UNICEF-Bangladesh
Job Description for Health MIS Consultant
Background (attach documents if necessary):Project Background
Under the Country Programme of cooperation of UNICEF with the Government of Bangladesh, 2012-2016, the five year project ‘Bridging Equity Gaps in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Bangladesh’ funded by CIDA focuses on the reduction of maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality and morbidity, and improve child growth and development in selected districts through increasing and sustaining vaccine coverage, introducing new vaccines and strengthening health system with increased availability & access to quality maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition services. The project is implemented at national and sub-national level with special attention to low performing districts and hard to reach areas in line with the 20 most vulnerable districts as selected by UNDAF. A focused decentralized approach to planning, funding, implementation, monitoring and supervision of the project activities is the key strategy to identify the capacity gaps, institutional/human resources constraints and effective means to address those. UNICEF’s new approach of Monitoring Results for Equity (MOREs) will be introduced to identify the key bottleneck in achieving the results and will be applied in local level planning. Building a strong HMIS, which is building block of Health system strengthening, will contribute the sustainability of health system.
UNICEF will scale up in all sub-districts of 3 districts low cost high impact interventions. To measure the coverage of each intervention and by geographical areas and monitor the impact it is imperative to establish a comprehensive health information system. Robust data collection both at community and health facility level, data recording and reporting, data analysis is the core part of Health System Strengthening of the project. Current situation in these districts and sub-districts is that no reliable data exist through health information system that one can rely to take informed decision. The biggest challenge for health system planning is that except major indicators no reliable denominators are available at sub-district and district level. The health system has to rely on frequent surveys which are not sustainable. To address these health system issues the HMIS department of DGHS jointly with UNICEF is going to start community HMIS using community clinics for data collection. This is web based HMIS has already developed soft-ware.
Strong HMIS will contribute to strengthen planning and M&E of MNCH and EPI programme. Thus the new sector programme has given impetus to strengthen the MIS, particularly for MNCH programme. Independent reviews of various UNICEF supported MNCH initiatives have also recommended to strengthen the capacity of the HMIS to harmonize between different MNCH initiatives and develop/strengthen a web-based MIS for key maternal, neonatal and child health indicators.
This TOR has been written to engage 4 consultants to provide technical and operational support to the HMIS, DGHS to strengthen the community based MIS incorporating key variables of maternal, neonatal health in order to harmonize and have an integrated MIS for all UNICEF supported programme.
Rationale for HMIS Consultants:
Inadequate programmatic attention to strengthening HMIS as well as rigorous monitoring of interventions on MNCH being mentioned by a number of development partners. This has been reflected in the review reports of the HNPSP as well as UNICEF supported MNCH programmes.
Currently, all the big initiatives on MNCH supported by UNICEF and other partners have their own vertical MIS and reporting system. The reports generated by HMIS right now, lacks completeness to track progress on key MNCH indicators. The current MIS doesn’t capture all the project MIS data that reflects a nationally representative integrated MIS on MNCH. HMIS of DGHS is also facing much difficulty in managing these different vertical MIS in the context of it’s limited HR capacity and constraints. Thus, HMIS needs technical support to harmonize between different MNCH initiatives and formulate an integrated MIS incorporating critical MNCH indicator. The HMIS also lacks capacity to organize various training programmes on MIS and ensuring quality of the trainings.
The proposed consultants will assist HMIS team in 3 districts in planning, coordination and facilitation of community HMIS trainings and monitor quality of the trainings. The MIS consultant will provide technical assistance to incorporate L3M indicators of selected tracer interventions to HMIS. The MIS consultant will coordinate the work of district MIS staff to ensure quality data collection, recording and reporting.
The sub-national level (district/upazila) managers, service providers and statisticians also lacks capacity in routine record keeping, data entry and reporting. The MIS consultant will assist the central as well as district/upazila team for routine uploading of data and reporting. The MIS consultant will also provide technical assistance in organizing periodic MIS district review meetings, analyze MIS data and give routine feedback in time.
The MIS consultant will coordinate among GOB, UNICEF and other partners in implementing UNICEF supported MIS activities as per the joint GOB-UNICEF Workplan-2013-2014. He/she will also provide technical assistance and support HMIS to develop/update the webpage on L3M based HMIS newsletter.
This TOR is prepared to one consultant at central and 3 consultants at district level to accomplish the tasks mentioned above.
Purpose of the Assignment:
The purpose of the assignment is to support HMIS of DGHS in developing and or strengthening community based MIS for UNICEF supported MNCH and EPI programmes.
The incumbents will carry out the following activities in UNICEF supported MNCH and EPI districts and CIDA funded MNCH interventions:
1) Provide technical support for establishing/ strengthening community based HMIS for MNCH and EPI interventions supported by UNICEF.
2) Regular review of MNCH performance reports, data analysis, data validation and feedback to DGHS and DGFP for programmatic actions.
3) Provide technical assistance to district/upazila managers, service providers and statisticians for timely data uploading and reporting.
4) Provide technical assistance in conducting periodic divisional/district review meetings on MIS.
5) Provide technical support and operational guidelines for planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of UNICEF supported MIS training activities.
6) Ensure quality of UNICEF supported MIS training activities on facility and community MNCH programmes at national and sub-national levels.
7) Provide technical support for updating webpage for MNCH, produce GIS maps/DevInfo maps to reflect MNCH interventions coverage, HR status, and key mortality and morbidity indicators.
