Continuous Quality Improvement – Senior Program Officer at Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria

Project Overview

• The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), through funding from The Global Fund (GF), will be implementing the Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) grant, a combined TB &HIV effort pivotal to transforming TB and HIV programs.
• Under the leadership and coordination of the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme (NASCP), the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), this project will increase the identification of all forms of TB cases in the community and ensure prompt access to high-quality, patient-centred prevention and treatment through a Nationwide coverage of TB Public-Private Mix active TB case finding effort, and Community TB testing.
• The HIV component of the grant will focus on four states (Ebonyi, Anambra, Kwara, and Gombe) for end-to-end HIV comprehensive services, community PMTCT scale-up in all states, PrEP in the four GF-supported states and in other states where PEPFAR IPs will be operating, and support harm reduction program (specifically needles and syringes) in 12 states.
• Other focus areas include Health Systems Strengthening/Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) and National level support activities.

Position Overview

• The Senior Program Officer, CQI, will work closely with the CQI manager to ensure that those affected by TB and HIV are receiving a high quality and excellent standard of care and treatment.

Description and objectives:

• Under the supervision of the CQI manager, GF-GC7 Grant, the SPO CQI will collaborate closely with Sub-Recipients, NASCP, and other relevant stakeholders to provide continuous quality improvement to those affected by TB and HIV toward achieving the UNAIDS (95-95-95) targets and providing guidance for program implementation according to the National Treatment Guidelines and policies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Quality Assurance: Develop and implement quality assurance protocols to monitor program performance and adherence to standards.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Oversee the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data related to program outcomes and quality metrics and prepare comprehensive reports and presentations for senior leadership, highlighting key findings and recommending improvements.
• Strategic Planning: Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and implement a comprehensive CQI strategy aligned with organizational goals.
• Capacity Building: Collaborate with program managers and staff to build a culture of continuous improvement and provide training and mentorship to enhance staff skills in quality improvement methodologies.
• Program Oversight: Provide leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of CQI initiatives across various programs and ensure the integration of CQI principles into program development and implementation.
• Root Cause Analysis: Conduct root cause analyses for identified issues or challenges, working collaboratively with relevant teams to implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Innovation and Best Practices: stay abreast with the organizational best practices, emerging trends, and innovations in quality improvement and introduce champion innovative approaches.
• Work with the CQI-Manager to conceptualize research topics and develop draft manuscript(s) mainly within the GC-7 grant. Liaise with the respective IHVN project leads and data analysts towards developing methods and result sections of proposed manuscript(s), respectively. Management of feedback comments on the draft manuscript(s) from co-authors and editorial reviewers towards developing the finalized submission-ready manuscript.

Core Responsibilities:

• Utilize strong analytical and critical-thinking skills to identify root causes of challenges and implement effective solutions.
• Collaborate with program managers and staff to build a culture of continuous improvement and quality excellence.
• Lead the collection, analysis, and interpretation of program outcomes and quality metrics data.
• Conduct regular assessments and evaluations to measure program performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Develop and implement robust quality assurance protocols to monitor and maintain program quality.
• Stay informed about organizational best practices, emerging trends, and innovations in CQI.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the organization.

Education and Experience:

• Master’s level/Postgraduate qualification in Public Health with MBA
• At least three years of experience working with HIV programs at various levels, planning and managing projects.
• Proven experience in program management, quality improvement, and leadership roles.
• Strong knowledge of continuous quality improvement methodologies and tools.
• Proficient in data analysis and interpretation for decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Experience in abstract and manuscript writing. Published abstracts would be beneficial.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives concurrently.