National Consultant-Malaria Microscopy Quality Assessment Tool

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Background

The malaria microscopy QA programmes is to ensure that microscopy services provide accurate results; are administered by competent, motivated staff supported by effective training, supervision, and quality control (QC) to maintain their competence and performance; and are supported by a logistics system to provide and maintain adequate supplies of reagents and equipment.

A QA programme should appropriately recognize good performance; identify laboratories and microscopists with serious problems that result in poor performance; establish regional or national benchmarks for the quality of diagnosis; and ensure central reporting on indicators, including accuracy, equipment and reagent performance, stock control and workload.

Establishing the data collection is a priority in monitoring and timely evaluation of the need for improvement in the capacity of laboratories knowledge and maintain their performance in good laboratory practices. The World Health Organization has developed a Malaria microscopy quality assurance manual since 2009, including the checklist of supervisory visit report form for assessment of malaria microscopy laboratories. This checklist is consistent with the gold standard for assessing organizational issues and technical issues, and its results are used to inform the national malaria programme.

Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to develop Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance (QA) tool in Malaria Information System (MIS) in order to ensure sufficient monitoring of the malaria microscopy QA programmes, make prompt correction action for improvement, and provide quality data entry and analysis, it is proposed to digitize the forms for laboratory, training, assessment, cross-checking, panel testing, equipment, supplies and reagents and develop a dashboard for real-time monitoring that can be utilized by national and subnational level microscopy QA managers.

Scope of work

The contractor will be responsible for developing e-type of the malaria microscopy Quality Assurance (QA) data entry forms, which run on the MIS platform (web-based and mobile) and could produce the table summary reports and graphs in the MIS.

Planned Timelines (Subject to confirmation)

Start date: 20 February 2024

End date: 20 June 2024

(4 months)

Outputs/Deliverables

Output 1: A database for the malaria microscopy quality assurance activities and results are developed

1.1 Develop nineteen data entry forms for HC, RH, PH and CNM’s users: 1.2 Work with head of CNM’s MIS unit and WHO staff to understand structure of the MIS and requirements for developing the malaria microscopy quality assurance feature. 1.3 Develop malaria microscopy quality assurance data entry forms on mobile application and web-based application that provided by CNM Lab unit and WHO staff 1.4 Make sure that the data entry form must run smoothly with HC, RH, PH and CNM’s mobile application and web-based application.

Output 2: Reports and graphs on MIS’s dashboard are developed 2.1 Develop dashboard and reports in Malaria Information System 2.2 Create API to retrieve data from the mobile application 2.3 Create reports and graphs following the provided indicators on MIS’s Dashboard.

Output 3: User friendly User guides are available for printing and training

3.1 User guides 3.2 Prepare user guides for using the updated App and MIS

Reporting

The national consultant is expected to submit activity reports in line with the set deliverables and these reports shall be submitted for review and acceptance by the National Malaria Program and WHO before any payment is made.

Qualifications, experience, skills and knowledge, and languages

Educational Qualifications

- Master’s degree in information technology, computer science, or other relevant fields

Experience

Essential: A minimum of 7 years’ experience in computer programming, website development, data engineering, database management and data visualization

Desirable: - Experience in working with Malaria Information System (MIS) of Cambodia malaria program - Experience in working with WHO - Experience of using SMS technology for data collection - Familiarity with the health system in Cambodia

Skills/Knowledge

- A full-stack developer and understand concepts of the software development life cycle and software engineering. - Appreciation for clean and well documented code - Strong ability to write and maintain quality documentation. - Effectively collaborate with client facing teams and UX/UI designers - Excellent verbal and written communication skills - Database Cyber Security, Machine Learning and Cloud computing - Data visualization, Data mining and DevOps development - Front-end development Language: JavaScript, jQuery, Angular and Vue - Data Structure server Language: PHP, ASP, Python and Node - Back-end development Language: SQL, SQLite, and MongoDB

Competencies:

- Good teamwork - Good Communication - Producing Results - Moving forward in a changing environment - Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Language:

Essential: Fluent in English (Read-Write-Speak).

Desirable: Mother tongue in Khmer

Place of assignment

WHO country office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Additional Information

This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level. • Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. • A written test may be used as a form of screening. • If your candidature is retained for 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. • For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. • The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. • The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs. • Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int • An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates. • WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. • Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. • WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO. • Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected]. • In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (1) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates