Job Description

The Field Officer will work with HAC staff and partners (majorly Govt. Health Facilities and rural communities) to conduct community organizing activities, expand work to new villages and Districts where need be, collect relevant data, and network with relevant officials.

Background
The mission of Health Access Connect is to link remote communities to healthcare. HAC currently pursues this mission through four programs:
• Medicycles: We help remote communities 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.

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.

Treat & Teach: We improve 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.
• Digitalisation of the Health Commodities Supply Chain: In partnership with
• Signalytic, we are improving the stock visibility in selected Health Facilities in Masaka District Local Government and City. This is a push from the Ministry of Health that will see a move to paperless ordering of Health Facility commodities over time.

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 the 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 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:
• Make and maintain contact with health workers, district health officials, and district officials.
• Make and maintain contacts with leaders of targeted villages and community groups within those villages. Organize community groups in villages that do not have community groups with the capacity to manage the project.
• 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 are ready to start clinics/outreaches.
• Report on conditions on the ground to relevant offices. Attend fieldwork or training events when requested by the Directors.
• Submit field reports and weekly plans, including the allowance requested, to the Program Manager at least 48 hours in advance of when response and transport allowance is required. Allowances for future activities cannot be given unless the field reports have been submitted for completed activities. Assist the Field Coordinator in compiling monthly reports.
• Collect data forms from health centers and field sites when requested. Attend monthly staff meetings and make presentations about their work.
• Take photographs of HAC work when possible.
• Support M&E by collecting data for feedback surveys, exit interviews, Privacy and quality checklists, environmental checklists and any others using Kobo collect.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned by the supervisor(s) from time to time as the need arises.

Background & Qualifications
Required
• A diploma in Public Health, Social Sciences, or any other related field.
• A minimum of 2 years working experience in a related field.
• Strong writing skills in English
• Verbal proficiency in either Luganda, Lunyankole, or Lusoga
• Computer skills: proficiency in Microsoft Word, email, and experience using Excel
• Valid Motorcycle Riding License

Preferred
• Experience working in the public health sector, community engagements, and mobilization.
• 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 full-time (40 hours/week) position. Compensation is UGX 1,300,000 per month before taxes. Field travel expenses will be paid for by Health Access Connect.