Help write discussion papers for CHW & iCCM scaling up conference
Initiatives Inc. a Boston-based, firm addressing health capacity issues for the improvement of health services in the developing world, seeks two to three interns for immediate Boston-based internship, with a modest stipend.
Scope of Work for Internship(s)
Initiatives Inc. seeks interns to support preparations for a March 2012 meeting on scaling up effective Community Health Worker (CHW) programs.
Purpose of project: To develop one or more discussion/background papers to be used during the upcoming African forum on CHW program functionality, sustainability and scale-up.
Background: Global interest in, and support for, community health worker (CHW) programming is continually increasing. This, in turn, is leading to increased dialogue about, and scrutiny of, what factors make a CHW program functional, how they can be optimized when scaling up CHW programs and how they support sustainability. The CHW AIM Matrix is a tool designed to enable organizations, government ministries and/or funding agencies to assess CHW program functionality. The Matrix guides participants through a facilitated self-assessment process during which CHW programs first compare their practices to recognized best practices and standards and then develop an action plan to address any gaps identified.
In March 2012, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Health Care Improvement Project and Initiatives are convening a forum of policy makers, program managers and technical experts in CHW programming. The purpose of the meeting is to review the CHW AIM Matrix, build participants’ capacity in applying the matrix and collaborate on expanding an understanding about how highly functional CHW programs can be supported to scale up to reach wider swaths of populations in need of access to primary health care.
Initiatives is currently seeking interns to assist in researching and preparing background materials and discussion papers to be used as the basis for discussions during the meeting.
Possible Projects for Interns:
1. Two-Tiered Policy Review – working with Initiatives Inc. and the Earth Institute at Columbia University
• Collect detailed information on national policies on CHW programming
• Develop a table or other format to clearly present detailed information on national CHW policy frameworks
• Tier1: Develop detailed country overviews of CHW policies in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia
• Tier 2: Populate the table with information on national policies on CHW programming in the six participating countries as well as other countries with significant national CHW policies/programs (including Bangladesh, India, Nepal; Thailand and Pakistan; Benin, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Swaziland; Brazil, Haiti and others)
• Develop a concise (2500 words) summary paper with the table and country overviews as appendices
2. Case Study on iCCM – working with Initiatives Inc. and UNICEF
• Collect, through document reviews and telephone/email interviews, detailed information on one country’s experience of scaling up integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) for child survival nationwide
• Develop a case study that provides background, description of the policy development and implementation process and current status
• Develop discussion questions
• Develop facilitation guidance for use with the case study
3. Case Study on Service Delivery for Achievement of MDGs – working with Initiatives Inc. and the Earth Institute at Columbia University
• Collect, through document reviews and telephone/email interviews, detailed information on one country or community’s experience of using CHWs to work towards one or more of the health-related MDGs
• Develop a case study that provides background, description of the program development and implementation process and current status
• Develop discussion questions
• Develop facilitation guidance for use with the case study
Logistics: These assignments are expected to take approximately 10 hours per week. The work will begin around December 5, 2011, and take approximately three months (through February, 2012). Interns should have access to their own computer and research facility. Work can be done offsite or at the Initiatives office in Back Bay, Boston. A small stipend will be provided to each intern upon submission of a final draft of the project materials.
Qualifications:
• Pursuing or completed advanced degree in public health or relevant field
• Knowledge of/experience with community health workers preferred
• Strong reading, research (including literature searches) and analytical skills
• Strong writing skills
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
• Able to dedicate adequate time to the project between now and March 2012
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
How to apply: Please submit a cover letter explaining which one of the three possible projects you would like to work on and why, a CV and a short (MAXIMUM 1500 words) writing sample to recruitment@initiativesinc.com . Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
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About Initiatives Inc.: Initiatives Inc. is committed to improving access to quality primary health care for people in under-served communities. A women-owned small business, Initiatives assists governments and NGOs, primarily in Africa, Asia, and the Near East, to strengthen health services. We have managed development assistance projects and assembled and supported short- and long-term technical teams of expatriate and national experts in more than 50 countries. Please visit www.initiativesinc.com for more details.
About Health Care Improvement Project: HCI is a five-year task order contract issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support countries in improving the quality and impact of health services. The prime contractor for HCI is University Research Co, LLC, with partners Initiatives Inc., Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, EnCompass LLC, Family Health International, Health Research, Inc., and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Please visit www.hciproject.org for more details.
