Vacancy- Ford Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiaitve
May 10th, 2007HIV/AIDS INITIATIVE – FORD AFRICA (HAI-FA)
CONSULTANT ON RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA
TERMS OF REFERENCE
February 2007
The Ford Foundation’s four Africa offices seek a consultant to assist them to develop and implement a continent-wide and cross-programmatic response to HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Background
Africa, with less than 12% of the world’s population, accommodates about two-thirds of the nearly 40 million people currently living with HIV. Unlike other major regions of the world, it now has more women living with HIV than men. By 2010 the continent will have about 18 million AIDS orphans. This situation, coupled with an escalating AIDS-related morbidity and mortality problem, makes the epidemic arguably the biggest threat to economic development and socio-political stability in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Ford Foundation has supported a wide range of HIV programs and organizations since 1987, investing over $100m in the process, about a third of this in Africa. Much of the funding in Africa has been from the Foundation’s Sexuality and Reproductive Health Program for improving CBO/NGO capacity (including for persons living with HIV/AIDS), knowledge-building and behaviour-change communication, policy advocacy around access to treatment/stigma issues, and increasing attention to gender and youth issues vis-à-vis the epidemic. Yet, the scale and worsening multiple impacts of the epidemic in Africa suggest the limited nature of the successes to date, and the need for more creativity, coordination, and commitment on the part of the many stakeholders in this field.
Ford Foundation staff in its four Africa offices – Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos and Cairo – along with the Foundation’s Deputy Vice President for HIV/AIDS, have committed to developing a continent-wide and cross-program collaborative initiative on HIV/AIDS – Hiv/Aids Initiative – Ford Africa (HAI-FA) – that would help to catalyze significant cross-sectoral, multi-level responses to ignored or poorly addressed but important dimensions of the continent’s huge and growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. A Steering Committee consisting of the Representative of each of the four offices, a Program Officer from each office and different fields and the Foundation’s Deputy Vice President for HIV/AIDS was established to take this initiative forward. The program officer in each office is tasked with keeping other program staff informed, since the initiative involves all Africa program staff.
In 2006, the Johannesburg-based Centre for AIDS Development Research and Evaluation (CADRE) was commissioned by the committee to undertake research on broad trends related to HIV/AIDS prevalence, funding flows, interventions, dominant thinking, best practices and gaps and to make recommendations on possible areas of intervention that cannot be adequately tackled through existing sub-regional portfolios or inter-office initiatives. A draft report from CADRE formed the basis of discussion at the AAHAI Steering Committee meeting in Johannesburg during February of this year based on the discussions and debates that took place at that meeting, recommendations, priorities, strategies and preliminary grant making criteria were agreed upon. The HAI-FA now expects to start making grants this fiscal year and to continue to do so throughout the next biennium, if not beyond.
The Consultancy
The Consultant will provide guidance and support to the Steering Committee in the implementation of the HAI-FA.
Tasks will include:
§ Researching and elaborating potential programming directions and identifying potential grantees.
§ Developing and managing a “Request for Proposals” process.
§ Facilitating consultations amongst the Steering Committee on proposals received, including reviewing, commenting on and sharing proposals, and coordinating responses
§ Communicating with Foundation staff (beyond the steering committee) on processes, and proposal deadlines
§ Assisting program staff in grant preparation, management and monitoring
§ Preparing periodic reports highlighting initiative and other relevant developments to keep staff abreast of developments and to support cross-office learning
§ Coordinating communication between the Steering Committee through emails, reports and meetings, by organizing and taking minutes at Steering Committee meetings and maintaining a sharepoint website for the initiative
§ Communicating with other constituencies and participating in relevant meetings as requested within and outside the Foundation, reporting back to the Steering Committee
§ Developing terms of reference for any additional consultants needed to undertake related work.
Suitable candidates will have the following qualifications:
§ At least five years working experience on HIV/AIDS in Africa
§ Sound multi-sectoral knowledge of HIV/AIDS in multiple countries and in more than one region of Africa
§ Familiarity with African institutions
§ Fluent English essential, with good writing skills; a working knowledge of French or Arabic is desirable.
Location, Oversight and Administration
The Consultant will be based in either Nairobi or Johannesburg, according to convenience. S/he will be provided with office space, including computer, e-mail and telephone facilities, in the relevant Foundation office. Limited administrative support will be provided. Travel around Africa will be required.
The Consultant will be appointed for an initial period of one year, which may be extended, and will report to the Representative of the region in whose office s/he is based.
The Consultant will provide monthly consulting services rendered forms and expense reports as requested by the Administrative Officer.
Applications
Applications including CV, cover letter and a sole-authored writing sample should be sent by e-mail to Ms Halima Mahomed, Ford Foundation, Johannesburg Office, at h.mahomed@fordfound.org by May 15, 2007.
