Position open: Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation

[Guest guest]

Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation

Project ORCHID, Emmanuel Hospital Association

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POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position: Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation

Duration: June 2009 – April 2011

Location: Based either in Guwahati (preferably) or New Delhi with frequent

travel to Nagaland and Manipur

Employer: Project ORCHID, Emmanuel Hospital Association

Reports to: Project Director, Project ORCHID

Background:

Project ORCHID is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's AVAHAN India

AIDS Initiative to work in Nagaland and Manipur on targeted interventions to

prevent the transmission of HIV and STI. The Project, jointly implemented by EHA

and the Nossal Institute (University of Melbourne), commenced in 2004. The

second phase of the Project commenced in April 2009 and will be implemented over

a further five-year period. The Project builds the capacity of, and funds, local

NGOs to implement HIV prevention activities within certain districts in each

state. Avahan works in the six highest HIV prevalence states of India

(Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland and Manipur).

The main thrust of the Avahan approach in India is to scale up the HIV

prevention efforts as quickly as possible. Avahan (including Project ORCHID)

works alongside the NACO-funded SACS and NGOs, using similar approaches, but

usually working in different geographic locations. Harm reduction is the main

approach in the North East – including needle and syringe exchange programs

(NSEP), oral drug substitution therapy (OST) sexually transmitted infection

(STI) management, provision of condoms, behaviour change communication (BCC),

efforts to create an enabling environment in which clients can access services

and engage in their practices safely, abscess management, counseling, health

camps and referral services.

Information within Project ORCHID is, or has been, gathered through various

means, chiefly:

Integrated Biological and Behavioural Assessments (IBBA) –FHI on behalf of

Avahan conducts periodic IBBAs in a sample of districts across the entire Avahan

program. In Nagaland the districts include: Wokha, Phek and Dimapur (FSWs only).

In Manipur: Bishnupur and Churachandpur. First round completed in 2006 and a

second round will be conducted in early 2009.

Behavioural Tracking Survey (BTS) – contracted out by Project ORCHID to a local

organizations in Nagaland (YARD) and Manipur (RIMS hospital); conducted in the

" non-IBBA " districts; first round completed in 2007, second round due to be

undertaken later this year.

Computerised Management of Information System (CMIS) –FHI on behalf of Avahan

developed a program-wide data collection/analysis system. Peer educators,

outreach workers, nurses and doctors record their work in hard copy logbooks

(eg. needles given out, condoms, STI treatment provided, information sessions

done, etc) – selected staff within each NGO enter this information into the

Avahan CMIS software and email the data files to Project ORCHID offices, which

in turn forwards data to FHI Delhi. The software has undergone a number of

modifications.

Participatory Site Assessments – a process conducted in 2004/5 providing

specific funds for the NGOs to work with key populations (KP) (ie. IDUs, SWs,

MSM) to gather and analyse data using participatory methods, resulting in

information related to number of key population in areas, behavioural

information, needs and priorities of the KPs, and other situational information.

Sentinel Surveillance – is conducted by the government State AIDS Control

Societies, through the NGOs and other institutions, each year between

August-October.

Position Purpose:

To improve the use of data for evidence-based planning within Project ORCHID;

and to assist in the documentation of Project impact through publication.

Responsibilities:

o To support the strengthening of micro-planning and improve the use of the CMIS

(with new reporting formats and an adjusted individual tracking system) through

training and supervisory field visits.

o To support Project ORCHID and its implementing NGOs undertake systematic

monthly data analysis, interpretation and feedback using the CMIS. To suggest

improvements in programmatic responses or further investigation on the basis of

this.

o To undertake further analysis of existing data in the support of documenting

the work of Project Orchid for dissemination and publication; and to work with

principal research investigators on a number of discrete documentation and

research activities in the role of co-researcher.

Qualifications:

The position requires a postgraduate degree in population sciences or

epidemiology at Masters and/or Doctoral level.

Experience:

At least two years experience in infectious disease epidemiology, preferably

HIV-specific and in an Indian or South Asian setting.

Please send your CV to bgoumang@...