The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:   Health Information Systems Analyst – CDC

Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary: UGX 120,348,348 /= per annum

Reports to: Health Information System Team Lead

About Organisation:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador William W. Popp currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Peace Corps

Job Summary:   The Health Information Systems Analyst provides technical expertise for health information systems (HIS) strengthening for HIV/AIDS programs in Uganda supported through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and various Global Health Security (GHS) initiatives towards successful design and development of interoperable HIS to support routine program and surveillance activities. Job holder collaborates with CDC Uganda colleagues and partners in the host country Ministry of Health (MOH) and other HIV/AIDS and Global Health Security (GHS) entities in the formulation, design, development, roll out, continuous improvement, and maintenance of information systems and software that will improve data flow from the implementation sites to the national level.

Position is supervised by the Health Information System Team Lead

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Management and Technical Assistance: 70%

• Job holder provides systems analysis, design, project management, technical consultation, and assistance to PEPFAR and GHS implementing partners (IPs), host government ministry collaborators, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in designing, implementing, and evaluating a broad range of HIS solutions and activities to improve health delivery systems, data collection systems, and evaluation methodology.
• Conducts analyses of IP information system operations and information flow as well as other MOH systems. Both facility – based information systems and community-based systems fall within the scope of HIV-related program areas as well as other diseases surveillance. Areas of analysis include data collection and reporting systems (including technology platforms), patient management information systems, logistics management (including planning, procurement, stock management, and distribution), laboratory systems, and organizational capacity to monitor and evaluate the process, outcome, and impact of HIV/AIDS and other disease surveillance and response systems. Based on findings, makes oral and written recommendations to supervisor and IPs for systems strengthening activities.
• Participates with external partners in planning both PEPFAR and non PEPFAR-funded projects’ HIS needs. Works closely with partners in developing strategies and methods for software application development and utilization, including selection of development environment. Responsible for task allocation and coordination, priority setting, meeting development timelines, testing, and quality assurance of product. Identifies implementation strategies, including necessary training for users and specifies training materials. Makes regular site visits and works closely with designated program managers in partner organizations as well as agency technical leads in related programs, such as prevention, care, and treatment. During site visits, reviews progress and monitors the process (including resource allocation), outcome, and impact of HIV/AIDS and national surveillance-related strengthening activities. In consultation with their supervisor and the MOH and IPs, identifies implementation achievements as well as challenges in performance and initiates appropriate actions. Recommends shifts in HIS program focus to CDC Uganda technical leads and agency and Mission leadership as strengthening takes hold or as weaknesses are uncovered. Remains current in the principles and practices of health informatics and information technology and shares this updated technical information with IPs.
• As a program management specialist, job holder oversees the HIS technical aspects in development of scopes of work, Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), requests for application, annual program statements, supplemental awards, and requests for extensions for activities under their purview. Once funding mechanism is in place, oversees performance of cooperating partners/contractors, carries out technical reviews, reviews progress, identifies potential issues, informs supervisor, and recommends actions for amelioration.
• Job holder promotes openness among partners, including encouraging the use of open architecture, industry-based standards, transparent, shared processes and methodologies, and open sharing of requirements and other technology and knowledge components. Job holder encourages the identification and reuse of common components from appropriate projects and encourages the development of new shared components and platforms as required. Job holder contributes to the body of knowledge that informs future investment through utilization-focused research and evaluation activities.
• Job holder coordinates with collaborators to reach multi-party health systems solutions beneficial to the country and consistent with USG objectives. Provides the host government and collaborating organizations technical consultation and assistance in the areas of informatics and HIS design for HIV/AIDS, other diseases programs, and surveillance. Supports capacity-building and knowledge transfer of HIS through several mechanisms, including providing technical advice, conducting briefings, and supporting on-the-job training. The audience for this capacity-building is diverse, and includes staff from the MOH, other governmental and non-governmental organizations, and IPs. Supports the establishment of strong surveillance, reporting, and emergency response HIS through training and capacity-building.
• Job holder designs and delivers a series of practical trainings for 5 to 15 people on using HIS interface; techniques to support systems integration and data exchange; assessing, monitoring, and improving data quality; reviewing user requirements; reviewing paper-based HMIS tools; monitoring and evaluating HIV/AIDS care and treatment delivery systems as well as other disease surveillance; upgrading electronic tools and systems; using monitoring and evaluation data for program improvement; and developing clear, concise, and effective reports to be submitted to key stakeholders. Some of the systems supported include DATIM, the MOH’s DHIS2, OpenMRS, LIMS, HIE, SIMS, eIDSR, Go. Data outbreak investigation tool, and other eHMIS software used by IPs.
• Job holder supports this is a multi-level effort to include strengthening site-level (i.e., health facilities, communities) health data support by intensifying efforts to fully document information for the various target audiences including for ART, TB, and others affected by various disease outbreaks and pandemics. Job holder will also assist with additional training on data entry, data cleaning, and data analysis techniques for appropriate facility staff through a variety of venues. These informational briefings and on-the-job training opportunities are provided to facility health care workers, physicians, laboratory technicians, and nurses, as well as IP IT/HIS staff and managers. Responds to requests for specialist-level advice and assistance in HIS Digital Health Policy, strategic planning, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation from NGOs, health care organizations, and medical professionals involved in HIV/AIDS, TB, and disease surveillance projects. This advisory role inspires other collaborative organizations engaged in HIV/AIDS programs and across health system strengthening programs to adopt appropriate HIS standards and adhere to normative guidelines for their program activities.

