Quality Improvement (QI) and Data Coordinator at APIN

Job ID: api-77437

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) and Wellbeing Foundation are both catalyzing change for newborn care, enabling African countries, including Nigeria to meet the SDG 3 by 2030.
• Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) is common in in newborns within the first few days of life and if pathological, requires rapid treatment or there is a risk of brain injury or even death NNJ is due to an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced during the breakdown of red blood cells.
• Pathological jaundice can be due to blood type incompatibility between the mother and baby, and other medical conditions.
• One of the major causes of severe jaundice in Sub-Saharan Africa is G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency.
• In Nigeria, the impact of neonatal jaundice is influenced by the healthcare infrastructure and accessibility of medical care.
• Adequate medical facilities and trained healthcare professionals are essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of neonatal jaundice.
• Treatment options may include phototherapy and, in severe cases, exchange transfusions.
• There are delays in care related to gaps in knowledge and action among parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers impeding early detection and intervention for neonatal jaundice.
• This project aims to effectively combat neonatal jaundice and reduce associated cerebral palsy.
• In response to this urgent need, NEST360, WBFA and Reckitt are initiating a high-impact programme tagged Project Oscar in selected health facilities in Lagos State, with longer term goal of expanding to other states and across Nigeria.
• The programme's initial strategic focus (first 18 months) focuses on the pre-discharge maternal and newborn patient journey, ensuring pregnant women are appropriately screened/informed and newborns are screened pre-discharge and are promptly treated following any detection of danger signs, with information on danger signs at home, and how to seek referral.
• Furthermore, healthcare professionals will be trained to detect and treat jaundice, including providing the right equipment for detection and treatment, plus importantly strengthening data and Quality Improvement actions in each facility.

Role Purpose

• The QI and data project Coordinator will be expected to support the NEST360 Nigeria Country Director and team in coordinating the implementation of the project Oscar, including development, implementation, monitoring of Quality improvement initiatives and data management to enhance both maternal care (antenatal sensitization, postnatal care) and inpatient neonatal care.

Major Responsibilites

• Support the NEST360 Nigeria Country Director and team to provide oversight of the implementation of the project Oscar activities with high quality, meeting donor and organizational standards, and ensure timely submission of both internal and donor reports.
• Provide effective operational support to the implementation team especially in the four Lagos facilities and ensure work plan operationalization and tracking. 
• Work with data notably from the facility Neonatal Inpatient Dataset and dashboards (eg NEST-IT), plus other necessary data to ensure timely data collection, compilation and use of data for QI in each facility.
• Work closely with 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.
• Undertake frequent facility visits to monitor implementation and provide on-the-spot support to field teams accordingly and provide joint coaching and mentoring of QI teams to ensure QI action plans are acted on
• Manage relationships with facility and hospital management level leaders and QI teams participating in facility and multi-site learning collaborative.
• Coordinate documentation, data management, and synthesis of QI-related learnings within and across facilities, including working with the NEST360/LSHTM team on evaluation of the project including related publications.
• Work with other project thematic leads to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of interventions and make recommendations/implement needed adaptations and course corrections.
• Participate in coordination meetings at state and facility level and ensure representation at field implementation meetings.
• And any other relevant tasks assigned to the project coordinator by the Country Director.

Position Qualifications

• Minimum of clinical Bachelor’s Degree required, including Medicine or Nursing
• Clinical experience in maternity and/or neonatal care services, preferably for 3 or more years
• An advanced degree in public health is desirable
• Three years of work experience related to programme implementation and Quality Improvement
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point is required.

Job Requirements
Position Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Clinician, with neonatal care experience including jaundice management
• Knowledge of and experience with Quality Improvement approaches
• Experience of or interest in research, including in writing reports, research papers, or publications
• Deep understanding of Nigeria health care system; experience working with public hospitals
• Knowledge or experience in data collection, analysis, and data use, ideally in public hospital clinical settings
• Ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team, and deliver on time
• Communication skills (both interpersonal and written), including strong presentation skills
• Ability and skill to drive and achieve quality results within complex, time constrained goals.

Key Working Relationships:

• Line Manager: Rice360 Country Director
• Nigeria team: Technical Collaboration: NEST360 Clinical lead, data manager; QI coordinator, Clinical Training manager; Biomedical Engineering manager; Research and Knowledge management coordinator, and State project lead-North.