Touch Foundation, Inc.
TOUCH FOUNDATION, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 to help strengthen the healthcare system in Sub-Saharan Africa. Touch’s founder, Lowell Bryan, a former Director with McKinsey & Company, initially founded Touch to address the healthcare crisis in Tanzania where he understood that the country faced a daunting healthcare environment, with declining life expectancy and increasing maternal and infant mortality. One of the biggest impediments to access to healthcare was the dearth of medical professionals. Touch supported the development of a new medical school in Tanzania, created a program to improve training and delivery of services by graduates of the medical school, and started addressing the most critical challenges in the local resource-constrained health system. The success of Touch’s initiatives in Tanzania led to the expansion of programs across multiple Sub-Saharan African countries. In the recent years and in collaboration Vodafone Foundation and other funding partners, Touch has developed and implemented in multiple countries (Tanzania and Lesotho) the m-mama program which tackles maternal and infant mortality by providing emergency transportation to pregnant women and newborns in distress during and after childbirth. Touch’s work is data driven and evidence based, and we strive to share the knowledge and the information obtained through years of implementation with policy makers and other stakeholders globally.
Most of Touch’s staff work in Africa to implement our programs on the ground, with the administrative and development functions centered in the U.S., in New York City. The people who work at Touch are very focused, collaborative and driven to excel which has contributed to the impact that Touch has made
OVERVIEW OF THE M-MAMA PROGRAM
the m-mama program is an innovative and cost-effective at-scale Emergency Transportation System for pregnant women and newborns led by Vodafone Foundation and implemented by Touch Foundation.
Vodafone Foundation, USAID, Touch Foundation and Pathfinder International launched m-mama in 2013 in Tanzania in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania. This program addresses the high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in rural areas by reducing delays in access to care using safe and timely emergency transportation for pregnant women and newborns experiencing an emergency. The central component of m-mama is an emergency transport system enabled by an innovative digital solution to address complications as quickly and effectively as possible. This digital technology is used to triage a patient remotely 24/7 and then dispatch an ambulance or community driver to bring the patient to a health facility.
In Tanzania, after a successful proof of concept implemented in Sengerema and Buchosa districts, and scaling the program to the Shinyanga region, the m-mama program is being scaled up across the country in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania.
POSITION SUMMARY
We are seeking for a full-time Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Data Specialist to support the m-mama program team in implementing the monitoring and evaluation plan for national scale-up in Tanzania for 12 months.
The MEL and Data Specialist will work closely with Touch’s m-mama Tanzania program team, program partners (Vodafone Foundation, Implementing Partner – Pathfinder International) and national and regional government stakeholders. The role will be responsible to plan and execute monitoring, evaluation and learning activities, manage and analyze data and applying the data for evidence-based decision-making. Reporting to the m-mama Program Director at Touch Foundation, the MEL and Data Specialist will be required to use data to drive quality improvement in the Emergency Transportation System and to improve quality of care for maternal and newborns. The role will work with central government representative, and RHMT and CHMT representatives in data collection, analysis and reporting of the Emergency Transportation System.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Data Collection and Analysis
· Collect, analyze and use data from primary government sources and secondary sources to produce inputs, outputs, outcomes and impact reports of the program and improve quality of implementation (process) and quality of care (outcome). This includes baseline data collection in the field, quality assessments for the Emergency Transportation System and routine data quality assessments in targeted regions
· Facilitate effective use of data and coordinate regular feedback to and information exchange with all government, funder and partner stakeholders to share data insights in order to improve quality in the m-mama program
· Improve m-mama outcomes by strengthening data quality, data management, reporting and analysis at the national and regional / council levels
· Provide guidance and support on data collection, management, analysis, visualization and use
Monitoring and Evaluation
· Conduct the monitoring, evaluation and learning activities of the project, including designing and implementing tools for monitoring of specific technical components
· Conduct regular meetings to share M&E data and patient outcomes with national and regional governments understand how effective the system is and what are the areas that need more support and focus
· Conduct program evaluation activities, including the development of tools, materials and reports
· Build and transfer M&E capacity to national and regional government teams responsible for managing the Emergency Transportation System
· Support m-mama program team on monthly Operational M&E, including collection, analysis and reporting of data and support quality assurance throughout the program
Quality improvement
· Based on data and evidence, identify areas for improvement in the implementation process, and work collaboratively with the m-mama Project Manager to ensure adaptation measurements and course correction are put into place
· Participate in the development and implementation of the Quality Improvement work plan and monitor the activities under this work plan to ensure they are executed as planned in the different regions
· Support the improvement of dashboards and other data visualization tools for use by the government
· Strengthen the government’s capacity to effectively manage the m-mama systems to provide accountability, oversight and management
Learning, Reporting and Dissemination
· Document and scale up program results, experiences and lessons learnt, and lead dissemination to program partners, donors, Government of Tanzania and other key stakeholders
· Ensure timely and complete reporting of M&E indicators to funder and government reporting formats
· Assist in preparation of documentation (excel, power point) for stakeholders’ meetings or funders’ meetings
As job vacancy announcement cannot be exhaustive, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Data Specialist will be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, Education, Skills and Experience:
• Master’s degree level in relevant field (Public Health, Data Science, Statistics, or related field)
• Minimum 10 years’ relevant professional experience in data analysis and implementing data for decision-making activities
• Experience with training and capacity development of government and partners on data for decision-making at national or regional levels
• A thorough understanding of the health care system and data landscape (including DHIS2) in Tanzania
• Exceptional ability to analyze multiple sources of data to identify data trends and to provide recommendations on project implementation
• Experience with M&E, mentorship, coaching and Continuous Quality Improvement initiatives and activities
• Strong analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills
• Qualitative and quantitative data analysis and report writing skills
• Solid relationship-building skills and cross-cultural sensitivity: ability to relate and work with both local and international individuals
• Good judgment and discretion to represent the Touch Foundation at all relevant areas, as well as respect for culture
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili
Other information:
• Frequent travel: up to 40% of the time travel to the regions for data collection / verification and quality improvement and occasional travel for national-level M&E related activitieS.
APPLICATION PROCESS
• Please submit a Cover Letter and Resume outlining your interest in the position to: jobs@touchfoundation.org. Please put “Touch m-mama Tanzania Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Data Specialist” in the subject line of your e-mailed application.
• Deadline for the application: Friday, March 31, 2023.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Touch Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, sex, age, gender identification, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability. All qualified applications will be given equal opportunity and selection decisions will be based solely on job-related factors. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
For more information about the Touch Foundation, please visit www.touchfoundation.org