Administration & Management: 15%

• Provides technical HIS language and direction to be included in proposals that result in a memorandum of agreement, grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. This ensures consistent HIS planning across agency programs as well as with PEPFAR, other GHS-funded programs, and host country policies and regulations. Works with the CDC procurement, contracts, and grants offices, as well as partner representatives, to ensure that most current HIS standards are included in the signed grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. Provides technical advice and direction to recipients, program collaborators, and host government partners in the development of work plans for implementation of activities following awards.
• Prepares regular and ad hoc written progress reports on HIS partner activities. Readers of these reports include agency and post management, PEPFAR and non PEPFAR officials, CDC headquarters, and excerpts of such reports can ultimately be used in reporting to the U.S. Congress. Reporting responsibilities are monthly, quarterly, and annually. Makes oral presentations to agency and other embassy officials on the progress of HIS program activities.
• Maintains files and records specific to HIS activities and programs. Job holder is responsible for data integrity, confidentiality, and security of information in the reporting databases related to HIV/AIDS infection (particularly as related to named individuals), as well as other disease surveillance systems. Program files include reports, meeting summaries and minutes, copies of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, research determinations, panels, and awards. Whenever possible these records will be filed electronically for recordkeeping purposes.
• Working closely with the supervisor, HIS team, and Strategic Information (SI) Branch colleagues, provides technical oversight of annual reporting and related database operations and development.
• Job holder will occasionally take a lead role in carrying out impromptu minor projects such as short data collection projects from CDC headquarters, the Office of the Global Health Coordinator (OGAC), or GHS partners. May also be responsible for controlling site visits for a special VIP visit.

