USAID PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST (HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM)

at U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Location Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Date Posted April 22, 2020
Category Facility Management
Health Care / Medical
IT / Information Technology
NGO
Social Sciences
Job Type Contract
Currency ETB

Description

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The Health Office in USAID/Ethiopia views the quality of health outcomes as increasingly linked to the quality of health data and information. The strategic integration of digital technologies in the global digitization of health data and information opens the potential for significant gains which will benefit many different aspects of the system: Health systems, health services, and their clients; global health funders and advocates; and People–including citizens previously beyond the reach of consistent, formal health service delivery. The Mission supports the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE)Health Sector Transformation Plan, which includes a “Digital Revolution” – a digitization of health information systems at all levels. To do this, USAID/Ethiopia manages a number of grants and contracts which support improved health and logistics information systems.

The USAID Project Management Specialist (Health Information System Advisor) will provide support to the day-to-day operations of digital health activities within the USAID Ethiopia HIS program and be responsible for planning, designing, and implementation of digital health activities and evaluation of digital health applications. S/he will identify opportunities to leverage digital health solutions to help improve health outcomes and promote scale-up of existing proven digital health interventions in Ethiopia.

The HIS Advisor will provide technical expertise and leadership to USAID/Ethiopia’s health projects and programs/activities and liaise with the Ministry of Health (MoH)/Government of Ethiopia and other public and private sector stakeholders to ensure USAID investments in the country’s digital health systems can be transitioned to effective management, use and sustainability by host government and other country partners over time.

The incumbent will serve as the Alternate Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR) or Activity Manager of specific/assigned activities relating to digital technologies in health, and act as a resource person in pertinent activities applying health-relevant digital solutions managed within the Health Office and/or other USAID offices. In particular, the incumbent will serve as the A/COR for the newly awarded Digital Health Activity and the AOR for the direct Government-to-Government award to be made to the Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration.

The HIS advisor manages HIS activities, digital solutions on a day-to-day basis, identify and resolve program issues, assure that all activities are carried out in a technically sound and cost-effective manner in accordance with applicable Mission and Agency program priorities, directives, and regulations. Also ensures compliance with USG requirements for independent validation and verification of IT projects that are proposed by USAID’s implementing partners, and conduct DQA as needed.

The HIS advisor will actively pursue activities and interventions with all relevant stakeholders and parties for leveraging digital technologies to improve the health information systems of the country; negotiate ideas/deals that support the achievement of Agency and Health Office goals and activities; shape, influence, and implement digital health interventions and partnership strategy/action in health; and lead/support the design of new activities led by the Health and/or other USAID offices.

The incumbent will serve on Technical Evaluation Committees for procurements or new staff recruitment, chairing those related to HIS and technology, as assigned in addition to ensuring timely review of work plans and deliverables by HIS partners in the health office, and ensure that partners are on track to achieve intended results.

Document lessons learned and success stories, best practices and innovations for dissemination and wider sharing among government policymakers, donor community, private sector, academia, civil society and other stakeholders as relates to HIS activities and digital technologies

Thus, the incumbent will have overarching strategic, technical, liaison, project management and program administrative functions, and will serve as a critical link between the health portfolio of USAID, other donors, the GoE and private sector partnerships and resources. S/he will be based in the Health Systems and Resilience (HSR) Team of the Health Office, and will design, direct, manage and support digital technology’s role in the health sector and participated in health and health-relevant activities under the overall guidance and supervision of the Senior Health Information systems Advisor in the HSR Team.

Statement of Duties to be Performed

Strategic, Technical, and Liaison Leadership (40%)

  • Provide leadership on complex digital health implementations involving one or more of the following: system integration, multiple vendor management, national scale systems, and open source solutions
  • Lead or participate in the preparation of relevant new procurements, such as the preparation of scopes of work, program descriptions, illustrative budgets, waivers, and exceptions to competition as required.
  • Engage with policy level in-country government officials, the donor community, and other stakeholders to advise on HIS activities, standards, processes and tools.
  • Lead the implementation of health Information systems strategy to achieve specific health objectives with HS&R and other teams of the Health Office, and as required, with other Mission offices.
  • Provide technical, strategic advice and programmatic direction for the development and implementation of National Health Information Systems (HIS).
  • Develop technical cooperation programs/strategies to strengthen the development of national capacities for the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of quality and accuracy of data and information sources, including vital and health statistics.
  • Develop and coordinate technical cooperation and horizontal cooperation for the development and implementation of Health Information Systems (HIS) with focus on strengthening data quality, open dissemination and coverage.
  • Stay abreast of digital health strategies, reports, analyses, publications, research, latest technologies, innovations and developments in Ethiopia, the Africa region and globally, and consider their adaptability and applicability to the context of the Ethiopian health sector. Determine any additional analyses, assessments, or reviews required to support digitization, data use and governance policies and practices.

