IAPB Latin America Strategic Adviser
Consultancy role – approximately 50 days per year.
Purpose of this consultancy
IAPB Latin America wishes to contract an ophthalmologist with a public health background to lead the organisation’s work across the 19 countries of the Latin America region.
Key stakeholders involved in VISION 2020 Latin America (the Pan American Health Organization, The Pan American Association of Ophthalmology, IAPB and IAPB Members) recently developed a Regional Action Plan (RAP) for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment, which was adopted at the regional committee of WHO for the Americas in October 2014 http://www.iapb.org/about-iapb/regions/global-network-latin-america . The overall purpose of this consultancy is to provide leadership and strategic direction to IAPB’s work and to ensure that the objectives of the RAP are achieved.
Key tasks
- To promote good partnership and collaborative working between the key stakeholders engaged in VISION 2020 Latin America. This will involve attendance at congresses and meetings as well as the establishment of close and effective working relationships with key decision makers within these bodies.
- To be the focal point for networking, partnerships and knowledge on all matters relating to eye health across Latin America.
- To take a lead in advocacy work with the 19 Ministries of Health in the region.
- To provide expert guidance to national VISION 2020 committees to develop, and subsequently implement, national eye health plans of action.
- To identify opportunities for innovative programs within the region that target blinding diseases, human resource development, mobilization of resources, and awareness creation.
Relationship with IAPB representatives and staff
The consultant will report to, and take broad direction, from the IAPB Regional Chairperson Dr Juan Batlle.
The consultant will liaise with the IAPB Chief Executive Officer and the Funding & Partnership Development Manager based in London, Messrs. Peter Ackland and John Trevelyan, respectively.
The consultant will provide guidance and direction to the IAPB Latin America Programme Manager. This role is currently being recruited. The Programme Manager will manage on a day to day basis IAPB’s operational work across the region, following through on the strategic approaches defined by the Consultant and the IAPB Regional Chairperson. The Programme Manager will ensure the Consultant is supported logistically and administratively.
The person we are looking for.
You will be an ophthalmologist with several years practice experience. A retina specialism would be desirable.
You will be able to demonstrate a track record of promoting a public health approach to the control of eye health conditions and have a good knowledge of the principles, practice, methods, and technologies in public health management.
You will be aware of the key stakeholders working in the region and will preferably already have established relationships with key decision makers. You will understand the complexities and political sensitivities associated with the relationships between the ophthalmology / optometry professions in the region, but personally hold the value that both have an important contribution to make.
You will have the knowledge, experience and personality that enables you to be accepted by senior stakeholders. You will have the ability to persuade and influence and get policy makers to not only be aware of avoidable blindness and eye health issues but also to take action to address these problems.
You will be great networker and want to achieve things through team work. You will have excellent command of both written and spoken English and Spanish. Other language skills would be highly desirable, particularly in Portuguese.
You will be available to travel around the 19 countries of the region and attend occasional international meetings.
Heads of terms of the contract
An initial contract of one year will be offered. Assuming both IAPB and the Consultant are happy with progress then our expectation is that this would be extended.
We are imagining that we shall contract someone for around 50 days a year. Both the number of days and the consultancy rate per day is negotiable. IAPB’s most important consideration in these negotiations will be that we have contracted the right person to deliver this exciting, but demanding role.
How to apply
Please send your CV and a covering letter outlining why you are interested and how your experience and personal skills and approach match those outlined above to packland@iapb.org and jbatlle55@gmail.com no later than 15th January 2015.