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills in Kirundi and French. Proficiency in Swahili is an advantage.
• Be committed to social justice and health equity.
• Be motivated, physically and mentally able to work in rural areas.
• Have a proactive mindset, be self-driven and flexible when working under pressure.
• Have a strong moral compass and ability to adhere to ethical work practices in medical settings.
• Be teamwork oriented and open to continuous improvement and learning.
• Be able to work in remote and resource-constrained communities and have experience in community mobilization activities in hard-to-reach areas.

Required documents:

• Cover letter;
• CV;
• Certified copy of diplomas and certificates obtained
• Certificate of services rendered
• 3 reference persons

How to apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to immediately submit a CV and a thoughtful cover letter outlining why this position is of interest, exactly how their experience matches the qualifications stated and what they believe differentiates them from other candidates. Submissions without cover letters and CV will not be considered.

Submissions should be in English and sent to:  jobs@villagehealthworks.org . Please include “Community Health Works Program Coordinator” in the subject line of your email.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted until the position is filled.

Village Health Works considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran or military status.