CCM/E Ethics Officer – Ethiopian Public Health Association, Ethiopia

Background

The Country Coordinating Mechanism of Ethiopia for the Global Fund (CCM/E) is the embodiment of one of the Global Fund’s founding principles, Country Ownership and as the main multi-stakeholder governance body for Global Fund investments at the country level. CCM/E play several key roles, including creating funding requests, nominating Principal Recipients, and overseeing grant implementation. In carrying out its work, CCM/E have to follow the highest standards of ethics and integrity since ethical and responsible decision-making by CCM/E is key for the success of Global Fund programs in countries. Therefore, CCM/E members need to apply the highest standards of conduct in their work to prevent, detect, and respond to conflicts of interest, unethical conduct and prohibited practices, as ethics and good governance contribute to the ability to deliver on our mission to eradicate the three diseases. Evidence and experience illustrate that improved ethical conduct and conflict of interest management lead to greater trust and improvements in CCM/E functioning, and contribute towards more robust funding requests, improved grant oversight and ultimately better programmatic performance and health impact.

CCM/E is required by the CCM Policy through Eligibility Requirement 6 to: approve and adopt the Code of Ethical Conduct for CCM members; develop or update, as necessary, and publish a conflict-of-interest policy that applies to all CCM members, alternates and CCM Secretariat staff; and enforce the Code of Ethical Conduct and apply the conflict-of-interest policy throughout the life of Global Fund grants. Additionally, CCM/E must ensure new members are trained on the Code, obtain certification from all members that they have complied with, and commit to continue to comply with the Code and either appoint one CCM member as an Ethics Focal Point or, create an Ethics Committee.

The CCM Ethics Officer acts as the ethics function of the CCM/E Secretariat and reports to both the CCM/E Executive Secretary and the CCM/E leadership. The CCM/E Ethics Officer works with the existing CCM Ethics Committee. For this role, the CCM/E Ethics Officer will be receiving guidance and support from the Ethics Office of the Global Fund.

The role of the CCM/E Ethics Officer is to support the Operations function of the CCM/E which includes ensuring ethical leadership and conduct and to support the CCM/E in its goal to coordinate national disease programs at the country level, in support of ending the epidemics and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3;

Job Description

1. Ensuring Values and Principles driven actions & behaviors within the CCM/E

• Monitoring CCM/E activities and deliberations to ensure the respect of the Values and Principles included in the CCM Code of Conduct;
• Ensuring ethics considerations are embedded in decision-making processes;
• Providing advice, ongoing guidance and support to all CCM/E members, CCM/E Leadership, Executive Committee and CCM/E Secretariat;
• Ensuring all members are trained and aware of their role and responsibilities with training sessions and regular communications;
• Tracking the completion of the CCM Code of Conduct e-learning modules by all CCM/E members;
• Acting as custodian and mediator of ethical and governance matters to protect the integrity of the CCM/E as a whole, and resolving issues as they arise.

2. Conflict of Interest (CoI) management

• Ensuring all members have updated CoI Declarations on record;
• Pre-screening meetings agendas against CoI declarations; identifying perceived, potential or actual CoI and informing the CCM/E Chair and CCM/E Executive Secretary;
• Supporting the CCM/E Chair and CCM/E Executive Secretary with managing and mitigating identified CoI before, during and after meetings.
• Ensuring the appropriate documentation including CoI declarations, meeting minutes and the management of these documents.

3. CCM/E Policies & Procedures

• Ensuring the adoption and implementation of the Code of Conduct by the CCM/E as a body, by all CCM/E members and for new members going forward, and documenting the adoption;
• Ensuring existing governance documents are periodically reviewed and revised as needed and endorsed by the CCM/E (governance manual, CoI procedures and declaration forms) and that they reflect the CCM/E Code of Conduct.

4. Ensuring accountability in case of alleged or reported breaches

• Ensuring CCM/E Code of Conduct breaches are appropriately and timely reported, addressed and documented;
• Promoting and supporting compliance with the Whistle-blowing Policy (Duty to Speak Out);
• Supporting the response to potential ethical misconduct, including advising on investigations;
• Initiating or supporting actions taken to prevent, manage and sanction CCM/E Code of Conduct breaches.

5. Protection from Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH)

• Supporting the CCM/E in its shared responsibility for preventing and responding to SEAH, child protection, and related abuse of power in the context of Global Fund programs;
• Supporting fund recipients in the execution of their PSEAH obligations and overseeing their ongoing adherence to the PSEAH requirements in the Code of Conduct for Recipients;
• Serving as the in-country point of contact for the Global Fund on matters of PSEAH and coordinating the PSEAH Focal Points at the Principal Recipient level;
• Acting as a “safe space” for in-person reporting of SEAH allegations and ensuring that the same exists across implementers;
• Where available, joining and participating actively in any in-country PSEA networks;
• Maintaining up-to-date referral pathways for victim/survivor support referrals;
• Liaising on victim/survivor support with the Global Fund’s Victim Advocate and In-Country Support Coordinator;
• Providing expertise on PSEAH to the CCM/E, including support and guidance to the CCM/E leadership;
• Organizing an annual PSEAH training for CCM/E members, with the support of the in-country PSEA network and the Global Fund.

6. Any other related duties as may be assigned or delegated by the CCM/E Executive Secretary

• Represent the CCM/E Secretariat at key events and forums at national level
• Accomplish any other duty as requested by the CCM/E Executive Secretary
• CCM/E Secretariat may revise the job description of the Ethics Officer as needed.

7. Required availability of the ethics officer

• Ability to attend the regular and extraordinary CCM/E and Oversight Committee meetings.
• Being present up on the request of CCM/E Executive Secretary and CCM/E leadership
• Supporting the Ethics and Governance Committee
• Dedicate half of her/his time from annual calendar to this activity.

No. of Position: One (01)

Responsible to: CCM/E Executive Secretary

Duration: Part time (50% LOE) for one year with possible extension of the contract depending on satisfactory performance and availability of funding

Qualification and experience

Required

• Advanced degree in public health, ethics, law, public administration, business administration, or related field
• At least 5 years of professional experience (international or national) working in planning or management in the humanitarian sector or public health or disease program management.
• Solid experience in building and developing partnerships in political environments and in mediating complex issues and deliverables at country, regional and international level.
• Experience working in program planning and management, and/or equivalent experience.
• Experience working in PSEAH or a related field, or in the prevention of/response to issues of misconduct.
• Solid understanding and experience of strategic, organizational, and management issues.
• Understanding of Global Fund processes and its funding model.

Desirable

• Knowledge in Public Health programs relevant to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
• Excellent Information Technology skills with mastery of MS Office, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint,
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to produce articles for regular website update

Skills

• Ability to compile, analyze and interpret complexity of programmatic and financial information
• Ability to supervise and train others including staff and organizational stakeholders
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-orientated environment and to juggle multiple tasks
• Ability to interact and communicate with all levels of national government, NGOs, private and development sectors
• Superior presentation skills
• The Ethics Officer will be supervised on a day-to-day basis and report to the CCM/E Executive Secretary