Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Dignitas International, Malawi

Placement Organization: Dignitas International
Placement Location: Zomba, Malawi
Eligible Citizenship: Malawian

About: Dignitas International (DI) is a medical humanitarian organization that develops solutions for global health. We envision a world in which healthcare is available to all, regardless of wealth, gender or geography. By working in partnership with patients, health workers, researchers and policymakers, we aim to follow this vision by tackling the barriers to health care in resource-limited communities. In 2004, in response to the severe health crisis in Malawi linked to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, DI opened Tisungane HIV/AIDS Clinic at Zomba Central Hospital in partnership with the Malawi Ministry of Health (MoH), dramatically increasing access to HIV treatment and care in Zomba District. Today, close to 20,000 patients have been placed on life-saving ART at Tisungane and staff receive referrals from across the South East Health Zone (3.1 million people). To address limited access to HIV-related services in rural communities, DI has worked to strengthen the decentralized health system. Through decentralizing care, DI has expanded training and mentoring frontline health workers, streamlining patient referrals and providing rigorous laboratory and pharmacy oversight to improve the quality and reach of HIV-related services to almost 150 health centers across the South East. In partnership with the Malawi Ministry of Health and other collaborators, DI engages in operations research, which aims to shed light on factors that can hamper effective health programming, giving rise to new and more effective approaches to health care delivery.

Position Overview: The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will work as part of the M&E Unit. In collaboration with the Medical Program Department and Data Management and Research Departments, the M&E Officer will contribute to effective monitoring and reporting. The GHC fellow will contribute to strengthening data management, improving the quality and timeliness of reporting, increasing the utilization of routine monitoring data by Medical and Research teams, and assisting in building capacity of frontline health staff to utilize their data. Additionally, the fellow will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Research and Medical Departments on additional side projects. Assignment of these projects will be determined by the technical expertise and research interests of the fellow as well as the programmatic needs of Dignitas.

Responsibilities:

• Improve data management through efficient organization, retrieval and delivery of data
  • In collaboration with the DI Data Teams, extract/source data for the Medical and Research Departments
  • Ensure accurate tracking and archiving of data from health facilities
  • Validate, analyze data and assist in evaluation of programs and related activities
  • Suggest interventions and solutions to any programmatic and operational issues under the monitored programs
  • Control data quality by ensuring that data is clean and checked for accuracy
  • Transfer data across platforms, checking for consistency and data conversion errors
  • Contribute to finding solutions for problems related to data management
  • Participate in database modification and development
  • Actively participate in data management meetings and trainings
  • Implement DI’s protocols on data privacy, data security, and backups in the context of data management and M&E
• Strengthen internal and external reporting by contributing to the production of timely, high quality program reports
  • Contribute to the development of M&E plans, including reporting schedules and logical frameworks based on internal DI and donor standards
  • Work with the Data Management Teams to improve the reporting system
  • Support routine internal reporting processes related to data collection (systems and reporting forms)
  • Synthesize and format data as required for reporting purposes
  • Contribute to compiling M&E reports as required by the MoH and donors, including USAID
  • Assist in reviewing and developing templates
• Increase the utilization of M&E data by the medical team and other users through improved sharing and presentation of trends and results
  • Participate in the integration of monitoring data into program planning cycles and promoting evidence-based programming
  • Actively contribute to the compilation, sharing and presentation of program findings, trends and results with decision makers
  • Support the development of program and research grant proposals, publications and conference presentations (IAS, ICASA, etc.)
  • Participate in program-related quality improvement projects requiring M&E
  • Actively participate in team meetings
• Build capacity of supervisory and frontline health workers to collect and utilize data in DI’s operational areas through periodic meetings and mentoring visits
  • Assist in conducting trainings with MoH staff
  • Participate in District Quarterly M&E performance reviews and feedback meetings
  • Work with frontline healthcare workers on collecting routine HIV-related data
  • Participate in data feedback visits to health facilities

Required Skills and Experience:

• University Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics or in related/relevant field
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and produce reports
• Demonstrated experience with data management software e.g. Access
• Proficiency in Excel (Intermediate – Advance)
• Ability to manage tight timelines and potentially stressful, shifting priorities and deadlines
• Knowledge of health system, esp. HIV/AIDS M&E gained through academic and/or professional experience
• Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment
• Ability to function well in a cross-cultural work environment
• Willingness to occasionally travel to remote health facilities with poor road conditions
• Excellent oral, written communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Ability to develop database (Access) applications or spreadsheet (Excel) analysis.
• Training, mentoring and presentation skills
• Familiarity with HIV Program M&E frameworks and indicators

Living Conditions: Fellows will be provided with housing, health insurance and a living stipend of $650/month. Fellows will receive an award of $1500 upon successful completion of the fellowship year. Flights to and from the placement site and all other costs associated with GHC programming are included, including $600 in professional development funds.

*Note: the living stipend and completion award may be paid out in USD or local currency, as determined by the placement organization

To apply to this position click here: http://ghcorps.org/fellows/apply/application/