REQUEST FOR CVS (INDIVIDUAL CONSLUTANT)
| DEPARTMENT | Project Implementing Unit |
| JOB TITLE | Quality Assurance Specialist |
| PROJECT | Lesotho Nutrition and Health System Strengthening Project (LNHSSP) |
| RESPONSIBLE TO | Project Coordinator |
| DATE OF ISSUE | 29th September 2020 |
BACKGROUND
The Government of Lesotho (GOL) is planning to implement the Lesotho Nutrition and Health System Strengthening Project (LNHSSP) with the financial and technical support from the International Development Association’s (IDA). One of the key Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) activity to be implemented in this project is related to service delivery building block. Service delivery is central to achieving Universal Health Coverage which is the key underlying mechanism for expediting progress towards SDG3. The service delivery component plays a critical role in building systems towards availability, access and utilization of quality health services by all. To achieve the quality of service at health facility, a wide spectrum of interventions is needed including health facility performance management through Quality assessment – Quality improvement for healthcare services and facilities.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) developed the Quality Assurance policy in 2011 and the strategic plan for the period starting from 2018 to 2023. Despite these substantial efforts to improve the quality of care in Lesotho, most facilities struggle to deliver high-quality services. Major barriers to accessing services include long distances to health facilities, high non-medical out-of-pocket expenditures (especially for transport) experienced by patients and unfriendly services. The referral system also has severe challenges, including a limited number of ambulances, uncoordinated and ad-hoc referrals to tertiary hospital, and inadequate community-based facilitated referrals. In response to these challenges and the need for greater facility accountability, the Ministry of Health is planning to implement quality assessments, a facility rating system.
The MOH therefore seeks to engage a Quality Assurance specialist to assist the MOH to develop a comprehensive Quality Assurance program for Lesotho. The program will objectively and systematically monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of all Health Services, pursue opportunities to improve patient care and resolve identified problems. The program will use the Stepwise Health Facility Quality Improvement Process towards Accreditation.
The quality assessment will play a pivotal role in quality improvement in healthcare, as well as an effectiveness measure for the interventions in other performance management initiatives and work-streams. The quality assessment should be customized to the country’s challenges and key issues facing primary healthcare facilities, faith-based and private health facilities and very much tuned to the local situation.
OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
- To support MOH in the intensive phase of design and implementation of the Health Facility QA program;
- To support the Quality Assurance unit to review and implement the National Quality strategic plan and provide strategic direction to the Ministry of Health in terms of quality assurance;
- To capacitate quality improvement (QI) planning processes within the central level (Quality assurance Department), District level (DHMT and District and local hospitals) and Community level (Health centres (decentralize QI);
- To enhance the synergy and learning from the concurrent work streams to accelerate quality improvement and deliver a quality package of health services nationwide.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
- Advanced university degree in Public Health, Social Sciences or any other related field;
- Strong background (>than 10 years) in Public Health field, Health Systems Strengthening and or Research;
- Good understanding of the dimensions of quality in health care systems;
- At least 5 years’ experience in designing and implementing the comprehensive Quality Assurance program including star rating system and step wise improvement towards accreditation programs (Evidence of this will be required during the engagement process);
- Knowledge of health care standards, quality improvement methodologies, and the QI framework and strategic plans in Lesotho;
- Technical competencies for design, development and testing of tools for quality assessment in a low resource setting;
- Skills in data collection, data management, analysis and interpretation for decision making;
- Experience in training needs assessment, capacity development and institution building.
- Good communication and facilitation skills, process orientation, and adaptability to a given environment;
- Familiarity with local conditions and service delivery issues in primary health facilities; health professional background is useful;
- Conversant with health systems, health sector strategies and planning, and the broader development agendas in low to middle income countries;
- At least ten years’ experience in technical assistance, research or Quality assurance in Lesotho or Southern Africa; and
- Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement.
Application Instructions
Interested and suitability qualified candidates must check complete TORs on the following link: https://mg.co.za/special-reports/2020-10-01-kingdom-of-lesotho-ministry-of-health-request-for-cvs-individual-consultant
And if interested, they should forward their applications indicating the advertisement and position on the subject line of letter with detailed curriculum vitae indicating work experience. (Day time telephone contacts, names and telephone contacts of 3 referees to reach the undersigned not later than 15th October 2020) to:
Procurement Unit,
Procurement Unit Ground Floor, Room 11 Ministry of Health, Corner Constitution & Linare Roads, Kingdom of Lesotho,
Telephone: (+266) 27323277 Email: lnhssproject