COVID-19 Monitoring And Evaluation / Strategic Information (M&E/SI) Advisor USAID

Job Description

GH-TAMS is seeking candidates for COVID-19 Monitoring and Evaluation / Strategic Information (M&E/SI) Advisor consultancy for USAID/ Zambia. The assignment will be based in Lusaka for a six-month period. Level of effort will be 136 days, with start date approximately mid-March 2023.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented public health, social, and economic crisis globally. USAID continues to work with the national and sub-national governments, Global Fund, COVAX, World Health Organization (WHO) UNICEF, World Bank, and other international donors and partners to mount a comprehensive response and track the effects as the pandemic continues into its subsequent years.

The COVID-19 Monitoring and Evaluation / Strategic Information (M&E/SI) Advisor will provide essential support to the USAID/Zambia Health Office in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The M&E/SI Advisor will play a critical role in supporting all COVID-19 reporting requirements and ad hoc requests and will support the development of effective strategic information and monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems in support of COVID-19 activities. The COVID-19 M&E/SI Advisor will also conduct important data analysis, synthesize information, and prepare/support the development of presentations, including tables, graphs, charts, maps and other visual and data analytics for Health Office and Mission leadership, the U.S. Government (USG) interagency, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other key stakeholders.

The COVID-19 M&E/SI Advisor will serve as a subject matter expert and key contributor to strengthening the capacity of information systems, providing technical guidance to Health Office leaders, the broader USAID Mission, the interagency, MOH, Zambia Public Health Institute, development partners and implementing partners (IPs) involved in program monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning. The COVID-19 M&E/SI Advisor will support communication and collaboration between technical staff and decision makers in the Mission.

The COVID-19 M&E/SI Advisor will report to the Deputy Health Office Director.

Role and Responsibilities

The COVID-19 M&E/SI Advisor will be responsible for supporting all aspects related to monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning for COVID-19 activities. The M&E/SI Advisor’s tasks may include support to activity/project design, budgeting, compliance, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, responding to requests for information, drafting memos and briefers, among other duties. The M&E/SI Advisor conducts a variety of complex research, analysis and reporting, and supports internal and external coordination. Other tasks include:

Program/Project/Activity Performance Management and Reporting:

Supports the collection, generation, analysis, and use of all COVID-19 related data for monitoring, reporting, project planning and policy development.

Provides guidance to IPs in understanding of COVID-19 related monitoring and reporting systems, and their role in the process, and advises on specific measurement techniques appropriate for their programs/projects/activities.

Provides technical expertise on the collection, assessment of validity, and data quality.

Supports the development of innovative monitoring tools; tracks and maintains multiple sets of indicators related to COVID-19; and ensures proper collection of data.

Conducts / assists with COVID-19 related data analysis.

Summarizes information and prepares/supports the development of presentations, including tables, graphs, charts, maps and other visual tools for Health Office and Mission leadership, the USG interagency, the MOH and other key stakeholders.

Provides technical leadership to C/AORs, Activity Managers and IPs to ensure activity work plans and monitoring plans include all required and other relevant and effective performance measures.

Supports the design of assessments and briefs for Health Office and Mission leadership on key findings.

Provides expert guidance to Health Office technical staff on defining measurable indicators and targets for desired results addressed by their program/project/activity, and edits quarterly, semi-annual, and annual performance reports.

In collaboration with the Mission Program Office, leads and/or supports the Health Office compilation and reporting for all progress reports and ad hoc requests. Ensures all required indicators have appropriate targets and data are collected and reported by IPs.

Provides technical assistance and guidance to the MOH and the Ghana Health Service related to the development and management of COVID and/or health information systems, supporting maternal, newborn, child health, and family planning data

Provides technical guidance to Health Office, Mission staff, IPs, and other USG agencies on monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning concepts, processes, design, training, and best practices.

Coordination:

Participate actively in all M&E / SI related meetings and technical working groups.

Establish and/or maintain strong working relationships with mid-level and senior MOH and ZNPHI officials, and other relevant GRZ officials at the subnational level, development partners, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, private sector health counterparts, USG agencies like Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other key stakeholders to facilitate the sharing of data and information and harmonize data collection, indicators, and reporting requirements.

Qualifications

A. Education: Master’s degree or local equivalent from an accredited program in social science, statistics, mathematics, mathematics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, health informatics, public health, infectious disease, zoonotic disease, biology or other quantitative discipline, or the local equivalent, is required.

B. Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), strategic information and other surveillance systems, evaluation of program/project/activity implementation, in direct program/project/activity management, or in a closely related activity is required, with a focus on pandemic threats or infectious diseases. At least two years of this experience in a development-oriented workplace, or a related field, for other donor agencies, cooperating country organizations, or private-sector institutions, and which included project design, performance monitoring, and/or the analysis and interpretation of large amounts of data, is required.

C. Knowledge: The consultant must have in-depth professional-level knowledge of development approaches and methods for performance analysis, data visualization, and program design, monitoring and evaluation. The consultant must have excellent knowledge of MEL/SI systems, public health programming, and international donor operations in the sector. The consultant must have knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 related development problems in the health sector, an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities. The consultant must have working knowledge of and practice relating to monitoring, evaluation, and learning for COVID-19.

D. Other Requirements: The consultant must possess the ability to plan, organize and execute complex MEL activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership and apply this ability to programming in the cooperating country and the region. The consultant must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills. Excellent communication skills both writing and speaking, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to individuals with nontechnical background. This role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Excellent computer and software skills including ability in Excel, SPSS, STATA, R and/or other analytical databases.

About the Organization

The Global Health Technical Assistance and Mission Support Project (GH-TAMS) is a five-year USAID-funded activity providing the Bureau for Global Health (GH) and USAID field missions with high quality technical expertise to achieve the Agency’s foreign assistance global health mission. With start-up in the fall of 2019, GH-TAMS follows the success of the Global Health Program Cycle Improvement Project (GH Pro).

GH-TAMS technical assistance covers a broad range of technical areas and cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS. family planning, MNCH, infectious disease, TB, health finance, reproductive health, organizational development, OVC, project design, facilitation, M&E and strategic planning.

Project assignments are located in Washington D.C. and worldwide in Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Assignments typically range from two weeks to six months in duration.

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