Consultants at the Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

Job ID: 13-11058
Group/Office: PDG (Program Delivery Group)
Dept/Unit: PDGGEN - Program Delivery Group
Project/Program: A607 - Nigeria Global Fund RSSH
Reports To: Director HMIS
Grade: Consultant

Overview

• Data use is central to communicating the effect of the program and it is also very useful for improving decision making to enhance achievement of program goals.
• Data visualization, i.e. use of graphics, plots, dots, lines, or bars information graphics and other format, is a very effective and efficient method of communicating results to diverse stakeholders as it presents data in a format which helps decision makers and other users to quickly and properly understand the data. This allows the audience to make sound decisions.
• This will require that the information presented must be up to date and readily available in a format that is user friendly, easily accessible and consistently available (some of the issues to be addressed by the GF RSSH grant).
• When finalized, the grant use products will be configured into an interactive billboard to showcase the grants’ performance over time, using data visualization approach.
• The grant interactive billboard will allow data disaggregation by a multiplicity of indices including disease areas, sector (public and private), state, LGA, facility, year and month (to the extent of the disaggregation available in the data).

Specific Responsibilities
Scope of Work for Consultant:

• Review the GF RSSH performance indicators, definition, disaggregation and targets
• Review the CaTSS interactive billboard
• Discuss with the various stakeholders (MSH GF RSSH Directors, MSH IT specialist, MSH personnel engaged in the development of the CaTSS billboard, SR PIUs, HISP) on the information which may stimulate action by the various stakeholders at all levels and the various data use products that should be produced
• Document and validate the requirements of the interactive billboard
• Develop a first version of the user-friendly interactive billboard (using Power BI) based on the validated requirements. Note that the interactive billboard should (among others) allow users to: drill down to obtain required information up to the limit of the available disaggregation in the data set, upload data from a spreadsheet, enter data manually into the application.
• Test the first version of the interactive billboard to identify and fix any bugs that may be discovered
• Present the tested version of the interactive billboard to stakeholders for comments
• Collate and use relevant feedback from the stakeholders to finalize the billboard
• Work with MSH to test run the interactive billboard and ‘place’ it in an appropriate location
• Prepare a user’s manual/guide for the interactive billboard

Deliverables:

• Report of the meeting/engagement with stakeholders to identify the various information required to be presented in the grant interactive billboard
• Validated interactive billboard requirements
• Functional Grant Interactive Billboard developed in Power BI and available to all stakeholders
• Guidance document on how to use the interactive billboard
• Codes used to develop the billboard and other required documentation (e.g. architecture, etc)

Timeline:

• This assignment is for an estimated Level of effort of 7 days only for one consultant.

Qualifications and Experience

• The Consultant possess a graduate degree in Computer Or Information Science with at least 4 years of developing or managing interactive systems for reporting and; have evidence of work done in Nigeria in the area. A post graduate degree will be an added advantage
• Previous experience in the development of data use products
• S/he must show proven understanding of database designs, data presentation, interoperability protocols, etc
• S/he must have an understanding of health databases.

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Job ID: 13-11059
Grade: Consultant
Group/Office: PDG (Program Delivery Group)
Dept/Unit: PDGGEN - Program Delivery Group
Project/Program: A607 - Nigeria Global Fund RSSH
Reports To: Director Laboratory

Overview

• The overarching aim of the GF Resilient & Sustainable Systems for Health [RSSH] project is to improve the health and well-being of the Nigerian people by identifying and addressing systemic issues affecting the optimal delivery of health services in Nigeria. The resulting high-level interventions have been designed to follow the Global Fund’s framework for [RSSH] that is built on the essential building blocks of WHO for a well-functioning health system, including community systems strengthening (CSS) as another critical component to be addressed in support of RSSH. The RSSH grant is designed to strengthen the Nigerian health system across the HIV, TB, and Malaria program areas. In doing so it'll have interventions targeted at the HMIS, PSM & Lab system strengthening areas.
• Laboratory system strengthening aims to improve laboratory operations for optimal patient care, treatment, disease surveillance and response, biosafety and policy development. To achieve this an enabling policy environment is required with a National Medical Laboratory Strategic Plan creating a road map for implementation of activities aimed at providing optimal laboratory services in Nigeria.
• The Nigeria Medical Laboratory Services Policy was developed, between 2005 and 2007, to bridge the obvious gaps in the standards of operation of the medical laboratory, in its bid to provide to all Nigerians, appropriate, cost effective and high-quality laboratory services. However, there is strong evidence that health system spending contributes to better health outcomes. Health systems are an important component of the macroeconomy, both as an industry that provides a large number of jobs, and also as a key determinant of a productive labour force. With the development of a new strategic plan to cover the period 2021 -2025, there is a need for an investment case to ensure efficient and seamless implementation of the costed strategic plan.

Specific Responsibilities
The consultancy is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

• Develop an investment case document of the Costed National Medical Laboratory Strategic Plan (2021 – 2025).

Specific Terms of Reference
The consultants will be required to work between the periods April to September 2020 and shall be provide the following:

• Develop a Nigeria Medical Laboratory Policy investment case document that will drive the implementation of the national medical laboratory policy using the strategic plan.
• Identify and engage with all relevant stakeholders involved in the implementation of the policy using the costed strategic plan.
• Bring together existing evidence and present it in an accessible format on the benefits of the National Laboratory Policy documents.  Use systematic methods and make these transparent so that users can have confidence in the materials
• Develop a policy brief for the different actors involved in the implementation of the Nigerian Medical Laboratory Policy documents. Each brief has a one-page key messages section; a two-page executive summary giving a succinct overview of the findings. The idea is to provide instant access to key information and additional detail for those involved in drafting, informing or advising on the policy issue.
• Use evidence to show that spending on the Nigerian National Medical Laboratory policy documents is a good use of government resources and demonstrate how it can improve health systems in Nigeria.
• Develop fact sheets for advocacy for different stakeholders involved in the implementation of the policy using the costed strategic plan.
• Prepare activity Narrative report including pictorial evidence of stakeholders’ engagement where applicable.

