Project Objective:

USAID/Liberia has engaged DELTA to support the conduct of a nationwide health system capacity assessment in Liberia’s 15 counties including the central Ministry of Health units and the private health services. This assessment is intended to measure Liberia’s health system management, readiness, response capacities, and level of coordination and collaboration with the private sector. This follow-on assessment of the 2019 County Health Team (CHT) assessment is being broadened in coverage and scope to include the simultaneous assessment of the CHT, Central Ministry, and private health services which aims to comprehensively inform health system issues and resulting capacity improvement interventions. The focus of this assessment is to:

• Provide the Ministry of Health and all stakeholders objective information on whether the health system has the basic competencies and management capacity (systems) necessary for proper and transparent management of public sector funds and health services and understanding of capacities in the private health services.
• Determine the extent to which these systems’ functions are fully operational as it is directly tied to the capacity of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to deliver effective health services, increase the quality of care, and harmonize data through transparent public health management practices.
• Document challenges and lessons learned on the implementation of the Capacity Building Action Plans implemented by counties.
• Support the Government of Liberia (GoL) de-concentration/decentralization efforts in the health sector which includes monitoring CHT performance in a standardized manner across Liberia’s 15 counties, identifying capacity-building needs of individual County Health Teams(CHT) and Central MoH, and providing accessible and transparent health system data on the use of GoL/donor funding for the Liberia health system.

Position Description:

DELTA is seeking the services of a Liberian Research Specialist to assess the central Ministry of Health against its mandate and functions on Health Services Management. The Research Specialist: Health Services Management (hereby referred to as “Research Specialist”) will support the Nationwide Health System Capacity Assessment efforts under the technical leadership of the Assessment Team Lead and DELTA Deputy Chief of Party. The Research Specialist will be working alongside the DELTA team, the Ministry of Health, and other partners as part of a six-to-eight-member team assessing policies and support service units of the central MoH. The Research Specialist will collect data, document, analyze and report findings and gaps identified. The Research Specialist will access and use MoH policies, standards, guidelines, and protocols as references to assess the application of policies, protocols, and practices in service delivery, using digital devices. The findings and recommendations will be presented in a consolidated report along with a power point presentation in the National Health Capacity Assessment of the MoH.

The estimated period of performance for the Research Specialist assignment is early January through late February, 2022.

The estimated LOE for the Research Specialist is ten (12) days. The position reports to the DELTA Evaluation and Assessment Specialist.

Candidates are reviewed on a rolling basis; early submission is recommended.

Expected deliverables:

• A completed set of assessment forms for Health Services Department of Liberia Ministry of Health
• Daily reports of assessment activities completed

Responsibilities:

• Participate in a three-day training session on effective use of the assessment tool
• Conduct complete assessment of the Health Services Management capacity of central Ministry of Health, using a smartphone
• Participate in an “after-action review” to share lessons learnt from the assessment and provide qualitative feedback
• Provide daily debrief notes on assessment activities completed
• Ensure daily uploading of data collected in the central server
• Support the team in completing any other domains of the central assessment tool, as per Team Leader assignment, as required
• Take good care of the smart phone/tablet provided, ensuring the physical and functional integrity of the smart phone/tablet when handling back to DELTA

Qualifications:

• Must have a masters’ degree in health service or general management with a minimum of five years work experience.
• Must be willing to take assignment on short notice and on a short-term basis.
• Background conducting similar activity in last three years
• Knowledge and skills in Health Systems Management
• Proven experience in conducting robust institutional assessments
• Experience in electronic data collection
• Experience negotiating and liaising with middle and senior government officials
• Must be fluent in written and spoken English
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills
• Strong project management and organizational abilities
• Proficient in written and spoken English