Country: India
Closing date: 31 Jan 2018
Overview
MSR Technical Advisor will provide technical support to the NVBDCP aimed at strengthening and expanding its malaria surveillance and reporting capabilities. Working closely with senior NVBDCP staff in charge of malaria surveillance activities, s/he will evaluate current protocols and procedures for gathering, reporting on and using malaria data, and recommend measures to improve them. This Technical Advisor will also expand and improve training opportunities in malaria surveillance and will provide technical assistance in passive and active surveillance and reporting to states with high malaria prevalence. S/he will coordinate closely with GFATM Principal Recipient/s that implement malaria control programs and seek to better integrate their malaria surveillance activities with those of the NVBDCP. The MSR Technical Advisor will receive day-to-day guidance from the Director of the NVBDCP or his/her designee. The MSR Technical Advisor will be supervised by Jhpiego and will be required to report regularly (at least quarterly) to USAID. Position will be based in New Dehli and an initial one-year contract will be offered.
In India, Jhpiego works across various states – in close collaboration with national and state governments, providing technical assistance in the areas of family planning, maternal and child health, and pre-service nursing and midwifery education. These projects are funded by USAID, Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, David & Lucille Packard Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Merck for Mothers, and others. Globally, Jhpiego leads USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), which supports high-impact health interventions in 26 priority countries with the ultimate goal of ending preventable child and maternal deaths (EPCMD) within a generation. In India, MCSP will support the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), and the two active malaria grants from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), through provision of technical assistance for malaria surveillance and reporting. This is expected to enhance national capacity to gather, analyze and act upon information on malaria prevalence and outbreaks, and on the coverage attained by malaria prevention and control activities.
Responsibilities
- Developing annual work plans detailing the technical support to be provided to the NVBDCP for malaria surveillance and reporting
- Ensuring the use of harmonized protocols for quality malaria surveillance data collection, and that training is conducted in the use of these protocols
- Planning to enhance implementation of data quality assessments and regular supportive supervision
- Supporting routine health information system strengthening
- Improving malaria data quality and use through the routine health information system
- Providing targeted technical assistance to high burden malaria states to strengthen and provide timely reporting
- Supporting the NVBDCP in the provision of timely feedback to state programs on their malaria surveillance activities
- Coordinating stakeholders to ensure that response mechanisms are in place in the event of malaria outbreak identification
- Assessing the skills of senior NVBDCP staff responsible for monitoring/evaluation and surveillance of malaria; identify training opportunities that address needs identified through the assessment
- Helping NVBDCP staff identify needs within current data management/use systems, and steps to address these gaps
- Supporting staff in the development of protocols to guide research
- Coaching and mentoring staff during implementation of the research, in the interpetation of the data, and in the formulation of recommendations
- Contributing to preparation of project performance reports, writing of technical reports and scientific papers for presentation in scientific meetings and publishing in various journals
- Participating in monitoring and supervision of field activities
- Coordinating needed assistance to ensure smooth implementation
- Performing other duties as assigned by the NVBDCP Director
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years' malaria experience
- 8+ years' overall public health experience
- MPH or other advanced degree in a relevant discipline required; MD or PhD preferred
- Direct experience with malaria disease surveillance, programmatic surveillance and transmission surveillance
- Direct experience creating/analyzing evidence for informed policy decisions on malaria control interventions, and generating consensus among senior stakeholders
- Direct experience with HMIS/DHIS2, LMIS, MIS, preferably in India
- Current working knowledge of the Global Fund, including relevant technical and managerial processes relating to grant management and performance
- Ability to use advanced database and statistical analysis software (SAS, STATA, Epi Info, SPSS, etc.)
- Advanced skills in M&E and experience designing monitoring and evaluation plans, designing, implementing and supervising data collection activities also desired
- Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills
- Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills in English, to effectively communicate technical information to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise
- Willingness and ability to travel within India or abroad as and when needed.
How to apply:
https://jobs-jhpiego.icims.com/jobs/2999/malaria-surveillance-and-reporting-technical-advisor/job