IT Consultant to Support TB Drug Quantification

Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam

AN IT CONSULTANT

To support TB drug quantification

I. BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT

1. Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam Activity

The global USAID LHSS Activity helps low- and middle-income countries transition to sustainable, self-funded health finance systems that support high-performing overall health systems. The LHSS activity in Vietnam will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to advance greater local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control. Led by Abt Associates, the four-year activity supports Vietnam in increasing its domestic financing for HIV and TB services in the context of declining donor funding, in using government resources more efficiently, and in assuming local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control activities. Specific objectives are: (1) Support the GVN to strengthen its public financial management systems for public sector health and find greater efficiencies in social health insurance (SHI), (2) Increase and improve the efficiency of domestic financing of HIV prevention and treatment services; (3) Strengthen the capacity of Vietnam’s supply chain management system; and (4) Integrate TB services into SHI.

2. Context of this assignment

Vietnam still has a high TB burden – it ranks 11th among the 30 countries with the highest burden of TB patients and 11th among the 30 countries with the highest multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB burden. Nevertheless, the GVN has set the goal of ending TB by 2030. To achieve this target, the GVN has decided to transition 1st line TB drugs to be covered by the SHI fund by 2022. This follows the direction of the Vice Prime Minister in letter 6908/VPCP-KGVX dated 19/8/2020, which designated the MOH to take the lead in coordination with relevant ministries and agencies to “develop a regulation on procurement, reimbursement, and payment for anti-TB drugs through the SHI fund from 2022”.

Drug quantification is an essential step toward bidding and procurement. As the NTP used to plan for TB drugs at the national level for all health facilities, now this work must follow SHI policies, i.e., health facilities have to plan for drugs and submit their drug plans to the NTP for a nationally compiled quantification. For this activity, LHSS shall provide an IT expert to support the NTP to develop the necessary IT tools to compile drug quantification from health facilities and provinces, using forms and tools to be agreed upon by the NTP.

II. TASK AND DELIVERABLES

1. Tasks:

• Based on the request of the NTP on data fields needed for drug quantification, develop forms and tools based on Microsoft Excel or Google sheet, for:
  
  • the NTP to compile drug quantification data from health facilities and provinces.
  • Provinces to compile drug quantification data from health facilities.
  • Health facilities to estimate their TB drug needs.
• Support the NTP to link facility/provincial drug quantifications into the national quantification.
• Troubleshoot errors and technical issues for NTP at the provincial level in compiling data from health facilities.

2. Deliverables:

• Data entry forms and tools
• A nationally compiled TB drug quantification, using the new forms, methodologies, and software, if any.

All deliverables must be reviewed and approved by the LHSS/Governance and Policy Lead. The Consultant can direct questions to the LHSS/Governance and Policy Lead throughout the consultancy.

III. LOCATION AND TIMING

1. Location

The work will be carried out in Hanoi, traveling to the provinces, if needed.

2. Timing

The assignment is planned for the period from May 2021 through July 2021.

IV. REQUIREMENTS

1. Qualification requirements

• Graduate degree in information technology or similar disciplines.
• At least five years of experience working on information and data management for government health programs.
• Familiarity with the health information system for TB and HIV is an advantage.
• Understanding and knowledge of service delivery system on health in general and TB in particular;
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with government agencies and TB programs in particular.
• Language requirement: Vietnamese. The ability to speak English would be an advantage.

2. Equipment

The consultants use his/her computer and equipment as necessary to carry out the work.

Note: With respect to any reports, data, or information produced by the Consultant in the course of performing tasks under this work order, Abt Associates shall have unlimited rights to use, disclose, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, perform publicly and display publicly, in any manner and for any purpose, and to have or permit others to do so. The Consultant will fully disclose, deliver, and transfer to Abt Associates and the Consultant irrevocably assigns to Abt Associates its entire right, title, and interest in and to any and all ideas, methods, inventions, devices, and improvements, originating, conceived, acquired, or developed by the Consultant, either solely or jointly with others, in connections with this Consulting Agreement. The provisions of this paragraph shall survive expiration or termination of this Consulting Agreement.

To apply, please send your application documents to the following email: [email protected]

Deadline: 15th May 2021

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.