Federal Ministry of Health Recruits Consultant: Rapid Impact Assessment and Epi-Analysis for the Global Fund New Funding Mechanism

Federal Ministry of Health - The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) of the FMoH, in collaboration with its development partners has concentrated its efforts on scaling-up key antimalarial interventions. NMEP has received funding from the World Bank, the Global Fund (GF) to implement the R8 Malaria Control Project aimed at contributing to the achievement of the national targets on prevention, diagnosis and treatment; and other partners like PMI/USAID and DFID.

These unprecedented resources enabled the Programme to fight malaria for the five-year period of the current Strategic Plan for Malaria Control in the country (2009-2013). The major interventions include: i) change in treatment policy from chloroquine to ACT (since May 2005), ii) universal coverage of all populations with LLINs during 2009-2013, distributing over 64 million LLINs to cover 37 States (at ratio of 2 LLINs per household) to date. Such investments and scale-up of interventions call for measurement of impact rigorously, and timely and gathering of epidemiological data for new funding requests especially under the New Funding Mechanism (NFM) of the GF.

The new National Strategic Plan for Malaria Control in Nigeria (NMSP), 2014 – 2020, has outlined massive scaling up of interventions for impact (SUFI). Owing to such massive deployment of effective interventions, it is expected that the epidemiologic profile of malaria in the country will change. In view of this, there is need for a National M&E plan that will provide robust guide for monitoring and evaluation of the strategic plan, and to encourage implementers to focus on intended programme results. It will also serve as a tool for early identification of gaps and potential implementation bottlenecks as well as provide a basis for adjustments and reprogramming for improved outcomes.

NMEP therefore seeks to recruit two very qualified and competent consultants for rapid impact assessment and epi-analysis for the Global Fund new funding mechanism, and National M&E plan development.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Consultant: Rapid Impact Assessment and Epi-Analysis for the Global Fund New Funding Mechanism.

Location: Abuja

Job Description

Scope of Work:
The epi- analysis for Nigeria will involve the following:

• Assessment of the quality and availability of data (program reviews- programmatic challenges/ opportunities and lessons learnt; surveys, HMIS, LIMS, evaluations or assessments etc) and the investments needed to improve measurement of disease burden.
• A review of trends of available epidemiological data (disease incidence, prevalence, mortality) nationally and, where feasible, for sub national areas and sub-populations.
• An assessment of whether observed trends in disease burden can be plausibly related to programmatic efforts

Expectations:
The consultant will be expected to commit a minimum of 6 weeks to:

• Assess the quality and availability of data (program reviews, surveys, HMIS, LIMS, evaluations or assessments etc) and the investments needed to improve measurement of disease burden
• Support the conduct of a Rapid Impact Assessment (RIA) aimed at using facility-based in-patient and out-patient malaria data to document trends in malaria infection from 2002 to 2013 and compare this to the period during which malaria interventions were scaled-up in twelve States, and specifically.
• Commence data cleaning and analysis as soon as data collection is concluded by mid-February, 2014. complete cleaning and analysis of data within 2 weeks of data collection with tables and charts of results available for review
• Produce preliminary report as soon as review is completed.
• Submit final data sets for RIA by 3rd week of February 2014.
• Submit final RIA report
• Assess whether observed trends in disease burden can be plausibly related to programmatic
• Identify specific recommendations for action against malaria as derived from the findings.

Deliverables:

• Report of desk-top epi-analysis by 28th Feb. 2014.Clean data sets for the RIA survey by 21st Feb. 2014.
• Tables and charts of results by 28th Feb 2014.
• Report of Rapid Impact assessment with recommendations for action by 1st Week March 2014.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in Public Health/Epidemiology
• At least 5 years' experience in data analysis, research and data management.
• A demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and
• in high-pressure situations under tight deadlines.
• Experience in Rapid Impact Assessment in Nigeria (or other African country)with a
• broad base in research with evidence of previous RIA conducted.
• High proficiency in report writing.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders, including representatives of target
• populations.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research.

Remuneration and Terms of Payment

• To be determined.

Application Closing Date
20th January, 2014.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following to the address indicated below:

• A detailed CV that shows evidence of relevant qualifications.
• Letter of motivation.

The above should be submitted in an envelope with the position being applied for clearly written on the right upper part of the envelope and submitted by courier to the office of:

The National Coordinator,
National Malaria Elimination Programme,
1st Floor, Abia House,
Central Business District,
Abuja, FCT.

OR
To: [email protected] with the position applied for as the subject of the e-mail.

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Note: Any individual who will not be available to commence work by the first week of February 2014 need not apply.