Senior Strategic Information Advisor - Epidemiologist

Job Description

BACKGROUND

The Office of Health and HIV (OHH) is USAID/Uganda’s largest technical office with more than 70 staff positions and over $310 million in program funding. Currently, OHH is divided into six technical units: Health Systems Strengthening, HIV & Tuberculosis, U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Family Health, Global Health Security and Emerging Pandemic Threats, and Strategic Information. OHH manages a wide array of programs, many of which are integrated in design. Each element of the portfolio contributes to country-led health program approaches that focus on integration of services; leveraging host country and other donor investments; strengthening health systems; a focus on women and girls; improved evaluation and innovation to promote adapting and learning; and science and technology.

The Strategic Information Unit collects and analyzes data and information related to each of the technical units; advises OHH on program monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning (MERL); guides and coordinates the MERL work of over 50 implementing partners (IPs); supports the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with strategic information for planning and implementation; and advises and supports the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Uganda’s health management information system.

OBJECTIVE

The Senior Advisor serves as a technical subject matter expert on MERL and strategic information and plays a key role in supporting cross-cutting activities with Strategic Information Unit staff, other OHH team members, IPs, and host country and other stakeholders. S/he advises the Mission and other stakeholders, including the MOH and health development partners, on best practices and participates in relevant sector-wide technical working groups. The Senior Advisor plays a critical role in mentoring and guiding Strategic Information and other OHH staff, USG interagency colleagues, IPs, and host country and other stakeholders to build their capacity to use strategic information for evidence-based decision making.

DUTIES/MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Advisor will provide technical assistance to OHH and other USAID staff, USG interagency colleagues, IPs, the MOH, and other collaborating partners in the development, coordination, and evaluation of health management information systems that encompass a variety of data components beyond epidemiology and service utilization statistics. The Senior Advisor will provide leadership on the harmonization and alignment of USAID’s project-supported information systems/databases with the MOH’s health information systems.

The Senior Advisor is responsible for providing technical direction and expertise to the Strategic Information Unit, including coaching and mentoring staff to build their skills, and performing quality assurance reviews of their work products to ensure the accuracy of data and the utility of their analyses. The Senior Advisor is actively involved in the planning, design, monitoring, implementation, and evaluation of OHH awards and plays a critical role in coordination of all components of strategic information under the OHH portfolio, such as analysis of progress and project design for inclusion in the annual PEPFAR Country Operational Plan, USAID/Uganda’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy and Performance Management Plan, PEPFAR Oversight and Accountability Review Team reviews, and other planning and reporting documents and processes.

The Senior Advisor maintains highly collaborative interagency relationships and ensures that data generated by program monitoring and other strategic information systems are of high quality and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy, and program evaluation. The Senior Advisor represents USAID within multiple technical working groups, and maintains collaborative working relationships with host government officials, donors, USG agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

REQUIREMENTS

Education

Master’s Degree in epidemiology, public health, demography, statistics, or other field related to strategic information in international development and/or public health.

PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience gathering, synthesizing, analyzing, and managing strategic information to facilitate evidence-based program planning and management.
• At least three of those years must include progressively responsible experience providing effective strategic information and/or monitoring and evaluation oversight and senior-level advisory services to international development activities, including those involving proactive decision making on financial and human resources by cooperating partners and contractors.

COMPETENCIES

• Strong ability to analyze and interpret data from an array of sources and translate into analyses, graphics, and reports that are easily understood by audiences with varying strategic information technical ability.
• Skill in applying data analysis and research findings to conceptualizing programs, policies, and plans and in developing strategies for their management and implementation.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative data collection and analytical skills and advanced data visualization and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art approaches to strengthen strategic information and monitoring and evaluation systems, in both the public and private sectors.
• Skills in health and/or PEPFAR program monitoring, evaluation, informatics, reporting and data management, information systems, and implementation science/operations research.
• Skills in epidemiology and/or familiarity with methodologies for conducting epidemiological investigations, surveillance, and descriptive or analytical studies.

Access detailed solicitation document SOL-72061722R00009(0001) at: SAM.gov or send an email to EXO and HR Specialist at: kampalausaidjobs@usaid.gov

DEADLINE: October 21, 2022