Global Fund Biostatistician Grant Jobs – Ministry of Health

Job Title:  Biostatistician
Organisation: Ministry of
Health
Funding Source: Global Fund
Reports to: Assistant
Commissioner Health Services/Resource Centre (ACHS/RC)
About US:
The Government
of the Republic of Uganda under the Ministry of Health has received funding
from the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to support
among other things recruitment of key staff to assist in improvement of the
Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) grant performance. The goals of the Health
Systems Strengthening grant are to:
·        
Strengthen the Procurement and Supply Management
(PSM) system
·        
Support improvements in the Management Information
Systems and Monitoring and          
·        
Support community involvement in the delivery of
health services
Additionally,
the National TB and Leprosy Program (NTLP) is under the department of the
National Disease Control (NDC) in the Ministry of Health. NTLP’s overall
functions are to establish country wide quality diagnosis and treatment
services for TB and Leprosy and to coordinate the implementation of TB and
Leprosy control activities. Under the National Program is a National TB
Reference Laboratory whose functions are; to provide technical guidance to all
TB diagnostic facilities and standardization of Laboratory TB and Leprosy provide
technical supervision and training of laboratory staff on TB and Leprosy
Diagnosis Techniques, Confirmation of drug resistant TB and provide follow up
culture and drug susceptible tests as a national referral facility. It also supports
coordinated drug resistant TB surveillance and technical support roll out of
new laboratory technologies and support their uptake and utilization. It also
carries out operational research activities.
Job Summary:  The Biostatistician will take overall
responsibility of the supervision and guidance of ACHS/RC. The Biostatistician
will be responsible for providing day-to-day technical assistance to the RC
division in implementing and monitoring the quality and functionality of
national health information systems, provision of data for the annual health
sector report, preparing work plans for the Resource Centre. This will include
developing and implementing regular data validation and quality assessments
activities. Furthermore, the Biostatistician will play a pivotal role in
ensuring that the Resource centre statistical activities are well documented
and reported in a results-based manner. The Biostatistician will work closely
with other Departmental/Technical Program Statisticians along with RPMTs and District
staff to ensure statistics requirements are fulfilled and the statistics
Frameworks are reported on timely and are complete.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
1.
Support the Resource Centre Division;
·        
Actively participate in ensuring that the national
health data collection tools are updated and integrated
·        
Oversee the design and dissemination of data
collection tools for various activities
·        
Participate in ensuring coordination of the
customization of data sets into the electronic systems
·        
Participate in the coordination of HMIS Stakeholders
including implementing Partners involved in the delivery of information
services
·        
Ensure regular feedback to data producers and other
stakeholders
·        
Maintain updated and relevant dashboards and other
electronic data sharing mechanisms
·        
Follow-up various action centers as proof of use of
data for action
·        
Take part in the development of a performance score
card for Implementing Partners, MoH Technical Programs and Local Governments in
as far the national health information system is concerned
·        
Manages the updating of Indicator Meta Data
Dictionary and dissemination for the Ministry of Health Data
·        
Technically support data quality assessments, demand
and use at all levels
·        
Strengthen data management at all levels (timely, reliable
and complete data sets)
·        
Actively participate in support supervision and
training of districts health workers
·        
Provides accurate and timely answers to routine
questions from clients
·        
Produce all materials for dissemination for
scrutinizing by ACHS/RC before uploading on the MOH Website through the
Resource Centre Link: www.health. go.ug/HMIS. Materials include among others:
Standard Operating Procedures for handling HMIS data, Statistical Abstracts,
Indicator Manuals
·        
Carry out appropriate statistical analysis and
present summary data in logical manner on quarterly and annual basis
·        
Provide support supervision
·Conduct
quarterly data validation and quality assessments activities
·        
Production of outputs from the DHIS2 like the
production of the Annual Health Sector Performance Reports, Production of the
Annual MOH Statistical Abstracts, Monthly HMIS Brochures
2.
Provide the Division with technical and strategic oversight for GF
implementation workplan:
Work with the FCO, PD and HCSS coordinator to ensure
proper interpretation of the grant letters and fund release budgets in coming
up with the in-country grant implementation work plans; this includes proper
interpretation of the GF Budgets through quality assurance of requisitions to
prevent risky consequences, track fund absorption (through monitoring
absorption at the SDAs) and anticipate tides ahead and advise on speed of
implementation.
·        
Conduct evaluation of the eHMIS implementation on an
annual basis
·        
Support the reporting to the Global Fund HCSS Grant
implementation activities
·        
Regularly report on progress both qualitatively and
quantitatively according to the annual work plans and log frame focusing on the
achievement of the following results:
·        
Work collaboratively with MoH/RC responsible
officers on the preparation of M&E plans at the field level and recommend
corrective action, if any, to streamline the process
·        
Ensure the timely submission of required reports by
Ministry of Health Resource Centre under the overall guidance of the ACHS/RC
·        
Support the identification and documentation of
links, synergies, lessons learnt and best practices that can be useful in the
institutional learning process and increasing the results of the project
·        
Support and work with other program Information
specialists to conduct the HMIS systems strengthening review in collaboration
with other partners such as Academia, WHO and other key stakeholders. This will
be conducted using the WHO Global Survey tool on eHealth
3.