Expected completion Period: Consultancy will span the period June - September, 2020
Number of Consultants:1.
Estimated level of effort: 15 working days in total.

Deliverables:

• Investment case of the Costed National Medical Laboratory Strategic Plan 2021 -2025.

Qualifications and Experience

• Health Economist or Medical laboratory personnel with a post graduate qualification in Health Economics from any recognized University. The consultant must have a demonstrable understanding of the Nigerian Health Systems and the National Medical Laboratory policy.
• Must have good understanding of the policy and strategic plan documents.
• Advanced degree (Masters Level) in Health Economics, public health, public policy or related degree will be an advantage.

Essential Experience required:

• 5 - 7 years' experience working in public health and global health at the national and regional level.
• Must be familiar with Nigerian healthcare delivery systems and structures especially as it relates to laboratory services.
• Demonstrable experience and understanding of the National Medical laboratory strategic plan.
• Demonstrable Experience of having undertaken Medical Laboratory Strategic Planning
• Verifiable evidence of performance in similar jobs: Strategic Planning and Strategic Plan Development experience
• Verifiable evidence of performance in similar jobs.

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Job ID: 13-11060
Group/Office: PDG (Program Delivery Group)
Dept/Unit: PDGGEN - Program Delivery Group
Project/Program: A607 - Nigeria Global Fund RSSH
Reports To: Director Lab
Grade: Consultant
Expected Completion Period: Consultancy will span the period May - July 2020
Number of Consultants: 1
Estimated level of effort: 7 working days.

Overview

• The overarching aim of the GF Resilient & Sustainable Systems for Health [RSSH] project is to improve the health and well-being of the Nigerian people by identifying and addressing systemic issues affecting the optimal delivery of health services in Nigeria. 
• The RSSH grant is designed to strengthen the Nigerian health system across the HIV, TB, and Malaria program areas. In doing so it'll have interventions targeted at the HMIS, PSM & Lab system strengthening areas.
• There's also the additional dimension of the innovative "State approach" to be piloted in the three states of Oyo, Kaduna & Imo. The state approach covers elements like public financial management, support for health insurance and health sector coordination among others.   
• Laboratory system strengthening aims to improve laboratory operations for optimal patient care, treatment, disease surveillance and response, biosafety and policy development.  Laboratory accidents and the inadvertent release of pathogens has been regarded a major concern in the world.
• Biological accidents, biosafety breaches and Laboratory Acquired Infections happen all too regularly, even in the most secure of laboratories and this has been recorded to contribute to the recent increase in the rate of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Laboratory biosafety and biosecurity is fundamental to keeping people safe from dangerous pathogens and other biological materials and substances both inside and outside the lab.
• A comprehensive biosafety culture translates into the understanding and routine application of a set of safe practices, procedures, actions, habits; use of guidelines, policy and regulations that protect the people working with biological materials, the plant and animal populations as well as the environment.
• The use of appropriate biosafety and biosecurity policies, guidelines and regulations will ensure protection and safe guard of human health and the environment from potential adverse effects of biohazards and prevent accidental exposures. It would also lead to reducing the risks of loss, theft or misuse caused by poor management or poor accountability and protection of laboratory generated biological agents.
• This has led to the development of the National Biosafety and Biosecurity guidelines. As part of the strategic planning process to achieve a strengthened laboratory system under the RSSH Project,  the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with the National Laboratory Technical Working Group (NLTWG) has identified the need for a situation analysis of Biosafety and Biosecurity practices in Nigeria, so as to obtain baseline information required for the development of the implementation plan for newly developed National biosafety and biosecurity guidelines based on the one-health approach.

Objective
The consultancy is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

• To review the reports of the baseline assessment of the biosafety and biosecurity situation in Medical/ Clinical, environmental, veterinary, research and biotechnology laboratories in 13 states of the country
• Prepare and develop a situation analysis report of the Biosafety and Biosecurity based on the reports of the findings from the assessment.

Specific Responsibilities
Specific Terms of Reference:
One consultant will be required to work on the documents between the periods August to December 2020 as follows:

• The consultants will: Support the conduct of the training of assessors on the National Biosafety and Biosecurity Assessment Checklist.
• Conduct a thorough review of the baseline assessment of the biosafety and biosecurity reports from the facilities visited by the assessors in 13 states including the FCT.
• Develop a Biosafety and Biosecurity situation analysis for the country.
• Prepare activity narrative report

Deliverables:

• Detailed report of the review of the facilities Biosafety and biosecurity baseline assessment.
• Detailed report with pictorial evidence of stakeholders’ engagement
• Developed Biosafety and Biosecurity situation analysis for the country.
• Activity narrative report

Qualifications and Experience
Requirements:

Consultant Qualifications:

• A Medical Laboratory professional, or public health Professional with understanding of Biosafety and Biosecurity threats implication, Global Biorisk Management program, Sustainable Development Goals, among other global health issues.
• Advanced degree in Public Health and /or Certification in International Federation of Biosafety Association will be an advantage.

Essential Experience:

• Minimum of 5 – 8 years’ experience working in public health, Clinical or Research laboratory and global health at the national and International level.
• Must be familiar with Nigerian healthcare delivery systems and structures especially as it relates to laboratory services
• Demonstrable Experience of having undertaken situation analysis of Biosafety and Biosecurity program training and implementation program.
• Verifiable evidence of performance in similar jobs