Job Summary:
The MERLA Officer will support quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in Tanzania under the USAID-funded Act to End NTDs | East program. She/he will provide a first line review for the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program performance and results for Tanzania-led activities and assist in facilitating learning using those results. This role requires regular program data analysis and identifying areas for additional support. The MERLA Officer will work closely with the Program Manager to identify how results will be used for program improvement through programmatic adaptation.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Data collection, monitoring, and reporting
- Supports MERLA activity tracking, including that activities are implemented in accordance with approved work plan and budget.
- Performs first line data reviews for specific program activities (e.g. surveys, mass drug administration, training) to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
- During routine and ongoing data review, communicates any problems with data quality to the Program Manager to ensure accurate data collection and reporting.
- Fills out routine project reporting tools and forms according to the program schedule (work planning, two semi-annual reporting periods, and additional as needed), collaborating with the Program Manager.
- Draft accurate and timely responses to ad hoc data requests.
- Supervise various field activities to support high quality data collection and reporting, identifying any challenges and providing on-the-spot solutions.
Survey development, implementation, and analysis
- Assist developing protocols and reports for disease-specific assessments, data analysis to inform action-oriented conclusions, and the application of learning.
- Support the submission of survey outputs which include, but are not limited to, survey reports, raw survey data, and clean datasets.
- Support disease specific assessment outcome evaluations.
Program learning and adaptation through data use
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- Review country-level work plans and semi-annual reports to ensure they appropriately incorporate the relevant data, including accurate and high quality reporting and using data to inform strategy and activities.
- Analyze/use project MERLA data to identify trends/patterns/outliers (e.g., low-performing districts).
- Assist stakeholders to regularly input information into and use the national data storage platform, such as the Integrated NTD Database, including using it to submit high quality data to WHO (including Joint Application Package [JAP], and elimination dossiers), etc.
- Provide technical assistance to MOHCDEC to facilitate high quality submission of JAP.
- Collaborate with country and HQ staff to identify opportunities for learning and program adaptation, including operationalizing learning agenda action items.
- Assist in coordinating and facilitating periodic pause and reflect activities, including but not limited to after action reviews post mass drug administration and disease specific assessments, utilizing the Data for Action Guide, etc.
- Support capacity strengthening efforts to the MOHCDEC to conduct MERLA activities and institutionalize the approaches for said MERLA activities.
Minimum Required Education & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in public health, epidemiology, bio-statistics, or other analytics field (a must), plus 3 years of experience; or a master’s degree in public health plus 1 year of experience in global health/ governance/ nutrition/ environment programs (preferred).
Skills & Abilities:
- Travel up to 50% of the time.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
- Knowledge of MERLA methods and approaches, as learned through coursework, internship, or work experience
- Experience managing electronic data capture and working with real-time monitoring of data (preferred)
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines under pressure
- Capacity to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
- Strong organizational skills
- Detail-oriented
- High level of integrity
- Ability to communicate respectfully in a multi-cultural environment
- An understanding of development issues
- Competency in English (required)
