Vacant Position Advertisement: USAID/Mali Health Office Project Management (Malaria Data) Specialist
REF No.: 72068821R10001 (must be inserted in the subject line of the email)
GRADE LEVEL: FCFA 21,897,069 TO FCFA 33,940,461 equivalent to FSN-11. The incumbent will be compensated in accordance with the U.S. Mission Mali’s Local Compensation Plan (LCP). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
BASIC FUNCTION:
The goal of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is to reduce malaria-related mortality by fifty percent (50%) across a number of high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere, through rapid scale-up of proven and highly effective malaria prevention and treatment measures. Success requires participating countries, and their partners, to deploy the right resources at the right place and at the right time, through more accurate insights from existing data, and accelerating the data-to-action cycle. PMI has launched a new country quarterly reporting process to ensure operational decision-making at the country level is based on timely and granular program-relevant data, through the use of the “PMI MDIVE Platform,” which includes analytic tools to facilitate the use of relevant datasets, including visualizations of epidemiological, supply chain, entomological, demographic, programmatic, and financial data. As such, PMI has required all countries receiving PMI funding to add a Malaria Data Specialist to the Health staff to support surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, the strengthening of malaria-related data systems, and the building institutional capacity within Ministries of Health and National Malaria Control Programs to improve data quality and use.
The USAID Project Management Specialist (Malaria Data Management) (the “Specialist”) leads the effort to strengthen malaria-related data systems, and efforts to build institutional capacity within Ministries of Health and National Malaria Control Programs. The Specialist provides leadership and guidance to data-related malaria control programs/projects/activities in coordination with USAID, USG, implementing partners (IPs), appropriate host-country ministries and the private sector. The Specialist provides technical advice on data collection, analysis, and use, reflecting best practices designed to improve data quality and use, and ultimately advance to malaria prevention, control, and elimination. The Specialist administers and monitors malaria data systems and is responsible for data collection and analysis and provides guidance and leadership in the strategic use of data for informed decision making. In addition, the Specialist serves as a Contracting/Agreement Officer’s Representative (C/AOR) or Activity Manager (AM) for malaria data systems related programs.
NB: This is a Standard Position Description (SPD), designed for use in multiple locations.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Performance Management – 35%
- Leads the development and implementation of strategies to improve malaria data quality and data sharing, while establishing a culture of data-informed resource allocation within the host-country malaria control program in the Ministry of Health (MoH).
- Provides technical guidance to the host-country malaria control program, in order to build capacity in the conceptualization, development, design, administration, and monitoring of various information systems necessary for malaria control, including for malaria case management, vector control, and the supply chain of malaria commodities.
- Advises the supervisor, Office Chief, Mission Director and Deputy Mission Director, and others on local matters of importance to data quality, use, and transformation efforts, and providing oversight of IP programs.
- Provides guidance to other Mission colleagues, USG offices, and with IPs in the areas of data collection and use, and host-country malaria data systems.
- Provides technical expertise to other USAID/Mission Health Office staff in their performance monitoring, efforts as they relate to malaria program activities, including reviewing and providing technical feedback on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plans submitted by PMI-funded IPs.
- Liaises with PMI backstops, and with Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation (SM&E) and Data Integration Teams in USAID/Washington and at CDC/Atlanta, and Mission staff overseeing PMI activities.
- Ensures that performance monitoring systems are in place, and that periodic, reliable measures and indicators of portfolio impact are established; and, collects and monitors malaria-program related performance data on an ongoing basis.
- Contributes to performance monitoring reviews and reports, PMI reporting requirements, Portfolio Reviews, the annual Performance Plan and Report, as well as other reporting requirements.
- Facilitates the negotiation of data-sharing agreements between the Mission and relevant host-government institutions, including the MoH and others.
Data Management – 35%
- Provides technical leadership to all areas of data management, including ensuring appropriate data collection (manual and automated), inventorying, and cataloguing in the PMI data platform, for all malaria-related datasets (e.g., financial, programmatic, epidemiological, entomological, supply chain, demographic).
- Designs, facilitates, and promotes efficient means to collect, organize, clean, store, analyze, and share disparate, complex datasets, with attention to security and confidentiality, and with sensitivity to the country context.
- Applies sound data science principles and methods to objectively and systematically track changes, and to measure progress towards national targets for malaria control in the host country.
- Conducts rigorous analysis of data from a variety of sources to locate implementation obstacles and opportunities, and to employ cutting-edge approaches and tools to generate visualizations.
