Senior Design Researcher-Consultant

ABOUT VILLAGEREACH 

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone. We are driven by a vision of a world where each person has the health care needed to thrive. VillageReach’s goal is to reduce inequities in access to quality primary health care for 350 million people by 2030. We work with governments, the private sector, partners and communities to build responsive primary health care systems that deliver health products, information and services to the most under-reached. As a locally driven and globally connected organization, VillageReach has offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and the United States.  

ABOUT THE PROJECT   

To achieve truly responsive, people-centered health systems, it is crucial that these systems adapt to the evolving needs of their populations. However, many health systems struggle with routine data collection and feedback, particularly from under-reached communities. This gap prevents the design and delivery of primary health care that effectively meets community needs and builds trust. Challenges include difficulties in gathering insights from these populations, lack of incentives for action, insufficient support for existing community structures, and research fatigue. To address this, VillageReach developed the Community Insights to Action (CITA) Framework. This framework provides a practical approach to center under-reached communities in health system design, establish feedback loops for governments and partners to act, and improve equitable access to quality primary health care (PHC). 

Over the past year, VillageReach has developed the CITA Framework and related guidance materials, including an implementation guide, and applied it to existing telehealth, immunization, and government technical assistance programs. VillageReach will be using the CITA Framework to evaluate and co-create enhancements to an existing hotline in Tanzania, which extends the reach of health information and services.  

VillageReach is collaborating with the Tanzania Ministry of Health’s Directorate of Preventive Services through the Health Promotion Section to enhance the national health hotline, the Afya Call Center, by applying the World Bank Toolkit for Planning National Telemedicine and Health Hotline Services, developed by VillageReach. The Afya Call Center addresses a wide range of issues, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, reproductive health, outbreaks, gender-based violence, health insurance, and complaints about health services. The hotline currently receives an average of 2,500 calls per day depending on trends such as disease outbreaks or other public health emergencies. To improve access and quality of care, the MoH has integrated a feedback system into their platform, which escalates health system issues to the relevant health departments. On average the feedback system registers 20-30 citizen complaints per day, mostly related to the National Health Insurance Fund. While this system has helped the Ministry of Health identify and address issues, there are areas for improvement, such as standardizing measurement on complaints and actions taken, improving data visibility and adding a mechanism to close the feedback loop (e.g., text message updates, public facing dashboard). 

VillageReach is conducting a participatory evaluation of the Afya Call Center feedback system guided by the CITA framework. This evaluation would include human-centered design workshops to develop an action plan to enhance the feedback loop, ensuring complaints and insights are gathered from a representative group of users and improve analytics to identify system-wide issues. The findings will be documented and shared with the Ministry of Health, relevant partners, and participants through in-person meetings and Webinars hosted by the Global Telehealth Community of Practice—a joint initiative by VillageReach, WHO, and the Geneva Digital Health Hub. This proposed collaboration presents a unique opportunity to strengthen the existing system and deepen political commitment to a more accountable, patient-centered health system. 

CONSULTANCY DESCRIPTION 

Summary 

The Senior Design Researcher-Consultant will support VillageReach and the Tanzania Ministry of Health to lead the design, implementation and reporting of the project. They will lead a mixed methods participatory evaluation which identifies opportunities to enhance the feedback loop mechanisms within the Afya Call Center. The consultant will also be responsible for leading a participatory design workshop with select hotline and VillageReach staff, hotline clients and Tanzania Ministry of Health to co-create a costed implementation plan based off the participatory evaluation results and aligned with principles of the CITA framework. The end goal of this research is to develop an action plan with clear, actionable and costed recommendations, guided by the CITA framework, to support the Tanzania Ministry of Health in bolstering the feedback collection, feedback escalation and resolution processes within the Afya Call Center.  

Reporting to the VillageReach Senior Director Global Programs (East & Southern Africa) with a dotted reporting line to the Director, Research Evidence and Learning Team, the consultant will lead all efforts to design the research approach, submit ethics application (if applicable), collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative evaluation data, and develop various deliverables to synthesize and communicate the insights from the research findings. The consultant will be responsible for familiarizing themselves with the CITA framework and ensuring the evaluation approach, data collection and findings are aligned to the framework. Additionally, the consultant will also be responsible for project management, communicating with the CITA Team, and managing in-country stakeholder relationships. 

Consultancy Description 

Consultant expectations and deliverables include the following. Specific deliverables will be negotiated at the time of the contract.  

Research Design, Planning & Project Management:

• Develop and submit research protocols in coordination with  VillageReach colleagues based in Tanzania and globally, including finalization of quantitative secondary analysis approach, qualitative and participatory data collection methodology, sampling strategies and data collection tools. 

• Define research questions focusing on (but not limited to) the following: the feedback collection, feedback escalation and resolution and close the loop processes. 

• Engage external in-country stakeholders (e.g. MoH, Call Center employees) to ensure alignment with the MoH and VillageReach objectives.  

