Strategic Information Senior Advisor

* This role can be performed fully remotely globally.*

The Strategic Information (SI) Senior Advisor’s time will be divided between supporting the SI component of the AFIAT program (at 80%), including in monitoring evaluation and learning, and for targeted activities on health information systems and in knowledge management. S/he will also provide technical support to other MSH projects across the entire spectrum of SI functions as part of the Global Health Systems Innovation (GHSI) department.

GHSI OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES

The SI Senior Advisor supports activities in SI conducted by the SI departments of MSH. S/he uses a client-centered approach, serving MSH Projects so they design and implement state-of-the-art SI systems and activities, use information for decision making, improving performance, and maximizing and measuring health impact. The SI Senior Advisor participates in the strengthening of local (national) SI, including M&E, learning and HMIS systems. The SI Senior Advisor actively supports the Implementation/Operational Research portfolio of MSH, and performs quantitative and qualitative analyses using a variety of statistical methodologies. S/he provides technical support to HMIS/DHIS2 initiatives, and synergies between local HMIS/DHIS2 with MSH’s customized DHIS2 system: DREAM@MSH. The position reports to the MEL lead.

AFIAT PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assistance for Families and Indigent Afghans to Thrive (AFIAT) project is a five year (July 2020 – June 2025), USAID-funded program implemented by Management Sciences for Health in Afghanistan. AFIAT strives to improve the quality of primary and secondary health and nutrition services in targeted rural areas; increase access to high-impact and evidence-based health and nutrition services; enhance adoption of optimal health and nutrition behaviors by communities and households; and Collaborate with Partners to Plan, Finance, and Manage the Public Health System.

Working collaboratively with the AFIAT Chief of Party (COP), Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Technical Director and the M&E Senior Principal Advisor, the SI Senior Advisor will support development and implementation of a strong MEL plan consistent with the donor’s results framework, coordinate the management of data including data quality assurance, monitor the quality and completeness of data sets, contribute to the development of the program and document project performance against established outputs and indicators.

The SI Senior Advisor must have appropriate expertise in M&E related to the use of performance indicators and various research/evaluation methodologies and statistical analysis to help the AFIAT team measure and monitor outcomes and impacts throughout the project/program cycle.

The SI Senior Advisor will support AFIAT in monitoring progress, evaluating effectiveness, disseminating results, and integrating learning. S/he should be familiar with regional development indicators/indexes. S/he will enhance and maintain reporting procedures and guidelines in compliance with donor’s systems.

S/he will also be responsible for building the capacity of in-country MEL staff and stakeholders in data management (including collection, quality assurance, utilization, and dissemination of data) as well as ensuring that all monitoring and data collection activities are harmonized and information is shared.

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITY

Project Responsibilities:

• Support the design and implementation of Project M&E and Learning systems, including the development of logical models, performance framework, indicators and performance management plan (including setting targets), ensuring timely data collection, assuring data quality, managing the project database, performing statistical analyses, monitoring project progress, identifying and sharing lessons learned, writing quarterly and annual reports, and liaising with the project financial team to track the budget in relation to all project results and outcomes.
• Provide technical inputs to the technical team in order to assist in developing program goals and objectives as well as MEL tools and strategies and provide monitoring data and learning digests to strategically inform the decisions on project performance and future direction to the project.
• Support the MOH and other project stakeholders to strengthen health sector MEL frameworks and monitor health system strengthening interventions.
• Provide regularly updated reports on the status of implementation against the project goals and objectives to the Project Director, USAID, and other program managers as required.
• Collaborate with the project team in identifying project activities, processes and/or outcomes that are worthy of documentation, and help the project teams implement systems for capturing lessons learned and best practices.
• Adhere to MSH procurement integrity and institutional standards and procedures in all project management responsibilities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Technical Support in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and HMIS

• Participate in developing the culture of data use for decision making within the organization.
• Develop, manage, and enhance MSH MEL systems and activities, including through the development of standards and guidance, enhancing data use for decision making.
• Provide direct support to selected field projects in MEL and in HMIS throughout the project life cycle, including developing and implementing M&E plans, ensuring data quality, ensuring data use, actively monitoring work plan implementation activities, strengthening the capacity of teams, etc.
• Strategically guide field projects in the areas of MEL/HMIS.
• Actively participates in work planning and budgeting for MEL activities within field projects and at home office.
• Develop DHIS2 instances for MSH home office and for MSH projects to enhance data management.
• Build capacity of MSH staff (in-country and home office) in MEL, and in DHIS2.
• Strengthen the use of DREAM@MSH as a vehicle to strengthen local HMIS.

Technical Lead in Implementation/Operational Research

• Develop capacity of MSH staff in designing, conceptualizing, and conducting implementation and/or operational research (IR/OR) in technical areas of priority and relevance to MSH projects.
• Work with technical teams in developing IR/OR priority agendas for technical areas of relevance to MSH technical groups and projects.
• Work with technical teams and researchers to ensure adherence to MSH’s policy for protection of human subjects participating in applied research conducted by MSH.
• Develop and implement effective dissemination approaches for applied research findings for strengthening their use in project implementation, performance improvement, and evidence-based policy development and implementation.
• Perform statistical analyses (quantitative and qualitative).
• Serve as PI or co-PI for studies.

Business Development

• Provide support to business resource development/proposal teams in designing robust SI and learning approaches that are responsive to programmatic rationale and technical approaches to systematically measure performance and achievement of outcomes throughout the life of the project. This includes development of M&E plans, implementation and/or operational research studies, systematic documentation, data management and quality, and evaluation approaches.

Education:

Required: Master’s Degree in Public Health, Sciences, or Statistics.

Preferred: PhD in a similar field, and/or major in Health Information Systems.

Experience:

Required: At least 8 years of related experience.

Preferred: At least 2 years living and working in an LMIC, ideally in Afghanistan or in a neighboring country.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Sound understanding of the status of SI systems and practices in low and mid income countries (LMICs), and how HIS links with M&E.
• Experience developing, managing, and enhancing SI and learning systems and activities in LMICs throughout the project life cycle, with proven experience to assess and propose development plans and deliver direct technical assistance to strengthen SI teams and systems in LMICs.
• Experience with developing HMIS and MEL sections of project proposals.
• Experience living or working in developing countries to understand program context, field realities, and technical needs.
• Enjoys learning; a team player and a self-starter who can use her/his own initiative to identify useful work.
• Demonstrated ability to lead innovative portfolio in SI and learning and in HMIS, to learn and follow the latest lessons learned concerning SI, learning and HMIS in LMICs.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a challenging work environment (political crisis, instability).
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment, and working under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and solve problems using innovative, evidence-based solutions.

​Skills and Competencies:

• Expertise in Implementation/Operational Research in LMIC (design, IRB approval, data collection, analysis, budgeting, reporting writing, abstracts, papers, etc.)
• Demonstrated knowledge of DHIS2, functionality, configuration, and technical programming.
• Advanced expertise in Excel and MS Office tools.
• Proven skills in statistical package software for quantitative data analysis (SPSS, STATA, R, etc.), and in qualitative data analysis (NVivo, ATLAS. ti, etc.)
• Excellent writing, analytical, organizational and communications skills, including organizing, scanning, summarizing and presenting information.
• Demonstrated time management skills.
• Fluency in English (written and oral) required. Fluency in French or Dari/Pharsi is an asset.
• Highly detail-oriented, meticulous, and consistent in the execution of his/her work.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities at a time.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify areas that need support and constructively come up with solutions to address these.