Information, Education, Communication and Health Promotion (IECHP) Manager

WHAT IS MSF?

Médecins Sans Frontières/أطباء بلا حدود  بلا أطباء (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people in 70 countries who are affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation and our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality.

We offer basic healthcare, perform surgery, fight epidemics, rehabilitate and run hospitals and clinics, carry out vaccination campaigns, operate nutrition centers, and provide mental healthcare. Our activities include the treatment of injuries and disease, maternal care and the provision of humanitarian aid. Where necessary, we set up sanitation systems, supply safe drinking water, and distribute relief to assist survival.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project started in Sept. 2013 in Shatila, where MSF currently manages an outpatient center for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), vaccination services with transversely integrated mental health services and health promotion, and referrals for patients who require services beyond the scope of MSF activities. Additionally, MSF opened a women’s health center with sexual and reproductive health care.
During 2018, low risk deliveries were relocated from Shatila to Rafik Hariri University Hospital compound, where MSF runs a Birth Centre. MSF took this as an opportunity to work together with external partners as catalyst for change around midwifery model of care and demedicalization of deliveries. The antenatal care services remain in the camps, to serve the most vulnerable women.
In Bourj el Barajneh camp, besides the above-mentioned activities, MSF provides in addition home-based care for those patients who are housebound or bedridden often due to an advanced NCD disease.

MSF BIRTH CENTER (BC)

The MSF Birth Center is unique in Lebanon, in its objective to develop a midwife led model of care. The midwives are responsible for all of the deliveries and are only required to consult the obstetrician in case of complications. The model focuses on low risk pregnancies. There is an assessment room for all patients being followed in ANC, including the higher risk cases and they may attend at any time to be assessed. The most important role of the obstetrician is to manage any complicated cases either in BC or prior to referral to another hospital, and to be active in teaching, coaching and empowering of the midwives and nurses to help develop the midwife led model of care.

Responsibilities:

MSF is looking for IECHP Manager to Define, coordinate and monitor all the IEC( Information, Education, Communication) Health Promotion  activities in the project and promote MSF services according to MSF principles, protocols and standards in order to increase the knowledge of the target population around their health, the support of preventive activities and the collaboration to improve the services.

Accountabilities:

• Defining and updating the HP/IEC strategy and related activities through annual project and budget plan (objectives, target population, campaigns, messages, activities, specific actions, etc.).
• Assessing knowledge of the target group on a health risk  and analyzing the context (local culture, traditions, habits, health perception) to adapt health activities and support the social mapping (villages, populations, actors), Identifying indicators in order to monitor HP activities results and achievement and using the concrete tools to measure and follow up those activities
• Assessing, developing and adapting IEC/HP materials according to the needs of the project. Ensuring content and format have been pre-tested with target groups in order to ensure the adequacy, relevance, full understanding of the messages. Leading focus-group discussions with target groups in order to ensure the adequacy, relevance, broadcasting and full awareness of the messages, ensuring they are worded in a pedagogic manner
• Liaising with other relevant actors (national and International NGO’s, authorities) also involved in prevention activities, analysing interventions and building cooperative relationships and advocacy, in order to enhance the influence of the campaigns and messages and to improve awareness among the targeted population;
• Ensuring regular collaboration and coordination with the MSF medical team, to guarantee that the HP is part of medical activities and contribute to the medical objectives of the project
• Knowing protocol(s) for Sexually Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and ensuring its application. Identifies possible victims of SGBV and referring them to the medical team for treatment according to protocol(s)
• Supervising the IEC/HP team and their activities, in and outside health facilities, reporting difficulties and progress as well as adapting format and content when necessary. Planning and supervising the HR associated processes (recruitment, training, evaluation, development and internal communication) of the IEC / HP staff of the project. This will be done in close coordination with the HR department, the administration manager and project coordinator and according to MSF vision, values and procedures. Ensuring that HP/IEC participates in counselling services when needed, specially including Prevention Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VTC)
• Participating in the monthly reports according to guidelines (SitReps, statistical reports, etc.)
• Assess knowledge of the community in the camps on a health risk and health seeking behavior and analyze the context (local culture, traditions, habits, health perception) to create action plans and to adapt health activities.
• Ensure a regular mapping of actors (PHCs, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders, key people) in the camps and towards project’s target population.
• Establish long standing, effective partnerships between MSF, local NGOs and communities, to foster community ownership in the different project activities, community engagement and networking.
• Identifying qualitative and quantitative indicators to monitor HP activities, results and achievements and using the concrete tools (satisfaction surveys, pre and post-test, weekly reports, GIS maps, etc.) to measure and follow up those activities.
• Evaluate, adapt and ensure the data collection and analysis related to the activities in relation to Project’s objectives and indicators.
• Ensure good functioning of the different components: advise and coordinate the HP team (HPs, SWs, PSECs) and evaluate challenges and progress regarding their professional development and performance in the project.
• Develop, evaluate, adapt and adjust Health promotion, PSEC, education/support modules linked with patient medical and psychosocial needs and strategy of the MHPSS component in he project.
• Strongly promote and ensure the participation of the team in the Patients centered/multidisciplinary approach adopted and valued in the project.
• Make sure that the HP team is involved and paticipate actively in all physio-medical component of the project, valueing each possibility to have patient contact.
• Promote the interdisciplinary work in the IEC materials content, design and use in the project.
• Elaborate training strategies: meetings, peer to peer exchanges, capacity building, etc. to develop the team skills and competences.
• Participate in regional virtual meetings and COPs with other HPmanagers in Middle East to Increase reflection on the HP activities and increase collaboration and knowledge sharing in the Middle Eastern region.
• Work in close collaboration with the Comms department in campaigning, social media campaigns to show the HP activities impact in the project.  
• Defining EPREP HP strategy (objectives, messages, activities, specific actions, etc.) in the camps if required.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Essential, university degree in social sciences, social communication, health promotion or related studies.
• A master’s degree in public health or other related studies is a plus.

Experience:

• minimum 2 years’ experience in managing/supervising teams is mandatory.
• working experience in related jobs is desirable (health promotion, project coordination, social research)
• Experience in qualitative research is a plus
• Desirable working experience in MSF or other NGO’s

Language: Essential English and Arabic Speaker

Soft Skills: Results and Quality Orientation, Teamwork and Cooperation, Commitment to MSF Principles, People Management and Development