Country PEPFAR Coordinator

NOTE: For detail duties and responsiblities, please see the attachment The Coordinator is the primary point of contact and coordinator of activities related to the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in the country. The Coordinator plays a critical role in the planning, implementation, and reporting of program performance of interagency programs. The role of the Coordinator is becoming more essential as the size and complexity of the program increases. The Deputy Chief of Mission heads the in-country PEPFAR program and is the final decision-maker under PEPFAR Guidance for all program plans and activities that are submitted to the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for approval. The Coordinator is a facilitator, a communicator, and at times, a negotiator. The coordinator is, in general, not a technical director, although the coordinator may be expected on occasion to ensure follow-up on implementation of technical recommendations based on the Country Operational Plan (COP) and other performance review information. When delegated this authority by the Ambassador, the Coordinator may represent PEPFAR with external partners including government, press, and others. Agency leads may also be expected to play a role in public diplomacy based on authority delegated by the Ambassador. USG Ethiopia has established an interagency PEPFAR Senior Interagency Team (SIT), which the Coordinator chairs and convenes. The SIT has also established Technical Working Groups (TWGs), which provide technical recommendations to guide implementation of the PEPFAR program. The TWGs report to the SIT. The Coordinator, in collaboration with Agency leads, will be accountable to ensure these groups are established, have an agenda, and are achieving objectives. Agency leads should be copied on communications between the Coordinator and Technical Working Groups (TWGs) or staff and on substantive communications between the Coordinator and the core team lead in headquarters. This procedure is essential to retain trust and respect between agency leads and the coordinator. In addition, it is critical that the coordinator be copied on internal agency communication related to matters of PEPFAR program strategy, implementation, and management and staffing. The coordinator may represent the agencies at official meetings. When a Coordinator meets with Ethiopian government counterparts, s/he should include agency leads, or if not possible, consult with agency leads. The coordinator is the lead for the development of all tasks related to the COP, Semi-Annual Program Results (SAPR), Annual Program Results (APR), and any other reporting requirements to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (S/GAC). The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that reports are submitted to S/GAC Washington on time, for organizing the logistical arrangements for interagency work, and for keeping agencies on task for interagency efforts.