Quality Assurance Assistant

This position is based in Shahat & Benghazi

BACKGROUND:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been operating in Libya since 2016. The IRC Libya’s health programming today is multifaceted, entailing community-based interventions, mobile medical teams (MMTs) model, technical/supervisory support to primary health care facilities, system strengthening, and life-saving services for people at risk of being in, or already in or transitioned out of, detention. The IRC works both directly and in partnership with international and local actors for the design and delivery of a responsive, effective health portfolio in Libya. Since 2018, the IRC Libya has increased its support to MoH and district health offices in the rollout and implementation of the Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) and District Health Information System (DHIS2) through the provision of medical equipment and supplies, capacity building of health facility staff through training, coaching and mentorship, health facility infra-structure improvement, community engagement through establishment of community health committees, in-kind support and technical assistance to local civil society organizations to mobilize communities and raise awareness to promote health lifestyle. In addition to the integration of a quality assurance (QA) system at central levels and locally at the supported health facilities.

IRC led Quality Assurance (QA) initiatives in Libya in collaboration with MOH. The aim of the QA is to set QA Taskforce Team in each targeted health facility, train them to carry out assessments to identify gaps in service delivery then work as a team to set up corrective action plans to address these gaps. Currently, there are efforts at MOH to develop QA tools and National Standards to be implemented.

The IRC Libya program has expanded the scope and scale of health programming in West, South and East of Libya, developing an outcome focused strategy that aims to restore and strengthen the primary health care system, focusing on ensuring survival, equitably, and at scale to reach the largest number of clients.

SCOPE OF WORK: Implementing a nationwide Quality Assurance (QA) program requires a commitment by the central (MOH) and DHO levels to support the implementation of a QA process, having a trained staff to implement the program, developing sustainable processes in addition to the adoption of tools and techniques that monitor quality. A systematic approach includes; Setting and updating of standards, dissemination and communication of and training on standards and PHC score card checklist to health care managers, supervisors, and providers; Developing the processes and procedures to monitor and ensure compliance with standards, and ensuring the consistent and transparent reporting of results both up to the central level, as well as back to the facility and provider; The ability to evaluate and reward good performance as well as establish consequences for a lack of performance by establishment of Quality Improvement Taskforce teams.

Quality assurance assistant is responsible for providing District Health Office level ongoing technical support to effective implementation of Quality Assurance (QA) systems at Primary Health Care. The major areas of PHC QAA responsibility include: 1) training of Quality Improvement Taskforce team at PHC facilities for the use of QA tools; 2) working on a regular basis with QITF teams to implement QA tools and to solve quality performance issues; 3) reviewing of M&E data for tracking progress on quality indicators.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with IRC-QA Team, DHO health authorities and PHC facilities; provide technical and administrative assistance to ensure the implementation and sustainability of quality assurance plans at the DHO PHC facilities.
• Organize and ensure the implementation activities for quality assurance in PHC facilities, incl. QA training courses and supportive visits.
• Assist for the assigned PHC facilities to prepare facility QITF team to implement the QA tools, including IRC Infection prevention and Control toolkit, and methods and resolve quality gaps.
• Following each round of facility trainings continue ongoing technical support to the trained PHC facilities through supportive visits: meet with the Quality improvement taskforce teams, provide the needed support, review completed QA tools including IRC’-IPC toolkit, and corrective action plans, and help to resolve quality issues at facilities.
• Conduct “lessons learned” discussions to review experiences of PHC facilities with implementation of quality tools and methods; obtain feedback and suggest revisions if needed.
• Organize and ensure the monitoring and evaluation activities for PHC QA implementation in the assigned PHC facilities, incl. M&E visits, data gathering, analysis and reporting.
• Establish effective communication and provide feedback to key stakeholders (PHCI, DHO…..)for identifying needs and addressing challenges in support of QA activities.
• Other functions as defined by the service contract.

Staff management

The QA Assistant will not supervise staff. But will work indirectly with the senior medical team leader, senior community health officer, senior officer-health data and data clerks.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to:Health Manager and receive technical support from the roving quality assurance specialist.

Working Environment:This position will be based in the IRC field office in Banghazi with frequent visits to the field sites Shahhat.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualifications

·University degree in Medicine & Surgery or related health background

·Demonstrated experience delivery public health specialized trainings is an advantage.

·Minimum of 3 years’ work experience in health/medical fields, preferably in the NGO sector or UN agencies.

·Strong skills in building capacities, coaching, and mentoring others.

·Fluent in Arabic and English (Writing, Speaking, and Listening).

·Computer literate with significant experience in using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Power Point). ·

·Knowledge of software development processes.

·Experience in software quality assurance.

·Proficiency with automated testing tools.

·Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

·Attention to detail and accuracy.

·Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

·Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.

·Oriented to the health systems in Libya with at least foundational knowledge about the EPHS in Libya.

Desirable Profile

· Excellent negotiation skills.

·Willingness to work beyond working hours (on call services).

·Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

·Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds.

·Strong organization and time management skills.

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The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Wor Conduct training needs assessments for IRC WPE staff in the North and community outreach volunteers to identify capacity/training needs and gaps.