Health Management Information System Applications Support Lead (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium At Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

Health Management Information System Applications Support Lead (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium

CONTEXT

The Ariadne (eHealth) Unit is a multidisciplinary team of eHealth and health data experts within MSF-OCB (Operational Centre of Brussels) responsible for designing, deploying and maintaining Health Information Systems. The unit facilitates informed decision making by streamlining health information management and providing systems that are adapted to the organization’s Medical and Operational needs.

Currently Ariadne unit is organized into two programs: 1. The MAST (Monitoring and Surveillance Tools) program responsible for deploying and maintaining Monitoring and Surveillance tools/systems and 2. The EMR (Electronic Medical Records) program that provide point of care solutions to support patient care and facilitate longitudinal follow-up and service capacity management.

As Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) Applications Support Lead, you will be part of the MAST program and is responsible for providing direct support, to end users in the field and MSF-OCB headquarters in Brussels on the use of our eHealth systems. The extent of support to be provided will vary depending on the applications. This could range from report distribution to database configuration and administration. The core applications Supported by Ariadne for data management are the District health information system (DHIS2): https://dhis2.org/ Kobo: https://www.kobotoolbox.org/ and Excel.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Help Desk

You are the first contact for users of HMIS in OCB:

• Troubleshoot problems related to HMIS applications by handling and/or route incoming queries from end users on the use of tools, its inputs, or its outputs to appropriate Ariadne’s team members
• Link end users with medical content related questions to the relevant medical expert
• Report/escalate users’ identified bugs or serious HMIS malfunctions to the eHealth program manager, monitor and communicate progress towards resolution
• Assist in investigating applications functionality related issues and provide first level support as needed e.g. cleaning databases, reinstalling Applications etc
• Refer deployment / new implementation requests to the HMIS implementation manager

Functional/Operational Support

• Initial configuration of data sets, validation rule and dashboards according to OCB standards for aggregate, event, and tracker data models
• Manage HMIS account registration after validation (grant or revoke access)
• Assist in maintaining and managing template libraries and metadata ensuring consistency
• Assist in setting up, naming and management of servers for HMIS applications where necessary
• Ensure synchronization of data and metadata across and between HMIS instances while maintaining data integrity
• Support in HMIS testing and upgrade process, ensuring integrity of current metadata and configuration within the system
• Test new applications with potential to integrate into eHealth’s standard HMIS
• Support the eHealth program manager in engaging with the global community of practice exploring opportunities for technical collaboration
• Follow up on current issues and trends in the ‘HMIS world’ by reviewing current literature and involvement in professional networks
• Assist in collation and archiving of Standard legacy data bases
• Migrate Data from different tools to DHIS2 and share DHIS2 API for data sharing

Change Management

• Receive, analyze, and track new features/ change requests to be validated prior to implementation
• Participate in change management meeting to validate new change requests from users
• Configure validated content, corrections and changes requested in exiting data sets
• Ensure smooth implementation of system changes by end users especially when the changes alter the SoPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

Training & Communication

• Contribute to the development of user training materials, user guides and standard operating procedures
• Support the MAST team in conducting trainings and demonstrations on HIMS when necessary
• Report on new metadata and system updates for HMISs applications to stakeholders in the field and HQ
• Help in passing information to users on updates in the system or its functionalities
• Develop and support a network of first line “super users” in specific regions or MSF-OCB’s Hubs as appropriate

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, information management or related fields
• Experience working with REST Web APIs and JSON
• Experience with ETL for data migration
• Experience in providing technical assistance in different cultural contexts, including local project, and working knowledge in resource constrained context is essential

Competencies

• Expert knowledge of PostgreSQL
• Expert knowledge of DHIS2 tracker and aggregate data models, and sound knowledge of open-source platforms for routine data collection
• High familiarity with the design and operation of Health Information Management Systems
• Demonstrated ability to independently complete assigned tasks, train and facilitate learning and professional development among colleagues
• Strong interest and motivation to work in a humanitarian organization and with MSF

Languages

• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Working proficiency in French is an asset

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: 2nd May 2023
• Location: Brussels (Belgium); Nairobi (Kenya) can be discussed*
• Mobility: 10-20% travel to the projects
• Contract type: Open-ended contract – Full time
• If Brussels: Belgian contract. Salary will be according to MSF-OCB HQ grid. Meal Vouchers – Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs
• If Nairobi: The contractual terms, conditions and salary will be established based on MSF-East Africa’s standard function and salary grids
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

* For Nairobi (Kenya), the final outcome depends on local legal limitations (residency, work permit, etc.) and on agreement with the hosting MSF entity of this location.