Job Title: Malaria Data Specialist Seconded to Ministry of Health 

Number of Position: 1

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

Line Manager: MOH Malaria Team Leader and MDTA Chief of party. The candidate will receive guidance on daily activities from the Policy, Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PPMED). 

POSITION SUMMERY

The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is an interagency initiative led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The PMI Strategy for 2021-2025 is to work with PMI-supported countries and partners to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria morbidity, towards the long-term goal of elimination. Since its launch in 3 countries in 2005, PMI has expanded to 27 country programs.

To succeed in eliminating malaria, countries and their partners need to deploy the right interventions    at the right place and at the right time. By getting better, more accurate insights from existing data and accelerating the data-to-action cycle, countries and their partners can better respond to changes in on-the-ground conditions and move the needle on malaria elimination. That is why, in 2018, PMI began a major transformation towards greater use of data to inform decisions on resource allocation and targeting. As part of this new effort, PMI launched a new quarterly reporting process to ensure operational decision-making at country level is based on timely and granular program-relevant data. In addition, at the headquarters’ level, PMI has developed a web-based data platform called Malaria Data Integration and Visualization for Eradication (“M-DIVE”) with analytical tools that will facilitate the triangulation and use of relevant datasets, including visualizations of epidemiological, supply chain, entomological, demographic, programmatic, and financial data. Building on decades of investments in malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation (SM&E), PMI is expanding its support for the strengthening of malaria-related data systems and building institutional capacity within Ministries of Health and National Malaria Control Programs to improve data quality, timeliness and use. 

ICAP in Ethiopia intends to support a Malaria Data Specialist to be seconded to the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) and the Policy, Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PPMED) through the funds obtained from USAID/PMI Ethiopia. The candidate will dedicate his/her time to supporting PMI’s increased focus on enhancing country data-driven decision-making and helping accelerate partner country transition from paper-based to digital health information system.

Working in close collaboration with the NMEP and the PMI, ICAP Ethiopia team, Malaria Data Specialist shall assist in the development and implementation of strategies to improve data quality and data sharing, while also establishing a stronger culture of data-informed decision making and resource allocation within both the National Malaria Elimination Program and the PMI/Ethiopia program. Externally, responsibilities include regular contact and collaboration with the Health Management Information System (HMIS) unit at the Ministry of Health, as well as in a wide range of non-governmental and private sector organizations, other donor and international organizations, and other United States Government (USG) entities working in malaria prevention and control. The Malaria Data Specialist shall provide technical advice in the conceptualization, development, design, administration, and monitoring of the various information systems necessary for malaria control, including for malaria case management, vector control, and the supply chain of malaria commodities. S/He will discover, facilitate, and promote efficient ways to collect, organize, clean, store, analyze, and share disparate, complex datasets with attention to security and confidentiality.

The Malaria Data Specialist must possess highly specialized technical expertise in an applied quantitative discipline such as statistics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, or health informatics, and be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the malaria epidemic in Ethiopia.

●       Provide technical support to all areas of data management—including ensuring appropriate data entry     (manual and automated), lead quarterly reporting into M-DIVE, inventorying and cataloguing in the PMI data platform (M-DIVE)—for all malaria-related datasets (e.g. financial, programmatic, epidemiological, entomological, supply chain, demographic).

●       Produce relevant tables, charts and maps from M-DIVE and make it available for PMI/Ethiopia team for decision making including MOP preparation

●       Produce and share weekly and monthly summary of malaria incidence to guide responses

●       Review and provide technical feedback on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plans submitted by PMI-funded implementing partners

●       Work with PMI Team on Activity LME (Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation) Plan development, revision, update, and standardization. This includes taking inventory of existing Activity LME Plans for each PMI supported mechanism and trying to standardize, as necessary. IMs with highest LOP budget and multi-year activities need to have a comprehensive Activity LME plan with Results Framework, corresponding Indicators, PIRS (Performance Indicator Reference Sheets), and Evaluation plan; and the rest may have simple M&E Matrix, as appropriate.

