Finance and Administration Adviser - Buin Health Centre

Closing Date: 17 September 2024

Category: Finance & Business Support

Change your scene and become a VSA Volunteer and share your experience, knowledge, and skills to transform the lives of many. Work with our partner organisation to create a fair future for all. 
 
VSA will organise and fund, flights, visas, insurance, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while on assignment. 

Please note VSA Volunteers must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident. 

About volunteering with VSA
Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) is not your typical volunteering agency, we are committed to building sustainable communities across the Pacific. If you’re an experienced Administrator looking for an extraordinary overseas experience in the Pacific to build into your field of expertise – working in the Health sector, then read on, as we have an exciting opportunity in store for you!

Our Partner Organisation - Buin Health Centre (ABG Department of Health)   
  The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Department of Health (DoH) has its headquarters in Buka town. The DoH administers its services to the different districts of Bougainville, one of these being the Buin District in Southern Bougainville. The Buin Health Centre (BHC) is situated in Buin town and serves as the only health centre in the southern part of Bougainville. BHC is a 38 bed District Health Centre in Buin District. BHC receives referrals from surrounding health facilities and has a primary catchment population of approximately 36,000 people and a secondary catchment of 80,000.

It in turn refers to Arawa and Buka Hospital depending on the clinical assessments.
A major barrier to the development of the health sector in Bougainville is a shortage of funding for services and a gap in capacity for service delivery. Given its isolation to the rest of Bougainville, BHC experiences these issues on an increased scale, and provides for increased challenges.

VSA has been working with the DoH for a number of years in other locations across Bougainville, with volunteers previously providing the school of nursing in with financial, technical, and management support. VSA has been working with the BHC since 2019, and currently has a Nurse Mentor volunteer on assignment in Buin.

The Assignment In this assignment, a VSA volunteer is required, who has some financial management skills and knowledge and is conversant with hospital or school administration practices.

Most of the financial management systems currently in use are basic and grounded in Department of Health policy and although staff can articulate these procedures, they are rarely followed. Along with basic financial management training, staff would benefit greatly from some computer training.

With a significant new health facility due to be built in Buin in the coming years, there is a high need to get basic administrative and finance practices in place with the existing team.

The Volunteer
Are you someone who wants to make a difference, have a sense of adventure and like the challenge of being outside your comfort zone?  VSA Volunteers are technical experts who impart their skills and knowledge to the local community. You will need to be flexible, adaptable, resourceful, resilient with a passion for Aotearoa and the wider Pacific community. 

We're looking for a volunteer with the following:

  • A relevant Finance qualification or at least 3 years’ experience in financial management
  • Experience with Financial reporting and accounting
  • Proven strong administration and organisational skills
  • Computer literate
  • Confident skills with financial systems
Previous experience working in a developing country or within a resource limited environment is desired.

The Country The Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB) is the largest island in the Solomons Island Archipelago, situated on the border between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Despite being more culturally, linguistically, and geographically aligned to the Solomon Islands chain to the south, ARoB was politically absorbed into the Australian-administered Territory of Papua New Guinea after World War II, and ultimately into the independent nation of PNG in 1975. Following a devastating conflict through the 1990s, a Peace Agreement was signed in 2001 which included a requirement for a referendum on its political future. The overwhelming vote for independence in the 2019 referendum means that Bougainville’s political future is still a very current question
While the autonomous region has had a particularly difficult colonial and post-colonial history, the people of Bougainville continue to demonstrate tremendous resilience in the face of these challenges. Bougainvilleans are a hardworking, proud and happy people, and continue to display innovation and strength in spite of complex political and social challenges.
  
New Zealand has a significant relationship with Bougainville, one that was largely formed through the role it played with helping to bring peace to the island during The Crisis. VSA is an integral part of New Zealand’s presence in Bougainville, and is well supported by funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. VSA has been present in Bougainville since 1998, and has sent hundreds of volunteers to support Bougainville in building it’s health, agriculture, education, and governance sectors.

VSA volunteers are regularly based in throughout all the main areas of Bougainville and they are supported by a by a VSA office in Arawa and Buka. The Programme Manager is based between Arawa and Buka and a full time Programme Coordinator assists from the Buka office.

Apply Now!

Apply for this amazing opportunity through our website. For more information on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.

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We are looking for a volunteer with:

  • Chance to really make a difference and impart your knowledge and skills
  • Flights, accommodation and other expenses covered by VSA
  • Full time volunteer opportunity in Buin, Bougainville

VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.