Advert for Survey Coordinator, Data Manager, Data Analyst, Consultant Health Economist and Field Data Collectors/Interviewers for a National TB Research

National TB Research: Determination of proportion of Tuberculosis patients experiencing catastrophic costs due to TB treatment
The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in collaboration with the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) and World Health Organization is seeking for eligible candidates to fill the under listed positions. With funding support from the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and USAID/Challenge TB project, the organization is embarking on a nation-wide survey to determine the proportion of Tuberculosis patients who are experiencing catastrophic costs during TB management in Nigeria.
Tuberculosis has long been associated with health inequality and most especially affecting disproportionately the lower socio-economic class. However, with the increasing cost of health care and economic recession, it is not clear how much households spend and to what extent the financial burden affect the health seeking behavior, and outcome of care regarding TB disease burden. To this end, the NTBLCP is set to embark on a national survey to determine the proportion of TB patients and their households who experience catastrophic cost due to Tuberculosis. This catastrophic cost refers to total costs (indirect and direct combined) exceeding a given threshold (e.g. 20%) of the household’s annual income, and also as ‘dissaving’ (such as loans taken, property or livestock sale) incurred by patients to face health costs associated with the TB disease.
The objectives of the survey are (i) to document the magnitude and main drivers of patient costs in order to guide policies on cost mitigation for the purpose of reducing financial barriers to access and adherence, (ii) to determine the baseline percentage of diagnosed TB patients treated in the network of facilities under the NTBLCP and their households, who incur direct and indirect costs beyond a defined threshold of their annual income, and (iii) to assess cost effectiveness of Tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in public and private facilities in Nigeria.
The coverage of the study was designed to be nationally representative and it is anticipated that the outcome of this study will be useful for policy decision and programme intervention. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the following positions.

1. The Survey Coordinator: Ref #: SC/TB-CCS/FMOH-2017

Location of assignment: Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Duration of assignment: Six months.
The Survey Coordinator will be an epidemiologist with experience in national surveys and with at least 5 year experience in planning and conducting patient surveys or facility-based surveys, preferably including health seeking and cost items. The survey coordinator will:

• Reports to the principal investigator
• Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the survey
• Be actively involved in the design of the study
• Prepares training manual and study materials
• Trains team leaders and interviewers
• Supervises the work of data collection by team leaders through periodic reports
• Supervises other survey team members to ensure strict compliance with survey implementation timeline
• S/he must ensure that all survey activities are in compliance with approved survey protocol and that no breach of ethics is allowed during the exercise.
• Work in collaboration with the Consultant Health Economist to ensure detailed analysis and report of the survey is done and delivered within the stipulated time.
• Make presentations to relevant stakeholders at various stages and milestones achievement of the survey
• S/he will ensure timely preparation and submission of the survey report
• Support the preparation of publishable article in peer reviewed journal

Qualification required:

• Eligible candidate must possess at least a Master degree in Public Health, Biostatistics, Epidemiology. A PhD in related will be advantage.
• Must have at least 5-10 years’ experience in supervising and leading national or multi-national level surveys with particular reference to Tuberculosis (will be an advantage)
• Possess strong analytical and writing skill including competency is use of statistical analytical software such as STATA, R, GIS and Microsoft office package.
• Familiarity with Nigeria Tuberculosis control program and Nigeria political, social and cultural terrain is required. Knowledgeable in use of ODK and other online survey data collection tools.
• Must possess good leadership, communication and interpersonal relations and team spirit.
• Must be fluent in English language and communicate effectively. Fluency in another Nigerian language will be an advantage.

2. Data manager: Ref #: DM/TB-CCS/FMOH-2017

Location of assignment: Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Duration of assignment: Six months.
The data manager will be responsible for:

• Coordinates data management activities for the survey: receiving, batching, cleaning, merging data from different sources
• Be responsible for the validation of double-entered data files
• Ensures that data are properly stored and backed up
• Checks validated data files regularly for systematic errors (cleaning)
• Develops data entry software and tools, effective and feasible to support the survey
• Prepares database to be ready for analysis and data entry screens
• Contributes in the analysis of results
• Be responsible for completion of regular data management reports
• Liaises with the survey coordinator on a regular basis
• Reports without delay any problems encountered in data management.

Qualification required:

• Eligible candidate must possess at least a Master degree in Public Health, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Sociology & Anthropology/Social sciences & Demography.
• Must have at least 5 years’ experience in development work especially in data management for surveys and routine programme implementation at national and sub-national levels
• Possess strong analytical skill including competency is use of statistical analytical software such as STATA, R, SPSS, CSPro, GIS and Microsoft office package.
• Demonstrate experience in use of ODK and other online survey data collection platforms
• Familiarity with Nigeria Tuberculosis control program and Nigeria political, social and cultural terrain is required.
• Possess good administrative skills including maintenance of adequate documentation

3. Data analyst: Ref #: DA/TB-CCS/FMOH-2017

Location of assignment: Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Duration of assignment: Three months.
The data manager will be responsible for:

• Support data management activities for the survey: receiving, batching, cleaning, merging data from different sources
• Responsible for regular data cleaning and storage throughout the survey.
• Ensures the validation of double-entered data files
• Ensures that data are properly stored and backed up
• Checks validated data files regularly for systematic errors (cleaning)
• Support the analysis of data and preparation of results
• Support completion of regular data management reports
• Liaises with the survey coordinator on a regular basis
• Reports without delay any problems encountered in data management.

