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PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local level governments to deliver social sector services. This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes.

Position: Clinical Expert
Number of Positions: 1
Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems
Strengthening
Location: Janakpurdham, Madhesh Province
Type: Part-time
Reports to: Province Lead, with technical reporting to Health Systems Lead and Samartha Programme
Management Unit (PMU)
Start Date: 01 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor)
End Date: 31 March 2026

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Clinical Expert, based in Madhesh Province, will play a critical role in supporting the effective delivery of high-impact, evidence-based women’s health interventions. This position will provide technical support and coordination to strengthen the women’s health service quality, promote accountability, and ensure alignment with national protocols, provincial strategies, and the priorities of the Samartha at the Provincial level and selected local level governments.

The primary objective of the role is to offer technical leadership in clinical services and quality of care for women’s health, working in close collaboration with local level governments, provincial stakeholders, and frontline providers. The Clinical Expert will contribute to improving quality of care, advancing inclusive and
gender-responsive health systems, and supporting government partners to implement targeted interventions
with efficiency, equity, and sustainability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Technical Assistance and Health System Strengthening (40%)

• Lead the development, adaptation, and contextualisation of clinical protocols, service delivery guidelines, quality assurance tools, and standard operating procedures relevant to women’s health, based on national and global best practices.
• Coordinate the strengthening and expansion of gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response mechanisms, working closely with referral services such as One-Stop Crisis Management Centres (OCMCs) and relevant stakeholders at provincial and local levels, in coordination with Provincial Health Specialist.
• Contribute to enhancing the resilience and preparedness of provincial health systems, particularly in relation to women’s health services and protection mechanisms during emergencies.
• Provide technical support to local level governments, hospitals and health facilities for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of women’s health interventions, ensuring alignment with national protocols, evidence-based practices, and local priorities.
• Contribute to the preparation of annual work plans and budget alignment processes at the local level, ensuring that women’s health priorities are well-integrated into provincial and municipal systems in line with Samartha’s thematic focus.
• Undertake any other technical assistance support as assigned to support the effective delivery of Samartha in Madhesh Province.

Coaching mentoring and capacity building (40%)

• Provide structured coaching and mentoring to service providers at provincial and local hospitals and health facilities, with a particular focus on promoting respectful care and quality service delivery focusing on women’s health.
• Collaborate with the Provincial Health Training Centre (PHTC) and Provincial Hospitals to organise and facilitate need-based training and mentorship that enhances clinical competencies and adherence to care standards among health workers.
• Identify and deploy innovative approaches to cultivate a culture of continuous professional learning, including peer-to-peer knowledge exchange mechanisms within and across local governments andhealth facilities.
• Provide technical input into the design and implementation of technical assistance (TA) activities led by the Samartha team at provincial, cluster, and municipal levels.

Evidence Use, Innovation and Learning, and Adaptive Management (10%)

• Collaborate with the IEL team to ensure robust data collection, analysis, and quality assurance for all Samartha-supported TA activities in the health sector.
• Support the interpretation and utilisation of women’s health indicators from multiple sources, including the Samartha IEL system, HMIS, and municipal health reports.
• Promote the integration of digital technologies and innovations that enhance the effectiveness, quality,and accountability of health service delivery.
• Document lessons learned, promising practices, and field innovations to support adaptive programming and inform TA strategies for provincial and local level governments.

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination (10%)

• Actively participate in and contribute to provincial and local-level technical working groups, coordination committees, and other sectoral forums relevant to women’s health and systemstrengthening.
• Coordinate with provincial health authorities, including the Provincial Health Directorate, PHTC, Provincial Hospitals, Health Offices, and other institutional actors to align efforts and reinforce system ownership.
• Represent Samartha in provincial-level dialogues and forums, ensuring visibility of the programme and alignment with cross-cutting priorities, including GEDSI.
• Coordinate with other British Embassy Kathmandu funded programmes and with other like-minded development partner programmes.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Professional Background

• An advanced degree in medicine or nursing with experience in public health and/or health systems
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in designing, implementing, or managing clinical interventions related to maternal and reproductive health, preferably within Nepal’s federal system.
• Proven experience of working with provincial and/or local level governments, health institutions, or training centres in strengthening service quality and systems of care.
• Experience with donor funded health programmes is preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong clinical expertise in women’s health, including maternal and reproductive health, quality improvement methodologies, and application of national clinical protocols and standards.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building, including facilitation of training, clinical mentoring, and supportive supervision in government health facilities.
• Familiarity with Nepal’s health sector policies, including the Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health (SMNH) Strategy, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response mechanisms, and provincial-level health priorities.
• Experience with clinical data interpretation, HMIS indicators, and use of monitoring systems to inform programme decisions.
• Ability to translate technical guidance into practical tools, guidelines, and job aids for use by health workers at subnational levels.
• Proficiency in technical writing and documentation, including case studies, success stories, and learning briefs.
• Strong communication skills in Nepali and English; knowledge of local languages (e.g., Maithili or Bhojpuri) is a significant advantage for the role.

Other Requirements

• Based in Madhesh Province with travel to local level governments and health care facilities
• Strong commitment to inclusive development, local ownership, and equitable health service delivery
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments
• Candidates with a valid driving license is a distinct advantage.

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR)

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 10 July 2025. Please include “Application: Provincial Clinical Expert – Madhesh” in the subject line.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps.