Technical Specialist / Strategic Health Information Specialist – SHOPS Plus at Abt Associates

Abt Associates – The International Development Division focuses on improving the lives and economic well-being of people in lower and middle-income countries. We command technical expertise in health, agriculture, climate change, food security and governance – as well as in international evaluation. Our multi-layered health portfolio includes policy, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management. In partnership with government clients and local experts, our high-quality programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are known for impact and innovation.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Specialist / Strategic Health Information Specialist – SHOPS Plus Nigeria

Req Id: 61641
Location: Nigeria

Opportunity

Abt Associates seeks a Strategic Health Information Specialist to support USAID’s SHOPS Plus Nigeria TB program in designing and executing evidence-based, strategic plans including the development of digital applications, dashboards, and programmatic processes informed by data to increase TB case detection in Nigeria’s Lagos and Kano states.
SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health. The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in TB, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other priority health areas. In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus focuses on tuberculosis and family planning.
The Strategic Health Information Specialist will support the TB Technical Director in the implementation of the TB program. The TB program increases the availability of quality TB services in the private sector, improving the flow of suspected TB patients into detection and treatment centers, improving the quality of private sector TB services, and strengthening health systems to foster and sustain public private mix models for TB care.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Support the conceptual and technical development of a mobile application (TB STARR, available in Google Play) for clinical providers to screen potential TB patients, and track samples and referrals across facilities
Support the conceptual and technical development of the backend database of the mobile application and the corresponding data portal/dashboard for use by program managers to monitor and evaluate TB service delivery, processes, and reporting
Lead the pilot and scale up of the mobile app and dashboard in clinical facilities and for use by program managers. Troubleshoot issues related the development and use of both products across many different stakeholder levels
Support database development and management of strategic project data/information. This includes:
- Provide quality assurance of the processes and outcomes (intermediary and final) of the dashboards for Key Performance Indicators (KPI), data visualization and analytic platforms to drive and inform program activities and streamline actions required by private providers and program officers for the efficient and optimized functioning of the TB networks of private providers (including clinical practitioners, community pharmacists, private laboratories and proprietary patent medicine vendors). Collaborate with M&E team in ensuring that data collection approach (timing/level of effort/user interface etc) is tailored to the providers’ needs for reporting data
Ensure the program’s information technology is strategically and cost effectively applied to the program’s needs for data reporting to the National and State TB programs and USAID
Advance research, learning, and monitoring and evaluation in the two states to ensure the program is collecting and using data to inform programmatic decisions to ensure cost-effectiveness and high functioning of networks of private providers
Work with the M&E team, finance and administration team, and the technical director in providing data-informed, evidence-based input/feedback to facilitate program design, review, and implementation
Develop data visuals for internal and external audiences
Support program leadership in developing tools and best practices for data integrity
Present on the strategic use of data as necessary (e.g. during trainings, meetings, etc.)
Support documentation, scientific writing, development of abstracts for conferences/meetings and generation of statistical analysis. Support the development of articles for publication. Contribute materials for production of infographics, facts sheets, IECs, and publications.

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

B.Sc. or Master’s Degree in Health Informatics, Data Science, Statistics, Monitoring & Evaluation, or Social Sciences with a focus in technology and data analytics or other relevant study
Minimum 5 years of experience in a related professional space
Health related background and/or in country experience working in the health sector especially the private sector
Broad experience in analytical platforms like Tableau, Qlikview, Power BI, etc User Interface and User Experience design is desirable
Broad experience with programming languages such as Java/Javascript is desireable
Experience in quantitative/statistical research techniques using statistical packages like advanced Excel, STATA, SPSS, and R
Experience with methods and procedures for data acquisition, management and quality control
Excellent communication, presentation and writing skills (examples will be requested)
Ability to work in a highly dynamic team
Ability to work under pressure and with tight timelines
Understanding of the socio-cultural issues in the work environment.