●       Conduct data quality assessments on key performance indicators included in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plans of PMI-funded implementing partners, as required under USAID policy (ADS 200)

●        Work with PMI Team on ways of planning and implementing regular DQAs. Each indicator (standard or custom) to be assessed once in three-year time; and as part of achieving this goal, the consultant will organize at least one DQA per year on select indicators and Prime Partners. Prime Partners, on the other hand, will carry out Internal DQA at least once in a year and quarterly/bi-annual Data Verification visits to their lower-level structures and/or LIPs (Local Implementing Partners) to ensure the data they report to USAID is in order and of good quality; and this process will help them prepare for possible external DQA

●       Lead annual Performance Plan and Reporting (PPR) for PMI indicators

●       Support the NMEP and implementing partners in the planning and implementation of a baseline national Data Quality Assessment (DQA) to enable measurement of change in data accuracy, timeliness, and completeness overtime

●       Support malaria data validation processes and in the implementation of routine DQAs at facility/district/national levels

●       Develop the PMI/Ethiopia team’s data management plan and work with PMI-funded implementing partners to ensure their data management plans adequately describe datasets, access and sharing, data collection and analysis methodology, intellectual property rights, ethics and privacy and storage and backup

●       Define, manage, and routinely review identity and access management (IAM) framework to ensure roles and access privileges of individual platform users

●       Ensure the PMI/team’s electronic databases and archives are protected from security breaches and data losses

●       Troubleshoot data-related problems and country-level modifications to the internal data platforms/repositories

●       Track and enforce PMI implementing partner submission of all datasets, in machine-readable format, to the USAID Development Data Library (DDL) 

●       Provide technical assistance to the NMEP     and PMI/Ethiopia team to integrate, analyze and visualize data, and build the culture of data use for decision-making

● Apply sound data science principles and methods to objectively and systematically track epidemiological and entomological changes and measure progress towards national targets for malaria control in Ethiopia

●  Conduct rigorous analysis and triangulation of data from a variety of sources to identify     implementation obstacles and opportunities, and employ cutting edge approaches and tools to generate compelling data visualizations 

● Train and mentor colleagues in data analysis and visualization

● Support data compilation and production of periodic reports, including the PMI Quarterly Report and Annual Performance Report, as well as ad hoc briefing summaries on status and progress

● Facilitate negotiation of data sharing agreements between PMI and relevant institutions including the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the Central Statistical Agency(CSA), the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (EPSA), and the National Meteorological Agency (NMA)

● Facilitate the establishment and institutionalization of data use processes, with a focus on reducing the time in the information to decision cycle within PMI and the NMEP

● Implement efficient and secure procedures for data handling and analysis

● Collaborate with implementing partners and other donors to support the transition from paper-based to digital health information systems in Ethiopia

● Assist with the development and expansion of key platforms including DHIS2, eCHIS and eLMIS, and ensure adherence to the RBM MERG, the WHO Digital Health Interventions Guideline and the USAID Digital Health Strategy

● Participate in periodic assessments of national health information systems to evaluate their performance and discover ways of enhancing them (e.g. capacity building, technology upgrades)

●  Maintain an up-to-date understanding of the national HIS landscape and architecture (platforms and stakeholders and how they interact)--ensuring all digital HIS tools funded by PMI and other donors are inventoried in the WHO’s Digital Health Atlas to avoid duplication and maximize investments

● Participate in the development of a costed national HIS strategy, and actively participate in national HIS governance mechanisms.

● Work with the PMI-funded embedded SM&E advisor to coordinate and support national M&E strategic plan development, standard DHIS2 malaria module implementation, monthly/quarterly data review meetings at the district level, as well as district-level scorecards to foster a culture of data use and accountability

● Assist with the development of core metadata components, including indicator reference guides, data dictionaries, malaria commodity lists, master facility lists, and API-accessible health facility registry

**Important Note: The first two tasks (data management and data visualization) are the priority for this position and the third task (country data systems development) is secondary. 

Job Requirements

·        Minimum of a Master’s degree in applied quantitative discipline such as statistics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, or health informatics from a recognized institution.

·        The Malaria Data Specialist will have at least five years of professional experience applying public health data visualization, data analysis, and/or business intelligence to inform decision making. Must have strong knowledge of data wrangling, analysis and visualization practices. Demonstrated ability to securely and efficiently manage large, disparate datasets, and problem-solving skills working on complex projects in a highly sensitive environment are required.

· Skills in working effectively with health personnel of diverse cultural backgrounds, negotiating agreements on matters of program strategy and performance, writing, administration, and management. Ability to navigate and manage politically sensitive issues.

The Malaria Data Specialist must have the following: 

●   Strong portfolio of static and dynamic visualization, from simple graphics to complex stories, based on data visualization theory and techniques and built using leading tools (such as Excel, Tableau, Power BI, R, D3.js, Adobe Illustrator, DHIS2, or similar)

●       Data analytics and visualization proficiency will be tested

How to Apply

Only online applications are received

Click here to apply

 https://icapacity.icap.columbia.edu/en-us/job/496406/malaria-data-specialist-seconded-to-ministry-of-health

NB: Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing date for receiving applications is – June 26, 2022