- Facilitates the establishment and institutionalization of data use processes, with a focus on reducing the time in the information-to-decision cycle.
- Conducts data quality assessments on key performance indicators included in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plans for PMI-funded IPs, as required under USAID policy (ADS 200).
- Trains and mentors the host-country and Mission colleagues in data analysis and visualization.
Program/Project/Activity Management – 30%
- Serves as a COR/AOR or Activity Manager (AM) for malaria data systems strengthening related projects, with responsibility for providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results, and are linked to and enhance attainment of the Health Office, Mission and USG objectives.
- Conduct site visits as required in order to monitor progress, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of USG funding.
To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants MUST meet the minimum qualifications below and ONLY preselected candidates will be contacted:
All Malian Citizens and Local Residents with a valid work permit at the time of application.
Education: The work requires a Master’s Degree or host-country equivalent in a statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, health informatics, public health, infectious disease, zoonotic disease, biology or other quantitative discipline.
Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience, with a focus on data collection and analysis in the area of malaria-related public health is required. Demonstrated experience in the programming of malaria data-collection and data-quality programs/projects/activities. This experience must demonstrate that the Specialist has strong public health and applied data science skills. The Specialist must have demonstrated technical leadership in data systems as they relate to malaria prevention and control, program management, planning, policy development, and problem-solving skills while working in a sensitive environment.
Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent proficiency) in English, and in French, both written and spoken, is required. Language competence may be tested.
Job Knowledge: The Specialist must have in-depth professional-level knowledge of techniques and approaches for gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and conducting surveillance of data, as well as using this information to drive decision making. The Specialist must have knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to malaria prevention, control, and elimination activities in the host country and/or region, and the problems and policies in the host country from the business, political, civil society, and social perspectives. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the host country; development problems in the health sector in the host country and the region; an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the host country and the region. Working knowledge USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to malaria assistance, of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the host government, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program/project/activity strategy and implementation.
Skills and Abilities: The Specialist must have the ability to facilitate and link culturally appropriate malaria assessments and related issues to other health and related programs, such as food security, water, sanitation, and hygiene; and, be able to use this data for decision making. Ability to provide technical leadership in malaria data collections; and apply this ability to programming in the host country and the region. The Specialist must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills. Excellent communication skills both writing and speaking, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to clients with nontechnical background are required. This role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations in order to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Excellent computer and software skills including ability to manage large amounts of data in excel, SPSS, STATA, R and/or other analytical databases, and the ability to help others and to learn new programs quickly, is required.
SELECTION FACTORS:
To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications noted above. For applicants meeting the minimum qualifications, further consideration and selection will be based on panel assessment of the selection factors listed below.
- Education 10 points
- Prior Work Experience 35 points
- Language Proficiency 10 points
- Knowledge 10 points
- Skills and Abilities 35 points
Applicants are required to address each of the selection criteria on a separate sheet describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education, and/or awards or recognition they have received relevant to each criteria described above, and any related considerations.
Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.
For detailed minimum requirements, applicants must refer to the Full Statement of duties and the qualification requirements available on https://www.usaid.gov/mali/work-with-us/careers or https://ml.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/
TO APPLY:
All cv/resume and cover letter must be in English; otherwise application package will be considered incomplete and will be rejected. All the hiring process will be conducted in English, including interviews and any eventual proficiency written test.
Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Interested candidates for this position must submit the following required documents:
- A Cover Letter of no more than three (3) pages describing how the incumbent’s skills and experience fit the requirements of the subject position.
- A Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) relevant to the position for which the applicant is applying.
- Applicants are required to provide three (3) to five (5) Professional References with complete contact information including email address and telephone numbers. References should have knowledge of the candidate’s ability to perform the duties set forth in the application and must not be family members or relatives.
- Copies of Degrees/Diplomas, any other Academic Transcripts, and any Employment Proof (Certificates and/or “Attestations/Certificats de Travail”), Recommendation Letters, etc.
- Applicants must provide their Full Mailing Address with Telephone, Email Address and should retain for their records copies of all enclosures that accompany their submissions.
Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified, and submitted to the Point of Contact – Human Resources Management Section: bamakohrmvacancies@usaid.gov.
SUBMIT APPLICATION:
Indicate the Vacancy Reference Number: 72068821R10001 in the subject line of your email. If this is not properly indicated your submission would NOT be retrieved.
Email Human Resources Management Section: bamakohrmvacancies@usaid.gov with the above reference in the subject line.