The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) wants to recruit employees in the following vacant position the details of which are mentioned bellow.

About the Ethiopian Red Cross Society

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) was established in 1935 and is one of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations in Ethiopia. ERCS provides services to communities affected by natural and manmade disasters through the provision of emergency responses, ambulance and first aid, family reunification, essential drugs, water and sanitation, and other humanitarian services. ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. Currently the ERCS has a structure consisting of 12 Regional Offices, 34 Zonal Branches and 131  District/Woreda Branches, 599 Woreda Red Cross Committee  and 5871 Kebele Red Cross  committees.

ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs relating to food security, climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification, and institutional capacity building interventions, with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. ERCS works in partnership with the Ethiopian Government, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), partnering National Societies, members, volunteers and the communities we serve.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) is seeking for a Program Assistant for the newly awarded USAID Ethiopia Health Resilience activity.

The USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity is a 5 year project (28th Mar 2023 – 27th Mar 2028) aims to strengthen local capacity to detect, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impact of public health emergencies and ensure the continuity of essential health services during emergencies. The Activity will result in improved local capacity and health system resilience in focus areas through strengthening woreda leadership and capacity to manage emergencies; improving early warning and alert response system (EWARS) and data management capacity; developing core capacity on gender in emergencies (GiE); and increasing innovative funding for emergencies, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality related to public health crises.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) will work together and in close collaboration with zonal and woreda offices, health facilities (HFs), communities, and other stakeholders to achieve these results. The USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity will focus on selected woredas in three regions (Amhara; Oromia; and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region [SNNPR]) and one city administration (Dire Dawa). 

Job Summary

The Digital Health Solutions Advisor will be responsible for leading and integrating digital health technical strategy and interventions with a primary focus on integrating digital solutions and virtual training in the national system. The Digital Health Solutions Advisor will work closely with the other digital health and information projects of USAID to integrate digital solutions and online courses and resources. The Advisor will be expected to exercise judgment within broadly defined practices and policies in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results in the area of applying digital health solutions. The role will ensure that digital health technology solutions remain at the forefront of industry requirements and will oversee knowledge sharing around global innovations and project successes. S/He will provide technical assistance to PHEM leaders, woredas, health facilities, and other stakeholders to orient in digital solutions, virtual training platforms, and evaluating the system or resources; s/he will work for improvements and broad collaboration across stakeholders, organizations, agencies, and other entities working in this area.

Key performance areas

• Provide strategic and technical leadership to the project and its counterparts regarding digital and information systems activities; be aware of, enhance and streamline existing ICT efforts in the country and provide guidance regarding efficiencies and best practices, and adapt to the local country context.

• The Senior Surveillance and Data Management Advisor (SSDMA), manages the digital health platform to monitor and support real-time PHEM data management, analysis, and use of emergency surveillance data at the local level that directly benefits the most vulnerable.

• With the SSDMA, collaborate with DHA, MOH to develop a virtual platform for online PHEM training to health workers.

• Assess ways to continually adapt program strategies to address online training constraints and barriers and improve project outcomes.

• Leverage cHIS and DHIS2 into the approach and strengthen the health extension program, woreda and zonal PHEM systems to achieve an effective surveillance continuum (collaborate with existing digital health activities for the promotion and use of their platforms).

• Assess and identify IT gaps and contribute to filling local level gaps to functionalize DHIS2- PHEM surveillance systems through direct support, or links with other partner resources and USAID-funded activities.

• Explore and implement appropriate use of local and social media to disseminate early warning information and other successful digital health platforms and applications in Ethiopia designed to serve various aspects of the healthcare system and PHEM

• Stay informed of global initiatives, innovations and learning around ICT and be able to assess and recommend the appropriate new technology solutions to stakeholders

• Propose, design and upload online course strategies and programming interventions that will introduce the in-person training models to online systems.

• Develop desktop/web/mobile-based applications to data collection, analysis, visualization and use related to MSH program activities, outputs and outcomes.

• Provide technical assistance and recommendation for desktop/web/mobile platforms that are appropriate to MSH projects.

• Introduce business intelligence tools for interoperability of data systems to make data aggregation and visualization faster.

• Lead the development and use of Data visualization tools, Digital data tracking mechanisms, and dashboards to facilitate learning among technical staff and supported institutions.

• Provide technical guidance, and capacity building training, coaching and mentoring to project staff, counterparts and government stakeholders on digital solutions including data aggregation and visualization.

• Develop web-based data management system and incorporate additional features based on emerging needs of the project

• Develop data entry template to enter research data and supervise data entry personnel.

• Participate in technical forums related to electronic database and electronic application development, meetings around virtual courses, digital design, and information systems.

  DATABASE MANAGEMENT

• Develop and manage training data management database.

• Implement and maintain database security (create and maintain users and roles, assign privileges).

• Locate and identify potential problems with databases and report to relevant manager.

• Assist the project team in identifying problems in data collection, data management and quality.

• Work with data management applications such as MySQL, and querying languages such as SQL to quickly generate reports and provide input for technical staff.

• Conduct function/non-function test on application.

• Evaluate existing application to reprogram, update and add new features.

• Write documentation for systems developed/designed.

• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Work Unit:- ERCS-Disaster Risk Management Directorate / USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity

Reporting to : -  Senior PHEM Advisor

Terms of employment:- Contract for one year

Job Requirements

Qualification Requirements:

• Second/first  degree in computer science or related field is highly preferred

• 6/8 years relevant experience

Other Skills:

• Knowledge of and professional experience in the field of health informatics or digital health.

• Direct experience with data entry, analysis and visualization software’s such as DHIS2, eCHIS, REDCap, ODK, Power BI, and other virtual platforms

• Familiarity or experience with Ethiopian health system is preferred.

• Working experience with USG-supported projects is preferred.

• Strong work ethic and ability to collaborate with a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

• Must be willing to travel within country, as appropriate and allowed.

• Fluency in English is required.

How to Apply

We invite candidates meeting the required qualifications to fill out the employment application form With THIS LINK