• Design, plan, execute and facilitate the participatory design workshop following data collection and analysis.  

• Liaise with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and other partners to coordinate evaluation activities and facilitate knowledge sharing. 

• Organize, schedule and conduct all evaluation activities in a timely and cost-efficient manner. 

• Coordinate closely with the Director, Research, Evidence and Learning on monitoring the project budget and all associated evaluation activities, including identifying and implementing appropriate contingency plans when required. 

 
Data Collection, Analysis and Management:

• Develop a detailed participatory evaluation plan including methodologies, data collection tools, and templates 

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative data collection through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and document reviews, secondary analysis of call center data (caller demographics, complaints, trends in complaints, resolution of trends etc.). 

• Ensure fidelity to approved research protocols, including rigorous data collection practices, and support proactive, day-to-day troubleshooting to ensure high-quality qualitative data is collected in a timely manner. 

• Work with Costing Solutions Specialist within VillageReach’s Health Systems Global Technical Team to identify costs associated with the recommendations to enhance the feedback loop within the call center. 

• Develop and maintain all documentation pertinent to the evaluation including process maps, interview notes, participatory design workshop outputs etc.  

• Implement the highest standards for data privacy and security to safeguard any sensitive information and data emerging from the evaluation activities. 

Evaluation Report Validation & Development:

• Develop a roadmap for enhancing the feedback system within the call center, including costed recommendations for technological, process, human resource enhancements, that is aligned with the CITA framework.   

• Produce a comprehensive evaluation report detailing findings, actionable recommendations, and next steps. 

• Communicate complex data insights from the research in a clear and concise manner in a variety of formats, including a roadmap, summary reports, presentations etc. to project stakeholders, donors, and government counterparts, incorporating data storytelling best practices. 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for VillageReach colleagues providing technical support to the consortium conducting participatory research on equitable telehealth models.  

• Present intermediate findings and recommendations to VillageReach, the MoH, and other key stakeholders to validate insights and interpretation. 

Expected Travel and Hours: 

• Travel: The consultant will have to travel to the Afya Call Center located in Dar es Salam, as well as occasionally travel to Dodoma and surrounding areas 

• Length of contract: 5 months 

• Hours: We anticipate the consultant will work 70-100 hours a month during the data collection and participatory design phases; and 50-70 hours a month during the planning and reporting phases of the project. 

CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS 

Education & Experience:  

• Master's degree in public health, social sciences or similar field is required; a doctorate is preferred. 

• At least 5 years' experience in healthcare and/or public health 

• At least ten years of experience in qualitative research, implementation research, human centered design, health research or similar field. 

• Experience conducting rigorous research with underserved populations, including women and people with lower socioeconomic status. 

• Experience with research on digital health and/or primary health care delivery. 

• Experience conducting qualitative data analysis using Atlas.ti or other software and presenting results demonstrated through report or presentation samples. 

• Demonstrated experience working closely with the Tanzania government at national or sub-national level on participatory research and other M&E projects, including experience in submitting IRB applications and securing approval. 

• Proficiency in qualitative data analysis and information synthesis, as well as quantitative data analysis. 

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey highly technical information and complex data in a concise manner to diverse audiences. 

Other Qualifications: 

• Fluency in English and Swahili required. 

• Experience with managing research/evaluation projects, including following workplans, facilitating team meetings, training data collectors, and working with team members to ensure deliverables are met. 

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and absorb various types of data and evidence, especially pertaining to health access, technology adoption, and related public health fields. 

• Strong written and verbal communication abilities and abilities to communicate information to diverse audiences concisely. Routine sharing of research results and recommendations with the Ministry of Health and private sector stakeholders will be part of this role. 

• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. 

• Experience working with geographically dispersed teams, including across multiple time zones. 

• Ability to manage multiple diverse and competing tasks in a fast-paced environment by setting priorities and understanding how to leverage resources across the organization. 

• Ability to work independently with little direct oversight while still maintaining high quality of work. 

• Ability to think strategically around the implications of evaluation findings. 

• Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel) and comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION:  

·         This contract will begin January 20th, 2025, with the contract ending in early June 2025. Resumes and cover letters will be reviewed on a rolling basis until January 3rd, 2024.

·         To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter and a research or evaluation report you have authored to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/. 

o   In your cover letter, please address (1) Why you are interested in this position, (2) What is one reason you think you’d be a good fit for this position and, (3) What is one strength you would bring to this position? Please specify your hourly rate via our portal.  

Contracting Process: 

The selection and contracting process will include the following steps: 

1. Review submitted applications 
2. Conduct 20-30 minute screening interviews for shortlisted candidates 
3. Conduct skills and value-based interviews for 3-5 candidates. 
4. Request that top candidates submit a practical assessment (designed to take no more than two hours to complete). Sometimes the assignment will occur before the interview. 
5. Conduct final interview if necessary  
6. Request references  
7. Make offer   
8. Conduct background check 
9. Issue contract

Compensation: 

Please submit your hourly rate with your application.