University Research Co Ongoing Recruitment

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Project Name: USAID TB South Africa
Position Title: TB Technical Advisor – KwaZulu Natal Provincial Department of Health
Type: Fixed-term contract (1-year)
Salary: Commensurate with required experience and qualifications
Reports to: TB Director, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Health (KZN PDOH) & Chief of Party, USAID TB South Africa Project
Location: Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province

Project Overview:
The USAID Tuberculosis South Africa Project is five-year contract which builds upon interventions and achievements from URC’s current USAID TB CARE II South Africa and the prior TB Program South Africa. TB CARE II activities supported the South Africa National Department of Health’s (NDOH) TB prevention and control efforts, working closely with national and provincial partners to close identified gap areas and further develop sustainable systems that can carry forward long-term improvements in TB and drug-resistant (DR) TB diagnosis, care, and treatment services.

Tuberculosis South Africa Project will help the government of South Africa to further reduce TB infections, with the ultimate goal of ending TB once and for all. To reach this goal, Tuberculosis South Africa Project will continue to improve the long-term sustainability of effective TB response systems and improve TB care and treatment for vulnerable populations.

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province is one of the four provinces (including Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape provinces) that together carry more than two thirds of the burden of TB in South Africa. The province faces challenges related to the high burdens of TB, drug-resistant TB and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and to human capacity constraints that hinder an effective response to these public health problems. The KZN Provincial Department of Health (PDOH) has requested short-term technical assistance (STTA) to support the implementation of quality TB service programs within the province. The objectives of this STTA are:

• To support the development and implementation of a quality improvement approach for TB, TBHIV, MDR, TB-diabetes mellitus (DM) and related conditions;
• To assist with the provision of TB monitoring and evaluation, and surveillance to enable the provision of effective and efficient tuberculosis services, including community support systems.

Minimum Educational Qualifications, Skills and Experience required:

The TB Technical Advisor will provide technical support to the KZN PDOH drug-sensitive (DS) and drug-resistant (DR) TB programmes, including the development of clinical standards and procedures for TB, TBHIV, MDR and TB-DM. The Advisor will also be responsible for coordinating the monitoring and evaluation of TB programme performance, supporting TB surveillance. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Support the KZN PDOH to implement a quality assurance/quality improvement (QA/QI) approach to TB, TB/HIV, MDR TB and TB-DM in all districts. Illustratively this includes
  • Analysis of current approaches and practices;
  • Identification of gaps and/or challenges to implementation
  • Guiding the development and implementation of a package of interventions to reduce leakage across the TB care cascade (early initiation, appropriate treatment, retention in treatment and care until treatment completion)
  • Strengthening infection prevention and control at facility and community levels
• In collaboration with the KZN PDOH and Regional Training Centre, strengthen the capacity of health care workers (HCWs) to prevent, diagnose and manage TB, TB/HIV, MDR-TB and TB-DM, and to improve infection control
• Support the monitoring, evaluation, research and surveillance system of the KZN PDOH in all districts. Illustratively, this includes
  • Training of district staff on indicators and data management
  • Development of district quarterly cascade dashboards to monitor progress against targets
  • Documenting challenges and success for use in policy recommendations
  • Facilitating regular data verification with  TB district coordinators
  • Supporting the design/implement of targeted implementation research to program performance
• Strengthen the collaboration between communities, civil society organizations, and all public and private care providers. Illustratively, this includes
  • Assisting with the identification and coordination of partner/stakeholder partnerships for TB services
  • Coordinating the work of local CSOs and communities working on TB

Reports required: The TB Technical Advisor will submit weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports to his/her Supervisors. The written reports will include:

• Progress on work
• Status of deliverables listed below, quantified (# meetings held, # strategy documents developed, key program indicators)
• Achievements and challenges
• Any necessary attachments (detailed meeting reports, including action items, action plans, and outcomes; monitoring visit reports)

Resources: The KZN PDOH will provide the TB Technical Advisor with office space, office equipment and furniture, and will grant him/her access to the PDOH offices and communications network, and will meet all business-related expenses, including travel. The USAID TB South Africa Project will support the salary of the TB Technical Advisor.

Deliverables:     

Implement a quality assurance/quality improvement (QA/QI) approach

• Provincial QA/QI plan
• Number of districts with quality improvement teams
• Monthly Quality of Care newsletter
• Number of provincial QA/QI meetings

Strengthen the capacity of HCWs to prevent, diagnose and manage TB, TB/HIV, MDR-TB and TB-DM

• Number of HCWs trained on TB, TBHIV, DR TB (including the nine-month regimen), and QA/QI
• Number of facilities supported to implement the 9-month regimen
• Number of facility risk assessments
• Number of facility infection prevention control (IPC) plans

Support the monitoring, evaluation, research and surveillance system

• Number of TB data verification exercise conducted
• Number of districts/facilities using updated M&E tools and implementing THIS
• Number of facilities supported to implement THIS
• Number of facilities trained on TB cascade analysis
• Number of districts using dashboards for reporting and monitoring progress
• Operational research report

Strengthen collaboration between communities, CSOs, and public and private care providers

• Number of quarterly stakeholder review meetings

Minimum Educational Qualifications, Skills and Experience required:

• Medical Degree (MB.CHB; MBBS or equivalent)
• Post graduate qualification in Internal medicine, Public Health or equivalent is an added advantage
• 5 years’ experience in TB program management, TB case management, HIV/AIDS
• 5 years’ experience working with public health systems and NGOs in TB and TB/HIV and other health areas
• Experience in training/coaching skills, team building, and advocacy/policy development required
• Computer literacy is a minimum requirement
• A valid driver’s license and willingness to travel between facilities

To Apply:         

Suitable and interested candidates should send CV/Résumé, Cover Letter “quoting the position name on the email subject line” and completed USAID Form 1420 Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (link: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/AID1420-17.doc) to [email protected]. 

Closing date: 25 January 2019

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URC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We value and seek diversity in our workforce.