Coordinator (Field and Community)

Frappe; Kendujhargarh; Sur place; INR 500 000 - 750 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The Government of Odisha, through the Department of Health and Family Welfare, is expanding the AECC initiative in Keonjhar district with Swasti as technical partner. Coordinators will be the field face, mobilising communities, enabling ABHA enrolment, and collecting frontline feedback to improve access to healthcare.

They will work with ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs, and PRI members, and report weekly to the Project Lead, Keonjhar. Initial deployment focuses on Padampur CHC with expansion later.

Qualifications

• Educational background in social development or public health fields as listed.
• Master's degree in Social Work or Rural Development is an added advantage.
• Experience in community-level health or development work preferred.

Responsabilités

• Field support in AECC rollout across facility catchments, starting with Padampur CHC.
• Organise field activities: ABHA enrolment camps, orientation sessions, launch events.
• Assist citizens to access AECC services: CCC helpline, referrals, follow-ups.
• Support PHWS measurement and other assessments per protocols.
• Build community awareness using village meetings, VHSNDs, SHG meetings, and local events.
• Document field observations weekly and share feedback with the technical team.
• Engage with ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs, PRI members, and local leaders respectfully.
• Submit weekly field reports and a monthly summary; maintain activity records.

Formation

Graduate degree in Social Work, Sociology, Rural Development, Public Health, Nursing or related field

Master's degree in Social Work or Rural Development (added advantage)

Description du poste

The Government of Odisha, through the Department of Health and Family Welfare, is implementing the ABDM-Enabled Care Coordination (AECC) initiative in Keonjhar District. Swasti provides technical assistance to the District Administration and the District Health Society. Keonjhar serves as the demonstration district for a model that the State intends to replicate.

AECC aims to build a connected, citizen-centred district health system using the infrastructure of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The initiative integrates five components into a unified architecture:

• Health Information System (HIS): Implemented across public health facilities.
• Care Coordination Centre (CCC): Supports navigation, referrals, follow-ups, and grievance redressal.
• Red-Amber-Green (RAG) Governance Dashboard: Supports district-level monitoring and review.
• Population Health and Wellness Score (PHWS): Published at Gram Panchayat and ward levels.
• ABHA-based Citizen Identity: Links health records across facilities.

A connected system is effective only when people know about it, trust it, and can access it. Many of the families AECC aims to serve live in remote, forested, and tribal areas, where distance, language barriers, documentation requirements, and costs can prevent access to healthcare.

2. Position Purpose

The Coordinators will serve as AECC's field-level and community-facing representatives. They will support the Swasti technical team in implementing AECC at facility and village levels, mobilise communities, raise awareness of AECC services, and help families overcome practical barriers to accessing healthcare.

The Coordinators will also serve as the technical team's eyes and ears on the ground. They will observe what is working and what needs improvement, listen to citizens, frontline workers, and local leaders, and systematically document concerns and lessons. These insights will be shared with the technical team to enable timely improvements to the model.

The role is suited to candidates who have a strong understanding of the district, established connections with local communities, and a genuine commitment to improving access to healthcare and community development.

3. Key Roles and Responsibilities

A. Field Support to AECC Rollout

• Support the Swasti technical team and District Administration in implementing AECC across assigned facility catchments, beginning with Padampur Community Health Centre (CHC) and expanding to additional facilities in subsequent phases.
• Assist in organising and conducting field activities, including ABHA enrolment and verification camps, community orientation sessions, and facility-level launch events.
• Help citizens access and use AECC services, including the CCC helpline, appointments, referrals, and follow-up services. Verify whether citizens reach the healthcare services to which they have been referred.
• Support field activities for PHWS measurement and other assessments, as required, in accordance with agreed protocols.

B. Community Mobilisation and Awareness

• Build community awareness of AECC services, the benefits of ABHA, and how to access healthcare through the system. Use platforms such as village meetings, Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs), Self-Help Group (SHG) meetings, Gaon Kalyan Samitis, schools, and local events.
• Use and test communication materials in local settings. Report what community members understand, what causes confusion, and what needs improvement.
• Give particular attention to remote villages, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and households that rarely access public services.

