Senior Surveillance, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist at the Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

The 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: Senior Surveillance, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist

Job ID: 13-10908
Location: Nigeria-Abuja
Group / Office: PDG (Program Delivery Group)
Dept / Unit: PDGGEN - Program Delivery Group
Project / Program: A576 - PMI - S
Reports To: Director, Surveillance Monitoring & Evaluation (SM&E)
Grade: I

Overview

• The US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) is a 5-year USAID funded project managed by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and partners to support NMEP and selected states to deliver quality malaria services. MSH seeks to recruit a Senior SM&E specialist with excellent understanding and experience of the interplay between malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation and overall strengthening of health systems in Nigeria.
• The position will support PMI-S surveillance, monitoring and evaluation activities at the federal, state, LGA and community levels, and may include routine monitoring activities, ensuring the AMELP is implemented as planned, leading data quality checks and data review meetings, and working with the team to ensure data is used to adapt program delivery.
• The position will be responsible for providing technical assistance to both NMEP and SMEP on managing the National Malaria Data Repository, writing abstracts and other technical documentation, revising key national and state documents, and use of data and information for decision making.
• PMI-S will target eight states of Nigeria, namely: Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Oyo, Plateau and Zamfara.

Specific Responsibilities
Provide technical support and management for overall monitoring and evaluation functions of the PMI for States Project Task Order 2 (federal level activity). These tasks include, among others:

• Support the development and implementation of the SME technical strategy for Task Order 2 and AMELP implementation.
• Develop detailed annual work plans for Task Order 2.
• Develop and implement a project work plan performance monitoring framework/plan that ensures that project activities align with required deliverables and project targets in the AMELP.
• Establish a system and tools for collecting, analyzing and reporting on Task Order performance according to the AMELP; and take the lead for timely and complete reporting by all project staff, consortium partners, and grantee partners.
• Organize internal data review meetings to ensure data is used to improve project performance, and flag underperformance or issues with the Senior Malaria Technical Advisor and the Project Director.
• Ensure data quality by conducting several data quality checks on the data during the project period.
• Take the lead in drafting relevant components of quarterly and annual reports.
• Report data to the USAID web-based implementing partner reporting system.
• Update the AMELP on an annual basis.
• Enter data and manage the project database.
• Create customized dashboards for all project staff.
• Build capacity of government entities (NMEP, SMEP and others), and selected stakeholders on SME including required reporting.
• Provide TA in adapting the national SME tools and techniques to improve the quality of data generated and reported.
• Provide TA to the SMEP, LGAs and Health Facilities in the areas of data quality, data analysis and visualization.
• Compile lessons learned from state malaria SME implementation and make strategic technical inputs at NMEP SME subcommittee meetings, malaria TWG, and other key meetings to support adoption of SME best practices.
• Mentor NMEP and SMEP to manage the National Malaria Data Repository (NMDR) where NHMIS, NHLMIS, surveillance and survey data, and other datasets are analyzed and reported visually to aid decision making.
• Provide technical direction to NMEP and SMEP on using NHMIS and NHLMIS data to strengthen rational use of ACTs.
• Collaborate with PMI / Nigeria partners (Breakthrough Action Nigeria, GHSC-PSM, WRAIR, VectorLink and others to jointly analyze state data and present a quarterly PMI state-by-state picture for reporting and presentation at different forums.
• Support the Senior Malaria Technical Advisor to conduct operations research.
• Develop technical products (highlights, briefs, success stories, abstracts, presentations, papers, etc).
• Use different data sources to routinely triangulate data and share with project staff and stakeholders to promote use of data for decision-making.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of a Master's degree in Social Science, Statistics or other relevant field.
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded public health programs; excellent understanding of SME and health systems strengthening in Nigeria, 5 years of which should be on a malaria-specific SME activity. Experience with PMI and USAID systems will be an added advantage.
• Experience working closely with the NMEP and SMEPs, and familiarity with the structure, systems and policies of the health sector in Nigeria is necessary.
• Successful experience designing and implementing M&E programs
• Practical experience working with DHIS2 is required.
• Experience establishing data quality assurance systems, proven analytical skills and ability to design data collection instruments, and analyze and interpret data. Evidence of successful implementation of quantitative, qualitative and participatory research methods.
• Demonstrated experience building capacity of government professionals in Surveillance Monitoring and Evaluation (mentorship, coaching or other) to achieve results amidst challenges will be an added advantage
• Demonstrated experience with software applications related to project planning and monitoring.
• Experience working on complex projects
• Demonstrated strategic agility, diplomacy, conflict management, team building, and negotiation skills; experience leading teams, proactivity and ability to make timely effective decisions.
• Willingness to travel within project areas as needed.
• Must possess excellent management, documentation, presentation, and written communication skills.

Application Closing Date
16th January, 2020.