Health Information Systems Specialist

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 141,549 USD and 182,499 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO AFRO’s EPR Cluster is to support member states i) to prepare for and prevent disease outbreaks and health emergencies, ii) to promptly detect, speedily report, and confirm outbreaks and iii) to strengthen and sustain their capacity to promptly respond to and recover from the negative effects of outbreaks and health emergencies. Within the EPR Cluster, the overall mandate of the HIR unit is to provide risk management support, develop public health intelligence and strengthen epidemiological surveillance and information systems, in member states to rapidly mitigate the impact of public health crises. The HIR unit leads the implementation of the “Transforming African Surveillance Systems” (TASS) flagship program which is structured around five key pillars: Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) implementation, data and information management, workforce development, policy dialogue & advocacy and predictable and sustainable financing.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

A Health Information System (HIS) is a system designed to collect, process, store, disseminate and use health-related information to carry out management functions. It consists of people, tools (paper-based and electronic), and procedures for gathering, sorting, and distributing timely, accurate information to decision-makers. HIS outputs support the strategic and operational needs of all programmatic areas under Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The Health Information System Specialist/Developer within the HIR (Health Emergency Information Management and Risk Assessment) unit is a senior technical advisor responsible for Health Information Systems (HIS) strengthening for Member States within the context of epidemiological surveillance / IDSR, risk assessment, and outbreak detection. She/He works at a technical expert and advisor level to collaborate with the Member States and other partners in the development and strengthening of data, information systems and software that will improve data flow from the sub-national to the national level for member states and for WHO AFRO central databases.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Job holder is a senior technical advisor responsible for Health Information Systems (HIS) strengthening within the context of Health Emergencies. S/He provides technical recommendations and expertise in the design, development, improvement, and maintenance of information systems that strengthen health service effectiveness and efficiency.

The incumbent serves as the lead for documentation of in-country HIS systems. S/he analyzes existing in-country HIS and recommends, both orally and in writing, priority strengthening initiatives to the WHO AFRO HIR Manager and the Regional Emergency Director (RED). S/he ensures the presence of adequate administrative controls, information and data quality, procedural efficiencies and adherence to internationally recognized information system standards. The incumbent pays particular attention to the development and integration of appropriate HIS sub-systems, such as facility-based surveillance systems, community surveillance systems, medical records systems, logistics management information systems, and supports the establishment of standards-based HIS framework/architecture with interoperable data collection and reporting systems that are flexible and sustainable (including technology platforms).

The incumbent oversees HIS project activities from start-up to maturity. This involves making regular in-country visits and working closely with designated HIS program managers in each member state as well as WHO HQ and other WHO regions on surveillance systems, outbreak detection and information management systems.

S/he takes responsibility for oversight, design, and implementation of a series of practical training courses for various target audiences on using HIS; assessing, monitoring and improving data quality; using M&E data for program improvement; and developing clear, concise and effective reports that respond to the needs of managers and decision-makers.

The incumbent will also assist with training and orientation on data entry, data cleaning, and data analysis techniques for appropriate member states staff.

Specifically, the HIS Specialist will:

• Develop/adapt a strategy for Health Information System for supporting IDSR / TASS in line with the national HIS strategy of member states
• Analyze IDSR data for informed planning and decision making
• Improve information sharing and information use for all member states, the emergency hubs and the RO
• Contribute to the capacity building of member states in the area of HMIS and surveillance systems
• Conduct assessments of the needs of member states
• Participate in and support the regional HMIS working groups
• Develop, update and Maintain a comprehensive database and web-based information management platform, and other visualization tools for weekly IDSR data, media monitoring data, outbreaks, and other information sources.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: Informatics, Information Science, Health Information Management, Computer Science; Computer Engineering, or Information Systems, Geographic Information Systems.

Experience:

• At least seven years of experience in designing, developing, implementing, testing, documenting and maintaining information systems.

• Practical experience in the development and use of database systems and other information management tools and mechanisms.

• Theoretical and practical knowledge of database development as well as experience in developing and maintaining databases and information systems

• Experience in training individuals in use and maintenance of information systems, including analysis and use of the data they contain.

• Experience in needs assessments, user requirements analysis, and development of software specifications

• Experience in project management and coordination

• Strong knowledge of information management tools and mechanisms
• Knowledge of GIS
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation.

Desirable:

Experience in WHO and/or the UN System in the areas of outbreak preparedness and response; field experience in public health programmes or emergency response programmes in developing countries.

Skills

Sound strategic and tactical thinking with ability to formulate clear comprehensive policies, strategies and plans. Superior organizational skills with ability to multi-task and produce results under pressure. Excellent interpersonal with proven ability to communicate in a clear and effective way, with tact, diplomacy and courtesy. Authoritative and comprehensive knowledge of the theory, principles, methods and techniques in international emergency risk management and humanitarian response, with a broad-based understanding of its growing complexity including knowledge of the workings of relevant international policy-setting bodies.

The position also requires:

• Ability to understand current information and communication technologies, mobile and wireless technologies, Web-based architectures, Opensource standards and norms, methodologies of software development, and the public health environment.
• Ability to manage a software development project, from needs analysis and requirements gathering, to the maintenance phase. Ability to have a long-term vision, to develop strategies, to anticipate issues, and to develop alternative plans.
• Highly developed persuasive skills, ingenuity and innovation.
• Good knowledge of health delivery information systems, health information technology and applications to public health and epidemiology, host government health care system and structures.
• Practical experience in software development and programming using database systems (MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Postgres, MS Access or any RDBMS platforms, etc.), programming languages (Java, C Sharp, PHP, Visual Basic, R, etc.).

WHO Competencies

1. Teamwork
2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
3. Communication
4. Promoting innovation and organizational learning
5. Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of French . Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of English

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the Professional Category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at 75,602 US Dollars (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable). Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

- This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level - Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. - A written test may be used as a form of screening. - In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review. - Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. - Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply. - For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. - WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

- WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice. - WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates. - WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. - WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world. - Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged. - *For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.