Consultancy Job in Nigeria at Management Sciences for Health (MSH)


MSH, a Non-Governmental Organisation with head office in Boston USA, has been in existence for over 40 years implementing projects and programs in over 40 countries across the globe.
In Nigeria, MSH implements several projects including the Leadership, Management and Sustainability project. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently modified   MSH ProACT project which is a United State Government (USG) rationalization initiative in support of the Government of Nigeria to effectively and efficiently prevent and control HIV/AIDS in the country. Across project foci states, MSH currently supports HIV counselling and Testing, PMTCT, Adult and Paediatric ART, TB/HIV and OVC in 41 comprehensive care and treatment health facilities in Nigeria.

 

Job Title:  Consultancy Services to Support the FMOH in the Finalization of a National eHealth Strategy for Nigeria


 
Overall Responsibilities
A draft national eHealth strategy for Nigeria has recently been prepared. Since the process began, a National Health Act 2014 has been enacted and there is ongoing work on its operationalizes action. The purpose of this consultancy is to provide advice and technical expertise to the FMOH to align this draft document with the provisions of the NHAct-2014 towards the preparation a finished product – an approved national eHealth strategy – that is fully aligned to the provisions of the NHAct-2014 and to fast track it's inclusion into the ongoing revision of the National Health Policy and the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP-2). The main objectives are to:
  • Undertake a critical appraisal of the draft framework and align it's contents to the provisions of the National Health Act (NHAct-2014) in terms of the three critical dimensions of national eHealth strategy development, namely: stakeholder engagement, process and content;
  • Prepare a report to the FMOH, with recommendations on how to improve all three dimensions; and
  • Provide technical guidance to the FMOH in fast-tracking the inclusion of the provisions of the framework into the ongoing revision of the National Health Policy and the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP-2) towards a speedy roll out of an aligned and approved national eHealth strategy.
  • The consultant should support the meeting with state teams to socialize the Framework, capture of feedback from the states and report on comments from the state level stakeholders.
Strategic alignment
This intervention on ICT for health should be fully aligned with Nigeria’s existing policies and strategies, including (add key policy dimensions).

The eHealth strategy should aim at mainstreaming critical cross-cutting issues: it undertakes, in particular, to mainstream capacity building, gender and environmental aspects.

Specific Responsibilities
Main Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultants

Working under the guidance of the Directorate Health Planning, Research and Statistics, the consultants will:
  • Provide technical assistance to the strategy development core group in aligning and navigating issues around approval processes by providing evidence of reviewing relevant FMOH documents and reports, such as:
  • the FMOH Medium Term Strategy (MTS);
  • Health Sector policy;
  • national ICT policy, and
  • relevant policies and strategies of the FMOH, and in particular those on the use of technology in the health sector in general, and those related to ICT in health in specifically
  • Review and identify Health sector-specific opportunities and challenges in Nigeria that address ICT in health; and identify a few applications that have had significant impact in Africa or elsewhere and that have the potential of being scaled up.
  • Support the collection and review existing eHealth strategies
  • Provide assistance to the development of a strategy to support ICT for Health as well as actionable recommendations on how to include ICT in policy dialogue and planning with development counterparts on sectoral development goals and priorities; and
  • Prepare a final report on alignment of the national eHealth strategy for Nigeria with the NHAct-2014
  • Provide guidance and technical expertise for facilitating the finalization of the national eHealth strategy of Nigeria post management approval.
Deliverables
  • Report on how to align and the existing draft eHealth Strategy with the NHAct-2014
  • NHAct aligned draft National eHealth strategy for Nigeria ready for management approval processes.
Duration And Fees Of The Assignment

80 person-days distributed as follows: 
  • 20 person-days of an International consultant
  • 30 person-days of two national consultants
CONCLUSION OF ICT4SOML RESPONE
  • We are cognizant of the fact that the ToR as developed by Dr. Azodoh seems focused on what we believe that are staff on this activity should have or be able to do
  • We also think some of the activities described in the ToR run counter to the objectives and direction of the project and may not be justifiable/allowable expenses (e.g. Norad has funded us to support the development of the HICT-F, we find it difficult to justify paying a consultants – who have no idea of the history or process – to review the near end document)
  • Consequently:
    • We cannot fund some parts of the ToR within the mandate and structure of our project
    • However, we can fund consultant(s) to support the presentation of the HICT-F to and capture of feedback from states; alignment of such feedback on the HICT-F with the NHAct & production of a detailed report on synergies / gaps between the HICT-F and the NHAct with appropriate recommendations
  • So we would want the ToR tweaked to reflect that the consultant(s) will work before, during & after the state engagement meeting         
  • Once we achieve concurrence by all on the ToR, we will put same out and go through the recruitment process as appropriate i.e. working in conjunction with the FMoH DPRS 
Qualifications
Guiding Principles
 The following principles constitute the core values which underpin this Technical Assistance support activity:
  • Alignment and Country Ownership: the approach used will be underscored by reviewing the NHAct and providing evidence of country ownership.
  •  Leveraging the Private sector: leverage investment of the private sector at local government, state and national levels.
  • Selectivity and Complementarity: ICT will be anchored on the FMOH’s strategic operational priorities and the development challenges facing health. Support will be based on an integrated approach and selectivity taking into account complementarities with other actors including the private sector.
  • Catalytic Role: This consultancy should help identify how the FMOH can continue to play a catalytic and convening role to leverage enhanced access to information and knowledge resources for ICT support for health sector development in Nigeria and ensure sustainable and predictable financing after the end of the current supporting project.
  • Modularity: ICT Intervention in the health sector will be modular and incremental in order to provide for flexibility and replication of best practices. Modularity will ensure a more responsive, dynamic, scalable and flexible operations in the eHealth activities.
  • Integrated approach: The work will be based on an integrated approach that builds synergy among different sectors to maximize development impact.
  • National focus: The approach should encourage national programs that promote cooperation and bring sustainable results at national level.
  • Results: The approach to ICT for health will be results-oriented. To this end, relevant and measurable result indicators and targets will be identified and developed for any operation in the sector.
Application documents and procedures:

Interested candidates must submit to [email protected]  the following documentation by or before Sunday October 18, 2015:
  • Suitability Statement
  • Updated CV

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