Supports efforts to strengthen the national HMIS system and ensure one
information and M & E Plan at all levels:
·        
Support the continuous monitoring, review and
evaluation of HMIS programs and make field visits together to conduct
qualitative and quantitative checks to obtain feedback
·        
Ensure the production of data utilized for
MoHMid-term, quarterly and end of year annual performance reviews
·        
Make timely submission of RC reports and assists
with data entry, and the preparation of charts, graphs, and progress reports.
·        
Conduct impact evaluation of DHIS2 implementation at
national and district level in collaboration with partner arrangements with
support from other in country partners
·        
Establish and maintain regular dialogue with key
national partners involved in HMIS, including surveys and data collection
·        
Coordinates regular updating of mapping of GF
support to national HMIS
·        
Ensures Program knowledge management and capacity
development on results- based management:
·        
Responsible for the preparation of quarterly and
annual programmatic progress updates on program based on GF requirements
·        
Ensures training and other capacity development
initiatives to strengthen program and district capacity in results-based
management, monitoring and evaluation
·        
Actively facilitates strategic information sharing
across departments, sub national levels and sectors related to GF support
·        
Ensures development and updating of databases with
pertinent program data and reports, evaluations, etc.
·        
Perform other duties assigned by the Assistant
Commissioner Health Services/ RC
Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 
·        
The applicant must hold a Master’s Degree in
Biostatistics or in a related field from a recognized University/Institution
·        
A minimum of ten years of previous working
experience in manipulating large databases in the health Sector
·        
Broad knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of
the functioning of the decentralized health service delivery system; the
effects of day to day decisions on the functionality of the health systems at
all levels, as well as use of system approaches in “causality and attribution”
of performance situations
·        
Previous experience in results-based programme
management and complex level health information systems
·        
Working knowledge of GF standards for results-based
management and performance based reporting
·        
Prior exposure and experience in supporting capacity
development of national HMIS systems, including surveys
·        
Working knowledge and training in DHIS2 including
use of relevant software applications statistical or otherwise.
·        
A good mastery of leadership, managing for results,
mentoring and coaching
Personal Competencies:
·        
Advanced statistical skills
·        
Broad knowledge of the national Health Information
Management Systems , DHIS2 and mTRAC
·        
Excellent analytical, writing and presentation
skills
·        
Conversant with commonly used statistical Packages
·        
Familiarity of a wide range of statistical methods
for example, multivariate analysis, regression analysis, Exploratory and
confirmatory factor analysis, time series analysis, principal component
analysis
·        
Skills in Project management;
·        
Knowledge in policy management
·        
Computer literate: statistical
package (knowledge of MS Excel/Access, EPI Info and data analysis packages)
·        
Managing Relationships: Working in
teams, Communicating information and ideas, Conflict and self-management
·        
Working with people: Empowerment/Developing
people/Performance management
·        
Design and management of evaluation processes
·        
Knowledge and skills in Survey design and
implementation
·        
Broad understanding of gender considerations
·        
Logic modelling/logical framework analysis
·        
Real-time, utilization-focused, joint, summative and
formative evaluation
·        
Quantitative and qualitative data collection and
analysis
·        
Participatory approaches.
·        
Interpersonal skills:
o   Ability to
exercise diplomatic and prudent judgement on sensitive issues.
o   Ability to gain
agreement and commitment from others through negotiation.
o   Ability to work
in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
o   Ability to
create an environment for open communication within and across organizational
boundaries and to foster team spirit.
·        
Supervisory skills: Staff supervision: Ability to
supervise staff in an impartial manner, to provide clear direction and to
engage them in operational planning, to motivate them, to deal with possible
conflicts, to provide regular and effective feedback and to coach them with a
view to improving their performance.
·        
Result-oriented attitude: Ability to
link strategic goals and to set realistic targets, while ensuring the
availability of resources.
·        
Analytical and strategic thinking skills:
·        
Ability to develop and to apply an analytical
approach and to adopt a strategy: perspective, to convert organizational
objectives and priorities into strategy, action plans, to step back from
operational issues and focus on the long-term direction of the team and to
align plans accordingly.
·        
Knowledge management:
·        
Ability to create knowledge and information sharing
conditions, to identify critical areas and develop methods for the management,
sharing and preservation of knowledge in these areas and to encourage staff to
participate in cross-training and knowledge-sharing activities.
·        
Demonstrated experience in manipulating large
databases in the health sector
·        
Communication skills: Ability to
deliver verbal and written information in a clear and concise manner
How to Apply: 
All suitably
qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to send their applications
addressed to the Permanent Secretary, MOH to the address below;
Ministry of
Health,
Plot 6 Lourdel
Road, Room D213, Block D, 2nd Floor.
P.O. Box 7272, Kampala,
Kampala.
Uganda.
Deadline: 11th September 2015.
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Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

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