DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND HEALTH INFORMATION, WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANISATION

The incumbent will provide leadership and management for the main areas of technical activity that are essential to achieving the institution's mandate. He or she will be responsible for implementing the broad strategic vision and guidelines set out by the governing bodies and the Director General, as well as defining and ensuring effective attainment of the goals and objectives relevant to the fulfilment of this mandate. Key responsibilities for a D1 position involve supervising professionals, including P5 managerial staff who themselves supervise other professionals.  

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

The Director is directly accountable to the Director-General of WAHO (Head of Institution) . Acting as main interface between the Directorate and the Office of the Director-General, both with internal and external stakeholders, the Director’s responsibilities will include:

• Clearly communicate the institution’s vision to staff, explain how the directorate’s activities contribute to this vision, and outline the strategies for carrying out the required tasks.
• Keep abreast of technical, political, social and economic developments.
• Collaborate with other directors in the institution to ensure coordination with other directorates, where necessary.

Managerial

The Director supervises professional staff and general service staff in the directorate. He or she will apply comprehensive managerial skills to ensure that the directorate’s staff work effectively and efficiently, and that they deliver the expected results to the required standard and within the specified deadlines.

Managerial duties will include:

• Define goals, objectives and draw up activity plans and annual budgets in line with the institution's overall plan; evaluate and monitor the achievement of objectives; use available data to analyse health trends in the region and adjust policy objectives accordingly. Discuss necessary adjustments to objectives and budgets;
• Implement the concept of performance-based budgeting in the directorate;
• Organise the directorate efficiently, with clearly defined reporting lines, minimal bureaucracy and optimal delegation of authority and responsibility;
• Work closely with all relevant directorates to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services such as recruitment, performance-related decisions, promotions and related matters;
• Define work standards and put in place mechanisms to monitor staff performance, and ensure that standards are strictly adhered to and deadlines met while maintaining quality of work;
• Oversee the individual performance planning process for staff in the directorate, use the systems in place for performance planning and appraisal;
• Provide staff with regular and timely feedback on their performance;
• Be actively involved in staff capacity building to ensure that the necessary skills are available and meet expectations, in line with existing plans, objectives and structures;
• Create a productive working environment in the directorate to encourage staff engagement.

Functional expertise

Despite being supported by a team of competent professionals, the Director may occasionally need to draw directly on his or her own expertise in the relevant technical field, as follows:

• Provide technical advice on the design or implementation of a programme in an area where he or she possesses a high level of technical expertise;
• Representing ECOWAS/WAHO at professional meetings or within working groups; give speeches, negotiate agreements and mediate where disputes arise;
• Lead or participate in technical missions for the development of projects and programmes;
• Provide advice on matters falling within his or her area of technical expertise;
• Coordinate with the relevant parliamentary committee responsible for regional law, where applicable.

Technical

The incumbent will be responsible for providing guidance, supervision and management to staff in the two divisions of the Directorate, as well as for providing technical support to all other directorates and staff in the areas of strategic planning, health information, partnerships and resource mobilisation, and project development and implementation. He or she will provide guidance on the preparation of the Organisation’s Annual Work Plan and Results Framework.

The incumbent will be responsible for carrying out the following duties and responsibilities:

• Coordinate the development of the Organisation's strategic, thematic and annual plans;
• Coordinate the development and implementation of resource mobilisation strategies for the implementation of activities;
• Coordinate the implementation of the Regional Health Observatory;
• Coordinate the production and sharing of health information outputs in an appropriate manner (evidence for planning and action);
• Coordinate the development and implementation of regional policy and advocacy tools for the Health Information System (HIS) at regional and national levels;
• Support the establishment and facilitation of the HIS Partners Forum in order to consolidate integrated HIS in West Africa;
• Support Member States in their evidence-based health sector planning and reform efforts;
• Coordinate the development and implementation of the Organisation's projects and programmes;
• Coordinate the implementation of the Organisation's Strategic Plan;
• Coordinate the preparation of the Organisation's periodic activity reports;
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Organisation's Strategic Plan, projects and programmes;
• Coordinate health-related cooperation with Member States, Community Institutions, partners, and regional and international organisations;
• Coordinate all resource mobilisation initiatives to fund the Organisation's plans, projects and programmes;
• Coordinate the development and implementation of health financing strategies;
• Supervise the activities of staff in the directorate;
• Carry out any other tasks that may be assigned by his/her line manager