Portfolio Management (30%)

  • Serve as the Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR) or Activity Manager of specific/assigned activities relating to digital technologies in health, and act as a resource person in pertinent activities applying health-relevant digital solutions managed within the Health Office and/or other USAID offices.
  • Manage HIS activities and digital solutions on a day-to-day basis, identify and resolve program issues, assure that all activities are carried out in a technically sound and cost-effective manner in accordance with applicable Mission and Agency program priorities, directives, and regulations.
  • Ensure compliance with USG requirements for independent validation and verification of IT projects that are proposed by USAID’s implementing partners, and conduct DQA as needed.
  • Actively pursue activities and interventions with all relevant stakeholders and parties for leveraging digital technologies to improve the health information systems of the country; negotiate ideas/deals that support the achievement of Agency and Health Office goals and activities; shape, influence, and implement digital health interventions and partnership strategy/action in health; and lead/support the design of new activities led by the Health and/or other USAID offices.
  • Serve on Technical Evaluation Committees for procurements or new staff recruitment, chairing those related to HIS and technology, as assigned.
  • Ensure timely review of work plans and deliverables by HIS partners in the health office, and ensure that partners are on track to achieve intended results.
  • Document lessons learned and success stories, best practices and innovations for dissemination and wider sharing among government policymakers, donor community, private sector, academia, civil society and other stakeholders as relates to HIS activities and digital technologies

Monitoring and Evaluation and Financial Management (30%)

  • Develop robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plans for HIS activities and interventions in health with appropriate benchmarking and reporting systems and learning agenda capable of gauging progress and providing feedback for course correction or other required adjustments.
  • Assist/conduct periodic assessment of HIS activities to ensure that performance monitoring and evaluation systems are in place, and reliable measures of process, output and impact indicators are established and maintained.
  • Ensure timely completion of all relevant program deliverables and reporting requirements.
  • Maintain a regular schedule of site visits to document the actual implementation of HIS activities and interventions, establish routine communications with the implementing partners, and maintain up-to-date information and files on the status of partner activities, resources and work plans.
  • Apply specific and in-depth knowledge of applicable USG laws, legislative directives, and regulations, particularly regarding the allowable use of funds. Update partners of USAID rules and regulations, as well as their obligations to USAID. Oversee compliance of all relevant USAID/USG regulations and procedures by the implementing partners.
  • Work closely with implementing partners to ensure program achievements and lessons learned are disseminated to sector representatives. Maintain and share an up-to-date summary of program technical areas and geographic areas of implementation.
  • Manage and oversee budgetary and financial management of assigned activities to ensure that obligations, expenditures, accruals, and pipelines are monitored, and that corrective action is taken when needed towards appropriate and timely funding, including incremental funding requests.
  • Ensure that activities are in compliance with USAID financial regulations. Report financial discrepancies to the Supervisor and/or HSR Team Leader.
  • Update the Mission Controller and Financial Analyst on the liquidation of advances.
  • Ensure compliance of assigned activities/implementing partners with audit requirements.
  • Maintain a monthly project financial management tracking system as well as make sure that all portfolio and program/financial management files (both electronic and hardcopy, as per policy) for the assigned activities are up to date, in order, and complete.

Supervisory Relationship

The incumbent will be supervised by Senior Health information Systems Advisor.

Supervisory Controls

No supervisory responsibility.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

JOB REQUIREMENT

  • EDUCATION: Master’s degree in computer science, Information science, Health informatics, engineering, international development, public health or similar field is required.
  • PRIOR EXPERIENCE:  Minimum of 5 years’ experience implementing digital health technology solutions in international development (e.g. DHIS2, iHRIS, CommCare, OpenLMIS, OpenHIE, etc), in a developing country or low resource settings.
  • LANGUAGE: Fluency of English and Amharic in reading/writing/speaking (Level IV) is required.

POINT OF CONTACT: Annmarie McGillicuddy, Supervisory EXO and Fekadu Tamirate, HR Specialist, e-mail at [email protected]

MARKET VALUE: FSN – 11, $22,927 to $41,263

In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of

USAID/Ethiopia. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years. The services provided under this contract are expected to be a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds. Estimated to start on 08/28/2020.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: US Embassy, Entoto Road, Addis Ababa

with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: All CCN interested applicants. Cooperating Country National Personal Service Contractor (CCNPSC). Cooperating country national means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen, or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.

 SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Regional Security Office certification.

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

Once the Contracting Officer informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms.

  • Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms)
  • Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)
  • Fingerprint Card (FD-258)

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

BENEFITS:Group life insurance, medical coverage, annual leave and sick leave.

ALLOWANCES (as applicable): Meal allowance and miscellaneous benefit allowance.

 

Applying Instructions

CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 04/29/2020 before and/or on 5:00PM Ethiopian local time (close of business).

SUBMITTING AN OFFER

  • Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form and submit the offer form DS-174 Application for U.S. Federal employment along with a cover letter and resume written in English. The DS-174 Application form can be found in the U.S. embassy website https://et.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/; or https://www.usaid.gov/ethiopia/work-with-us/careers/ds-form-174-ccn-application.
  • Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.
  • Application must be submitted ONLY via [email protected]v and the email subject must say– solicitation 72066320R100011, USAID Project Management Specialist (Health Information System). This solicitation will also be posed on USAID Ethiopia career page. Be sure to include your name and the solicitation number at the top of each page.
  •  Please submit the application only once; and
  • Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; the application must be submitted before or on the date of filing at 5 p.m. (Close of Business).

 

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