National Consultant-Malaria Microscopy Quality Assessment Tool

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Background

The malaria microscopy QA programmes is to ensure that microscopy services provide accurate results; are administered by competent, motivated staff supported by effective training, supervision, and quality control (QC) to maintain their competence and performance; and are supported by a logistics system to provide and maintain adequate supplies of reagents and equipment.

A QA programme should appropriately recognize good performance; identify laboratories and microscopists with serious problems that result in poor performance; establish regional or national benchmarks for the quality of diagnosis; and ensure central reporting on indicators, including accuracy, equipment and reagent performance, stock control and workload.

Establishing the data collection is a priority in monitoring and timely evaluation of the need for improvement in the capacity of laboratories knowledge and maintain their performance in good laboratory practices. The World Health Organization has developed a Malaria microscopy quality assurance manual since 2009, including the checklist of supervisory visit report form for assessment of malaria microscopy laboratories. This checklist is consistent with the gold standard for assessing organizational issues and technical issues, and its results are used to inform the national malaria programme.

Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to develop Malaria Microscopy Quality Assurance (QA) tool in Malaria Information System (MIS) in order to ensure sufficient monitoring of the malaria microscopy QA programmes, make prompt correction action for improvement, and provide quality data entry and analysis, it is proposed to digitize the forms for laboratory, training, assessment, cross-checking, panel testing, equipment, supplies and reagents and develop a dashboard for real-time monitoring that can be utilized by national and subnational level microscopy QA managers.

Scope of work

The contractor will be responsible for developing e-type of the malaria microscopy Quality Assurance (QA) data entry forms, which run on the MIS platform (web-based and mobile) and could produce the table summary reports and graphs in the MIS.

Planned Timelines (Subject to confirmation)

Start date: 20 February 2024

End date: 20 June 2024

(4 months)

Outputs/Deliverables

Output 1: A database for the malaria microscopy quality assurance activities and results are developed

1.1 Develop nineteen data entry forms for HC, RH, PH and CNM’s users:
1.2 Work with head of CNM’s MIS unit and WHO staff to understand structure of the MIS and requirements for developing the malaria microscopy quality assurance feature.
1.3 Develop malaria microscopy quality assurance data entry forms on mobile application and web-based application that provided by CNM Lab unit and WHO staff
1.4 Make sure that the data entry form must run smoothly with HC, RH, PH and CNM’s mobile application and web-based application.

Output 2: Reports and graphs on MIS’s dashboard are developed

2.1 Develop dashboard and reports in Malaria Information System
2.2 Create API to retrieve data from the mobile application
2.3 Create reports and graphs following the provided indicators on MIS’s Dashboard.

Output 3: User friendly User guides are available for printing and training

3.1 User guides
3.2 Prepare user guides for using the updated App and MIS

Reporting

The national consultant is expected to submit activity reports in line with the set deliverables and these reports shall be submitted for review and acceptance by the National Malaria Program and WHO before any payment is made.

Qualifications, experience, skills and knowledge, and languages

Educational Qualifications

- Master’s degree in information technology, computer science, or other relevant fields

Experience

Essential:
A minimum of 7 years’ experience in computer programming, website development, data engineering, database management and data visualization

Desirable:
- Experience in working with Malaria Information System (MIS) of Cambodia malaria program
- Experience in working with WHO
- Experience of using SMS technology for data collection
- Familiarity with the health system in Cambodia

Skills/Knowledge

- A full-stack developer and understand concepts of the software development life cycle and software engineering.
- Appreciation for clean and well documented code
- Strong ability to write and maintain quality documentation.
- Effectively collaborate with client facing teams and UX/UI designers
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Database Cyber Security, Machine Learning and Cloud computing
- Data visualization, Data mining and DevOps development
- Front-end development Language: JavaScript, jQuery, Angular and Vue
- Data Structure server Language: PHP, ASP, Python and Node
- Back-end development Language: SQL, SQLite, and MongoDB

Competencies:

- Good teamwork
- Good Communication
- Producing Results
- Moving forward in a changing environment
- Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Language:

Essential: Fluent in English (Read-Write-Speak).

Desirable: Mother tongue in Khmer

Place of assignment

WHO country office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Additional Information

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