USAID DISCOVER - Health Project
JSI Research & Training Institute Limited
CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY
USAID DISCOVER Health is a six-year project, funded by United States Agency for international Development (USAID) and implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) in Zambia. USAID DISCOVER-Health is supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) in providing HIV (HTS, ART, PrEP, VMMC, PMTCT, condoms, and behavioural prevention interventions), Mother New-born and Child Health (MNCH), and family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) services across all ten provinces, with a specific focus on underserved areas.
USAID DISCOVER-Health is planning to conduct a qualitative study to review the integration of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services into reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health (RMNCH) services in 30 health service delivery sites supported by the project in the Lusaka, Central and Copper belt provinces of Zambia. The study will assess the experiences and the desires of healthcare providers, current, past and potential users in relation to PrEP service provision and PrEP integration. It will also obtain the views of Ministry of Health policy makers. The study aims to guide national scale-up of PrEP in Zambia by assessing USAID DISCOVER-Health’s experiences with PrEP/FP/MNCH integration, exploring solutions and opportunities to strengthen and scale-up PrEP, and reviewing the impact of PrEP integration on FP/MNCH programs.
The project seeks the services of Research Assistants to help gather and process quality information from the target audiences above.
Job Title: Research Assistant x15
Position Type: Consultancy
Duty Station: Lusaka, Central and Copper belt Provinces
Reporting: Deputy Project Director – Strategic Information
Duration: Maximum 60 Days
Purpose of the consultancy
To ensure that quality data is collected from participants and transmitted to the project’s focal point person designate on a routine basis per protocol.
Main Duties
- Attend orientation (training) on the study objectives and data collection tools.
- Assist in the recruitment, screening and selection of study participants.
- Administer information sheets and get signed informed consent from participants who must do so willingly.
- Moderate (conduct) focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) including verifying that all recordings have been correctly done.
- Record and submit all recordings on a daily basis (for back-up) and transcribe all FGDs and IDIs conducted.
- Report any complications during data collection to project designated person within 24 hours of identifying the problem.
- Attend all data debriefing meetings at the site as and when they are called upon.
- Keep all data collection devices safely and data collected confidential.
- Report day’s work progress to the project focal point person on a daily basis.
- Complete daily log sheets to ensure accountability and tracking of activities.
Duration of Assignment
p to a maximum of 60 days (between December, 2020 date to March, 2021).
Deliverables
Submission of a file with recorders, transcript of the recordings (transcribed audio), and all paper-based documentation (i.e. signed consent forms).
Consultant Qualifications
- Demonstrated previous experience in conducting in-depth interviews or key informant interviews on sensitive areas such as high-risk behaviour for HIV/AIDS as research assistants, moderators and interviewers
- Documented experience in facilitating/moderating focus group discussions, preferable with special groups such as adolescents, women attending MNCH clinic, etc.
- Qualitative research (FGDs and IDIs)
- A graduate (preferably masters level) of social science or demography or public health
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English and fluency in Bemba/Nyanja and English local language in their respective district
- Maturity and computer literacy are a must
Please send email applications addressed to the Project Director to [email protected] indicating the position you are applying for in the subject line.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Closing date for receiving applications: Tuesday 17th November 2020