Objectives of the programme include facilitation/adaptation of evidence-based policies especially in relation to HIV testing, services to key populations, and screening services; decentralization of TB services especially by expanding services to district general hospitals; certification of malaria elimination by proper documentation, strengthening surveillance, prompt diagnosis and radical cure by early treatment and by outbreak preparedness & response; elimination of neglected tropical diseases; establishment of case-based surveillance; and improving the quality of immunization services. Focus and integrate innovative approaches for further improvements in Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Services in the country. Further reducing maternal, newborn and infant deaths and nutrition issues in all age groups through strengthening the quality of RMNCAH and nutrition services with emphasis on equity and filling in the gaps in services in certain stages of the life cycle.
Duties: Under the direct supervision of National Professional Officer (Communicable Diseases Control) and broad guidance of the Administrative Officer, the incumbent provides office and secretarial support as follows:
General:
Receive visitors and telephone calls with tact and discretion and acts according to the nature and urgency of each, including redirecting as appropriate.
Organize and provide background information for appointments of supervisors with official visitors and/or staff members.
Correspondence:
Draft general or administrative correspondence on own initiative or on the basis of instructions; finalize correspondence/reports for signature/clearance.
Verify that outgoing correspondence is presented in accordance with WHO Country office styles and checking language, grammar and accuracy prior to submitting for signature and clearance.
Analyze incoming correspondence and requests in the light of background material, instructions, policies and precedents, researching, obtaining and attaching background information in anticipation of the responsible officer's needs, or redirecting them as appropriate; identify and highlight incoming documents and attach background information.
Ensure that reports and documents are in line with WHO standards, rules, practices and procedures, editing and correcting them as necessary prior to their submission for signature or clearance of relevant authority.
Using appropriate tracking tools, follow-up on and ensure that target dates and deadlines are met, and that correspondence and queries are responded to in a timely manner.
Procurement:
Initiate, through Oracle/GSM procurement module, contracts for Agreements for Performance of Work (APW), Technical Services Agreements (TSA), Direct Financial Cooperation (DFCs), Imprest Purchase Order (IPOs), Grant Letter of agreement (GLoAs) and General External Services requests (GES), etc.
Monitor and record receipt of deliverables and initiate and monitor payments as needed.
Budget & Finance:
Assists in the monitoring and progress review of projects and tasks in the GSM/Oracle work plan.
Provides team members with timely information on project and task budget ceilings, award budgets, expenditure, and funds available, as required.
Monitors income and expenditures for planning purposes.
Promptly follows-up on financial, budgetary and any outstanding issues concerning the team/department, including ensuring timely processing of committal documents.
Assists in the preparation of financial and technical progress reports to donors.
Information Management:
In close collaboration with other support staff, create and/or maintain filing systems; continual review of filing system to ensure information is up to date and effectively and efficiently used.
Obtain documents and information from in-house and external sources as required; perform information searches (library, internet) as requested.
Meeting Administration:
Arrange and coordinate preparation for meetings, seminars, workshops, including letters of invitation, costs calculation and travel requests; assisting with preparation of documents, dispatching of materials and liaising with participants and others involved.
Prepare presentations using PowerPoint and other software packages on own initiative or on the basis of instructions.
Schedule periodic team and ad hoc meetings, according to schedules and need; taking and preparation of minutes.
Obtain briefing and background materials for meetings, seminars, workshops, etc. to be attended by the team's professional staff, checking their availability and ensuring they have the appropriate briefing files and documents.
Travel:
Using GSM/Oracle, prepare travel requests for official WHO travel. Make flight and hotel reservations, prepare travel files and deal with other related matters as requested or on own initiative.
Other Duties:
Perform other related duties as required or instructed, including providing support to other areas of work.
Required Qualifications: Education
Essential:
Completion of secondary school education.
Experience
Essential:
At least five (5) years of progressive relevant experience in secretarial/administration functions.
Skills:
The incumbent maintains and updates proficiency in the use of modern office technology through in-house courses, on-the-job training or self-training. He/she keeps abreast of changes in procedures and practices, rules and regulations, organizational structure, to be able to brief others and explain procedures. Knowledge of Excel spreadsheets and application of excel skills as applied to data generated from the GSM.
Language Skills: Essential:
Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of local language (Sinhalese/Tamil)
