Health Information Systems (HIS) Specialist

Job Description

The Health Information Systems Specialist will support strategic information (SI) services at MSH in M&E, Digital Health and Knowledge Management practice areas. This is an opportunity to contribute to the evidence base of international public health by helping project teams from a global public health organization gain insight into their data to enhance health impact. The incumbent will also have opportunities to learn and apply new data science techniques to a wide range of health-related data sets and to provide technical assistance to special SI initiatives implemented by our field projects

DREAM@MSH (MSH-DHIS2) (50%)

• Design and develop new DHIS2 use-cases and customized features for projects (e.g. dashboards, custom forms, apps, etc.).
• Support system interoperability by mapping integration routes with other DHIS2 instances and external systems.
• Support the maintenance and configuration of MSH’s Essential Thematic Indicators.
• Support MSH field projects with configuration and maintenance of project monitoring indicators in DREAM@MSH and specific DHIS2 instances that MSH projects create with our external clients.

Technical Support for specific MSH projects (10%)

• Provide technical support to projects for survey design, testing and statistical analysis (including techniques such as machine learning and artificial intelligence).
• Provide technical support in data visualization using a variety of data viz tools (e.g. PowerBI, Google Data Studio, QGIS, etc…)
• Provide technical assistance to field projects implementing digital health solutions that support a wide range of interventions. In addition to traditional HIS, this may include use cases such as automation of universal health care (e.g. health insurance), electronic medical records, community health worker service delivery, and advanced data analytics (machine learning/AI).
• Serve as SI liaison for one or more MSH projects to identify project support needs, coordinate SI technical inputs and ensure consistently high quality of work in this domain.

Data Literacy / Capacity Building (10%)

• Support the design and implementation of training in DHIS2 and broader data science skills for MSH staff including home and field offices.
• Build upon and update current DHIS2 learning materials produced for staff.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of eLearning courses on topics related to DHIS2 and digital literacy.
• Work with the DDH and Knowledge Management teams to synthesize best practices and learnings from MSH project implementation of digital solutions and share them across projects through the technical exchange networks (TEN), knowledge exchange fora and Ollie (MSH Intranet).

M & E Routine Support (20%)

• Support Strategic Information advisors and field project staff in routine monitoring and evaluation activities (i.e. reporting, AMELP finalizations, PIRS development, data visualization, analytics, etc)

Support to business development and partnership initiatives (10%)

• Collaborate with business development and project planning teams to design innovative digital health and strategic information strategies and interventions
• Participate in global strategic information-related networks to track and share new digital technologies and identify potential partners that can bring such innovations to our projects.

Education

Required: MA or MPH in a relevant field such as biostatistics, health statistics, public health, or information systems

Experience

Required:

3-6 years of demonstrated experience with current approaches and tools in information management systems, including the use of data to inform decision-making, data analysis, and other strategic information initiatives.

Directly relevant experience with a focus on monitoring and evaluating of international development programs, and in the use of measurement methods required for monitoring and evaluation of public health programs.

Expertice in coding/programming of statistical software packages such as R, SAS, SPSS, or Stata for data analysis and modelling.

Experience designing and implementing facility- and population-based surveys.

Experience facilitating in-person or on-line training in data analysis and use.

Experience with health project level M&E, data analytics, knowledge management, and working as part of an integrated

support team.

Preferred:

Experience living or working in developing countries is highly desirable to understand program context, field realities and technical needs.

Ability to converse in one of MSH primary working languages in addition to English (e.g. French, Spanish, Portuguese).

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles and methods.

Knowledge of key dimensions of data science including use of real-world data, data mining, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Strong English-language writing and presentation skills.

Strong scientific and technical writing skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff, clients, and consultants.

Intermediate to advanced expertise in Excel

Highly organized, detail –oriented, meticulous and

consistent in the execution of their work.Demonstrated organization and time management skills.

Preferred: expertise in DHIS2 configuration and data analysis.: expertise in DHIS2 configuration and data analysis.

Competencies

Demonstrated competence in assessing priorities and managing a variety of activities and stakeholders from various socio-cultural contexts in a time-sensitive environment.

Ability to work independently to complete complex problems using innovative, evidence-based solutions.

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and projects at a time.

Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to

changing work priorities and environment and working

under tight deadlines

Ability to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.

About the Organization

Management Sciences for Health, an international nonprofit organization, is dedicated to closing the gap between what is known and what is done about public health problems. MSH saves lives and improves health by helping public and private organizations throughout the world to effectively manage people, medicines, money, and information. Working from more than 30 country offices and our US headquarters, our staff from 65 nations is highly regarded for its technical expertise, integrity, and commitment to making a lasting difference in health.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is a nonprofit international health organization composed of more than 2,000 people from 73 nations. Their mission is to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health. Together with their partners, they are helping managers and leaders in developing countries to create stronger management systems that improve health services for the greatest health impact.

EXPERTISE

MSH takes an integrated approach to building high-impact sustainable programs that address critical challenges in leadership, health systems management, human resources, and medicines. Simply put, they support stronger health systems for greater health impact.

Their expertise in these areas falls into the broad categories of management functions—for example, leadership and governance or pharmaceutical management—and health areas like tuberculosis or maternal, newborn, and child health. They apply their expertise by

• Partnering with governments, local organizations, and communities in developing nations to build their own capacity for long-term health impact;
• Providing global leadership in critical areas of health management and health care delivery;
• Bringing the best of MSH from around the globe to the people we serve, working as One MSH with a focus on lasting health system improvements.

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Leadership, Governance, & Management

They work with in-country partners to build stronger health systems to improve:

• the management and leadership of priority health programs, health organizations, and multisectoral partnerships such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, developing a critical mass of managers at all levels of the health system who can lead and inspire teams to achieve results;
  
• the management systems of health organizations in the public and private sector, transferring practical approaches and skills to ensure that management structures contribute to sustainable organizational success;
  
• the governance and management of health organizations and multisectoral partnerships, facilitating change and transferring knowledge to enable organizations to administer their resources efficiently and scale up their services.

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Health Service Delivery

MSH combines extensive public health expertise, proven service delivery approaches, and evidence-based interventions in five critical areas:

• HIV & AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Maternal, newborn, and child health
• Family planning and reproductive health
• Other communicable diseases, including malaria and pandemic and avian influenza

Human Resources for Health

MSH helps governments develop multisectoral strategies and policies to plan and manage their health workforces. We use a comprehensive approach that addresses all the facets of human resources for health needed to achieve an adequate supply of well-trained and motivated health workers. MSH offers capabilities in leadership, human resource management, education, partnerships, policy, and finance to achieve these goals.

Pharmaceutical Management

Vital to our success is a participatory approach to project design and implementation, which cultivates broad-based support from all stakeholders. We also build and improve infrastructure and local capacity to effectively purchase, store, deliver, and use quality essential medicines.

Health Care Financing

MSH helps governments and NGOs assess their current financial situation and systems, understand service costs, and develop initiatives to use existing funds more effectively and generate additional revenue—all with the goal of supporting a nation’s health priorities.

Health Information

MSH has developed proven methods for rapidly strengthening the analysis and use of existing health data—normally at the province, district, and facility levels—without revising existing recording and reporting requirements. With an emphasis on learning through action, district teams undertake assessments of health services, identify gaps in performance, and design solutions to support better decision-making and, therefore, better management of improved services.

MSH has worked closely with the Health Metrics Network of the WHO to develop a comprehensive approach for enhancing the performance of health information systems and data by employing a practical, strategic planning process that can be carried out by national working groups.