C. Addressing Access Challenges

• Identify barriers that prevent people from accessing healthcare, including distance, transportation, missing documents, language, digital literacy, and cost.
• Work with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and the CCC to resolve these barriers wherever possible. This includes connecting families with Government health entitlements and transport services and following up on incomplete referrals.
• Escalate issues that cannot be resolved locally to the Project Lead, providing clear and relevant details to facilitate action by the appropriate authority.

D. Field Observations and Community Feedback

• Conduct regular visits to villages and healthcare facilities to observe how AECC functions in practice for citizens, frontline workers, and facility staff.
• Listen to and document citizens' concerns, complaints, and suggestions. Ensure that grievances are referred to the CCC grievance cell and followed up appropriately.
• Maintain structured field notes documenting what is working, what is not working, and the reasons behind observed challenges. Capture brief community case stories with the informed consent of the individuals concerned.
• Share field observations with the technical team every week and contribute to lesson-learning sessions facilitated by the Documentation Specialist and MEAL.

E. Working with Frontline Workers and Community Structures

• Build effective working relationships with ASHAs, ANMs, Community Health Officers (CHOs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, Self-Help Groups, Jan Arogya Samitis, and traditional community leaders.
• Support frontline workers without replacing their roles and responsibilities. Help them understand AECC and communicate their feedback to the technical team.
• Respect local customs and maintain the confidentiality of individuals' health information at all times.

F. Reporting and Documentation

• Submit weekly field reports and a monthly summary to the Project Lead in the agreed format.
• Maintain records of field activities, including meetings, camps, households reached, and issues escalated.
• Participate in team review meetings and training programmes organised by Swasti.

4. Qualifications and Experience

A. Educational Qualifications

• A graduate degree in Social Work, Sociology, Rural Development, Public Health, Nursing, or a related field.
• A Master's degree in Social Work or Rural Development will be an added advantage.

B. Professional Experience

• A minimum of 3–5 years of experience in community-level work related to health, nutrition, livelihoods, or community development.
• Experience in community mobilisation and working with ASHAs, Self-Help Groups, or Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Experience working with tribal and remote communities in Keonjhar or neighbouring districts is strongly preferred.
• Candidates from Keonjhar District, or those with substantial work experience in the district, will be given strong preference.
• Familiarity with public health services and Government health entitlement schemes in Odisha.

5. Skills and Competencies

• Genuine commitment to improving healthcare access and community development, with the ability and motivation to work in challenging field conditions.
• Strong listening, communication, and facilitation skills when engaging with communities, frontline workers, and local officials.
• Good understanding of the district's geography, communities, and local institutions.
• Ability to observe carefully and prepare clear, factual field notes.
• Comfort using a smartphone for reporting, messaging, and basic data entry. Basic computer skills will be an advantage.
• Practical problem-solving skills and sound judgement in identifying issues that require escalation.
• Sensitivity to gender, social inclusion, and the confidentiality of personal information.

6. Language Requirements

• Mandatory: Fluency in spoken and written Odia.
• Preferred: Knowledge of a tribal language spoken in the district.
• Additional Requirement: Working knowledge of English for basic reporting.

7. Reporting and Performance Management

• The Coordinators will report to the Project Lead, Keonjhar.
• They will work closely with the Health Administrator, Public Health Lead, Data and Digital Lead, Documentation Specialist and MEAL, and block- and facility-level teams in their assigned areas.
• Each Coordinator will be assigned specific facility catchments or blocks by the Project Lead. Assignments may change as AECC expands across the district.

8. Contract Duration and Extension

• The initial appointment will be for one year.
• The contract may be extended annually up to June 2029, subject to the availability of project funds, satisfactory individual performance, and project requirements.

9. Duty Station and Travel

• Primary duty station: Keonjhar, Odisha, with most working time spent in the field.
• The role will require extensive travel within assigned blocks, including visits to remote villages.