Grameen Foundation (GF) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) have been implementing an innovative programme  the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) with funding from USAID and the Grand Challenge for Development: Saving Lives at Birth. The purpose of the programme is to increase the quality and quantity of healthcare services provided to pregnant and lactating women with children less than five years in rural Ghana. Mobile Technology for Community Health (MoTeCH) was piloted in the Upper East Region and is now being scaled to cover Awutu Senya and Gomoa West in the Central region, Ada East and West in Greater Accra and South Tongu in  the Volta region.

MOTECH provides two interrelated services.  The “Mobile Midwife” applicationenables pregnant women and their families to receive pre-recorded voice messages or SMS on their mobile phones that provide time-specific information about their pregnancy in their own language (the majority of women select voice messages).  The messages continue throughout the first year of life for the newborn and reinforce well-child care practices and vaccination schedules. There is also a “Client Data Application” that enables Healthcare Providers (Community Health Nurses/Community Health Officers and Midwives) based at Hospitals, Health Centres, Clinics & Community Health Planning & Services (CHPS) facilities as well as private maternity homes to use the mobile phone to electronically record care given to patients and identify women and newborns in their area that are due for care.  The two applications are linked so that if a patient has missed treatment that is part of the nationally defined care schedule, the Mobile Midwife service sends a message to remind the patient to go to the clinic for that particular service and the nurse is also informed that the patient is due for treatment.

The Client data application feeds detailed clinical information into the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS), saving nurse time and increasing data quality at the district level.

Job Summary

•   The Field Coordinator is the primary liaison between GF and the GHS and other partners in South Tongu District.
•   He/She will develop and maintain strong relationships with both GHS and other partners at the district level; establish good working processes and channels of communication, establish a system for effective feedback between the field team Customer Support Centre and Technical Operations/development team and build a strong field team that is fully motivated and aware of its role within MOTECH and the GHS structure and system.
•   He/She will work with the GHS MOTECH Coordinator in a team to coordinate implementation of upstream and downstream activities in close consultation with the District Director of Health Services and the Head of MOTECH Implementation.
•   He/she is responsible for building capacity of nurses on the “Mobile Midwife” and “Client Data Applications”, training on the use of simplified registers “the hard paper based reporting system” and the “mforms”.
•   He/she trouble shoots on the MOTECH platform, proactively respond to nurse/client enquiries as well as timely resolution of nurse /client challenges –uploads, system errors, navigation of IVR and other access issues and escalates issues from the field to the Customer Support Centre for quick resolution.
•   He/she will coordinate MOTECH agenda items for discussion at District Health Management Team meetings and following up on actions recommended; ensuring user and other stakeholder feedback is gathered in an efficient, effective, and timely manner.
•   He /she will monitor nurse use of Simplified registers and mforms, client’s access to mobile midwife services and conduct monthly validation and verification exercises in accordance with the guidelines in order to move facilities to automated reporting. He /She will represent GF and MOTECH externally to stakeholders in the regions and districts.

Essential Job Functions

•   Be the primary liaison between Grameen Foundation and MOTECH in the district and region.
•   Represent MoTeCH externally to all stakeholders in these regions.
•   Identify organizations with similar goals operating in these districts for potential partnership.
•   Make decisions about what fieldwork is required to be conducted in order to gain information required for technical specifications.
•   Manage the relationship between GF and GHS at the district level and ensure all required fieldwork is conducted professionally and to a high standard.
•   Work with the GHS MOTECH Coordinator to develop weekly, monthly and quarterly work plans for the approval of the District Director of Health Services & Head of MOTECH for implementation
•   Assist in devising training modules for users and Ghana Health Service stakeholders, and identifying participants to involve in such trainings.
•   Participate in MOTECH capacity building efforts of nurses on use of Simplified Registers and “Client Data Application
•   Coordinate upstream and downstream activity implementation i.e mass registrations, community mobilization, stakeholder orientations, nurse capacity building etc ensuring highest standards and meeting MOTECH goals and objectives.
•   Conduct regular facility monitoring to assist nurses and service providers on system issues, trouble shooting and resolving any challenges
•   Carry out periodic monitoring of the use of simplified registers and mforms and offer assistance to nurses with any challenges
•   Coordinate  MOTECH agenda items  for discussion at Monthly DHMT meetings and ensure  recommended follow up actions  are implemented and directed to appropriate quarters for resolution
•   Carry out monthly data verification and validation exercises to move facilities to automation
•   Communicate on a regular basis with the Head of MOTECH via weekly, monthly and quarterly reports/emails and scheduled feedback meetings/ Monthly Project Coordination meetings
•   Submit monthly and quarterly reports on all upstream and downstream activity implementation including key challenges, recommendations, lessons learned and human interest stories for incorporation into annual donor reports
•   Manage and report on accountabilities.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

•   Deep commitment to eradication of poverty and alignment with Grameen Foundation’s mission
•   Experience of managing a team
•   Clear evidence of decision-making in past roles
•   Experience leading field work
•   Technology education or experience preferred
•   BCC and Health Promotion or experience preferred
•   Experience writing training agendas and materials
•   Experience organizing and conducting large field events such as focus groups and trainings
•   Experience in a product development role in Africa preferred
•   Experience in designing field tasks tailored to product development outcomes
•   Ability and dedication to see a task through to completion
•   Evidence of problem-solving skills and initiative
•   Experience in documenting tasks concisely
•   Resident or willing to be resident of Sogakope, South Tongu, Volta Region
•   Strong communication skills
•   Ability to work on initiative and present new ideas to a team
•   Ability to work identify opportunities for collaboration with external organizations
•   Ability to work well with external partners
•   Fluency in English
•   Fluency in Ewe

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please send applications to:-

rnaadeinikoi@grameenfoundation.org

Closing Date: 14 November, 2013