Tasks & Responsibilities
Support positioning and feasibility of the
Anthropology Unit
- Contribute to the building, entrenching, and positioning the
Unit as a strategic support Unit in MSF.
- Contribute to the Unit’s organization strategic plan,
activities and partnerships as may be needed.
- Identify critical and strategic social determinants affecting
health access in humanitarian context and the necessary partnerships with
operations across other MSF entities in the region and globally.
- Implement the Anthropology Unit Framework and applicable
approaches in relation with supporting the MSF field operations on
generating and utilizing sociological knowledge in operations.
- Respond and coordinate requests for support of MSF
missions/projects working in the region by evaluating social and
behavioral access, constraints and developing context specific
intervention proposals.
- Prepare and make presentations on behalf of the Unit and MSF
internal and external forums to articulate and promote its work.
Support Social and Behaviour change program development and operations support
- Assess and analyze social and behavioral dynamics of medical
emergency contexts to inform and advice the medical operations teams
during the conception, implementation, and monitoring of medical and
paramedical projects.
- Collect and organize social and behavioral data/information on
health seeking- behavioral, social dynamics, practices and norms and
knowledge during emergencies/crises to enable design and implementation of
efficacious interventions.
- Support the operations teams on contextual health and
political economy analysis.
- Contribute to field visits and intersectional medical forums
wherever and whenever it is necessary across MSF units and sections.
- Contribute to missions and prepare mission reports for review
and dissemination.
Facilitate Social and Behaviour Change Agency
Building for Health promotion
- In collaboration with the Head of Anthropology Unit, Training
and Learning Unit and other peers in the MSF movement, develop/review
training modules, and plan and facilitate effective health seeking
behavior change and communication.
- Conduct targeted participatory trainings and on-job training
to enhance behavior and norm transformation competence in our health
service delivery teams.
- Facilitate trainings on social analysis and research ethics
for internal and external partners.
Contribute to medical and health promotion
operational research and learning
- Coordinate field operational research on thematic areas
relevant to medical and paramedical projects/programs across MSF.
- Facilitate dissemination of research results, learnings and
best practices through internal and external platforms including
publication.
- Contribute to implementation of the community engagement
strategy of the MSF EA operations directorate.
- Coordinate events, contribute and facilitate thematic
communities of practice events in the region and across the MSF.
- Conduct and facilitate collection, analysis and updating
lessons and best practices from MSF missions in the region.
- Contribute and update the Unit’s database (reports, studies,
assessments/any data received during research).
Partnership, collaboration, and Community engagement
- Map and profile relevant stakeholders, actors in medical
sociology, health promotion and social determinants areas of health,
applicable to the humanitarian context.
- Facilitate linkages and engagement with partners to share
capacity, capability, and experience pertaining to humanitarian and
emergency medical services in the region.
- Liaise with peers and actively participate in meetings at
relevant humanitarian fora including the MSF Intersection/social science
and operational research forums, technical working groups and Forums at
the regional level.
- Liaise with Operation teams to identify, initiate links and
engage with relevant state and non-state structures managing health
services during emergencies.
- Contribute to the development of robust community engagement
modalities for the Section and Ubuntu directorate.
- Contribute to organizing annual operation research events
including the Annual Nairobi Anthropology Forum, MSF Scientific Day,
Summer Schools among others.
Other Responsibilities
- Propose and initiate innovative behavior modification
operational research projects.
- Translation of research findings into actionable policy or
intervention briefs for field teams
Qualifications
Education
- A bachelor’s degree in medical Sociology, Social Anthropology,
Human Ecology, Sociology, Social Work, or any culture-related fields.
- Post-graduate degree or training in a related Field.
- Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili is
required. Knowledge of French or Arabic will be a definite plus.
- Membership in a relevant professional body, think tank or
community of practice is desirable.
Experience
- At least five (5) years of non-profit NGO work experience
within public/emergency health contexts with demonstrated capabilities in
planning, organizing, and executing health-related operational research,
and behavior change interventions.
- Experience working with humanitarian organizations, UNDSS,
INSO, INGO forums, and similar institutions is an added advantage.
- Experience as a field researcher, ethnographer, or trainer;
ability to develop, implement, facilitate, and impart learning.
- Experience in public health or additional training in a
related field will be an advantage.
Competencies
Technical Competencies
- Ability to provide clear, dynamic briefings and analysis of
given and unfolding medical and social contexts, situations and needs as
they emerge.
- In-depth understanding of health seeking and promotion models
and practices in the regional and local context, dynamics, and
socio-cultural medical barriers.
- Ability to lead and coordinate field research teams and
provide training in qualitative methods for diverse teams.
- Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills, and the
ability to effectively represent MSF at forums and with external
stakeholders.
- Understanding of humanitarian and emergency health service
delivery and ethics.
- Ability to design and facilitate training engagements with
staff and partners to enhance skills and adapt to changing program
demands.
- Ability to form and maintain relationships and working
partnerships with multiculturally diverse teams and communities.
- Good oral and written communication skills, with the ability
to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior
internal and external stakeholders.
Behavioral/General Competencies
- Commitment to MSF’s Principles
- Cross-cultural Awareness and competency
- Strategic thinking and complexity awareness
- Critical and Reflexive objectivity
- Planning and Organizing
- Initiative and Innovation
- Teamwork and Cooperation
- Networking and Building Relationships
- Contextual analyses, awareness, and adaptation
How To Apply