Qualification required:

• Eligible candidate must possess at least a Master degree in Public Health, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Sociology & Anthropology/Social sciences & Demography.
• Must have at least 2-3 years’ experience in development work especially in data management for surveys and routine programme implementation at national and sub-national levels
• Demonstrate experience in use of ODK and other online survey data collection platforms
• Familiarity with Nigeria Tuberculosis control program and Nigeria political, social and cultural terrain is required.
• Possess good administrative skills including maintenance of adequate documentation

4. Consultant Health Economist: Ref #: CHE/TB-CCS/FMOH-2017

Location of assignment: Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Duration of assignment: Forty-five days.
The Consultant Health Economist will be responsible for:

• Finalization of survey tools for this survey
• Responsible for the conduct and implementation of the economic evaluation component of the larger survey
• Be actively involved in the design and implementation of the survey
• Prepares training manual and survey materials
• Trains team leaders and interviewers
• Supervises the work of data collection by team leaders
• S/he must ensure that survey activities especially the economic evaluation component of the survey are implemented in accordance with approved survey protocol and that no breach of ethics is allowed during the exercise.
• Work in collaboration with the Survey Coordinator to ensure detailed analysis and report of the survey is done and delivered within the stipulated time.
• Make presentations to relevant stakeholders at various stages and milestones achievement of the survey
• S/he will ensure timely preparation and submission of the survey report
• Support the preparation of publishable article in peer reviewed journal

Qualification required:
The consultant Health Economist must have the following skills and qualifications –

• Advance degree in Health economics (Master’s/PhD) or related field in addition to basic graduate degrees of relevance to public health.
• Previous experience in the successful conduct of economic evaluation and cost analysis in health in Nigeria and/or elsewhere in the developing countries.
• Possess strong analytical skill and ability to use relevant software for economic analysis such as TreeAge etc.
• Evidence of technical capacity to lead a research team
• Good knowledge and experience of the Nigerian health system and Tuberculosis control programme.

• Must possess good leadership, communication and interpersonal relations and team spirit.
• Must be fluent in English language and communicate effectively. Fluency in another Nigerian language will be an advantage.

5. Field data collectors/interviewers:

Location of assignment: Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara. Duration of assignment: Twenty-five days.
The specific tasks of the interviewers are:

• Must be located within the selected study state
• Attend the orientation workshop/training for the survey exercise.
• Collect and collate primary and secondary data from households and health facilities respectively using the electronic data extraction tool designed for the survey.
• Record data legibly on the data extraction tool
• Recognize data quality issues and avoid reporting unreliable data
• Conduct interviews through the use of the survey instrument.
• Work closely and harmoniously with the survey team members

Qualifications required:

1. Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a social science, arts, or science discipline.
2. At least 1 year experience working in conducting Public Health Research will be an advantage
3. Knowledge in the use of Microsoft office package including MS Word and Excel is essential. Knowledge of data analysis using appropriate software packages will be an added advantage.
4. Familiarity with use of ODK and other online survey data collection tools
5. Fluent in written and spoken English and local language.
6. Must possess excellent inter-personal relations skills, with appropriate documentation, data analysis and report writing skills

NOTE: Applicants for this position must indicate their state of residence and preference for state of assignment in their application letter.
Submission of Applications/Closing Date
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and submit a detailed curriculum vitae and application letter for this research opportunity.  All candidates must have good understanding of the country context and demonstrate familiarity with the Global Fund supported Tuberculosis grant in Nigeria. Candidates must demonstrate competency in supporting country’s research capacity and/or data use. All applicants for these positions must include evidence of previous consultancies and honorarium rates in their submission.
Applications are due by June 19th, 2017.  Applications received after this date will not be accepted. All successful candidates will be notified of the outcome by June 26th, 2017.  Selected candidates will be required to submit proof of institutional or country ethics review and approval or exemption.

• Please reference the job title and reference code on the covering/application letter.
• The reference code for each application must be boldly written on the envelope properly sealed and clearly marked on the top right hand corner
• Three copies of application documents in a single sealed envelope should be sent to the address below.

Head, Monitoring & Evaluation
Association for Reproductive and Family Health
Floor 1, Block C, Millennium Builder’s Plaza,
Plot 251, Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District,
Adjacent NNPC Towers, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria

• Submission must be delivered to the above address not later than 19^th June, 2017. No submission will be accepted after the closing date.
• E-mails submissions will not considered and will be rejected.