Information Management Systems (IMS) Officer, Equatorial Guinea

This position is a combination of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Health Information Systems (HIS) officer position previously existing during the former BIMCP. The Information Management Systems (IMS) Officer is responsible for overseeing and managing the BIMEP monitoring and evaluation component, in collaboration with:

a) The National HIS Officer to manage the DHIS2/National Health Information System

b) The National Operations/GIS Officer, who is responsible for managing the project’s GIS database and providing support to all of BIMEP’s field operations in the use of georeferenced data for planning, implementation, and M&E.

c) The BIMEP M&E Officer, who is responsible for managing the project’s M&E systems for managing and implementing field level activities for malaria control on Bioko Island.

d) The BIMEP Malaria Coordinator, who is responsible for designing the BIMEP’s entomological monitoring activities, and the National Entomology Officer, who is responsible for the implementation of the entomological monitoring systems.

e) The BIMEP Case Management Officer, who is responsible for the BIMEP’s malaria diagnosis and treatment activities, and engaging with the DHIS2 data for decision making and feedback to the EG MOH and corresponding health facilities.

The IMS Officer will coordinate the BIMEP’s management, maintenance, and deployment of the DHIS2 system for data collection of patient register data within the Equatorial Guinea health system. The IMS will work closely with the National HIS Officer for the BIMEP in ensuring the patient data is collected from all government health facilities, and entered within the DHIS2, while ensuring that the data from these systems are clean and properly formatted. The IMS Officer will also facilitate the production of key performance indicators, the analysis of data for decision-making, and training of national staff from the Project and the MOHSW/NMCP on the use of these data for decision-making, particularly with the National Director of the Health Information System at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The IMS Officer will coordinate and support the work of the National Operations/GIS Officer to ensure the GIS system is working efficiently, and is being updated regularly per the project’s needs for malaria elimination on Bioko Island. Additionally, the IMS Officer will provide direct technical backstopping to the National Operations/GIS Officer in establishing the work plans for the component, while continuing to teach and transfer technical know-how-to to the GIS Managers in Equatorial Guinea.

The IMS Officer will work closely with the BIMEP Senior Program Manager and the BIMEP Statistician/Data Analyst at the Home Office to elaborate work plans, and to plan for the enhancement of the DHIS2 system deployed in Equatorial Guinea.

The IMS Officer will work collaboratively with the Home Office Project Officer, and the technical assistance team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Texas A&M University. The IMS Officer will work with all BIMEP staff members in a collaborative manner and will promote a collegial and participatory approach to project management and implementation, seeking to ensure that program objectives are achieved in the most effective and efficient manner possible

Essential Job Functions

The specific responsibilities of this position will include, inter alia:

Lead the implementation of the DHIS2 in Equatorial Guinea

1. As administrator of the DHIS2 in Equatorial Guinea, the Information Management Systems (IMS) Officer will:

a. Develop a work plan and budget for the implementation of the DHIS2

b. Directly supervise the National Health Information Systems Officer from the BIMEP, and through him the data entry team.

c. Supervise routine data collection of patient registers at the health facilities. Through this process, the IMS Officer will look to strengthen and improve the data collection process at the health facilities.

d. Supervise routine data entry of patient registers at the MOHSW and BIMEP offices.

e. Supervise quality control of the data entered into the DHIS2.

f. Lead the geo-spatial and administrative maintenance of the DHIS2.

g. In coordination with the BIMEP Malaria Coordinator, develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), guidelines, and/or manuals required to efficiently organize the BIMEP data management activities.

h. Manage the day to day operational issues of the implementation of DHIS2.

1. Develop, review, and program malaria core indicators within the DHIS2

a. Review existing indicators and dashboards for the malaria module within the DHIS2.

b. Modify existing indicators and dashboards where necessary.

c. Add or expand indicators and dashboards as defined in previous tasks within JIRA for the implementation of the DHIS2.

d. Add or expand indicators and dashboards as needed through the input of the BIMEP Case Management Officer, Deputy Country Director, Country Director and EG Program Manager.

1. Develop and Program aggregate level forms for data entry into the DHIS2

a. As the system may expand into the mainland, it will be necessary for the IMS Officer, in coordination with the BIMEP Senior Program Manager at the Home Office, to develop and program new data entry forms to cater for aggregate level data entry for existing patient registers.

b. As the system may expand into other Program areas within the MOHSW, it will be necessary for the IMS Officer, in coordination with BIMEP Senior Program Manager, to develop and program new data entry forms to cater for aggregate level data entry for patient registers not included within the DHIS2.

1. Develop, review, and program non-malaria core indicators and dashboards for MOSHW programs within the DHIS2

a. In coordination with BIMEP Senior Program Manager, IMS Officer will develop indicators and dashboards for non-malaria program areas at the MOHSW.

1. Participate in review meetings with MCDI’s Home Office focusing on the implementation of the DHIS2

a. As agreed with the BIMEP Senior Program Manager, the IMS Officer will lead and participate weekly or bi-weekly discussions about the implementation of the DHIS2 in Equatorial Guinea.

1. Develop action item plan for the programming team at BAO systems (programmers of the DHIS2 instance currently deployed in Equatorial Guinea), as needed.

Provide Technical Backstopping of the GIS Mapping System

1. Review the work plans and work flow for the GIS component at the BIMEP to ensure it aligns with project activities, and technical standards previously set by the BIMEP GIS/OPS Officer.

2. Support the BIMEP National Operations/GIS Officer in technical areas related to the management and updating of the BIMEP mapping system to ensure the database is up-to-date, area-specific maps of houses and households are ready for use for different project activities, including indoor residual spraying rounds, LLIN distribution rounds/activities, larval source management, case surveillance, the annual parasite prevalence survey, and vaccine-related activities among others.

3. Provide on the job training for the BIMEP National Operations/GIS Officer to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of activities without technical problems.

Support Vaccine activities in:

1. Planning and supporting the implementation of a Phase 3 clinical trial in the use of geo-spatial data to inform the selection of clusters for recruitment of volunteers, and operational deployment.

Capacity Building

1. Provide on-the-job training and mentoring to the BIMEP National Health Information Systems Officer in the use and implementation of the DHIS2, data analysis, report writing, presentations, and other tasks as needed.

2. Provide on-the-job training and mentoring to the MOHSW Director for the National Health Information System in the use and implementation of the DHIS2, data analysis, report writing, presentations, and other tasks as needed.

3. Assist the BIMEP National Health Information Systems Officer in conducting trainings on the DHIS2 for MOHSW staff, health practitioners, and BIMEP Component Managers.

4. Support the online distance training of BIMEP National staff, particularly those staff within the BIMEP GIS and DHIS components.

5. Preparing, participating, and assisting staff with presentations for meetings/conferences in Equatorial and Overseas.

6. Assist BIMEP personnel in the development and submission of Abstracts, posters and presentations for meeting.

7. Provide on-the-job training to the NMCP at the MOHSW in the use of the DHIS2 for decision making.

8. As needed, through the SNIS Office and NMCP at the MOHSW, provide on-the-job training to Senior Management staff at the MOHSW in the use of the DHIS2 for decision making.

Professional development

1. Participate in local and international meetings to stay current with new development in the HIS field.

2. Participate in online courses (either related or not to HIS and GIS) in order to improve managerial and leadership skills.

CIMS Support development

1. Provide field level technical support for the development, field-testing and deployment of the Campaign Information Management System (CIMS) as needed.

2. Participate in CIMS development meetings with the CIMS developing team and MCDI’s EG Program Manager.

3. Assisting in developing and field testing of ODK add-ons to the Campaign Information Management System (CIMS) software to ensure that data are collected on implementation coverage on a household/spatial basis as needed.

Operational backstopping

1. Provide data analysis, data management, and reporting as needed.

2. Produce maps (printed and/or digital formats) for staff presentations, quarterly reports, and any other maps needed to assist MCDI and MOHSW

3. Supporting the M&E Officer in supporting various M&E Systems as needed.

4. Preparing project progress reports, briefings and other documents as needed.

5. Participating in the writing of scientific papers pertaining to project activities.

6. Other data related tasks as assigned by the Country Director, Deputy Country Director, and EG Program Manager as needed.

Reporting

1. Contributing to the preparation of a BIMEP Quarterly Progress Report to be submitted in English to the BIMEP donors. Reviewing and approving the content submitted by in-country technical and management teams, and preparing and signing-off on a draft for review and finalization by the MCDI home office. The final report will be prepared and submitted by the home office.

2. Assisting as required in the preparation of presentations for national, regional and international technical meetings.

3. Assisting in the preparation of bulletins, news releases, and analyses of Project performance as required.

4. Updating information on progress vis-à-vis tasks in employee’s JIRA task folder.

Case Management

1. Support the BIMEP M&E Officer to ensure Case Management field activities are in alignment with the BIMEP’s M&E data collection requirements, policies, and guidelines (i.e. Data collected in the CIMS, etc.).

2. Develop data collection tools within the DHIS2 for the Case Management component as required.

3. Support the BIMEP Case Management Officer in data analysis related to the component, and/or ad-hoc analysis for decision making.

Other duties

1. Performing other activities / duties, as determined and agreed to by or with the MCDI home office.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

· Master of Science in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Stastics, Population Health, and/or Public Health related field.

· Fluent oral and written Spanish, good knowledge of English; knowledge of French would be an additional asset.

· Monitoring and Evaluation Professional with health program M&E work experience in developing countries;

· Extensive experience in data processing and database management (from data capturing to data analysis for decision-making). This should include high level knowledge in the use of database management software (e.g. preferably, MS Access, SQL-Server and/or other), SQL, MS Excel, and data analysis software (e.g. STATA, SPSS, EPI Info, and/or other).

· Experience in managing and/or working with information systems in at least one of the following areas: health information, drug supplies management, and/or Indoor Residual Spraying or other disease control intervention services.

· Established track record in monitoring and evaluation of health programs, preferably malaria control or other infectious diseases, in a developing country setting.

· Experience in implementing / managing household surveys (preferably malaria indicator surveys), including training and supervision of enumerators, processing and cleaning of data, merging datasets, and basic data analysis.

· Experience in teaching monitoring and evaluation, database management, data analysis using the software identified above.

· Good interpersonal skills, team player, able to work under stress. Sensitivity to the concerns of the developing world and able to work with local and national authorities and community-based providers from different cultural backgrounds.

· Experience with data analysis, technical report writing, and preparing scientific publications. Experience in producing articles for peer-reviewed journals.