Data Transparency Specialist – Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Lesotho II

 

About MCA

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government corporation focused on assisting countries dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. In May 2022, MCC signed a five-year agreement (“Compact”) with the Government of Lesotho (GoL) aimed at poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country.

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) – Lesotho II, is an entity established by the Government to act as the accountable entity to implement the Compact, with the authority to bind the Government with regard to all program activities.

Lesotho Compact

The Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact aims to benefit 2.5 million people by growing, strengthening, and organizing the private sector in Lesotho and improving the government’s coordination to deliver critical services necessary to support private sector development.

It will achieve this goal through investments in Health System Strengthening (HSS), strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH), providing sustainable income for smallholders and increasing climate resilience by replacing rain-fed subsistence farming with irrigated commercial horticulture in select locations.

The GoL is committed to passing several key reforms that will help make this compact successful, including reforms that address gender equality, working conditions and worker safety, as well as land and water rights. All of the Compact’s projects focus on overcoming barriers to the economic inclusion of women, youth, and the rural poor.

Health System Strengthening (HSS) Project

The objective of the HSS Project is to improve health outcomes by strengthening Lesotho’s primary health care system. This $75 million project will improve primary healthcare services, including gender-based violence services, expand health financial systems and management capacity, and invest in digital health management services.

MCC will create and staff an MCA in Lesotho to provide management oversight to its Health System Strengthening (HSS) Project within the Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact, which will run from 2024-2029. 

Position Objective

The Data Transparency Specialist is accountable for the successful implementation of HSS data innovation and transparency activities. The Data Transparency Specialist is responsible to build collaborative relationships with project stakeholders, including grantees, contractors, ministries, bureaus, district leadership, community organizations and others.  The Data Transparency Specialist provides oversight of assigned sub-activity budgets, contracts, and/or grants and ensures the judicious management of resources.  The Data Transparency Specialist has responsibility for monitoring, tracking and reporting on the progress of the Health Data Innovation Hub grantee, sub-grantees or any other grantee/consultant assigned to their portfolio. The Data Transparency Specialist reports directly to the Director, Health Systems Strengthening.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide technical advice and guidance, as well as track and monitor the Health Data and Innovation Hub grant and other contracts and grants as assigned, in collaboration with project grantees, including the annual awards and any annual grants competitions.
• Based upon assessments of project progress, recommend remedial approaches to better advance and sustain project quality and impact. 
• Assess the quality of deliverables for all assigned contracts or grants and recommend them for approval or remediation. 
• Provide guidance and feedback to contractor(s) for development of all workplans and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks. Recommend for approval all workplans and M&E frameworks for assigned contracts or grants. 
• Based upon financial analyses, track (in collaboration with MCA-L Grants and Finance officer/s) financial reporting for assigned contracts or grants, and recommend for approval all invoices. 
• Provide required reporting to the MCA-L HSS Director and MCC for all assigned activities, contracts or grants.  
• Provide leadership to relevant project technical working groups as established for assigned procurements/contracts. 
• Liaise with other MCA-L managed HSS Compact projects/procurements to ensure their technical integration is appropriate to achieve results.
• Ensure communication and liaison with relevant GoL agencies/entities, development partners and stakeholders.  
• Participate in/report to the project steering committee meetings and activities. 
• Assist in the development and implementation of risk management strategies, referral development and systems for assigned contracts and grants.
• Coordinate effectively with other MCA-L staff; exchange relevant information; properly identify and manage risks; comply with MCC’s requirements, standards, policies, and guidelines; and incorporate good practices and lessons learned into work.
• Assess the capacity development needs of counterpart ministries or agencies, and support/implement an agreed-upon capacity development and knowledge transfer strategy
• Ensure compliance with MCC’s Gender Policy, MCA’s Social and Gender Integration Plan, Counter-Trafficking Policy, MCC’s Sexual Abuse and Harassment in the Workplace Policy, MCA’s Environment and Social Protection Plan and all relevant MCA-L Policies or Plans in Compact project implementation and monitoring.  

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Information Technology, Health Informatics or Health Data Management or any related degree. Post-graduate qualification will be an added advantage.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working in development, design, and/or implementation of innovative projects, activities or services that used data. 
• A minimum of 3 years of experience managing or receiving a grant, contract or consultancy to improve digital innovation and/or data transparency.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience designing, implementing or architecting digital information systems.  (Experience does not have to be specific to Health Digital Information Systems.)
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience identifying problems or risks in any aspect of a health system and self-identifying and initiating effective solutions to mitigate risk or resolve a problem.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience with project implementation, including developing workplans, monitoring progress toward identified results, financial tracking and reporting and maintaining compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
• Experience managing grant competitions and awards or procurements for consulting services is desirable

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to develop or manage the development of innovative services or products that use data.
• Ability to ensure innovative data services or products are offered and created in an inclusive manner, considering all factors that might disadvantage a person from equitable participation, or the ability to use a service or product.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize issues, direct conversation toward solutions and address concerns in a limited time frame, considering Compact Implementation timelines.
• Ability to write quickly, clearly and succinctly in English (reports, emails, presentations) and present information in public fora.
• Experience working in Lesotho, Southern Africa or low-middle income countries is preferred.

How to apply

Complete applications must be submitted online, on or before Friday June 14^th, 2024.

Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:

1. Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
2. Cover letter confirming interest and availability;
3. Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available);
4. A completed online application form (can be accessed from https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app   – CV Template MCA Lesotho II)

Only applications that are submitted on or before the deadline will be considered.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – Hard copy applications will not be considered.

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