Consultant Data Use Specialists - Nigeria at Palladium Group

Background


USAID has selected Palladium to implement the Translating Data for Implementation (Data.fi) award. Data.fi is a $180 million, 5-year project which will serve as USAID’s primary mechanism for data, technology, and health information systems to support HIV activities across strategic PEPFAR countries.  Data.fi is part of a suite of large scale global HIV programs that USAID has recently awarded and represents the next generation of HIV/AIDS programs. Data.fi will play a key role in USAID’s goals of helping partner countries on their Journey to Self-Reliance and transitioning local organizations to prime recipients of USG funding.

The overall goal of the Data.fi project is to improve global, regional and national in-depth analyses of HIV epidemiologic and program data that can be directly applied to expedite the achievement of PEPFAR targets to attain and sustain control of the HIV epidemic.  The focus also includes directly supporting host country governments and implementing partners to further enhance existing health information system platforms to inform management responses to well-defined gaps in HIV/AIDS programming.  In order to ensure rapid access to high quality data, Data.fi will work towards: accelerating data utilization to rapidly course correct and take to scale cost-effective and impactful activities, models and approaches required to attain and maintain HIV epidemic control; scaling and optimizing in-country health information system capabilities to collect, exchange, adapt, govern, and visualize information in order to track the attainment and maintenance of HIV epidemic control; and supporting the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners in order to meet the PEPFAR goal of 70% of funding to local partners by 2020.

Purpose of Consultancy

Palladium is seeking ten consultant Data Specialists to support the PEPFAR service delivery implementing partners (IPs) to leverage weekly data to support the control of the HIV epidemic in the following states Lagos, Cross River, Niger, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi, and Akwa Ibom. The Data Specialists will implement a field-based strategy to create regular forums for sharing achievements and challenges with stakeholders, by promoting peer-exchange and problem solving. The overall aim of the Data.fi data use strategy is to both generate further demand for data and improve clinical outcomes around testing, linkage, retention, and viral suppression by engaging health providers, LGA stakeholders and state level decision makers. The terms of the consultancy are as follows:

Duration: August 5 – September 30, 2019
Location:  Lagos, Cross River, Niger, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi, or Akwa Ibom

Travel: 80% time visiting high volume HIV health facilities

Salary: Maximum $500 per month (according to deliverables)

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare for engagement with health facilities using visualizations available in the DHIS 2 showing performance against targets for testing, linkage, retention and viral suppression
• Identify issues related to data completeness, data quality, and service delivery performance
• Co-facilitate weekly data review meetings with implementing partners and with the support of LGA officials, and support implementing partners to action performance data
• Document action items in the project management software and track results on a regular basis
• Prepare monthly activity reports of data review meetings tying meeting outcomes to improved clinical outcomes, where possible.

Candidate Requirements

• A Master’s degree in public health, statistics, health informatics, or a related field;
• At least 2 years’ relevant public health experience;
• Experience working with HIV/AIDS programs and PEPFAR data preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in data management and interpretation
• Ability to achieve consensus on actions following data review among diverse stakeholders including implementing partners, health providers and government officials;
• Ability to work well under pressure, skilled in crisis management, and problem solving;
• Ability to work independently at state-level, while in continuous communication with Abuja-based staff;
• Basic skills in Microsoft Office including Excel and PowerPoint required.
• Excellent written and verbal skills in English are required.