Consultant - TB Public-Private Mix Facilitator at ABT Associates

Job Identification: 100585

Job Description
Background:

• The World Health Organization declared Nigeria a high burden country for tuberculosis (TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and TB-HIV, in part because of its low case detection rate. Improvements in TB case notification would contribute to an easing of Nigeria’s TB burden while also preventing the further spread of the disease.
• To improve case notification, Nigeria’s National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) is working to ensure that high-quality TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment services are available in both public and private sector health facilities.  
• In support of these goals, the USAID-funded Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus program is working across Nigeria to increase TB case detection and treatment through private sector approaches.
• In line with the International Standards for TB Care and Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB Control, SHOPS Plus is mandated to increase TB case notification by ensuring high-quality TB care through the entire TB service provision cascade in the public-private mix (PPM) settings. SHOPS Plus aims to increase the systematic screening of OPD attendees in clinical facilities and walk-in clients in stand-alone laboratories, community pharmacies (CPs), and patent and proprietary medicine vendor (PPMV) outlets.
• TB case detection will increase in private facilities with the prompt identification of presumptive TB, access to high-quality diagnostic services, and prompt treatment of diagnosed TB patients.
• To rapidly scale up and maintain the coverage of high quality TB services in the private sector in select states across Nigeria, SHOPS Plus is engaging private facility leadership in and strengthening technical and program support to select private sector facilities.
• Program support includes mentoring of clinicians and other facility staff, closely monitoring TB service provision and reporting, and identifying and removing bottlenecks to TB detection and treatment.

Objectives and Summary of Program Support through the TB PPM Facilitator

• SHOPS Plus is engaging a Public-Private Mix (PPM) Facilitator in Adamawa. The consultant will effectively engage facility leadership and provide additional supervision to private providers providing TB services within the state in which they are located.
• The PPM Facilitator will support the SHOPS Plus State Coordinators and Project Officers to promptly identify and flag non-performance, report challenges, and help to institute effective solutions.

The Following are Objectives of the TB PPM Facilitator:

• Provide technical assistance to improve the TB service provision cascade: The PPM Facilitator will encourage and support the systematic screening of OPD attendees in clinical facilities and walk-in clients in labs, CPs and PPMV outlets; support the identification of presumptive TB and prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of diagnosed TB cases in clinical facilities.
• Provide on-the-job mentoring to private facilities: The TB PPM Facilitator will maintain a regular presence in private facilities, to ensure that private providers are adequately skilled in providing high quality TB services.
• Support data quality assurance: The TB PPM Facilitator will work with the Expansion States Coordinator and the Expansion States M&E Officer to support in data quality assurance activities.
• Engage Facility Leadership: The TB PPM Facilitator will meet with facility leadership to support the improvement of TB service delivery in visited facilities.
• Identify and flag non-performance: The TB PPM Facilitator will notify SHOPS Plus of non-performance and suggest appropriate corrective action.
• Provide technical support to Local Government TB Supervisors: The TB-PPM Facilitator will provide technical assistance to the LGA TBL Supervisors and support achievement of program objectives.
• Strengthen collaboration between public and private stakeholders: The TB-PPM Facilitator will strengthen the public-private mix model of care to increase TB case detection at the local government and state levels.

Tasks
The TB PPM Facilitator is expected to perform the following tasks:

• Coordinate tasks with peer PPM Facilitator in the state.
• Visit 12-15 clinical facilities and walk-in clients in labs, CPs and PPMV outlets per week to facilitate the systematic screening of at least 80% of OPD attendees.
• During visits, review the TB services cascade at the facility level via facility registers and Aggregate TB Cascade Data Template provided by SHOPS Plus to identify, remove and document bottlenecks that may hamper achievement of targets. Submit reports on data, bottlenecks and lessons learned bi-weekly.
• Spot check TB cascade data during visits and address data quality concerns as needed.
• During visits, check on availability of M&E tools provided by SHOPS Plus or state TB and leprosy control program in facilities visited and facilitate restock where missing.
• During visits, mentor clinicians and facility staff, provide on-site training of high-quality TB services and prepare trained staff to train others.
• During visits, identify and flag non-performance to facility leadership and SHOPS Plus Expansion States Coordinator.
• Meet with facility leadership once a quarter to review facility performance and address bottlenecks.
• Meet with and provide technical support to LGA TB Supervisors at least twice a month.
• Verify documentation from PPMVs, CPs and labs for incentive payments on a monthly basis.
• Complete program report in provided template on a quarterly basis. The report is due on October 10, 2021.

Timeframe and Level of Effort

• The TB PPM Facilitator will provide direct technical assistance to facility staff, local government TBL Supervisors, and State TBL Control Program and complete deliverables outlined below for no more than 20 days of LOE per month. Dates: August 2021 – October 2021

Deliverables:

• Submit monthly work plan with LOE estimates to the Expansion States Coordinator by first of the month
• Bi-weekly report on Aggregate Weekly TB Cascade Data Template, activities, bottlenecks and lessons learned for visited facilities
• Spot check TB cascade data during visits and address data quality concerns as needed
• Submit quarterly program report on October 10, 2021

Qualifications

• Bachelor's (BS) or Master’s (MS) Degree in Health Management, Public Health, Health Administration, or other relevant field
• Four years (BS) or three years (MS) of relevant work experience, especially with TB or other infectious diseases
• Experience with private sector health service delivery at the provincial and/or district level
• Ability to write technical papers and reports
• Strong abilities to implement capacity building activities, training and workshops
• Ability to assess problems and develop solutions
• Computer skills in MS Windows, Excel, and Word
• Ability to travel within the designated state approximately 50% of the time
• Excellent organizational skills and oral and written communications skills in English
• Previous experience in TB projects with USAID funding or other donor agencies preferred.