Consultant I - Data Demand and Use (DDU) at the Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit organization, uses proven approaches developed over 40 years to help leaders, health managers, and communities in developing nations build stronger health systems for greater health impact. We work to save lives by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant I: Review and Endorse the National Data Demand and Use (DDU) Guideline/Strategy

Job ID: 13-10707
Location: Abuja
Reports To: Director, HMIS

Introduction

• Evidence-based decision making is essential for the success of health systems, programs, and services. Yet, decision-makers do not have access to the required data, or they do not realize how data can be used to improve decisions, or the information they need does not exist or is not trusted.  Data producers on the other hand, do not understand what information is needed by decision makers and are not able to provide such information at the right time, quality and volume to make it useful and usable for decision making.
• Data Demand and Use (DDU) is a core component of an objective approach to strengthen decision making at the national and subnational levels of Nigeria’s health care system. Although efforts have been made to create awareness and need for a DDU guideline/strategy in the past, this has not yielded the desired result as they only ended at programme or intervention levels.  The challenges of poor programme implementation due to poor or non-use of data in the face of a large and dynamic programming landscape like ours requires that an urgent step be taken to develop a National DDU guideline/Strategy in line with the current national HIS policy. 
• A DDU guideline/strategy will help in the effective implementation of the National Strategic Health Development Plan II (NSHDP II), the national HIS policy and other health policies as it will provide guidance to implementors and promote information use culture in the sector. 

The approach will include the following:

• Desk review of existing DDU guideline/strategy document and other relevant documents to ensure that it is in line with current best practices such that it can pave the way for enhanced, data-informed decision making
• Hold interâ€�ministerial, multiâ€�departmental group meeting/consultative workshop with key stakeholders such as government ministries, departments, agencies, health programs, donors and implementing partners to harvest ideas and to validate the draft DDU Strategic document

Specific Responsibilities
Scope of Work for Consultant

• Develop materials for use in advocacy meetings and data collection for the DDU strategic plan development
• Assess current situation of data use, including identifying existing DDU mechanisms/best practices in data use, potential challenges and opportunities to information flow and use at various levels (desk review and key informant interviews with stakeholders)
• Develop a DDU guideline/strategy (i.e. framework for linking data with action) by working with appropriate stakeholders to identify:
  • Decisions that must be made
  • Questions that inform the decisions
  • Data needed to answer the questions and the source(s)
  • Stakeholders that need to be involved in the various processes (data producers, data gathering, data management, data use, decision makers, etc.)
  • Date that the decisions need to be made
  • Information product design and dissemination of the results to various stakeholders
  • How to evaluate use of the DDU guideline/strategy/framework (engagement with health-related research institutions such as NIMR, NIPRD and relevant academic institutions on building partnership on getting research into practice.
• Develop an action plan for DDU (taking into cognizance existing DDU mechanisms/best practices in data use)
• Develop DDU training modules (for use with various stakeholders as may be necessary to improve DDU)
• Develop training slides
• Develop training evaluation tools
• Conduct a workshop with relevant government agencies, Implementing Partners and other stakeholders within the health sector to validate the DDU guideline/strategy.
• Write and Submit final report to MSH

Deliverables:

• National DDU guideline/Strategy endorsed by all stakeholders
• Data collection tools used for the activity
• Data collected from the various stakeholders
• Stakeholders Workshop Report for validation of the DDU guideline/Strategy
• Provide a Comprehensive report at the end of the period for activities carried out

Timeline:

• This assignment is for an estimated level of effort of 20 -25 days only which can be spread over a 2 month period.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• The Consultant must possess a post graduate degree in Public Health or related field
• S/he must have 8 years’ experience in Public health/Health System Development in Nigeria with 4-year in DDU and; evidence of work done in Nigeria
• S/he must have experience working with donors like USAID, DFID and Global fund.
• S/he must show proven understanding of Principles of Data Demand and Information Use

Application Closing Date
30th June, 2019.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online