Job Vacancies at Abt Associates

Opportunity

• The Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Project is a 5-year, $209 million global task order that works to strengthen health systems as a means to achieve universal health coverage and improve population health and well-being. Interventions will focus on reducing financial barriers, holding health services accountable for meeting all clients’ needs and making sure that the care patients receive meets minimum standards.
• LHSS’s Nigeria activity will support the Government of Nigeria at the Federal level and in three states (Nasarawa, Plateau and Zamfara) to expand sustainable pro-poor health financing options to reduce health inequalities, improve access to essential health services for the most vulnerable populations, and increase government expenditure on health services for greater sustainability of health service delivery.
• The activity has the following objectives to accomplish in collaboration with Nigerian counterparts:
  • Increase financial risk protection
  • Improve population health coverage
  • Increase number of fully functional facilities

Key Roles and Responsibilitie
The State Coordinator will have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Responsible for directly engaging state-level and national-level authorities to support with inception and early implementation through rapid diagnostics and preparation for intervention
• Oversee and coordinate the implementation of interventions in respective states in project focus areas including health financing, organizational capacity development and primary health care management
• Establish and manage mechanisms to convene state agencies to enable learning exchange and knowledge co-productions
• Contribute to MEL activities, including learning, collecting data, and reporting on indicators, in collaboration with the MEL team
• Regularly report intervention status to the chief of party and senior technical leads to revise implementation plans as necessary to ensure best possible completion of interventions
• Within the LHSS project, the State Coordinators will report to the chief of party and will be supported by LHSS Abuja and US office-based technical expertise.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree + Five years of relevant experience, or Master’s Degree + Three years of relevant experience, or PhD.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree in Public Health, Management, Medicine, Health Administration, or other relevant field. 
• Demonstrated expertise in strengthening health systems, including social health protection schemes and domestic resource mobilization.
• Familiar with Government of Nigeria health sector budgeting, planning, health financing, timelines, and stakeholders
• Proven track record of working effectively with government counterparts at various levels in Nigeria is highly preferred.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with USAID, state and national offices and officials, and other development partners
• A proven, successful record of achieving results. The State Coordinators will be required to sustain the key roles and responsibilities largely independently and requires the initiative to ensure work is progressing.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work collaboratively and independently. Strong communications, interpersonal, and presentation skills required.
• Proficient English writing/speaking skills required.

Remuneration
Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.

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Background

• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Health Workforce Management (HWM) activity supports establishing a cost-effective, well-trained, and motivated health workforce in targeted rural and remote areas of Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Ebonyi states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• Banyan Global implements the project in collaboration with Abt Associates, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and Solina Health. The project also collaborates with local experts, universities, training institutions, federal and state governments, and the private sector and provides support via targeted grants under contract (GUCs).
• The overarching purpose of the activity is to support the establishment of a cost‐effective, well-trained and motivated health workforce, particularly in targeted rural and remote areas in the focus states of Bauchi, Kebbi, Sokoto, Ebonyi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This approach will help address the shortage of skilled healthcare workers within Nigeria’s primary health care (PHC) system.
• Abt Associates Inc. will lead the activity’s Intermediate Result (IR) area two with the objective of strengthening the human resources information system (HRIS) to keep track of recruitment, deployment and retention of health workers.
• Working with the Department of Health Planning, Research, & Statistics (DHPRS) of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), the Abt team will support efforts to strengthen the HRIS to provide data for decision-makers to support HRH planning, management and address inequities and inefficiencies.
• The activity will support ongoing efforts by collaborating with the FMOH’s DHPRS to link the supported priority states to the National Health Workforce Registry (NHWR) and build local capacity to use the information for decision-making.

Aim of the Consultancy

• Abt Associates seeks a consultant to support activities aimed at strengthening HRIS in Sokoto State. The successful consultant will report to the Senior HRIS Advisor based in Abuja.

The consultant’s responsibilities will include:

• Serve as the activity’s HRIS focal point in the respective states.
• Support the states to strengthen HRIS governance structures.
• Conduct assessments to inform improvements in state practices in utilizing HRH  information for evidence-based planning, coordination and management.
• Support the state to develop and implement state-specific capacity improvement plans and lead  capacity building sessions.
• Monitor HRIS implementation progress, and share periodic reports.
• Attend project meetings and workshops.

Key Deliverables

• Periodic (activity/weekly/monthly/quarterly) reports on progress against implementation activities
• Satisfactory capacity building of state stakeholders on HRH data management, use and operationalisation of the HRIS
• Strengthen state stakeholder capacity for HRH data analysis and development of annual health workforce profiles

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced or Master's Degree in Public Health, Project Management, Health Information, Data Management or other relevant fields with 3 - 5 years of experience
• Minimum of 5 years experience with health information systems.
• Demonstrable experience interacting with representatives from state ministries of health, private sector, civil society organizations, national health professional councils, and non-governmental organizations
• Ability to work in Sokoto State (no relocation costs will be provided)
• Proficiency with Microsoft suite
• Experience in data analytics as well as analyzing and presenting information
• Excellent oral, and written communication skills in English and ability to work well on a team

Period of Performance:

• The anticipated period of performance for this assignment is July 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022, with possibility of extension.