Technical Advisor: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research – Global Health

Posted: 3/13/2018 (Employment)

The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) is a center in the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health that works in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco. I-TECH has projects in more than 20 countries, and its worldwide staff work with local ministries of health, universities, non-governmental organizations, medical facilities, and other partners to support efficient, well-ordered health care systems that provide high quality care to all citizens.

I-TECH Malawi provides technical assistance to the Malawi Ministry of Health (MOH) and partners to support health systems strengthening initiatives. I-TECH Malawi is partnering with the Lighthouse Trust, a Malawian Public Trust, in order to strengthen staff capacity to consistently monitor and evaluate program implementation, and conduct collaborative operations research and epidemiologic analyses that build on routine and non-routine data collection. The ability of the Lighthouse Trust to lead such research will support clinical programs and the translation of pilot studies into evidence based practice for patients on long life antiretroviral therapy in active care.

I-TECH has an outstanding opportunity for a full-time Technical Advisor –Monitoring, Evaluation and Research.

The Technical Advisor (TA) – Monitoring, Evaluation and Research, will be seconded to Lighthouse Trust and will  work to systematically build the skills of Lighthouse Trust staff to identify, design, implement and report on clinical and program oriented operations research that addresses gaps in the provision of quality care for integrated HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care in the public sector in Malawi. Mentorship and capacity building is expected in the areas of project performance assessment, program level data analysis, research methods, and technical writing and reporting.

The Technical Advisor will functionally report to the Executive Director of the Lighthouse Trust clinic in addition to their University of Washington I-TECH direct report, represented in Malawi by the Country Representative. The Technical Advisor will serve as a liaison between the Lighthouse Trust, the MOH Department of HIV and AIDS, other I-TECH TAs. The TA will be a link to other University of Washington academic resources, including faculty mentorship, partnership on collaborative grant proposals, distance learning, and institutional support. This position will also work closely with counterparts in the Ministry of Health’s Department of HIV and AIDS, Public Health Institute of Malawi, and National Tuberculosis Program to translate best practices from the Lighthouse Trust to HIV treatment clinics nationally.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Capacity Building and Mentoring:

• Mentor clinical staff and data team members in program monitoring and evaluation, study design, epidemiologic analyses, technical writing/reporting, ethical review processes and manuscript preparation
• Provide guidance in outcome measurement, target setting, and data quality assessment and validation
• Advise in best data management practices including development of SOPs and database management
• Provide strategic leadership in evidence-based quality improvement of integrated service provision including TB/HIV and sexual and reproductive healthConduct Operations Research and Impact Evaluations:
• Participate in planning, implementing and reporting on program activities
• Support the M&E team to track progress against targets; analyze data sets and make recommendations for enhanced program planning, coordination, and management of treatment and prevention services
• Guide the development and implementation of research protocols in partnership with the Lighthouse Research Committee
• Provide scientific guidance to study design, including development of study protocols and ethical review processes, coordination with local and international key stakeholders, data analysis and manuscript preparation
• Collaborate with partners in development of newly funded research initiatives
• Recommend clinical program areas that would benefit from further evaluation and/or operational research to the Lighthouse Trust management teamDissemination:
• Respond to both internal and external ad hoc requests for information, provide data for briefing documents, sites visits and other Team information requests
• Communicate outcomes and recommendations to internal and external partners, prepare and present monitoring and evaluation data to a wide variety of audiences
• Support the Lighthouse Trust clinic in disseminating key findings, lessons learned and best practices locally and internationally via conferences, presentations, technical reports, and peer reviewed publicationsCollaboration:
• Support the scale-up of proven interventions and integrated care models, through partnership with other PEPFAR implementing partners and departments within MOH:
  – Department of HIV and AIDS: advocate for translation of best practices into national implementation guidelines;
  – National Tuberculosis Program: develop, evaluate and champion national TB/HIV integration models;
  – Department of Planning and Policy Development, including Central Monitoring and Evaluation Division: inform the interoperability of various health systems, validation of data entered and reports generated, and use of reports generated to inform decisions
  – National AIDS Commission: translate best practices to policy development and contribute to the technical working groups.
  – Quality Management Unit: inform the development national quality management strategies and dissemination of lessons learned
• Support the M&E team at the Lighthouse Trust clinic to provide M&E and operational research support to the national HIV and AIDS programs
• Participate in the MOH, HIV and AIDS Department quarterly operational research meeting focusing on the biomedical HIV response.
• Participate in the national supportive supervision visits to ART clinics, conducted quarterly by the Ministry of Health HIV and AIDS Department, and provide mentoring on effective use of M&E systems and routinizing M&E proceduresAs a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for four consecutive years.

  As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.  For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

  REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s in epidemiology, or related field, with strong quantitative research methods skills and a minimum of 5 years of experience in public health research including designing and implementing evaluation activities and operational research in HIV programsRequired knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Expertise in implementation science methodology
• Strong clinical epidemiology skills and experience with analyses of longitudinal data
• Data management expertise including database management, quality assurance, analysis reporting and standard operating procedures
• Expertise in quality improvement and applied knowledge of qualitative research, preferred
• Proven track record in working in HIV related programs in resource limited settings, preferably in Africa
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge and skills through training and mentoring
• Proficiency in statistical software such as STATA, SAS or SPSS
• Strong writing skills, including writing of reports, proposals and scientific manuscripts
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment
• High degree of diplomacy, cultural competency and ability to function in a team based environment
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge and skills through training and mentoring
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Excellent computer skills
• Strong interpersonal skills

 

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Location: University of Washington