Interagency Coordination: 15%

• Due to the highly integrated nature of HIS into PEPFAR programmatic decision-making, job holder plays an active leadership role in the PEPFAR Technical Working Groups (TWGs). These TWGs provide technical, programmatic, and budgetary guidance to partners; organize partner conferences and workshops; and respond to OGAC and CDC headquarters requests. Represents CDC Uganda at other technical, policy, and strategic planning meetings, including meetings with collaborators and donor agencies. Briefs supervisor, senior agency officials, PEPFAR country team, and officials of other USG agencies as appropriate on the results of such meetings and prepares written reports for submission to other interested parties.
• On behalf of the chief of section, may participate with other PEPFAR professionals on in-country committees on HIS issues. The purpose of such committees is to assess program needs and issues at the local level and develop strategies for communicating these needs and issues to the national level. The committees help to ensure consistency of standardization and to promote implementation of HIS best practices on a national level. Based on information received in the national committees, job holder may recommend revisions to the agency-level and PEPFAR team program policies and guidelines. To achieve interoperability, SI teams follow international standards and guidelines produced by WHO, UNAIDS, International Standards Organization (ISO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNICEF, and others, in the design of PEPFAR HIS architecture and content.

**Note: This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent. Incumbent will be required to perform other duties as assigned by the agency.

 



Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

Education:

• The applicants for the United States US Embassy Health Information Systems Analyst job should hold a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Statistics is required.

Licensing/Certifications/Training

• Ongoing professional certification seminars focusing on changes in health informatics, program evaluation strategies, and qualitative methods
• PEPFAR and agency-specific training in approaches to program design, implementation, and reporting.
• Agency-specific leadership development training
• project management of grants/cooperative agreements (4 days) training
• Cooperative Agreement & Grants Management Training (one week)
• Scientific Ethics Trainings (1 day)
• Scientific Integrity and Quality Training (SIQT) (1 day)
• Basic Biomedical training (1 day)

Work Experience:

• Three years of experience in designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining health data information systems to support and evaluate development or health-related program activities is required.
• Experience in computer information systems for disease prevention, treatment and health surveillance systems, or health information management is required.
• Experience in building knowledge in designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining health data information systems to support and evaluate development or health-related program activities is required.
• Experience in computer information systems for disease prevention, treatment, and health surveillance systems or health information management is required.

Knowledge:

• Job holder must have a good understanding of administrative policies and precedents, USG/Embassy/CDC/ Mission directives, and technical Monitoring and Evaluation references, including PEPFAR specific references.
• In-depth specialist knowledge of USG HIV/AIDS public health programs, strategies, methods, processes, and techniques used to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate results of HIV/AIDS programs and health information systems.
• Good working knowledge of types and policies that guide use of USG funding mechanisms, including cooperative agreements, grants, and contracts.
• Knowledge of Country Operational Plan (COP), general PEPFAR, and HIS Technical Working Group strategic objectives and operating provisions.
• Knowledge of USG (including agency, mission and PEPFAR) and MOH rules, regulations, policies, guidance, and technical papers in areas of digital health
• The position requires an in-depth and broad knowledge of the operational environment in the country, including a detailed knowledge of the structure and operations of the Ministry of Health
• Knowledge of international standards and guidelines produced by WHO, UNAIDS, International Standards Organization (ISO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNICEF, among others, in the design of PEPFAR HIS architecture and content.
• Knowledge of data warehousing concepts, architecture, tools, and integration.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to analyze, understand, and inform new health information systems design, health information, and communications technology program design and implementation approaches is required, this includes application of public health informatics techniques and use of communication technology and methods for data collection, analysis, use, and reporting.
• Ability to design or modify sophisticated computer applications to meet data collection requirements is required.
• Strong oral communications skills are required to develop and maintain effective, sustainable working relationships with ministry, national, and international working partners.
• Keyboarding skills that include both speed and accuracy are required.
• A developed facility for manipulating numbers is required.
• Problem solving, effective communication, and advocacy skills are required.
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to work independently with minimum supervision, ability to work under time constraints to meet deadlines.
• Ability to set priorities and make decisions on a variety of complex matters is required
• Strong written communication skills to produce regular progress reports following USG, HHS, and CDC practices and style guides on various HIS activities.
• Language Proficiency: English Level 4 – Fluent; written/spoken, including the ability to translate

How to Apply:
All those interested in working with the United States Embassy, US Mission in Kampala should send their applications online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 25th July 2024

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