Project Overview and Role: Primary Duties and Responsibilities: The emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic has posed new challenges to already strained health systems worldwide. With USAID’s support, the HP+ project is undertaking efforts in Honduras, and other countries to help governments and stakeholders respond more efficiently and effectively to COVID-19. In Honduras, HP+ is seeking a Surveillance Technical Advisor to work as part of a local and international team. The activities to be carried out under the project are still being finalized with the government, but we anticipate activities in several of the areas listed in the following sections. Ideally, the candidate will have experience across the surveillance continuum from data collection through analysis, interpretation and dissemination of data. However, based on our current expectation of activities, experience in field work and establishing effective data collection and reporting systems are the highest priority, including activities such as: case investigation; contact tracing; mapping and troubleshooting data flow; ensuring quality of data collected and reported; and training community-based workers and health professionals. In lieu of a background in surveillance, HP+ may also consider a candidate who has a strong background in Monitoring and Evaluation, along with experience in data management and community-based field work.
The work may occur at the national or subnational level, or a combination of both.
For each consultancy, these responsibilities are illustrative, and are subject to finalization with the Ministry of Health (SESAL). The consultant will carry out these tasks in collaboration with MINSAL, local and international partners, and HP+, with the aim of strengthening COVID-19 surveillance in Honduras.
- Support the HP+ Country Coordinator to establish of an action plan to guide HP+ support for Honduras. The plan will be developed in collaboration with USAID, SESAL, and other key stakeholders, and will specify critical activities, timelines, deliverables, monitoring and evaluation plan, etc.
- Map the data flow for COVID-19, including data gathered through the activities of case detection, case investigation, isolation, laboratory testing, contact tracing, quarantine and at patient care facilities. Map the data reporting processes from community through national levels.
- Facilitate ongoing monitoring of data flow with and among all sections of the response to support Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) at the national and/or subnational levels. Support monitoring of data flow to identify and resolve data bottlenecks, redundancies, and breakdowns in reporting or information circuits.
- Assist the government to create or update Standard Operating Procedures and processes for activities such as the collection, validation, quality assurance, sharing, and dissemination of data.
- Train Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to detect, report, and refer suspected COVID-19 cases to local health facilities as appropriate, and to identify and monitor contacts. The use of digital technology for investigation and reporting will be included in the training, as relevant.
- Ensure quality of investigations by RRT through supervision, mentoring and just-in-time training in the field. Additionally, through activities such as daily case/investigation reviews.
- Support the surveillance function at the national and/or subnational level with data management and analysis to allow for better tracking of patients infected with COVID-19 and their contacts, reporting of data, and understanding of the spread of the virus geographically and demographically.
- Support the aggregation of data and its integration into DHIS2 as requested.
- Support SESAL and EOC to develop appropriate ways to visualize data. Assist with development and testing of dashboards, including a “situation room.” (Software programming is not expected.)
- As requested, interpret and present data to the EOC or other entities.
- As appropriate, build capacity of the SESAL, the EOC and partner organizations supporting the response in the activities noted above.
- Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with SESAL and related government entities as well as international and local partners.
- Work closely with HQ HP+ technical staff on the implementation of activities.
Required Qualifications:
