Health Cooperation Framework (HCF) Project Management Advisor, DOS LEAP Global - Kenya

Who We Are

ZemiTek, LLC is a Woman-Owned, SBA-certified 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) based in the Washington, DC metro area. We have a strong record delivering innovative and high-quality solutions. Since 2007, ZemiTek has provided technical assistance, project management, information technology (IT), knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, training and learning development, and institutional support services.

Position Description

LEAP Program Description

Global Solutions Ventures (GSV) – a joint-venture partnership between ZemiTek, LLC and Dexis Consulting Group – is implementing the Long-term Exceptional Technical Assistance Project (LEAP Global), a mechanism originally used by USAID to battle against infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and pandemic influenza. As of July 1, 2025, LEAP Global transitioned to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). This initiative aims to address the complex human resource challenges faced by national infectious disease programs in the USA-supported countries.

 

The intervention of this project is to hire and embed technical expert advisors and subject matter experts within government entities. By directly embedding the technical expertise within the national programs, LEAP provides long-term, sustainable lifesaving support to empower host governments to lead and manage key aspects of their infectious disease portfolios and improve coordination between the U.S. Government and the host country.

 

The Government of Kenya (GoK) and the Government of the United States entered into a five-year Health Cooperation Framework (HCF) in December 2025. Health programs include HIV, TB, malaria, Global Health Security (GHS), maternal child health (MCH), and polio.

The Framework transitions USG health development assistance from an implementing partner model to direct GoK corporation embedded in the principles of enhanced efficiency, alignment with country priorities and the time-bound achievement of sustainable self-reliance of country health systems. The framework plans for USG resources to flow through the GoK financial systems to the Ministry of Health, its agencies, and the forty-seven counties with metered

co-investment of Kes 115 Billion from the GoK, attainment of performance metrics and accountably reporting.

 

To manage this transition, the Ministry of Health has established a Program Management Unit (PMU), operating under three thematic arms: Service Delivery and Transition, Strategic Interventions, and Project Administration. The PMU serves as an execution mechanism for the Joint Health Cooperation Framework Steering Committee (JHCFSC), chaired by the Principal Secretary, State Department for Medical Services (PS, SDMS).

 

The Ministry requires a specialist HCF Project Management Advisor to work alongside the PMU — providing independent analytical support, advisory inputs, and technical counsel across the full scope of Framework implementation. The Advisor’s contribution is intellectual, analytical, and providing the executive with convincing evidence and basis for decision-making, and institutional accountability during the planning and implementation of the

health corporation framework. 

 

Overall Objective of Assignment

To strengthen the PMU’s capacity to implement the Health Cooperation Framework with integrity, efficiency, and full GoK ownership — by providing high-quality, independent advisory support across portfolio management, fiscal architecture with emphasis on the G2G compliance, governance, and institutional development for the duration of the PMU’s establishment and operationalization phase.

 

Work Location: Kenya

 

Position Description

The Advisor supports all three PMU arms and works across five domains, providing analysis and recommendations to PMU leadership. In each domain, the Advisor’s role is to equip GoK decision-makers with the evidence, options, and frameworks they need to act with confidence.

 

The advisor will gain an understanding of current US government programming across HIV, TB, malaria GHS, MCH and polio and collaborate with technical teams on transition planning for long-term sustainability. For example, for malaria, he/she would provide technical support and work closely with the National Malaria Control Program on plans for the transition of commodity, vector control, and case management programming. For GHS, he/she would provide technical support and work closely with the National Public Health Institute (NPHI) leadership on institutional capacity building for the prevention, detection and response to emerging health threats. The advisor will support the MoH in carrying out life-saving humanitarian assistance (LHA) service delivery in full alignment with the new Presidential Executive Order (EO) directives.

Responsibilities

Portfolio Review and Implementing Partner Assessment

The Advisor supports the PMU’s GoK-led review of the full Framework portfolio, providing advisory inputs on: 

• Design of the review methodology and instruments — assessment criteria, partner evaluation frameworks, and evidence standards consistent with the PMU’s three-arm structure and JHCFSC oversight mandate;
• Analysis of each active program and implementing partner, drawing on performance data, audit findings, compliance records, cost-effectiveness evidence, and alignment with GoK health priorities;
• Structured classification recommendations for each partner relationship: continuation without modification; continuation subject to defined changes in scope, financing, or governance; or termination with an orderly, service-safe transition plan;
• Assessment of GoK’s internal institutional readiness to absorb functions currently performed by implementing partners, across MoH, KEMSA, SHA, KNPHI, national referral hospitals, and county health departments; and
• Preparation of a Portfolio Review Report, with findings and recommendations, for consideration and presentation to the JHCFSC.

 

G2G Fiscal Architecture and Public Financial Management

The Advisor supports the PMU’s Project Administration arm on the design and operationalization of fiscal mechanisms for compliant G2G resource management: 

• Design of end-to-end fund-flow structures from the Strategic Objective Agreement (SOAG) through the National Treasury Designated Account to MoH, SAGAs, and county governments;
• Mapping of IFMIS workflows for commitment control, disbursement, reconciliation, and statutory reporting;
• Technical options for cost-reimbursement, performance-based, and milestone-based G2G payment modalities, with analysis of feasibility and fiduciary implications for each programme area; and
• Co-investment tracking instruments and structuring of GoK’s KES 115 billion commitment within the MTEF and Program-Based Budgeting framework. 

Implementation Planning and Risk Management

The Advisor supports the PMU’s development of a coherent, sequenced implementation plan for the full five-year Framework period: 

• Structure and content of the HCF Implementation Plan across all three PMU arms, with objectives, milestones, timelines, responsible GoK entities, and performance indicators aligned to the Framework’s 2031 self-reliance target;
• Identification and sequencing of critical path milestones: Implementation Plan finalization, SOAG operationalization, Cooperative Agreement conclusion, and G2G Agreement execution; and
• Design of risk registers, mitigation frameworks, and monitoring dashboards for use by the PMU, Technical Management Committees, and the JHCFSC. 

Governance and Coordination

The Advisor supports the PMU on governance design and inter-institutional coordination, providing advisory inputs on: 

• Governance architecture of the JHCFSC and subsidiary Technical Management Committees, including committee workflows, terms of reference, decision logs, and escalation pathways;
• Information and reporting flows that enable the PS as JHCFSC Chair to maintain effective stewardship of all three PMU arms, the forty-seven counties, and the USG Mission; and
• Coordination interfaces between the PMU and the National Treasury, DHA, KEMSA, SHA, KNPHI, county governments, and USG partners.

 

Institutional Development and Knowledge Transfer

The Advisor contributes to the PMU’s long-term self-sufficiency:

 

• Advisory inputs on the PMU’s functional design, staffing profile, and resource requirements as a permanent JHCFSC secretariat, benchmarked against comparable G2G management units including the Global Fund Local Fund Agent model and the TMU framework;
• A structured knowledge transfer plan — documentation standards, analytical frameworks, and decision-support tools — designed to remain within the PMU after the advisory engagement concludes; and
• Identification of technical assistance needs among MoH staff in G2G programs management and partner oversight, with advisory recommendations on how those needs are addressed.  

Deliverables

Inception Report: advisory approach, workplan, and stakeholder mapping – Week 1

Portfolio Review Methodology: criteria, partner evaluation framework, and evidence standards – Week 2

GoK Institutional Capacity Assessment: readiness of MoH, KEMSA, SHA, KNPHI, referral hospitals, and counties. – Month 1

Implementing Partner Classification Report: advisory recommendations on continuation, modification, or termination. – Month 2

G2G Fiscal Architecture Paper: fund-flow design, IFMIS workflow maps, and financing modality options. – Month 1

Co-Investment Structuring Tool aligned to MTEF and Programme-Based Budget. – Month 2

HCF Implementation Plan Advisory Draft: objectives, milestones, responsibilities, and performance indicators – Month 3

Fiscal Risk Register and Monitoring Dashboard for PMU and committee use. – Month 2

Governance Enablement Package: committee workflows, decision logs, and reporting formats. – Month 1

PMU Capacity and Knowledge Transfer Plan – Month 5

Monthly Progress Reports to PS – By 5th of each month 

REPORTING:

The Advisor reports to the Principal Secretary, State Department for Medical Services, in the PS’s capacity as Chair of the JHCFSC. All advisory outputs are submitted to the PS. Onward engagement with any other party — including USG partners, implementing partners, or county governments — takes place through the PMU and is structured through government systems.

 

The Advisor will provide a detailed monthly report to the U.S. Department of State submitted by the 5th day of the following month. Additionally, the Advisor will submit a weekly progress report to U.S. Embassy/Department of State (and participate in weekly calls) to include a short paragraph about main successes for that week. 

A concise written note to the PS each Friday: activities completed, emerging issues, and decisions required by HCF governance levels. – Weekly

A structured progress report to the PS by the fifth working day of each month: deliverables status, advisory findings, risks, and recommended actions. – Monthly

Technical briefing materials prepared for JHCFSC sessions, including portfolio findings, fiscal options, and implementation plan updates. – JHCFSC Sessions

At month five, the Advisor submits a performance and progress report to the PS, forming the basis for renewal assessment against the three renewal criteria: performance, continuing need, and PMU maturation stage.- Renewal Assessment

Qualifications

Education and Credentials

• Advanced degree in Public Financial Management, Health Systems Management, Health Economics, Public Policy, or a closely related discipline;
• Professional credentials in accounting, program management, or fiscal advisory (CPA, ACCA, PMP, or equivalent) are an advantage. 

Experience

• At least twelve years of senior experience in health program management, G2G financing, health systems strengthening, or public financial management advisory, with substantial Kenya-specific or comparable regional experience;
• A track record of providing advisory services to ministries of health and finance under large-scale donor-financed or G2G health programs, with working knowledge of GoK’s public financial management architecture;
• Demonstrated experience conducting health portfolio reviews and implementing partner assessments, including program transitions and terminations;
• Working knowledge of Kenya’s health sector institutional landscape, including the SHA, KEMSA, the Digital Health Authority, KNPHI, and county health systems; and
• Prior engagement with bilateral or multilateral health financing mechanisms — USAID, CDC, the Global Fund, the World Bank — with a strong grasp of G2G accountability requirements.
• Professional fluency in English is required. 

Competencies

• Ability to produce high-quality analytical products — options papers, risk assessments, fiscal briefs, portfolio reports — to a standard appropriate for PS-level and ministerial audiences;
• Advanced proficiency in IFMIS workflows, results-based management, and performance measurement in complex multi-partner programs;
• Exceptional written and oral communication in English, with the ability to convey complex analysis clearly and concisely for senior decision-makers; and
• Proven capacity for professional discretion and institutional neutrality in high-stakes government advisory environments.

 

What We Believe

ZemiTek is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, ZemiTek will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to accommodations@zemitek.com.