HIV/AIDS EXPERT

 

Vacancy Number: VA/FPA/022/2002

Closing Date: 30 June 2002

 

1              DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Within the context of UNFPA’s efforts aimed at alleviating poverty and improving people’s lives, and under the overall policy and operational direction of the CST Director, the incumbent will contribute to enhancing national capacity to mobilize and obtain social and political support for national policies in the field of HIV/AIDS, as well as to building regional capacity to supply technical support in this area. She/he will specifically:

 

  1. Assure increased availability and use at country level of technical information to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of national HIV/AIDS programmes.  Promote intercountry exchange of such information within the region. 
  2. Provision of technical support on HIV/AIDS related issues at key stages of the UNFPA country programme cycle, of such United Nations system wide processes as CCA and UNDAF and of national exercises such as development of SWAPs, PRSPs and health sector reform.
  3. Cooperate with countries in conducting situation analyses relating to HIV/AIDS and possible responses to the epidemic.  Assist countries in the prioritization of interventions.  Provide assistance in design, implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programmes encouraging the application of principles of results based management (RBM).
  4. Analyze, synthesize, and disseminate lessons learned from collaboration with the countries.
  5. Contribute to enhancing national capacity to design and manage programmes aimed at the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, in the context of RH.  Contribute to the development of regional capacity to provide technical consultancy services in HIV prevention.  These tasks will involve design and facilitation of formal training and conducting informal on-the-job training.  Similarly they will require identification and mobilization of potential national/regional individual and institutional partners for more active involvement in expanding and improving efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
  6. Act as focal point for HIV/AIDS information for the Team.  Continually review the literature from this rapidly evolving field and synthesize and disseminate to Team members information with practical programmatic importance.
  7. Collaborate with other CST members to promote integrated approaches to improving reproductive health.
  8. Advocate for increasing support for HIV/AIDS programmes and for the collection, analysis and use of basic HIV/AIDS information as a management tool for decision-making.  Advocate for the inclusion of relevant NGOs in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
  9. Support country studies of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of HIV/AIDS interventions, with a special view to identifying those meriting “scaling up”.
  10. Regularly liaise with UNAIDS on matters of mutual interest/importance with a view to identifying areas for collaboration.
  11. Perform other duties as required.

 

 

2              QUALIFICATIONS

 

Level and field of study of university or equivalent education and training

-                      Medical, nursing, anthropology, psychology, or other related social sciences degree

-                      Post graduate degree in public health

-                      Advanced studies in social sciences, health care relating to HIV/AIDS

 

                Length and type of practical experience required to perform assigned work.

-                      At least ten years of increasing responsibility in programmes dealing with STIs, especially HIV/AIDS

-                      At least five years experience, preferably in the Arab States region, in advising other countries on design and implementation of RH programmes including STI and HIV/AIDS components

-                      Extensive knowledge of all aspects of organization and management of RH, and in particular HIV/AIDS, services including situation analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation, logistics

-                      Extensive knowledge of gender and cultural factors relating to HIV/AIDS required.  Competence in socio-cultural assessment and behavioural change communication an asset

-                      Familiarity with UN development programmes and working methods, particularly with UNFPA policies and programming procedures, desirable

-                      General knowledge and understanding of population issues.

 

                Language requirements:  Indicate the languages required and nature of their use (e.g., drafting, translating, speaking, etc.)

English (speaking, drafting, reading).  French (speaking, drafting, reading). Working knowledge of Arabic, desirable

 

Other requirements

-          Courtesy, tact, and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with CST and UNFPA colleagues, senior government and NGO officials, UN staff, and others of different nationalities and cultures

-          Ability to function effectively in a team and dedication to multidisciplinary collaboration

-          Articulate speaker with good writing skills