Quality Improvement Advisor JHPIEGO

Position Overview

Family Health and Nutrition Activity (FHN) is a five-year, USAID-funded Activity that will contribute to reduction of maternal mortality and under five mortality through collaboration with Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), , communities and other local partners to improve health system performance and to deliver high-quality, accessible reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) care. Working in four provinces, Eastern, Luapula, Muchinga, and Southern, FHN will work with MOH provincial and district counterparts to deliver high-quality services, strengthen health systems, and increase community engagement.

FHN’s Quality Improvement Advisors will work closely with the FHN technical director to deliver quality TA to the target provinces to strengthen the QA/QI systems and process resulting in improved outcome and experience of care. The QI advisor will work be stationed at the provincial health office and will work with the relevant structures within to strengthen capacity of PHOs and DHOs to maintain a robust QA/QI system and processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance to provincial and district structures to strengthen QA/QI systems including PA, SQA, T.S.S.
• Support identification and documentation of root causes for poor performance of high impact interventions through provincial and district QA/QI committees
• Support development of QI interventions to improve poorly performing HIIs.
• Support PHOs and DHOs to develop QI projects at provincial, district and facility level.
• Work closely with capacity strengthening officers in strengthening QA/QI capacity of district level structures.
• Support collaboration with professional associations (e.g. MAZ) and other partners to overcome barriers to respective maternity care.
• Support data utilization to ensure that gaps are identified and action plans are well documented and tracked.
• Support best practice sharing utilizing the existing provincial and district platforms including ECHO.
• Support strengthening provincial level MPDSR processes including building capacity of relevant provincial staff in supporting district level MPDSR.
• In collaboration with the Technical Director ensure that necessary planning, budgeting and management activities occur to facilitate smooth and efficient implementation of program activities.
• Identify and document program successes, best practices, challenges and lessons learnt and facilitate sharing at international, national and district levels.
• Contribute to annual planning process in collaboration with the program team.
• Perform or assume other duties as assigned by the chief of party to ensure the smooth of the program.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public health or related field with 7 to 8 years’ experience.
• Strong experience in successful field implementation and management of programs in maternal and newborn health for the public, private or NGO sector.
• Technically proficient with up-to-date clinical MNCAHN skills.
• Experience supporting QA/QI systems at subnational level.
• Experience in supporting QA/QI projects to improve service delivery at district/facility level.
• Strong communication, clinical skills training, coaching and mentorship skills.
• Provincial/District-level work experience in Zambia and solid relationships with the Zambian health sector
• Knowledge of the roles and functions of the different structure of PHOs and DHOs.
• Experience in the development of strategic and tactical plans in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to build capacity and collaboration between governmental and non-governmental partners and other project implementers
• Experience in data management at the facility and program level.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, writing and oral presentation skills
• Strong results-oriented, decision-making skills.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple task and intense pressure to perform.
• Familiarity with USAID donor policies and administrative procedures, and experience in design and implementation health programs.