Position: Field Officer, Lyantonde, Rakai & Kyotera
Location: Lyantonde, Rakai, & Kyotera, with regular travel to villages in nearby districts
Application Deadline: 26 March 2023

Background

The mission of Health Access Connect is to link remote communities to healthcare. HAC currently pursues this mission through three programs:

1. Medicycles: We help remote communities to bring government health workers and their medicines to their villages on a monthly bases. In these outreach clinics health workers give HIV testing, anti-retroviral treatment, immunizations, perinatal services, family planning, and many other services available in rural health centres.
2. Technical Advising: We collaborate with Africa Resource Centre (ARC) and the Uganda Ministry of Health to teach and empower PEPFAR implementing partner (IP) organizations to implement alternative drug distribution point models in an effort to a) improve a) antiretroviral therapy (ART) and general treatment health service provision and b) decongest health facilities.
3. Treat & Teach: We improves access to family planning in the communities of Masaka and Kalangala districts by a) providing low density high frequency certificate training to health workers, b) setting up outreach clinics in remote communities, c) generating demand by collaborating with community health workers (VHTs), and d) reducing commodity stock outs by providing buffer stocks and improving commodity tracking at partner health facilities.

 

Field Officers are primarily responsible for expanding and monitoring the Medicycles program. The Medicycles program has three components: 1) transportation and microfinance, 2) monthly one-day clinics, and 3) oversight and wealth pooling by community leaders. HAC’s role is to identify villages to target with health officials, organize community leaders, coordinate with health center admins, and work to assure continuity of care. Our vision is  to continue to scale the program to serve remote areas (at least 5km from nearest health facility) throughout Uganda, and to document our model to make it open source so that providers in other regions of the world can use it to serve people in remote areas. Our current project goals are to expand to new areas and districts and to implement our M&E Framework to understand the health needs and health-seeking behaviors of our target populations.

 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The Field Officer will:

• Ensure regular continuity of Outreach sites in Lyantonde, Rakai, and Kyotera
• Make and maintain contacts with health workers, district health officials, and district officials.
• Make and maintain contacts with leaders of targeted villages, VHTs and community groups within those villages.
• Conduct meetings to explain the project and prepare community groups to mobilize and organize mobile clinics/outreaches.
• Organize village meetings with health workers when health workers and community groups when and where need arises .
• Report on conditions on the ground to the Coordinator and other relevant staff members.
• Attend meetings, field work or trainings as and when requested by the Employer.
• Submit field reports and weekly plans, including advance requests, at least 48 hours in advance of when response and transport allowance are required. Allowances for future activities cannot be given unless the field reports have been submitted for completed activities.
• Assist Field Coordinator in compiling monthly reports.
• Support data collection  from health Facilities  and field sites routinely and on special request .
• Keep in close communication with the Field Coordinator about what is happening in the Field.
• Take photographs of HAC work when possible, Collect feedback surveys and testimonials and submit them to responsible departmental heads.

 

Background & Qualifications

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health or Social Sciences related field.
• Strong writing skills in English 
• Verbal proficiency in Runyankore and Luganda 
• Computer skills: proficiency in Microsoft Word and email and some experience using Excel 
• Valid Motorcycle Riding License

Preferred 

• Experience working in the public health sector, community engagements and mobilisation.
• Experience using Google Drive products and project management software 

Additional Qualities 

• Experience or willingness to travel and work in remote, rural locations
• Ability to work with minimal supervision 
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with others 
• Self-driven and able to work in new, unstructured environments 
• Strong problem-solving abilities 
• Highly organized 
• Attention to detail

 

Compensation

This position is designed as a part-time (24 hours/week, available when needed) position. Compensation is UGX 600,000 per month before taxes. Health insurance is provided. Field travel expenses will be paid for by Health Access Connect.

 

How to Apply

Visit the Field Officer Job Application where you can answer a few questions, provide references, and submit a cover letter and CV by 26th March 2023.