UNICEF National Nutrition Information Systems Consultant Jobs in Uganda
UNICEF National Nutrition Information Systems Consultant Jobs in Uganda
For every child, a fair chance Uganda is one of the over 190 countries and territories around the world where we work to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child’s path. Together with the Government of Uganda and partners we work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the objectives of the Uganda National Development Plan, and the planned outcomes of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
Visit this link for more information on Uganda Country Office https://www.unicef.org/uganda/
How can you make a difference?
In 2012, the World Health Assembly approved a Global Nutrition Monitoring Framework (GNMF) that includes six global nutrition targets to be achieved by 2025. The nutrition priorities in the GNMF are also embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) specifically the SDG2 that states “By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/covid-vaccine-update-coronavirus/n, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons”.
Timely and quality data with adequate level of disaggregation are essential to guide country programmes to allocate resources and to monitor progress in nutrition programming. Many countries including Uganda have committed to implement the 20 indicators included in the GNMF to track nutrition targets and to monitor nutrition interventions. The MoH in Uganda has integrated nutrition data elements and indicators into the Health Management Information System/District Health Information System II (HMIS/DHIS2). However, critical gaps in quality, collection and use at national level as well as sub national levels to report on the GNMF indicators and to also inform policy formulation remain glaring.
Under the UNICEF’s framework to health systems strengthening, improving data and information systems and supporting improvements to the HMIS has been an area of focus. The availability of timely and reliable nutrition and health information supports the development of nutrition and health-related policies, strategies, plans and budgets at national level and improves decentralized capacity for management. Furthermore, this provides the necessary information for evidence-based prioritization, resource allocation and monitoring and evaluation. Data availability at health facilities and districts levels enhances local decision-making, targeted service delivery and improvements to interventions. A UNICEF nutrition review of DHIS2 and routine reporting systems in 21 countries, including Uganda, reported a lack of standard definitions for nutrition indicators, data quality issues and recommended standardization and appropriate customization of indicators in the DHIS21. In addition, this review also recommended improved data visualization such as the use of dashboards to maximize use. The aim of a DHIS2 dashboard is to visualize at a glance current performance of selected key indicators in the DHIS2. Although in January 2020, the Ministry of Health finalized and rolled out a revised HMIS/DHIS2, a number of recommendations from this report, still need to be addressed. For example, there are no nutrition dashboards that would show current nutrition program status and support actions and decision making, suggesting that use of the data collected in the DHIS2 is not optimal. In addition, the capacity of MOH Nutrition staff at the national, regional, district and health facility levels in using DHIS2 remains suboptimal and yet is important to ensure that maximum use can be made of the routine HMIS and the rich information it can provide.
With funding from the European Commission, UNICEF and WHO, in April 2020, launched a joint programme aimed at improving national nutrition information systems under the Ministry of Health (MoH). Expected outcomes from this four-year support to the MoH include a revised national nutrition monitoring framework; web and paper-based nutrition data training modules; enhanced human resource for nutrition for data collection, analysis, interpretation and use; availability of quality and timely nutrition data and improved dissemination of nutrition information. Since the rollout of this support to the MoH, a number of strides have been made, including the implementation of national level inception meeting that included all stakeholders, establishment of a steering committee and the
development and approval of workplans for the first two years of the project.
UNICEF is seeking to hire a national consultant to provide technical support to the MoH to strengthen the availability, quality and use of nutrition data in HMIS/DHIS2. The consultancy is being funded by the EU funded WHO-UNICEF Joint Program in support of the Ministry of Health of Uganda.
Purpose of Assignment and Scope of Work:
In collaboration with WHO, provide technical assistance to the MoH Divisions of Nutrition and Health Information:
Review and refine the national nutrition monitoring framework and work plan, including the review and finalization of a list of standardized nutrition indicators from the GNMF with definitions, numerators and denominators clearly stated that can be easily adopted by nutrition stakeholders and customized into the DHIS2.
Advise on adopting the standard set of nutrition indicators within the national health information system
Participate in relevant technical working groups and engagement in national data review processes, e.g. thematic data review meetings, data cleaning exercises etc.
Ensure standardized nutrition dashboards are available and in use at the national, regional and district levels.
Support capacity building to the MoH, Regional and district nutrition personnel around Nutrition Information Systems including the use of the HMIS/DHIS2; quality assurance / quality control of data and use of data for program improvements among others.
Provide technical assistance to the MoH and stakeholders in development of resource material including manuals, standard operating procedures, data quality assessment tools etc. as resource guides for the roll out of the HMIS/DHIS2. This will include development, stakeholder review, validation and roll out.
Provide technical assistance to the MoH with development of nutrition quarterly bulletins and advocacy briefs on key nutrition indicators in districts with humanitarian context, national level and develop and recommend action points to inform improvement.
Support the MoH Divisions of Health Information and Nutrition to implement monthly nutrition meetings for data in the thematic technical working group.
Support mentorships and on job coaching on the nutrition data in UNICEF focus districts and provide the MoH and District Local governments with actions for improvement
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
The selected Consultant should have:
Education:
Bachelor’s in nutrition and/or Food Sciences, Biostatistics or Epidemiology.
A masters dedree in any of the mentioned fields is an added advantage.
Work experience:
At least two years or more of experience working with DHSI2 and HMIS.
Understanding of the current revisions of the national HMIS for nutrition.
Proven knowledge and use of the national HMIS/DHIS2 system is a MUST.
Supported MoH in the review of the existing national DHSI2 and Nutrition information Systems is a MUST.
Experience in coordination and implementing training of health workers in nutrition, and onsite mentorships and support supervisions
Proven experience in collecting, analysing and preparing nutrition programme status reports, including policy briefs and or bulletins.
Proven skill and ability in developing nutrition dashboards using DHIS2.
Understanding of the 2020 DHIS2 nutrition program revisions and implications for the NIS project implementation.
Relevant experience in health/nutrition program/project development and management with UNICEF in a similar role is desirable.
Knowledge of NIS joint programme and the previous exposure to the NIS work is desirable.
Fluency in written and verbal English.
Competencies:
Core Values
Commitment
Diversity and inclusion
Integrity
Core competencies
Communication
Working with people
Drive for results
Functional Competencies:
Planning and organizing
Formulating Strategies and Concepts
Analysing
Relating and networking
Deciding and Initiating action
Applying technical expertise
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; UNICEF National Nutrition Information Systems Consultant Jobs in Uganda
Find jobs in Uganda. Jobs - Uganda jobs. Search our career portal & find the latest Ugandan job positions, career opportunities & jobs in Uganda.
Jobs in Uganda - banking jobs, IT jobs, accounting jobs, NGO jobs, business administration, ICT, UN jobs, procurement jobs, education jobs, hospital jobs, human resources jobs, engineering, teaching jobs, and other careers in Uganda.
Find your dream job from 1000s of vacancies in Uganda posted and updated daily - click here!
Click here to post comments
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Jobs in Malawi.
