Policy Fellow

Job description
Department: Community Health
Reports to: Community Health Systems Director
Compensation: Monthly stipend, airfare, and accommodation
Position Description
The Policy Fellow is overseen by the Community Health Systems Director and works closely with the Managing Director. The fellow will also have remote support from the Impact Director. The Fellow will support Lwala and the Migori County government as they research and develop community health strategies for the county. This position will include supporting government partnerships, writing policy briefs, and conducting deep research.
The Policy Fellow position is a 12-month placement, with additional opportunities after this period. The Policy Fellow will be joined by two other international fellows – Lwala’s Monitoring and Evaluation Fellow and Technology Systems Fellow.
Key Responsibilities

Advocacy, Capacity Building, and Government Engagement

Work with the Community Health Systems Director to develop a strategy for supporting the Migori County government’s health policy priorities and act as a technical partner to the government in achieving these priorities
Act as a resource to the government, providing technical support and research to support the development of the County’s Community Health Services Act
Ensure good public relations and promote visibility of Lwala’s work on a local, regional, and national level
Build and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders including government ministries, departments and agencies, NGOs, private sector organisations, and foundations
Build a pipeline of peer organizations that Lwala could support to replicate components of its program model
Represent Lwala in relevant forums at the county and national levels and actively seek avenues of influencing government and peer organizations to learn from Lwala’s model

Growth Strategy Development

Orient Lwala’s community health programming to a wider goal of systems change
Advise the Community Health Systems Director on positioning programs to be in line with global and national commitments as well as county government priorities
Keep abreast with changes and developments in the political and policy environment that relate to health and provide regular briefings to Lwala’s leadership
Spearhead the documentation and communication of Lwala’s model for the purpose of influencing government and peer organizations
Facilitate training and capacity building of staff in engagement with the county government and other public agencies

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

Develop program guides of Lwala’s work that codifies successful components of Lwala’s model for adoption by the county and peers
Ensure documentation and dissemination of appropriate case studies, experiences, best practices, and lessons
Encourage sharing of learning and research within the county and with like-minded/peer organizations.

Fundraising & Development

Scan for and advise the Managing Director and Development Manager on grant opportunities that are consistent with the organization’s mission and strategy
Provide technical input into the development of grant proposals
Maintain mutual relationships with the donors and partners and cultivate a culture of respect for donor funds
Undertake any other assignment as may be directed by the Community Health Systems Director, Managing Director, and Executive Director

Requirements

Master’s degree in Public Health, Public Policy, or related field preferred
A Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required
Proven success in policy research with strong examples of work products
Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English, with proven ability to write persuasively and with a high degree of professionalism
Experience working with government and/or in a capacity building role in a developing country setting, with experience in Kenya preferred
Understanding of government and health systems in developing country context
Domain experience in healthcare delivery and/or community health programming
Strong networking and relationship building skills
Strong analytical mindset and dynamic thinking skills
Must have initiative and be able to work with minimal supervision