Graduate Student Internship Announcement
Project: Integrated HIV and AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health
Oxfam Great Britain – Manica Province, Mozambique
Posted 12 August 2008
Position: Graduate Student Intern (SRH and HIV and AIDS)
Reports to: Programme Manager, Manica HIV and AIDS Programme based
in Chimoio, Mozambique
Location: Machaze and Mossurize Districts, Manica Province,
Mozambique (Approximately 20% of time will be spent in the Chimoio
office)
Duration: 3 months: September 15-December 15, 2008
(Exact start date negotiable)
Compensation: $200 per month stipend + roundtrip airfare,
accommodation and travel costs. The intern will be responsible for his
or her own medical insurance.
To Apply: Email CV and Statement of Interest to:
Kerry Zaleski, SRHR and HIV and AIDS Advisor
Oxfam GB, Global Centre of Learning on HIV and AIDS
kzaleski@oxfam.org.uk
Position open until filled, with priority given to applications
submitted prior to August 22, 2008
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Oxfam is a humanitarian, development and campaigning agency, whose
purpose is to work with others to overcome poverty and suffering. In
Southern Africa Oxfam is piloting programmes to integrate responses to
SRH and HIV and AIDS into development work. Oxfam GB, with support from
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, has launched a two-year
project aimed at improving access to and quality of sexual and
reproductive health (SRH) and HIV and AIDS services and reducing the
vulnerabilities associated with SRH and HIV and AIDS in two districts of
Manica Province, Mozambique.
The project aims to:
* Build the capacity of HIV and AIDS service providers and health
service providers;
* Strengthen gender and age sensitive referral mechanisms at all
levels;
* Provide increased access to health information and prevention
services, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations;
* Strengthen systems to be able to address underlying issues that
create barriers to SRH and HIV and AIDS prevention, support, care and
treatment; and
* Work to involve and empower local communities to have more
choices and options and to demand their rights, particularly with
regards to access to essential health services.
INTERNSHIP SCOPE
The Intern will support two Project Coordinators (PCs) who are charged
with the coordination of activities under the integrated SRH and HIV
project according to agreed work plans. The PCs are employed by the
district-level Ministry of Health (DDS) and work directly with the lead
Project Manager of Oxfam’s SRH and HIV project in areas of planning,
information gathering, documentation, organizing, coordination,
monitoring, implementation and evaluation. The intern will mentor and
train PCs in their respective districts to develop their skills and
confidence to effectively carrying out their roles.
Specifically, the intern will:
* Assess capacity needs of the two SRH PCs and develop and
implement a capacity building plan with key milestones and deadlines
* Support PCs and peer workers in conducting focus group
discussions with different population groups (women, men, young people,
leaders, etc) including both moderating and note-taking techniques
* Support SRH PCs in the write up of focus group discussion
reports and other qualitative data that aim to pull out deeper rooted
issues associated with sexual and reproductive health rights and HIV and
AIDS
* Support the PCs in analysis of doctor/nurse and facility survey
questionnaires and presentation of results to the District Steering
Committees (DSCs)
* Support the PCs in leading the district steering committees to
develop referral pathways for SRH and HIV and AIDS services
* Support in identifying system gaps in SRH and HIV and AIDS
services
* Work with PCs in improving communication and information sharing
– presenting key points of concern and issues to address in DSC meetings
that are clear, well-articulated and easy to understand
* Support PCs in report writing and documentation of project
activities
* Share ideas and recommendations with the Information, Education
and Communication Committee (IEC) (part of the DSC) for development and
pre-testing of appropriate IEC materials
* Provide recommendations for 16 Days of Activism and World AIDS
Day activities
* Regularly share ideas and experiences that will contribute to
the project’s Change Strategy
* Other support as requested
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
The intern will provide training and hands-on support in carrying out
key functions of the PC position. It is envisaged that by the end of the
three-month internship, PCs will have:
* Regularly and systematically monitored work plans and
documentation of all project activities
* Conducted regular focus group discussions, written and submitted
reports
* Conducted the doctor/nurse and facility surveys, including
collection and recording of data and analysis and presentation of
results
* Written detailed reports on Ministry of Health health worker
trainings, including evaluation and follow-up plans
* Facilitated regular meetings with DSC members, including
development of agendas, facilitation of meetings and writing up reports
of meeting including agreed action points
* Developed referral mechanisms for SRH and HIV services in both
districts
* Acted as an effective stakeholder liaison between the
communities, Oxfam GB, Ministry of Health (DDS), Provincial-level
Ministry of Health (DPS) and the District Steering Committees for the
project
* Fed into the development of a framework for documenting this
project model and the process of integrating SRH services into HIV and
AIDS programming
DOCUMENTATION
* Training and evaluation reports
* Capacity building plan
* Weekly progress reports
* Any tools developed (monitoring, documentation, IEC, etc.)
* End of service report demonstrating how the internship
objectives were met and recommendations
INTERN SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Essential
Dynamic graduate student in public health, nursing, gender and
development studies, social or public policy or related field with a
focus on SRH and/or HIV and AIDS
* Experience & Knowledge
– Understanding of the deeper-rooted issues associated with SRH
and HIV and AIDS Understanding and interest in exploring issues related
to SRH/rights and HIV and AIDS
– Previous work with vulnerable, marginalized and excluded
populations and persons living with HIV
– Experience and sensitivity in working with people of diverse
educational, economic, age group and religious backgrounds. Cultural
sensitivity and ability to talk about sensitive and “taboo” subjects
related to sexual behaviors, violence against women, unequal power
relations, stigma and discrimination, HIV and AIDS and others
– Strong diplomacy, particularly when dealing with government
officials and community leaders
– Experience living and working in developing countries
* Technical Skills
– Using both qualitative and quantitative data collection and
analysis tools
– Strong organizational skills, communication skills, both oral
and written.
– Strong skills and ability to train others in Microsoft Word and
Excel
– Flexibility and ability to work with limited resources
* Language
– Fluency in Portuguese
* Travel
– Willingness to travel within the province on a regular basis
(mainly between Mossurize, Machaze and Chimoio)
Highly Desirable
* Mentoring, training and/or capacity building experience
* Local language knowledge: of the local languages spoken in
Mossurize and Machaze Some understanding of the country of Mozambique’s
decentralization process, particularly the Ministry of Health
* Experience with participatory approaches to SRH and HIV and
AIDS, e.g. Stepping Stones and/or STAR
* Experience living in rural and resource-poor environments with
no running water and limited electricity
INTERNSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
The intern will report to the Programme Manager of the Manica HIV and
AIDS Programme based in Chimoio, Mozambique, with technical support and
guidance from the Global Center of Learning for HIV and AIDS’ SRH and
HIV Advisor based in Pretoria, South Africa.
S/he will work directly with the two project coordinators (1 in each
district) as well as the project officers (1 in each district) and the
lead project manager based in Mossurize.
Travel between districts and administrative support will come from the
logistics/administrative/finance team.
Communications: Internet communication is only available in Chimoio, but
cell-phone coverage reaches both districts.
Security: For the duration of the assignment, the intern will be
expected to comply with Oxfam GB’s security guidelines. The logistics
team upon the intern’s arrival into the country will provide a copy of
these guidelines.
