Technical Advisor – Quality Assurance/ Quality Improvement FHI 360

About FHI 360
FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research, and technology — creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries.

Description:
FHI 360 is seeking applications for Technical Advisor – Quality Assurance and Referral Systems position for a USAID-funded Maternal Child health and Nutrition Activity that aims to strengthen the Government of Uganda’s (GOU) performance in implementing strategies to improve maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition outcomes. The scope of the activity includes development and implementation of effective models to improve services for urban populations, focusing on under-served/resourced communities in Kampala Capital City.

The Quality Assurance and Referral systems Advisor will closely work with program component leads (Nutrition, MCH, FP, MEL, GYSI, Private sector and Implementation Manager for Kampala) to effectively accelerate the adoption and implementation of quality improvement/assurance approaches aimed at improving quality of care at national level, subnational level and at priority healthcare facilities in Kampala, at national and subnational levels, in collaboration with relevant departments at Ministry of Health (MOH), KCCA and other partners.

Roles and Responsibilities:
National and subnational levels:
• Providing technical support to relevant MCHN MOH departments to institutionalize Quality Improvement for family health (MNCH, Family planning, Nutrition) including participating in drafting, approval and dissemination of Quality Improvement guidelines, tools, and strategies.
• Coordinate and liaise with the relevant MOH departments including RCH, Nutrition, SCAPP and others to implement QI interventions for the MoH priority areas in collaboration with respective project technical staff.
Working with the MCHN Regional Technical Assistance Advisor, provide technical support to other USAID and non-USAID Implementing Partners to scale-up of Quality of care for MNCH, Family planning and Nutrition, generate and document learnings, and report progress data on core indicators.

Kampala Capital City:
• Lead the design and implementation of a context-specific QI collaboratives and projects based on MNCH, FP, Nutrition and HMIS strengthening strategies, including quality of care, and utilization of MoH guidelines, frameworks, and high impact practices.
• Expand use of quality improvement and MNCH/N QoC interventions to address poor performing indicators for MCH, Nutrition, GYSI, and Family planning at USAID MCHN supported Kampala health facilities. Design evidence-based approaches to strengthen QI in community nutrition, MCH, family planning and GYSI service delivery and integrate within project activities according to the QI approaches.
Supervise and provide technical guidance to the quality improvement officers to ensure QI activities are implemented according to best practices and evidence-based frameworks in their supported divisions and facilities.
• To ensure regular coaching, mentorship, and use of data by facility teams to institute changes and evidence-based practices to improve process and outcome key performance indicators.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer learning sessions, synthesize and document emerging changes.
• Functionalize use of improvement committees to increase MPDSR notification, reviews, and reporting. Use Quality Improvement approach to implement and track status of implementation of recommendations.
• Provide technical assistance to the Kampala emergency medical services in functionalizing structures for strengthening referral systems including roll out of guidelines and demonstrating an urban referral system for Kampala metropolitan areas.

Cross cutting:
• Support the functionalization and utilization of the National QI database and maintain valid and up-to-date data in the QI database.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to donors and key stakeholders on progress of quality assurance/improvement initiatives.
To document learnings inform of change packages, success stories, human interest stories, technical briefs, case studies and other KM products while building capacity for improvement teams to share improvement stories at national and international related conferences
• Undertake such other tasks within the scope of the role as directed by management from time to time.

Qualifications and experience:
• The ideal candidate should hold an MBChB or bachelor’s degree in Midwifery or Nursing and post graduate degree in public health, a clinical discipline or equivalent
• A minimum of five years’ experience in health services management in public health care setting or quality assurance roles in NGOs working with health care systems.
• Experience of at-least 5 years in implementation and leadership for QI programs in Uganda.
Experience in working with Ministry of health and other partners in advancing national level strategies, tools, and guidelines on quality of care for MNCH/ FP/ nutrition is an added advantage
• Excellent facilitation, communication or interpersonal skills is a must.