National Consultant (Animal Health Sector) 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 of:

Job Title: National Consultant (Animal Health Sector) for the development of a National Antimicrobial Stewardship Plan for Nigeria

Reference No.: R849
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Part time

Background
The goal of the global five-year USAID Medicines, Technologies and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program is to help low- and middle-income countries to strengthen their pharmaceutical systems to ensure sustainable access to and appropriate use of safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable essential medicines and pharmaceutical services.

MTaPS, implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and partners, will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) including other relevant implementing agencies to strengthen pharmaceutical systems including pharmaceutical sector governance, regulatory systems, pharmaceutical management information systems, and improve patient-centred pharmaceutical services and appropriate medicine use.

General Objective

• Develop a national antimicrobial stewardship plan in the animal health sector.

Specific Objectives:

• Conduct a rapid situational analysis of the use of antimicrobials in the animal health sector;
• Carry out a rapid situational analysis of the regulation and control of the use of antimicrobials in the animal health sector ;
• Identify the main actors involved in the use of antimicrobials in animal health as well as their roles and responsibilities ;
• Suggest lines of action and follow-up to deal with the main problems identified ;
• Develop and validate a national antimicrobial stewardship plan based on the results of the rapid situational analysis.

Activities and Tasks:
Development of the methodology:

• The USAID MTaPS program would provide the consultant with a basic methodology for review and amendment in the context of the assessment in the animal health sector. The review and amendment should reflect the necessary steps in alignment with best practices of the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization as appropriate to accomplish drafting of a national action plan that would guide responsible antimicrobial stewardship in the country.
• The consultant will propose a detailed timetable clearly indicating the different stages of the process as well as the dates for submitting the deliverables.
• The validation of the methodology will mark the effective start of this assignment.

Data Research, Collection and Analysis:

• The consultant will take cognizance of the existing documentation in the animal health sector at national and international level and relating in particular to:
• Legislative, regulatory, normative and institutional frameworks, Organizational and technical arrangements, Key stakeholders mapping, National and international commitments made by Nigeria. This information will be supplemented by data that it will collect from the main players.

Development of the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Plan:

• Based on the results of the rapid situational analysis, the consultant will identify and facilitate the process of developing a national antimicrobial stewardship plan in concert with the MTaPS team leading the human health sector analysis, containing the actions to be implemented over the next few years in order to stimulate and sustainably support the adoption of good practices in the rational use of antimicrobials in human and animal health.
• This plan will integrate multisectoral actions (institutional, technical / technological, capacity building, communication, partnership development, etc.) and will specify the realistic objectives to be achieved in the medium term, the actions to be implemented, the implementing actors, the costs of the actions and of the plan, the sources of financing, the implementation schedule, the monitoring – evaluation indicators, the institutional mechanism for coordinating the implementation and monitoring.

Preparation and Facilitation of Workshops:

• As part of the preparation of the various workshops, validation workshop of the preliminary evaluation report and the antimicrobial stewardship plan validation workshop, the consultant will develop and propose to the AMR TWG Secretariat, the TORs, the agenda, the indicative list of participants and the presentations which will be validated by the AMR TWG secretariat. Likewise, the various workshop facilitation tools will be validated by AMR TWG secretariat and MTaPS before each of these workshops is held.

Deliverables:
At the end of the assessment, the consultant must provide a final report to the AMR TWG Secretariat and MTaPS within fifteen (15) days about the rapid situational assessment animal health and a draft national antimicrobial stewardship plan in concert with the MTaPS team that undertook the rapid situation analysis in human health sector. Thus, the main expected results of the consultancy are as follows:

• The situational analysis of the use of antimicrobials in the animal health sectors is carried out;
• The situational analysis of the regulation and control of antimicrobials in the animal health sectors is carried out;
• Recommendations relating to management, regulation and control of antimicrobials are formulated
• The lines of intervention to deal with the main problems identified are defined;
• A national antimicrobial stewardship plan based on the results of the assessment is drawn up.

Preferred Qualifications / Experiences

• A degree in Public Health, Health Economics and / or Microbiology would be an asset
• Justify a professional experience of at least five (05) years in the field of veterinary medicine
• Competence in veterinary public health and / or in the management of veterinary products. The consultant must have its own workspace and IT equipment to carry out the expected tasks.
• Hold a doctorate in veterinary medicine and a professional, technical or university diploma in veterinary public health.
• Have carried out at least one assessment study of the veterinary health situation with recognized structures in Nigeria
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of the “One Health” approach and in the field of the fight against antimicrobial resistance
• Have a good knowledge of the field (actors involved in the management of antimicrobials, the structuring of the medical and pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria and of the regulatory framework in the veterinary sector
• Have experience in the development of an integrated multi-sectoral animal health, public health and environmental health plan
• A good knowledge of the animal health system and the functioning of the veterinary statutory body would be an asset.

In addition to the above, the preferred expert must also have capacities in the following areas:

• Provide consultancy references if possible
• Have the ability to work under pressure, in a team and produce quality results within the prescribed deadlines;
• Have a sense of contact and interpersonal communication.
• Have skills in facilitating workshops;
• Have the ability to write quality reports;
• Have a good command of the English language;
• Have a perfect command of computer tools, in particular Windows or Mac and MS-Office environments.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.