Health Management Information System (HMIS) Advisor

Overview

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ of experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI’s Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI’s experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

IDG’s The Global Health Division (GHD), works in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases; Global Health Security and Public Health Preparedness; Noncommunicable Diseases: Heath Systems Strengthening – including Health Governance, Health Finance, Human Resources for Health, Capacity Building, and Health Policy and Advocacy; and Integrated Care – including Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health and Family Planning. We address a range of public health problems to reduce disparities, lower disease burdens, and build locally owned sustainable health programs. 

Project description

This position is for the USAID-funded Country Health Information Systems and Data Use program (CHISU) in Sierra Leone, implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. with RTI International (RTI), Vital Strategies, Pendulum, Jembi Health Systems, and Global Evaluation and Monitoring Network for Health (GEMNet-Health). This Activity aims to strengthen health information systems, interoperable information architecture and data use, and support Togo’s management of health data by enhancing capacity for local leadership and coordination. The support is expected to build on previous and on-going USAID investments.

Position description

RTI is looking for a Health Management Information System (HMIS) Advisor in Sierra Leone. The HMIS Advisor leads and coordinates the implementation of the project technical activities and provides informatic related technical expertise to the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP). He/she will maintains relationships with key health sector partners, consultants, host country counterparts and stakeholders by providing technical and health informatic related advice regarding District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) implementation and system integration. The HMIS Advisor will also ensure successful implementation of best practices and lessons learned are captured and disseminated across CHISU project.

Responsibilities

• Works with HMIS stakeholders, partnerships and technical working groups to support the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and the Directorate of Policy, Planning and Information (DPPI) to improve overall HMIS – data quality and use, reporting compliance and feedback mechanisms – at facility and district levels.
• Works with NMCP and other stakeholders to document requirements and porovide DHIS2 configuration support for developing the automated malaria bulletin.
• Review functionality of the mobile Routine Data Quality Assessment (mRDQA) app and provide guidance on the usage of the tool for training trainers (ToT).
• Document and have a short and feasible training manual for the mRDQA app usage by both the trainers and the users.
• Provide the initial design for the mRDQA app interoperability architecture with DHIS2. This will ensure the malaria routine data quality instance is directly linked to the DHIS2.
• Provide recommendation for the devices used for the mRDQA mobile app. As necessary, work on the agreement of either personal or designated mobile/tablets from the District Health Management Team (DHMT).
• Prepare an implementation plan to scale up the mRDQA app.
• Support the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) coordination through the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership, Malaria Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation (SME) Technical Working Group, HMIS, and Monitoring & Evaluation Technical Working Group.
• Provide SME training for the NMCP SME team, particularly the newly assigned M&E officer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 8 years of experience, master’s degree and 6 years of experience, PhD and 3 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience in Health Management Information System, Health Informatics, System Development.
• Expertise in public health, statistics, computer programming, or a related field with at least 6 years of experience in the design and implementation of M&E and provision of technical assistance in management information systems for the health sector in Sierra Leone.
• Knowledge and experience with DHIS2 and related software platforms for surveillance and health management and information system.
• Proven experience and expertise in DHIS2 system implementation (aggregate and tracker), the effective use of DHIS2 web API for system integration and data exchange.
• Expertise and skills in DHIS web application development.
• Proven experience and skills in the use of Python, R and ETL process for systems data migration, integration and dashboard configuration.
• Knowledge and experience in server management and configuration using Window and Linux
• Experience in building individual and institutional capacity in governmental organizations and NGOs around disease surveillance data management, analysis and use.
• Experience developing and maintaining project database for monitoring implementation of project activities. Technical expertise in data collection, processing and analysis, and feedback mechanisms is required; expertise in the use of mobile technologies for data reporting and collection preferred.
• Experience providing technical assistance to maintain regional databases and quality information systems. Proven experience in the development of data quality improvement tools and systems.
• Demonstrated capacity to solve data issues and build the capacity of others within the health system to ensure data quality.
• Must have strong oral and written communication skills in English.

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