Project Manager

Would you like to contribute to CHI as a volunteer project manager? You would work with a UK partner hospital (eg Southampton, Royal Brompton) and arrange visits in the client country.  The project manager organises medical exchanges 'home' and 'away': taking specialist UK CF medical teams abroad and arranging reciprocal visits to UK.

Here is a summary of what is involved. 

• Establish a case for improving the diagnosis and care of children with CF in another country (eg Moldova).
• Probably find a partner NGO or in-country CF medical practitioner.
• Identify UK CF Consultant as "Mentor/expert" (eg a Consultant at Southampton General Hospital).
• Arrange and undertake a visit to Moldova with the Consultant. This would be a 'recce' visit to assess local needs and establish optimal forms of collaboration. 
• This is likely to lead to a more comprehensive visit by a UK team.  
• Decide on members of team
• Draw up a programme of clinics, discussions, possibly lectures on physiotherapy and nutrition, maybe a regional conference. 
• Manage all logistic aspects (travel, visas, insurance, accommodation, interpreters) (CHI employs an Administrator to help with these tasks)
• Accompany the UK team abroad and execute the agreed programme and deal with any problems arising. Involvement in Health policy as applied to CF and publicity usually arise, eg interviews with local media.
• And often a return visit to the UK by the foreign team.
• Decide on members of team
• Draw up a programme for the visit. 
• Manage all logistic aspects (travel, visas, insurance, accommodation, interpreters) (CHI employs an Administrator to help with these tasks)
• Make sure the visiting team is appropriately hosted in the UK.  Execute the agreed programme and deal with any problems arising. Again, involvement in Health policy as applied to CF and publicity usually arise, eg interviews with local media.

The CHI approach involves empowering an active parents' support group. 

Many of the contacts are made by other members of the CHI team.  The project manager's main role is in the organization and participation in the (typically) three visits.  The project manager has a duty to keep within the allocated budget and to render a report of the exchange.

The role does not require linguistic competence though knowledge of Russian can be helpful. It might suit someone with general project management experience or with a medical background or VSO type experience. Some knowledge of Cystic Fibrosis would be helpful.

The role is not paid.  However, reasonable expenses incurred in execution of the role, in particular travelling costs, are reimbursed.

back to top of page ...