Health Information System Advisor at ICAP | July 2024

Reports to: SI Director
Supervises: Health Information Systems Officer, Informatics Officer (region) – technical only
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Location: Dar es Salaam
Travel: Up to 50% in intervention districts outside of job location
Overall, Job Function:
Reporting to the SI Director, the Health Information Systems Advisor is responsible for developing and maintaining secure paper and electronic HIS for project implementation. This role ensures efficient, comprehensive, and secure documentation of activities and reports, meeting ICAP and donor requirements. Collaborating with the M&E Advisor and the Data Collection and Reporting Manager, the Advisor will guide the SI Director on structures, processes, and digital resources to maintain data security,
integrity, and accessibility. S/he will also collaborate with the Systems and Software Supervisor to work with the developers team to design HIS and provide easy-to-access visualizations of data from various sources to inform monitoring, evaluation, technical decision-making, and strategic planning.
Managing the progressive digitization of project-generated data, the Advisor will oversee the ICAP Data Systems (IDS) maintenance and improvement. S/he will support strategic innovations to enhance project services and supervise the Health Information Systems Officer to build regional staff capacity in integrating health information systems. As the primary liaison with health information system partners, including government bodies in Tanzania, the Advisor will support the integration of project informatics
with national health systems and the computerization of health facility systems.
Specific Responsibilities and Duties
Systems and Software Development Role
• Software Development: Design, develop, test, and maintain health information systems and applications using Laravel, Dart, Python, and other relevant technologies, ensuring they meet functional requirements and quality standards.
• Data Collection Systems: Develop robust systems for project staff to collect and compile project-related data at community and facility levels for routine and focused reporting on project implementation, outputs, and outcomes.
• System Integration: Ensure seamless data flow and interoperability by integrating various health information systems, with a focus on DHIS2 and DATIM.
• Data Management: Implement and maintain databases, ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance with healthcare regulations.
• User Support: Provide technical support and training to healthcare staff on the use of health information systems and applications.
• Process Improvement: Collaborate with healthcare professionals to develop solutions that enhance efficiency and patient care.
• Compliance: Ensure all systems and applications comply with local and international
healthcare regulations and standards.
• Documentation: Create and maintain technical documentation, including system design specifications, user manuals, and support guides.

• Data Visualization: Manage the development of data visualization dashboards to inform program monitoring and improvement.
• Interdepartmental Coordination: Act as a technical and resourceful bridge between the
monitoring, data collection, informatics, development, and IT units.
• Data Visualization Platform: Manage the implementation of a centralized web-based data visualization platform for real-time access to data from community and facility-based service delivery points.
• System Improvement: Work with the Unit Directors, Advisors, SI team, and key stakeholders to improve data systems for capturing routine data from community and facility-based service points.
• Data Security: Establish and monitor data security guidelines and activities to ensure that all data are stored and maintained securely, in compliance with institutional and donor requirements.
• Team Supervision: Supervise and support the Health Information Systems Officer, and
Informatics Officer to develop mapping tools, manuals, standard operating procedures, and training materials to build informatics competencies in regional project teams and health facility partners.
• Technical Equipment Management: Ensure the procurement, maintenance, and inventory management of health information technical equipment.
• Training and Supervision: Collaborate in training and supportive supervision of regional SI teams and partners.
• Partnership Liaison: Liaise with national partners to advance the integration of health
informatics systems.
• Project Meetings: Participate in monthly and quarterly project planning and evaluation meetings with corresponding CDC staff and local partners, as needed.
• Informatics Meetings: Participate in biweekly, monthly, and quarterly informatics meetings, and liaise with the ICAP New York team to facilitate smooth country operation of health information systems.
• Other Tasks: Perform any other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills
• Required Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher in health information system management, monitoring & evaluation, statistics, or related field; preference given to those who have experience with large-scale health projects with community- and facility-level components.
o Preferred: Master’s level or higher
• Required Technical Experience: Minimum 5 years’ work experience in monitoring and
evaluation of large-scale health or development projects; experience integration of data from diverse paper and electronic sources preferred. Must have:
o Experience in data systems development, system integration using API or ETL
o Experience in in handling various data formats such as XML, JSON, CSV, Excel etc
o Experience in working with programing languages eg. Laravel, PHP, Python, Postgre and JSON
o Experience database management system, and worked on database platforms such as
SQL, Access, MySQL or Oracle.
o Demonstrated competence in frameworks and elements of health information systems.

o Familiarity with PEPFAR-funded projects and related monitoring and evaluation
components such as MER indicators and DATIM. Experience with CDC-funded projects
preferred.
o Familiarity with DHIS2 and other data management software systems.
o Expertise in elements of geographic information systems and data visualization software such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Required Managerial Experience: Minimum 3 years’ experience supervising SI staff within a multidisciplinary technical assistance team.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and strong problem-solving skills.
• Flexibility to work after normal working hours and on weekends with significant travel outside of duty station.
• Familiarity with Tanzanian context; fluency in English and Kiswahili required.