Health Promotion and Publication Officer

Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI)

Closing date: 28 Feb 2010
Location: Thailand - Mae-Sot

CONTEXT

For more than 30 years, ethnic groups of Burma have been fighting the military junta running the country. The civilian context leaves the population with poor and precarious living conditions, where their access to essential relief and services is limited.

AIDE MEDICALE INTERNATIONALE (AMI) has been providing medical aid to Burmese ethnic minorities, mainly Karen, since 1984, with medical facilities and health worker training.

Combat intensification and important losses within the Karen National Liberation Army, forced populations on the Thai border to flee massively in 1994. Ever since, refugee camp population has been escalating. AMI joined the population in its exodus in 1995, and has since been operating in the camps.

Today, AMI is responsible of curative health activities in 3 camps of Tak province and preventive health activities in one of them :

- Nupoe camp (16 000 persons), since 1997 : AMI supports curative care in a health centre (1 OPD) and a hospital (1 IPD).
- Umpiem camp (19 000 persons), since 2001 : AMI supports curative care in health centres (2 OPDs) and a hospital (1 IPD).
- Maela camp (45 000 persons), since 2005 : AMI supports curative care in health centres (2 OPDs) and a hospital (1 IPD), preventive care (postnatal consultation and supplementary feeding, vaccination…).

The population of the 3 camps AMI is working in represents 50 % of the population of the 9 camps settled along the border. In all supported activities, capacity building and training are emphasized.

AMI launched Health Messenger Magazine in 1995 to complement its training activities. Health Messenger is a distance learning magazine for health and social workers practicing in refugee camps and migrant communities. Magazine circulation is 3000 copies in English and Burmese. AMI published in 2003 a book of medical guidelines adapted to the Thai-Burmese border context, the Burmese Border Guidelines (BBG) which is now being used by health workers all along the border. Between 2005 and 2008, AMI launched new publications for school children living in the refugee camps and in migrant communities in Thailand : “Health Messenger Kids” (Grade 1 to 5) and “Health Messenger Junior” (Grade 6 to 10).

THE TEAM

- Expatriate team : 1 country director, 1 administrative and finance coordinator, 1 medical coordinator, 1 logistic coordinator, 2 project managers, 2 medical officers, 1 nurse officer, 1 transversal project manager (for transversal health activities : training, mental health, HIV counseling and testing), 1 psychologist, 1 publishing officer.
- Local team : around 80 people working on the bases, and 450 in camps

FUNDING (2009/2010)

- ECHO – 1 year : medical curative and preventive activities (except HIV) and mental health in the 3 camps
- EUROPAID – 3 years : for medical training activities and HIV/AIDS prevention, care & treatment project in the 3 camps
- UNHCR : for complementary HIV/AIDS prevention, care & treatment activities in the 3 camps (co-funding)
- IRC – 8 months : bird flu surveillance project
- AMI is currently working on additional proposals, to be submitted to donors.

ABOUT AMI EDUCATION AND PUBLICATION ACTIVITIES

For 15 years, the Education and Publication Department has been responsible for the development, editing and publishing of training and health education tools for AMI activities implemented in the 3 temporary shelters. Some major achievements have been made, such as the publication of the standard "Burmese Border Guidelines" for medics, used in the 9 camps along the border as a reference tool for clinical practice. The main activity of the department, though, was to publish Health Messenger magazine, depending on training needs, to enhance health workers’ capacity to deliver quality health services. In the past couple of years, other needs emerged concerning the development of health Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for various activities, including hygiene education, mental health promotion, awareness on substance abuse, or HIV prevention, stigma & discrimination, etc.
This orientation has changed the scope of the department, as it requires specific capacity and methodology in Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), that goes beyond the design of materials.

By following the overall strategy of the stakeholders involved in providing services to refugees along the Burmese border toward durable and sustainable solutions, AMI is to hand over the Education and Publishing Officer competency, in the mid term, to the subordinate Education and Publishing Supervisor.
In brief, today, the Education and Publishing department’s responsibility is to :
- Coordinate the development of comprehensive BCC strategies to improve Health outcomes of AMI activities in the camp, from Formative Assessment to Impact Evaluation, through the publication of IEC tools (video, printed material, etc.)
- Coordinate and harmonise training support material (teaching and learning tools) development, editing, publishing and distribution

Under the Transversal Project Manager’s authority, the Education and Publishing Team is composed as follows :
- An Education and Publishing Officer
- A Medical Publishing Editor / Education and Publishing Supervisor
- A pool of freelancers including graphic designers, illustrators, translators and proofreaders.

OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION:

- To ensure that the BCC and training projects described above are properly implemented, respecting AMI principles, donors’ requirements and beneficiaries, from the design phase to the delivery of training and IEC resources and publications.
- To participate in improving the quality of medical trainings and health education interventions conducted by AMI by providing adapted and effective information and education tools.
- To strengthen coordination between all AMI Thailand training and health promotion stakeholders, including medical trainers, medical officers, supervisors, etc. and to mobilize them for information sharing and knowledge banking.
- To coordinate efforts with other health stakeholders (Thai Health Authorities, INGOs, International Organisations and Community-Based Organisations) on the Thailand-Burma/Myanmar border, to develop a joint response to medical training and health education needs for specific tools.
- Specifically, the Education and Publishing Officer will aim at scouting local resources and skills available within the temporary shelters for development of culturally acceptable and understandable training and IEC tools.
- One of the main objectives of the Education and Publishing Officer will be to hand over his/her position to a locally recruited staff member at the end of the mission.

WORKING RELATIONS :

The EP Officer works under the responsibility of the Transversal Project Manager. They decide together on the priorities and actions to be undertaken.

The EP Officer supervises the Education and Publication Supervisor.

The EP Officer works in collaboration with the administrative and logistics coordinators as well as the camps’ Project Managers. The EP Officer specifically works in close cooperation with the Medical Coordinator and the Medical Officers and Supervisors.

The EP Officer has regular contact with external partners and collaborators, with a focus on artists, designers, film makers, etc.

POSITION ACTIVITIES:

1. Initiate and implement a comprehensive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy adapted to the needs of AMI Health Promotion activities
a. Review current BCC strategies ; work together with the programmatic teams to identify and prioritize current barriers to behaviour change and inform BCC campaign development ; work with same teams to design evaluative research following campaign implementation.
b. Review external resources available and develop/update a vendor list for short-term contractors, etc… for all aspects of BCC content creative development and implementation (audio, video, journal, graphics, traditional media, peer education, events) – competitive procurement process
c. Based on evidence, design comprehensive strategies to address priority barriers to behaviour change ; work with technical teams to develop clear creative briefs and budget, and to design campaign elements
d. Work with the technical and programmatic teams to identify key partners important to the design and implementation of BCC campaigns and ensure they are involved in the design and implementation of activities
e. Coordinate and follow-up the development of IEC tools and materials to be used during the BCC campaigns, in order to ensure their coherence and effectiveness toward behaviour change objectives, in terms of content and design (cultural understanding and acceptability)

2. Conceive and edit publications such as IEC tools, teaching material and learning supports
a. Coordinate with the training team and the technical teams to identify topics for the materials to be edited depending on identified training and BCC needs, available resources and the global knowledge capitalisation strategy.
b. Research data and information linked to the topics chosen.
c. Supervise index definition and graphic orientations needed for the different projects.
d. Supervise writing, reportage, photography, translation and proofreading tasks.
e. Supervise graphic designer works according to the commission.
f. Ensure material effectiveness and adaptability through thorough editorial committee review, pre and post testing on location.
g. Ensure quality content of the material through proactive coordination with internal and external experts.
h. Supervise validation of the final technical file before sending to print.
i. Supervise printing and distribution processes ; including proof, timing, reasonable pricing and delivery conditions.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), depending on user remarks, the health and medical context, target groups, the environment, strategy and needs.
a. Develop specific M&E plan for the Education and Publishing department in collaboration with the technical and programmatic teams.
b. Organize data collection, analysis and reporting, internally and externally.
c. Participate in meetings as required, in relation with BCC, IEC, etc.

4. Capacity Building
a. Review if necessary, implement and follow-up the hand over plan for the reorientation of the EP Officer position.
b. Identify milestones for the hand over of the position, expected objectives, in terms of skills, knowledge, and attitudes
c. Monitor the progress in achieving these milestones, and conduct regular staff evaluations

5. Miscellaneous
a. Participate in AMI coordination activities and support the Project Managers, coordinators and Country Director if needed.
b. Take part in proposal writing, as well as narrative and financial reports to donor agencies and Thai authorities.
c. Follow up administrative and logistics procedures.
d. Have a commitment for the team’s capacity building

POSITION CONDITIONS:

- Status : Volunteer position (from 686 to 915€ / month depending on humanitarian experience + 200€ perdiem / month + all accommodations’)
- Starting date : ASAP
- Duration : Minimum 6 months, one year preferable
- Location : Mae Sot + movements in temporary shelters and regular meetings in Bangkok

Background, skills and specific knowledge
- Relevant degree and/or experience in formal Health Promotion & Education field, Behaviour Change Communication, Social Marketing, etc.
- Fluent spoken, read and written English is required.
- Experience in journalism, communications, publishing or printing activities
- Humanitarian background (particularly in health development projects in limited resource settings)
- Experience in the area of primary and public health issues is a plus.
- Excellent writing skills
- Capacity building experience, cooperation with local structures is a plus
- Computer skills including the use of publishing and graphic design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
- Team management skills
- Good sense of planning
- Ability to deal with information
- Ability to analyse and synthesise.
- Open-mindedness, with a good sense of public relations
- Creativity
- Anticipation, adaptability, autonomy and respect of hierarchy
- Burmese and/or Karen language knowledge is a plus

How to apply

Reference Code: RW_7Y4FT7-71