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Health Information System Advisor: Nigeria

The Health Information System Advisor will offer technical assistance, capacity building and knowledge management to the Government of Nigeria agencies and other stakeholders responsible for Health Information Systems/Monitoring and Evaluation of health interventions especially HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.

MEASURE Evaluation Phase III is a 5-year Leader with Associates Cooperative Agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), continuing a 10 year initiative with the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, John Snow Inc., ICF International, Tulane University, Futures Group, and Management Sciences for Health. Overall, MEASURE Evaluation’s objective is to improve and institutionalize the collection and utilization of data for population, health and nutrition programs by providing technical assistance to USAID Field Missions and Regional Bureaus; USAID and PEPFAR partners; and national and sub-national host-country institutions, administrative bodies and health program managers in monitoring and evaluation and health information system building and strengthening. The principle of sustainability is incorporated into all aspects of the technical assistance provided through a focus on organizational development, financial management and individual and institutional behavior change around information collection, analysis and use.  Activities are currently underway in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  

A Health Information System (HIS) Advisor position is available in the Nigeria field office for occupation by eligible professionals.

Overall Responsibilities

The main duties for this position include offering technical assistance, capacity building and knowledge management to the Government of Nigeria agencies and other stakeholders responsible for Health Information Systems/Monitoring and Evaluation of health interventions, especially in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. The occupant of this position will provide technical assistance and support to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), particularly the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics (DHPRS), Department of Public Health, Department of Hospital Services, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), government parastatal and other key stakeholders to strengthen the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS) and its associated software or database. The HIS Advisor will work with stakeholders to promote integration and interoperability of various sub-systems within the health system including the Nigeria National Response Information Management System (NNRIMS).

The HIS Advisor will work closely with USAID/Nigeria, in-country implementing partners, other donors including UNAIDS, the World Bank and the Global Fund recipients (PR and SR) and in-country NGOs working on M&E activities to implement MEASURE Evaluation’s scope of work in Nigeria.  

This position will be based in Abuja, Nigeria, with 30 - 40% travel to the states and LGAs as well as to locations of MEASURE Evaluation partnering institutions. The HIS Advisor will be supervised by the Senior Resident Advisor.

Specific Responsibilities

The HIS Advisor will: 

  • Provide timely and high-quality technical assistance to country counterparts and institutions consistent with MEASURE Evaluation’s Nigeria workplan. 
  • Provide technical assistance to relevant staff of government institutions in the country in data management and reporting among multiple partners through capacity building and mentoring. This includes support to improve data quality, and information use at national and sub-national levels.
  • Support and provide technical assistance(TA) to Government of Nigeria (GoN) agencies (DHPRS, NACA, NASCP, NPHCDA, etc.) toward the implementation of United States government (USG)-supported action plan for strengthening NHMIS and NNRIMS and the deployment of the software (e.g., DHIS) used at different levels for the management of health information within the country.  
  • Work and support the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in developing multi-year and multi-departmental HIS/M&E costed workplan that integrates key stakeholders activities aimed at strengthening NHMIS.
  • Support and provide TA to the Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in the review of the HMIS strategy including policy in order to provide platform for the integration and interoperability of the various health program sub-systems into a unified and responsive HIS. 
  • Work and support DHPRS in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and TB Control Program to integrate HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB M&E sub-system into the national health information system.  This will include the harmonization of core indicators that would inform policy and programatic decisions. 
  • Provide technical assistance to the Federal Ministry of Health particularly the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics and other stakeholders in the data inventory and documentation initiative to facilitate access to surveys, researches and surveillance data.
  • Document best practices emanating from the implementation of NHMIS and sub-systems such as NNRIMS as well as other program-level information systems that is consistent with MEASURE Evaluation’s Nigeria workplan as well as presenting key results to the relevant stakeholders through appropriate mechanisms, such as conferences, publications, etc.
  • Advise and support the development and use of spatial and non-spatial databases as well as use of GIS software as it applies to health information management.
  • Support the Government of Nigeria in collaboration with other resident advisors (RAs) and state M&E technical advisors in promoting evidence-based program and policy decision making among stakeholders.
  • Work with Activity Lead and States’ Coordinator to provide technical support to the state-level M&E technical advisors to ensure that the implementation of state-specific HMIS activities is consistent with overall MEASURE Evaluation’s workplan in Nigeria.
  • Work with the Country Coordinator/Senior Resident Advisor and other Activity Leads in the preparation of MEASURE Evaluation annual workplans, budgets, quarterly and progress annual reports to the Mission and headquarters.  
  • Perform other assigned functions relevant to MEASURE Evaluation work in Nigeria based on emerging needs either from the Mission and/or government agencies. 

Qualifications and Skills

  • Advanced degree (MPH, MA, M.Sc., others) in public health or related fields and 7 years of work experience in M&E programs for population, public health, HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases. 
  • Familiarity with the Nigerian Health Management Information System (NHMIS), and its sub-systems such as NNRIMS;
  • Demonstrated good understanding of the design, implementation, roll-out and capacity building process with respect to database and software for managing NHMIS particularly DHIS.  
  • Experience in the development and/or on-going operationalization of National Health Information Systems (HIS) and Routine Health Information Systems (RHIS).
  • Experience in quantitative and qualitative research activities in terms of planning, implementation and data analysis.
  • Ability to use GIS software to create maps from spatial data with their interpretation for decision making.
  • Demonstrated ability to link data to program, service delivery, and/or policy-level decision making. 
  • Interest and experience in the development of capacity strengthening, including training programs, for developing country professionals.
  • Demonstrated experience in delivering presentations and/or facilitation of workshops or meetings and/or training others in elements of Health Information Systems and Monitoring and Evaluation.
  • Demonstrated interpersonal skills required to work effectively and harmoniously with other project staff, host-country counterparts, USAID, consultants, other donors and international organizations.
  • Ability to work independently and to manage various projects on a daily basis with minimal supervision.
  • Excellent writing and communications skills in English.
  • Computer Literacy with experience in the use of word processing, spreadsheet, GIS and statistical analysis packages such as SPSS, SAS, STATA, EPI-INFO.