Recrute
Health Information System Consultant II
Overall Responsibilities
The Health Information System Consultant will work with the LMG/West Africa Senior Technical Advisor for Institutional Capacity Building (STA-ICB) to provide technical assistance to WAHO in the implementation of the regional Health Information System (HIS) policy and strategy. The technical assistance provided will focus on strengthening WAHO’s internal HIS and M&E capacities as well as working with WAHO to implement HIS policies and data collection methods regionally across member states.
The consultant will also be responsible for maintaining strong working relationships with WAHO through the support of MSH home office and regional support teams. The consultant is expected to be self-motivated and to take initiative. S/he must possess knowledge of WAHO regulations and procedures, in-depth comprehension of national and regional-level health information systems and strong monitoring and evaluation background.
Specific Responsibilities
In close collaboration with WAHO managers and the LMG/West Africa team, the HIS consultant will provide capacity building support to WAHO staff and its ECOWAS Ministry of Health focal points to carry out the following activities for HIS policy implementation:
- Work with WAHO management to establish and staff a robust M&E unit at WAHO, integrating both M&E and HIS functions. This unit will be responsible monitoring WAHO’s action plans and strategic plan as well as managing WAHO’s web-based data warehouse. The data warehouse is an online database which compiles weekly epidemiologic surveillance data and results routinely reported by the ECOWAS member States, based on an established list of health indicators. In collaboration with the Department of Research, WAHO’s HIS unit will also be responsible for publishing the WAHO annual Epidemiological Bulletin;
- Develop and institutionalize the use of a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) to guide monitoring of project performance at both the country level and at the regional level with WAHO. The PMP will contain selected key performance indicators (KPIs) under each of the three results areas listed in the results framework. The PMP will include the following information for each indicator: definition (including numerator and denominator where applicable), the baseline value, target, source of data collection, and frequency of data collection, as well as information regarding the responsible parties for data collection;
- Support WAHO to develop an M&E plan for the upcoming strategic plan for 2016-2020;
- Provide technical support to WAHO M&E and HIS support staff, particularly for the launch and management of the data warehouse in WAHO and in the ECOWAS countries;
- Coordinate closely with the WAHO HIS Professional Officer to operationalize and implement the regional HIS policies and platforms;
- Provide training to the WAHO and ECOWAS database managers in the use of District Health Information Software, Version 2 (DHIS 2) and the establishment of a regional-level data warehouse;
- Document and share successes and lessons learned in the format of project reports, publications and presentations at all levels.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree (Masters, PhD, or MD) in a health-related field or management field required;
- Practical and analytical skills necessary to translate data or information into concrete actions;
- Ability to manage database and make statistical and epidemiological analysis of health data;
- Ability to design and propose indicators based on the needs expressed at national and regional level;
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications for word processing, PowerPoint, email, and Excel;
- Minimum of 15 years of field experience in development programs, with management, HIS and M&E skills. Previous work experience with regional institutions also highly desirable;
- Solid understanding of ECOWAS and West Africa’s economic, political, social and cultural environment and the role of the regional institutions and host governments, private and public sector, including NGOs, in addressing development objectives, priorities and issues required;
- Experience with national and/or regional Health Information Systems and associated tools; proficiency in District Health Information Software, Version 2 (DHIS 2) or similar strongly preferred;
- Fluent written and oral proficiency in English and French required. Must be able to communicate effectively in both languages. Portuguese language ability preferred;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Background Information
Through the Leadership, Management and Sustainability Program (LMS) and the West Africa Leadership and Management Strengthening Project Associate Award (WA-LEAD), USAID and Management Sciences for Health (MSH) worked closely from 2010-2013 with the West African Health Organization (WAHO) to strengthen its leadership and management capacities to be a more visible leader for health matters in West Africa.
The Leadership, Management and Governance Project (LMG) will support the USAID/West Africa/Regional Health Office strategy, building on WA-LEAD achievements. Under the WA-LEAD Project, USAID supported the adoption of a regional Health Information System (HIS) policy and strategy document that was approved by the Assembly of ECOWAS Health Ministers during their 13th annual meeting. To strengthen HIS in West Africa, representatives from the West African Health Organization (WAHO), ECOWAS health ministries, and partners originally met in November 2010 to articulate the need for a strategic road map culminating in adoption of a regional HIS policy. An HIS steering committee subsequently adopted the road map in 2011, and a WAHO HIS situational analysis was completed in early 2012. The assessment determined that, while most ECOWAS countries have their own HIS strategic plans at various stages of implementation, these systems are often fragmented within countries and oriented to meet the needs of donors and centralized national agencies, rather than integrated across programs and states. This lack of integration results in weak or duplicative data collection programs that waste resources, and makes comprehensive analysis of regional health conditions difficult. Informed by these findings, the draft policy was then validated by ECOWAS national HIS coordinators before presentation and adoption by the ECOWAS health ministers on April 20, 2012, during their 13th annual assembly held in Conakry, Guinea.
Since adoption of the regional HIS policy and strategies, WAHO is focused on policy implementation both within WAHO and among member states. In order to successfully implement the ECOWAS HIS policy, the Health Information System Consultant will work in close coordination with project partners to provide technical assistance to help reinforce WAHO’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and HIS management capacities. The HIS consultant will be responsible for coordinating with the M&E Manager recruited by the World Bank (under the West Africa Regional Disease Surveillance Capacity Strengthening Project) to design and managing the overall M&E system as well as with the Database Manager, who will be recruited directly by WAHO.
The Leadership, Management and Governance Project (LMG) will support the USAID/West Africa/Regional Health Office strategy, building on WA-LEAD achievements. Under the WA-LEAD Project, USAID supported the adoption of a regional Health Information System (HIS) policy and strategy document that was approved by the Assembly of ECOWAS Health Ministers during their 13th annual meeting. To strengthen HIS in West Africa, representatives from the West African Health Organization (WAHO), ECOWAS health ministries, and partners originally met in November 2010 to articulate the need for a strategic road map culminating in adoption of a regional HIS policy. An HIS steering committee subsequently adopted the road map in 2011, and a WAHO HIS situational analysis was completed in early 2012. The assessment determined that, while most ECOWAS countries have their own HIS strategic plans at various stages of implementation, these systems are often fragmented within countries and oriented to meet the needs of donors and centralized national agencies, rather than integrated across programs and states. This lack of integration results in weak or duplicative data collection programs that waste resources, and makes comprehensive analysis of regional health conditions difficult. Informed by these findings, the draft policy was then validated by ECOWAS national HIS coordinators before presentation and adoption by the ECOWAS health ministers on April 20, 2012, during their 13th annual assembly held in Conakry, Guinea.
Since adoption of the regional HIS policy and strategies, WAHO is focused on policy implementation both within WAHO and among member states. In order to successfully implement the ECOWAS HIS policy, the Health Information System Consultant will work in close coordination with project partners to provide technical assistance to help reinforce WAHO’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and HIS management capacities. The HIS consultant will be responsible for coordinating with the M&E Manager recruited by the World Bank (under the West Africa Regional Disease Surveillance Capacity Strengthening Project) to design and managing the overall M&E system as well as with the Database Manager, who will be recruited directly by WAHO.
Grade
Senior
Job ID
13-7669
Location
BF-Bobo Diaoul
# of Positions
1
Center/Office
CLM - General
Posted Date
2014-07-29
Project/Program
LMG
Application Due Date
2014-08-31
Notes
Apply online or Email your application to: acollins@msh.org