Technical Advisor to the National Registration Bureau (NRB)

The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) is a center in the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health that works in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco. I-TECH has projects in more than 20 countries, and its worldwide staff work with local ministries of health, universities, non-governmental organizations, medical facilities, and other partners to support efficient, well-ordered health care systems that provide high quality care to all citizens. I-TECH Malawi provides technical assistance to the Malawi Ministry of Health and its partners to support human resource development, health systems strengthening, HIV care and treatment, and HIV surveillance for epidemic control.

I-TECH has an outstanding opportunity for a Technical Advisor to the National Registration Bureau (NRB) for local Malawian nationals.

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General Description

The Technical Advisor position will assist the Malawi PEPFAR country office, National Registration Bureau, Ministry of Health, and National Statistics Office in the execution of CRVS project to collect birth and death information and the preparation of vital statistics data in Malawi. The project consists of two different sub-projects: a Sample Vital Registration with Verbal Autopsy (SAVVY) survey; and a civil registration and vital statistics improvement project. The goal of the SAVVY survey will be to provide vital statistics, including causes of death, on routine basis integrated in the national civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system. The CRVS improvement project will develop and demonstrate complete reporting of vital events occurring health facilities and communities and enhancing the quality of data, and the production of vital statistics data. The CRVS project is carried out under the direction of the National Registration Bureau, Ministry of Homeland Security in close coordination with Ministry of Health. This position is seconded to NRB and reports to the Country Representative at I-TECH.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide Technical Assistance to NRB and MOH (25%)

• Provide strategic direction in support of strengthening the organization of a civil registration central office, certificate services, vital statistics data quality assurance, data coding, database preparation and software development
• Provide strategic direction in support of questionnaire development, sample design, fieldwork/interviewer supervision, and data processing
• Oversee project activities and assist as necessary with project implementation including review and updating project management SOPs and tools
• Advise National Registration Bureau (NRB), National Statistics Office (NSO) and Ministry of Health (MOH) on project activities on the creation of a national CRVS system
• Travel to project sites to monitor field activities and assist in monitoring/evaluation and data collection oversight as appropriate
• Coordinate site visits involving consultation teams and in support of District-level implementation plans
• Improve quality implementation and roll out of death registration and cause of death reporting

Capacity Building (25%)

• Mentor NSO, NRB and MOH staff on professional development including management skills of registrars and managers of civil registration and vital statistics operations
• Assist in measuring outcomes, evaluating processes, and analyzing performance of project plans
• Develop training materials and facilitate training on registration systems, certification and application of tools
• Ensure good documentation of key program data and best practices
• Provide strategic leadership in quality improvement of integrated national registration / vital statistics procedures
• Health Information Management (20%)
• Support the collection and use of high quality and timely data on vital statistics from the community and facility levels (to cater for all health facilities)
• Provide guidance and advice on integration of information systems at registration points
• Support the development and implementation of the data quality assessment protocol
• Support the development and implementation of the registration electronic data systems at local offices, hospitals and other related institutions
• Provide advice on integration of CRVS and ID systems

Publications (15%)

• Prepare monthly reports on project progress, problems, and other issues&
• Ensure good documentation of key program data and best practices
• Disseminate and publish quarterly NRB updates

Collaboration (10%)

• Liaise between Districts Assemblies, National Statistics Office and Ministerial departments to strengthen coordination
• Assure interaction and coordination of key partners regarding project design and implementation

Other duties as assigned (5%):

• The incumbent may be required, on an as needed basis to perform other duties as assigned by NRB and I-TECH

REQUIREMENTS

• MSC in epidemiology, public health or closely related field or a medical degree with postgraduate training in epidemiology, public health, or closely related field. Minimum five years experience in national and subnational surveillance, statistics or CRVS system. Background in medical training is a plus.
• Experience in the direction of a demographic or health surveys
• Experience in the analysis of vital statistics and survey data, including cause of death data
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies
• Knowledge and experience in project design, implementation, and evaluation
• Proven track record in working in resource limited settings, preferably in Africa
• High degree of diplomacy, cultural competency, and ability to function in a team-based environment
• Experience in high level project management and demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge and skills through training and mentoring
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Program monitoring and evaluation experience

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

WORKING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

This full time position is based at the I-TECH offices in Malawi. The Technical Advisor requires up to 10% travel to places that often lack adequate public health and safety infrastructure. Travelers must be prepared to follow the UW and US government recommended precautions and prophylaxis for travel safety and disease prevention. The Technical Advisor requires frequent participation in early morning and late evening telephone conference calls in order to accommodate time zone differences between Seattle and its country project sites. I-TECH operates within a grant-funded environment. Due to this, the total amount of this position’s FTE may fluctuate based on program funding and needs.

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COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

The Department of Global Health recognizes that disparities in health around the globe stem from inequity. The Department encourages and supports the multiple identities of staff, faculty and students including, but not limited to, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, culture, spiritual practice, geography, mental and physical disability and age. The Department strives to become a local, national, and international leader in developing and maintaining increased representation and recognition of each of these dimensions of diversity among its faculty, staff, and students.

Application Process

Applications with Curriculum Vitae (CV), three traceable referees and relevant copy certificates should be emailed to: hr@itech-malawi.org

Deadline for receiving applications is 30th December 2022. I-TECH Malawi, an equal opportunity employer, appreciates all applications. However, only shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.

For more information about I-TECH, visit our website: www.go2itech.org