Technical Advisor - Surveillance Outbreak Response Management & Analysis System at the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries.

In Nigeria, GIZ's portfolio includes among others, a programme to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional integration goals. The programme aims to strengthen sector-specific capacities in the areas of Peace and Security, Customs and Trade as weir as Strategic Management and Organizational Development in the ECOWAS Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Advisor - Surveillance Outbreak Response Management & Analysis System

Vacancy No: 012
Location: Abuja
Organization: GIZ Nigeria, Regional Pandemic Preparedness Project (RPPP)

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work:

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe - from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.
• We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. Our approximately 23,500 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national personnel, work in a round 120 countries (July 2020) GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974.
• From 2004, GIZ has maintained a country office in the capital city Abuja. Currently 361 national and 66 international employees, 19 regional staff, 4 integrated specialists and 3 development workers are working in the country (June 2020).

The Project
Regional Pandemic Preparedness Project (RPPP):

• The second phase of the Regional Pandemic Preparedness Project (RPPP) advising ECOWAS and Member States Institutions on the implementation of core capacities of the International Health Regulations is now underway.
• As part of a varied programme supporting the development of pandemic preparedness in the One Health context with a focus on zoonotic diseases, the project is also supporting the implementation of SORMAS, the digital system for disease surveillance and outbreak response management in West Africa.
• This post is focused primarily on support to the implementation of SORMAS in Nigeria and at the regional level (working with the Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC)). In Nigeria, our partner for SORMAS activities is the Nigeria Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (NCDC).
• We also work closely with the SORMAS Foundation in Germany. Several other GIZ projects are also working on SORMAS implementation of the enhancement of digital goods for surveillance and disease response and the development of a coordinated approach is well underway in this field.

Responsibilities
The Technical Advisor is responsible for:

• Overall support for implementation of GIZ activities related to SORMAS in Nigeria and West Africa (working with NCDC and with RCSDC) and close coordination with the Ghana SORMAS team.
• Technical coordination and financial management of grants made to the SORMAS Foundation and NCDC.
• Technical coordination and financial management of contracts with third party suppliers such as software developers.
• Providing professional advice to partners and cooperating with stakeholders in other GIZ projects.
• Supporting ECOWAS and other South-South cooperation measures and development of SORMAS community of practice.
• M+E support and communications activities relating to SORMAS implementation in Nigeria and West Africa.

Tasks
The technical professional performs the following tasks:
Management and Coordination:

• Coordinates and assists in preparing and conducting project activities in Nigeria relating to SORMAS in close cooperation with GIZ teams supporting SORMAS implementation
• Regularly consults with the GIZ officer responsible for the contract and cooperation on all project activities.
• Helps identify the needs of government institutions and NGOs.
• Participates in formulating project action plans and helps synchronise the planning and budgeting system and counterparts.
• Is jointly responsible with the partner institution for preparing, implementing, and documenting training events, workshops, forums, team meetings and other project activities.
• Supports the financial management of the above projects in the framework of the given budget and in accordance with the prevailing provisions.

Communication and Networking:

• Develops and maintains contact with all important stakeholders, especially with other GIZ projects working with SORMAS.
• Provides technical assistance to local and international experts.
• Ensures knowledge management collects, processes and distributes relevant information, monitors communication and interaction between government institutions, NGOs and society through analyses of the media, direct dialogue, participation in meetings and seminars etc.

Professional Advisory Services:

• Advises partner institutions on order clarification, identifies needs, develops concepts and strategies, and provides technical input.
• Identifies needs for external support and advice, works on policy recommendations, and develops a strategic approach.
• Contributes to preparing and implementing the coordination process, joint project activities and work in the regions.
• Formulates terms of reference and selects and supervises third parties while carrying out project activities, including performance evaluation.
• Monitors the development and implementation of project plans and activities in close consultation with counterparts.
• Overall responsible for M+E for Output 4.
• Deals with the design, preparation and implementation of workshops, seminars and other events on issues related to the project's area of activity.
• Develops and organizes quality assurance measures and suggests necessary changes, improvements, and initiative.
• Monitors project progress, reviews reports and documents on the progress of joint projects, identifies bottlenecks and recommends alternatives.

Other Duties / Additional Tasks:

• Performs other duties and tasks at the request of management.

Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience
Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Digital Health or related field.

Professional Experience:

• At least 7 years professional experience with emphasis on strategy development, implementation of activities and supervision of digital health projects, preferably in the field of infectious disease control.
• Experience working with the Nigerian health system is required and knowledge of ECOWAS systems is also desirable.
• Good knowledge in project management and admin processes.
• Knowledge about Pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Experience in development cooperation.

Desired Additional Qualifications, Competencies and Experiences:

• Good working knowledge of ICT technologies (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office).
• Strong managerial and organisational competence.
• Willingness to travel (abroad) regularly.
• Professional working proficiency in English.
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management.

Salary
According to GIZ salary scale for Band 4

Application Closing Date
22nd February, 2023.