Officer / Sr. Officer – Public Partnership & Advocacy, ASTHA

Job Description

Title: Officer / Sr. Officer – Public Partnership & Advocacy, ASTHA

Company Name: Swisscontact Bangladesh

Vacancy: --

Age: Na

Job Location: Anywhere in Bangladesh

Salary: --

Experience:

• 1 to 2 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Bachelor/Honors

At least a bachelor’s degree in public health, Development Studies, Public Administration, Social Sciences, Communications, Business, or any relevant discipline;

• 1 to 2 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• 1–2 years of relevant work experience, working with government officials, public institutions, NGOs/INGOs and/or development partners;

• Passionate and committed to building a career in public partnership, policy engagement and strategic communication;

• Strong analytical and report writing skills with the ability to synthesise information for policy and communication purposes;

• Strong interpersonal skills, with tact and diplomacy for managing public relationships;

• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and deliver quality outputs within tight timelines in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment; and

• Commitment to gender equality, inclusion and ethical standards expected in development cooperation.

Swisscontact was established in 1959 as an independent foundation by notable figures from the worlds of commerce and science in Switzerland. It is exclusively involved in international development cooperation and has carried out its own and mandated projects since 1961. Based in Zurich, Swisscontact currently employs over 1,200 staff worldwide and manages 120 projects in 41 countries on behalf of public and private donors.

Access to healthcare in rural communities is a major concern in Bangladesh, primarily due to the dearth of a skilled healthcare workforce. There are alarmingly 0.66 healthcare providers per 1000 population in the country, while the WHO recommendation is 2.28 per 1000 population. The project “Achieving Sustainability Towards Healthcare Access” (ASTHA; formerly known as TARSAN) was introduced in 2011 to address this gap. Jointly funded by Novartis, Julius Baer Foundation and Swisscontact, the project aims to improve access to quality healthcare service at the rural level through the development of skilled Community Paramedics.

ASTHA is currently in Phase III (January 2023 to December 2026), which will emphasise the business viability of Community Paramedic Training Institutes (CPTIs) and Community Paramedics (CPs) and on acquiring important partnerships for nationwide scaling up and sustainability. The project operates in twelve districts, namely, Bogura, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur in the north, Dinajpur and Gaibandha in the north-west, Moulvibajar, Sunamganj and Sylhet in the north-east, and Barguna, Barisal, and Patuakhali in the south.

Swisscontact is inviting applications from development professionals, willing to be a part of ASTHA as the:  

Officer / Sr. Officer – Public Partnership & Advocacy, ASTHA

Employment start: Earliest start date as per convenience.

Contract duration: 10 months, with a probation period of three (03) months, with the possibility of extension based on performance. Furthermore, the contract period may be extended, depending on future project funding.

Place of work: Dhaka, Bangladesh, with occasional visits to the field location(s).

Reporting Structure: The incumbent will report to the Manager-Policy and Advocacy, ASTHA.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

 A. Public Partnership & Government Liaison:

• Conduct stakeholder analysis of public sector institutions to understand the value proposition, mandates, and willingness related to Community Paramedic regulation and deployment;

• Maintain regular liaison with relevant Government of Bangladesh stakeholders (MoHFW, BNMC, DGHS, DGFP, DGME, CCHST, local administrations, etc.) to advocate for the project agenda;

• Support strategic engagement with national and local public health authorities, including through meetings, consultations, workshops and public dialogues;

• Maintain working relationships with relevant associations, private sector stakeholders, development partners, academic institutions, and field offices to foster collaboration;

• Track policy developments, government directives, plans and reforms related to primary healthcare, and community health workforce to ensure alignment of project strategies with the national policy and regulatory environment; and

• Support development and execution of public partnership strategies, including MoUs, letters of collaboration, official correspondence and briefing notes.

B. Policy & Advocacy Support:

• Support policy intervention tasks through insights and research from health-related government policies, strategic plans and regulatory frameworks;

• Contribute to drafting clear, well-researched policy briefings, advocacy notes, and technical inputs for both internal and external audiences;

• Assist in documentation of advocacy outcomes, roadblocks, and evidence for policy reform and professional recognition of Community Paramedics;

• Facilitate data and evidence gathering from field interventions, training centres and public entities for policy and advocacy use;

• Support the promotion of project results and evidence in national platforms through write-ups, articles, opinion pieces, human stories, and public-facing communication products; and

• Support organisation of policy-level events (seminars, roundtables, workshops, consultations, technical meetings, etc.).

C. Other Responsibilities:

• Support the work of other functions within the project, particularly capitalisation, knowledge management and business development efforts;

• Coordinate with Finance, Administration, Communications, MRM and other project departments as required; and

• Perform any other tasks as mutually agreed by the supervisor and the employee.

Physical Demands

• Field visits constitute an important part of the incumbent’s responsibilities. Therefore, it is expected that the incumbent is willing and able to undertake field missions as and when required, including sometimes on short notice.

Working Conditions and Environment

• This will be applicable according to the Swisscontact Business Administration Manual.