TITLE: ACTwatch Research Consultant –Bangkok, Thailand
DEPARTMENT: Malaria and Child Survival Department
DATE: November 2015
HIRING MANAGER: Tarryn Haslam
Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization, with a mission to measurably improve the health of poor and vulnerable people in the developing world by influencing their behavior, principally through social marketing of family planning and health products and services, and health communications.PSI has programs in more than 60 countries and works in malaria, HIV, reproductive health, child survival, and tuberculosis.PSI's core values are a belief in markets and market mechanisms to contribute to sustained improvements in the lives of the poor; results and a strong focus on measurement; speed and efficiency with a predisposition to action and an aversion to bureaucracy; decentralization and empowering our staff at the local level; and a long term commitment to the people we serve.For more information, please visitwww.psi.org
ACTwatch is PSI’s multi-country research project designed to provide relevant, high quality evidence to inform and monitor malaria control policies and programs. The project is currently implemented in 12 countries through funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DFID, and UNITAID. National antimalarial market outlet surveys collect information about antimalarial and RDT availability, price, and market share. Complementary research components include fever case management quality of care studies using consultation observation and client exit interviews. Seewww.actwatch.infofor more information.
This year, the BMGF is funding ACTwatch outlet surveys across five countries in the GMS (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos PDR, and Vietnam), which marks the first outlet survey conducted in Thailand. The survey is expected to provide a picture of the total market for antimalarials and malaria blood testing that has not been available in Thailand to-date. Under the leadership of the ACTwatch’s Deputy Director, the survey is being implemented by a local research agency with technical support from the GMS Research Manager, Thailand Research Fellow and Thailand Research Associate. In addition, the project in Thailand now seeks a national consultant to support implementation of the survey.
The consultant will report to the Research Team that is based in Bangkok and will work closely with the Research Fellow, Research Associate and local research agency. The period of performance of the consultancy will be from November 2015 – February 2016.
Scope of Work
1) Secure approvals for survey implementation
In order for data collection to be conducted in the public sector, approvals must be secured from Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) prior to the start of fieldwork. The consultant will play a key role in securing these approvals, and leading communication with government personnel.
Specific duties will include:
· Act as Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) focal point for ACTwatch
· Manage relationship between ACTwatch, agency and MoPH, both in Bangkok and when in the field
· Facilitate communication between research agency and MoPH to secure approvals for data collection in public sector prior to start of fieldwork
· Support field managers to communicate and coordinate effectively with local health authorities throughout fieldwork
· Provide regular updates to ACTwatch central on all issues pertaining to MoPH/approvals.
2) Data collection support
It is expected that data collection will take approximately 6 weeks. The consultant will be required to travel with fieldwork teams to remote areas near the Myanmar and Cambodia border areas for the entire duration of data collection to ensure the approval process is running smoothly and to support the supervision of data collection.
Specific duties will include:
· Act as focal point for issues arising around MoPH approvals for fieldwork
· Troubleshoot any issues related to approvals for public sector data collection
· Support agency field managers to coordinate and communicate effectively with MoPH at province/district levels
· Track survey progress
· Identify challenges / problems and communicate them to ACTwatch central
· Provide support to the research agency during survey close-out activities
· Work with the research agency to ship the questionnaires to Cambodia after the completion of data entry
· Provide ad hoc support for other logistical or administrative duties as needed
QUALIFICATIONS:
· Thai national
· At least 3 years’ relevant experience
· Educated to university degree level or above
· Fluency in written and oral English and Thai
· Previous experience coordinating with high-level Thai government authorities (national and/or local level)
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
· Demonstrated problem solving abilities
· Computer skills: MS office programs including Word and Excel
· Willingness to travel up-country and to remote areas of Thailand for a period of approximately 6 weeks
· Experience conducting/managing quantitative research data collection is preferred
· Malaria research experience preferred.
STATUS:
· Consultant