8) Regular trouble shooting of community based HMIS data entry/reporting and provide appropriate solution to the users in time.
9) Assist in M&E activities of MNCH interventions as per approved implementation plan.
10) Monitor timely implementation of UNICEF supported MIS and M&E activities in MNCH and EPI as per Annual Work-plan-2013-2014.
Duty Station: National, District and upazila (Up to Union/Ward level)
Description of assignment: (provide detail and in quantitative terms, add pages if required)
Tasks / End Products / Deliverables / Time frame
i) Technical support to HMIS/DGHS for a functional facility and community HMIS :
1. Conduct inventory assessment of HMIS in targeted districts and analyse the HMIS gaps at all districts and selected upazilas.
2. Ensure quality of data collection by conducting regular visit to upazilas and collaborating with NGOs involved in data collection at community level.
3. Routine monitoring of the data up-loading in the community based HMIS and for facility level data and ensure 100% reporting from all 3 MNCH upazilas in 3 districts and 8 EPI low performing districts.
4. Support the central HMIS team in analysing facility and community MNCH data, data validation, prepare analytical reports and ensure routine feedback to HMIS and district/upazila level managers.
5. Regular trouble shooting and provide solution to the central and sub-national level team to ensure functioning of the software based data entry and reporting.
6. Support central and district/upazila HMIS officers in conducting district MIS review meetings/workshops on facility and community MIS. / · HMIS situation and gaps in hardware and capacity in 3 districts is clear
· Quality assurance report quarterly for all collected data
· All districts and upazila staff capacity is built to upload data.
· Monthly HMIS meeting in the field conducted and the issues on data collection, data recording and reporting are discussed with statisticians
· Monthly HMIS report to DGHS, DGFP and UNICEF from the field
· Districts/upazilas managers and consultants capacity on chart construction and data analysis is built
· 4 MIS review workshops facilitated / 4 months
ii) Developing or updating web-based MIS for MNCH programme:
1. Review of existing MIS tools (HR, EmOC, IMCI, MPDR, CoIA, L3M indicators), forms, registers and materials for existing maternal, neonatal and child health programmes.
2. Provide technical assistance to HMIS and coordinate with UNICEF, ICDDR,B and other relevant partners working on HMIS to update existing MIS incorporating key variables on maternal, neonatal and child health.
3. Support HMIS to organize technical meetings, workshops and consultation to develop an integrated web-based MIS for MNCH programme.
4. Conduct periodic monitoring visits to district/upazila levels for capacity development of sub-national level MIS personnel for a fully functioning MNCH MIS. / · 2 review/technical consultation meetings/workshops organized.
· Existing MIS tools, forms and materials updated and selected variables on maternal, neonatal, child health incorporated. / 2 months
iii) Developing or updating community based web-page MIS and publication of HMIS Newsletter:
1. Develop and or update community based HMIS on a regular basis.
2. Support HMIS in publishing community based HMIS Newsletter bi-annually. / · Updated community based HMIS web-page on MNCH and EPI.
· 2 Newsletter published / 2 month
iv) Monitor UNICEF supported MIS and M&E activities as per Annual Work-plan-2013-2014 in the CIDA supported MNCH districts.
1. Assist in M&E activities as per approved implementation plan in collaboration with ZHOs.
2. Monitor timely implementation of UNICEF supported MIS and M&E activities in MNCH interventions as per Annual Work-plan-2013-2014.
3. Provide technical support to HMIS, DGHS for organizing various trainings on MIS and quality monitoring of the trainings. / Quarterly reports on implementation of UNICEF supported activities / 2 months
v) Presentation community HMIS model
1. Prepare all technical background material to present community HMIS model to DGHS/DGFP and stakeholders
2. Document the lessons learned of community HMIS / · Community model HMIS is presented with stakeholders
· A best practice on HMIS is documented. / 1 month
8. Qualifications or specialised knowledge/experience required for the assignment:
The incumbents should:
· Have bachelor/master degree preferably in Computer Science/Statistics or have Social Science background.
· At least 2 years working experience in health related MIS or M&E field with GOB and NGOs
· Preference will be given who has knowledge in Relational Database Management Systems, Microsoft Visual Basic, Net (C#), Crystal Report, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and MicrosoftAccess
· Experience of web-page designing with ASP .Net, trouble shooting, networking and solution will be an added advantage
· Demonstrated experience of data analysis using Stata/SPSS, data validation and analytical MIS reporting would be preferred.
· Experience of performing M&E functions in a maternal, newborn and child health programme will be an added advantage
· Ready to travel at least 25% of the time
Duty Stations: (1) Consultant for Dhaka – monthly travel to Netrokona, Cox’s bazar, Bandarban
(2) Consulant for Netrokona – will stay in Netrokona or Mymensingh
(3) Consulant for Bandarban – will stay in Chittagong or Bandarban
(4) Consultant for Cox’s bazar – will stay in Cox’s bazar
How to apply:
Applications with bio-data and completed P-11 (UN Personal History Form available at UNICEF website www.unicef.org.bd) should be forwarded to the Chief, Human Resources, UNICEF, 1 Minto Road, Shahbagh, Dhaka by 20 July 2013. Please write the name of the position on the envelope. A soft copy of your P-11 may be forwarded to . Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
==== 000 ====
1