MSF (MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES) IS LOOKING FOR:
A DATA MANAGER/MONITOR & EVALUATION (M&E)
FOR HIS HIV PROGRAM IN MALAWI – M/W
MSF is one of the largest independent medical humanitarian organizations in the world, with projects located in 65 countries worldwide. MSF's work is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics; the goal of MSF is to provide emergency care to people who are affected by armed conflicts, epidemics and natural or man-made disasters.
MSF is impartial: MSF offers medical assistance to people caught in crisis regardless of their race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
MSF is independent: ninety percent of MSF's overall funding comes from private sources, not governments. This funding structure leaves MSF teams on the ground free to define operational priorities with interventions based on needs alone, not on political, economic, religious or social agendas.
MSF is neutral: the organization does not take sides in armed conflicts, provides care on the basis of needs alone, and pushes for increased independent access to victims of conflict as required under international humanitarian law. In carrying out humanitarian assistance, MSF also acts as witnesses and may speak out about the critical needs of the people we help. In doing so, we seek to alleviate human suffering, to protect life, and to ensure respect for human beings and their dignity.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR HIV PROGRAMS IN EAST/SOUTHERN AFRICA
MSF is implementing HIV programs aiming at ensuring access to prevention, care and treatment to people living with HIV. MSFF currently manages a cohort of approximately 35 000 HIV patients under ART in 4 vertical HIV programs in Uganda, Malawi and Kenya. There are smaller cohorts integrated into horizontal programs in several other countries. Each of the projects differs in its set up and relation to the national system but the general modus operandi is now to integrate as much as possible our activities within the national systems. The new programs are conceived as fully integrated in the national system since the beginning. The objective is to maintain a diverse approach in terms of medical and operational strategies and to contribute to the improvement of the management of large cohorts through operational research, in collaboration with different partners, most notably EPICENTRE. The innovative thematics are concerning for example the simplification of care, the decentralization of access to treatment, the introduction of new medical and biological technologies for HIV (like point of care viral load testing) and for opportunistic infections, mass testing and circumcision strategies or improved algorithms for hospitalized patients. Some projects are aiming at having an impact on the epidemics at a population level by reducing its incidence. Based on its operations and together with the Access Campaign MSF is producing policy recommendations for the access to quality care and treatment at lower costs for all HIV patients.
CONTEXT
Malawi is one the most affected countries by the HIV epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa with about 1 million people leaving with HIV. Chiradzulu district is a rural district located in the southern region of Malawi.
MSF has been providing ART to the HIV infected Chiradzulu district population since 2001, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoH). By the end of December 2013, more than 63,000 people have been enrolled in the Chiradzulu program. More than 40,000 have initiated ART and 28,000 are still followed on treatment. Activities are taking place at the Chiradzulu District Hospital and 10 Health Centers of the district. 84% of the patients are currently followed in the HCs. MSF program supports the following:
- HIV special clinic (children, 2nd line regimen patients, Kaposi Sarcoma)
- Health center medical team
- TB program
- Hospital inpatient department
- PMTCT
- Laboratory
- Health Center laboratories
- Pharmacy
- Training
- Counseling and testing
- IEC/ tracing and support group
- Six Month Appointment program
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Data Manager/Monitor and Evaluation (M&E) supports the medical coordination team at the country and the field coordination levels for monitoring related issues, including the ones involving Point of Care (POC) project.
Under the authority of the MSF Field Coordinator for administrative and security matters, s/he reports directly to the Medical Focal Point. S/He must work in close collaboration with the POC project manager, the medical focal point, the epidemiologist and the field coordinator.
His/her main missions are to:
- Support routine data collection and data entry:
- Provide technical support to routine data collection using the specific databases: Fuchia, Redcap as well as some MoH tools towards M&E integration
- Support/organize the filing system of Fuchia and POC paper forms
- Provide data quality assurance and analysis related to the OR including POC activities:
- Contribute to the quality of the data in terms of minimizing missing data and measurement errors (e.g. generation of lists of errors, design and implementation of data quality assurance procedures).
- Use R pre-built reports corresponding to the POC indicators to produce monthly, quarterly or 6-monthly reports.
- Provide technical support to use of database and spreadsheets for routine reporting.
- Develop support documents for the team: SOPs on data entry, data quality assurance and report generation and interpretation.
- Perform additional statistical analyses and interpretation requested by the POC project manager or the coordination team.
- Ensure feedback and use of project process indicators and outcomes for decision-making:
- Participate in internal MSF medical meetings (quarterly presentation of project data)
- Participate in external coordination meetings with relevant department of the Ministry of Health and Population, the National AIDS Commission, other NGOs as necessary
- Organize specific meetings with other departments to brainstorm, give feedback of the project and create a transversal dynamism.
- Support and train when necessary the epi staff in charge of data:
- Provide training related to M&E activities to involved staff, in collaboration with the HIV Medical Epidemiologist,
- Assist implementation and interpretation of pre-built reports
5. Supervise the EPI team as s/he oversees staff responsible for data entry, management and report generation:
- Assist the data team supervisor for any staff management or logistic support and provide supervision for Data Team Supervisor.
- Provide training to involved staff
PROFILE/REQUIREMENTS
Education:
- Master in Epidemiology (including modules on advanced medical statistics) or Master in biostatistics
Experience:
- Minimum 2 years' experience on data collection , management and analysis of large databases
- Experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation
- Skilled in the use of statistical software such as STATA (and possibly R), SPSS, SAS
Recommended:
- Experience in designing monitoring and evaluation tools of laboratory activities
- Experienced in HIV/AIDS work will be an asset
- Experience in use of Fuchia will be an asset
- Experience in resource poor settings
Language: Fluent English (written and spoken)
Miscellaneous:
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team
- Interest in teaching and training local and international staff
- Previous MSF experience is an asset
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Position in MALAWI for at least one year
- Volunteer status for 12 months with an indemnity of 804 euros/month minimum (+ insurance) or salary status depending on your previous experience in international NGOs.
Applications (CV + LM) are to be sent to the following address before 05/05/2014:
srtmsf@paris.msf.org
Please mention in your letter the reference DM/M&E/04/2014
Note that only shortlisted candidates will receive an answer
