Quality Improvement Coordinator - Nigeria at APIN

Job ID: api-53165

Project Overview

• Reducing newborn deaths is a critical global health priority.
• The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 has a target for all countries to reduce neonatal mortality rates below 12/1,000 by 2030.
• At current rates of progress, sub-Saharan Africa will be the last global region to achieve SDG 3.2, reaching the target over fifty years or more too late.
• NEST360 (Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies) catalyzes change for newborn care, enabling African countries to meet the 2025 ENAP coverage targets and the SDG 2030 newborn survival targets.
• The NEST360 international alliance has been optimizing this multi-stakeholder, evidence-based model in Nigeria since 2019. Building on demonstrated evidence of impact at nine hospitals in both southern and Northern part of Nigeria, NEST360 in Nigeria is currently positioned to scale up interventions to more public and private Nigerian hospitals with a high volume of inborn and outborn newborn rates throughout the country.
• NEST360 aims to end preventable newborn death in African hospitals by 2030. Our solution begins with the insight that saving newborn lives requires simultaneous delivery of a package of interventions that cut across the entire health system. 
• Together with African governments, educational institutions, and the private sector, NEST was created as a proven package of Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies designed to ensure that all newborns receive quality care.
• In view of this, NEST360 is now a program that delivers life-saving affordable newborn technologies; builds strong human resources to support newborn care; provides medical technology management and innovation; and shares evidence-based strategies and an investment case to scale and sustain quality newborn care.
• The Project team in partnership with APIN Public Health Initiatives is working alongside the FMOH, the current implementing states, Oyo, Lagos and the FCT.
• The team is also working with the phase two states such as Kano and Kaduna to strengthening their capacity to effectively deliver quality Comprehensive Newborn Care services.

Role Purpose

• The Quality Improvement Coordinator will be expected to support the Rice360 Country Director in coordinating Quality Improvement activities, including development, implementation, monitoring of Quality improvement initiatives to enhance the delivery of newborn care.

Major Responsibilities

• Supports the strengthening of NEST360 QI tools and training materials based on implementation learnings and national guidelines.
• Provide joint coaching and mentoring of QI teams
• Build the QI capacity of the State Ministry of Health and facilities through different approaches including training and on the job QI coaching
• Assist the State Ministry of Health and facilities to collect and analyze health care process and outcome data from health facilities and use of this data to improve quality of care
• Manage relationships with facility and hospital management level leaders and QI teams participating in learning collaborative
• Assist the Ministry of Health to spread and scale-up achievements from prototype and better performing sites
• Support project teams in developing and testing contextualized change package
• Work closely with MOH and hospital QI teams to ensure QI support and activities at the facility are implemented according to established program standards and reflect best practices and evidence-based frameworks.
• Facilitates data management from facility QI documentation
• Coordinates the documentation and synthesis of QI-related learnings within and across facilities.
• Tracks NEST QI implementation progress against milestones.
• Works with other thematic leads to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of QI interventions and make recommendations of needed adaptations.
• Conduct regular audits to assess compliance with quality of care standards and guidelines for newborn care.
• And any other tasks assigned to the Quality Improvement coordinator by the Country Director.

Key Working Relationship

• Line Manager: Rice360 Country Director
• Technical Collaboration: M&E/data manager; Engineering training and maintenance manager; Research and Knowledge management coordinator, Clinical Training manager and State project lead-North.

Job Requirements
Position Qualifications:

• Minimum of Clinical Bachelor's Degree required, including Medicine, Nursing and public health.
• Three years of work experience related to development programs and QI
• Three years of clinical experience in maternity and/or neonatal care services
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point is required

Position Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Clinical and public health expertise in quality improvement and newborn health
• Knowledge of and experience with Quality Improvement methods
• Deep understanding of Nigeria health care system; experience working with the MOH
• Coaching, mentorship, and team leadership skills
• Ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team
• Drive to effectively develop self, others, and teams
• Superior critical thinking, initiative, creativity, and problem-solving skills
• Communication skills (both interpersonal and written), including strong presentation skills
• Ability and skill to drive and achieve quality results within complex, time constrained goals.