Qualitative Interviewer at Chemonics International

Job Description

• Chemonics International, a leading international organization based in Washington, D.C., seeks a Short-term Qualitative Interviewer to SAII Associates Ltd/Gte, an associate company of Chemonics International Inc. in the implementation of the USAID funded Strategic HIV/AIDS Response Program (SHARP) Task Order 01 & 03 activity in Nigeria.
• This activity aims to identify and support proven interventions through improvement of service delivery and strengthening health systems with an expanded effort with the Government of Nigeria (GON) in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger and Kebbi States.
• The Objectives of the Activity Include:
  • Targeted and efficient HIV and TB case identification and linkage to care and treatment
  • Enrollment of patients on HIV/AIDS therapy with adequate adherence and minimal loss to follow-up
  • Successfully suppress HIV viral load
  • Increase GON capacity to expand, coordinate and finance HIV/AIDS and TB services.
• HIV programs around the world have adopted differentiated service delivery (DSD) models to enhance retention, improve treatment outcomes among people living with HIV (PLHIV), and decongest health facilities. Several community drug refill models have emerged as effective DSD models. Nigeria adopted some of these models as part of the COVID-19 response in 2020/2021.
• The Qualitative Interviewer will support a study that proposes to:
  • Document the different models implemented during the COVID-19 response,
  • Describe experiences of the beneficiaries and providers,
  • Determine outcomes on key indicators (retention in care, viral suppression) and,
  • Aanalyze the cost-effectiveness of the various DSD models.
• The Qualitative Interviewer will be responsible for conducting in-person interviews with participants identified and recruited under three (3) cohorts (HealthCare Service providers, Caregivers, and study participants) using FGDs and IDIs.
• The Qualitative Interviewer will at all times adhere to and act in accordance with the Chemonics Professional Code of Ethics (“Living Our Values”) and will make the principles of the Code a part of the project’s culture and standard operating procedures.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing the participant with information about the purpose of the research and what is expected of their participation, obtain, and capture their consent to participate.
• Schedule interview dates with recruited participants
• Record interviews with electronic devices (as applicable), transcribe and transfer notes to summary sheets and other formats as required.
• Support the participants to complete the socio-demographics surveys
• Conduct 1-2 audio recorded FGDs and ~10 IDIs within an agreed timeframe
• Transcription of recordings and translation of the transcribed script
• Participate in meetings to collate learnings from interviews and contribute to discussions on themes from interviews.
• Facilitate/support other research-related activities as assigned.

Supervision

• The Qualitative Interviewer will provide research technical support to the Data Manager, site project leads, and research team, and the SHARP T01 & T03 M&E Team in implementing research activities.
• As teamwork is crucial to the success of the project, the Qualitative Interviewer will be expected to closely coordinate with other project staff, as per direction from the Data Manager, Principal Investigator, site project leads, and research team, and the SHARP T01 & T03 M&E Team.

Required Skills and Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the required knowledge, skills, and/or abilities needed to perform the principal duties.

• Bachelor's Degree in health-related science.
• Highly skilled and experienced in conducting qualitative interviews and data collection.
• At least 3 years experience working in health research. Previous experience conducting interviews in HIV-related research is added advantage.
• Good community engagement and interpersonal communication skills.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the local cultures and traditions.
• Previous experience in conducting human-centered design formative assessment or qualitative research is highly desired.
• Excellent attention to detail and willingness to learn new ways of working.
• A curious mind with good listening and note-taking skills.
• Able to commit to the time required for the research activity.
• Previous experience in public health-centered design interventions or qualitative research studies is highly desired.
• Problem-solving skills to be able to tackle problems under pressure.
• Communication skills with excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to read and write in English and Hausa languages fluently.