National or International Consultancy - Development and operationalization of the National Electronic MPDSR

UNICEF seeks a consultant to support the Ministry of Health in Lesotho to design, develop, deploy, and operationalize a National Electronic Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response System (eMPDSR). The system will serve as the central platform for maternal and perinatal death notification, review, response tracking, analytics, and accountability, interoperable with existing government health information systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, deploy, and operationalize a National Electronic Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response System (eMPDSR) for Lesotho.
• Digitize and automate all MPDSR notification, review, action-tracking, monitoring, and reporting processes as per National MPDSR Guidelines.
• Establish a national interoperable eMPDSR platform that exchanges data seamlessly with DHIS2, CRVS, IDSR, BKM, eLMIS and other relevant government information systems.
• Improve completeness, timeliness, and quality of maternal, neonatal, stillbirth, and perinatal death reporting through a dual-source surveillance approach linking community and facility reporting platforms.
• Provide real-time dashboards, alerts, and analytics to support monitoring of mortality trends, causes of death, modifiable factors, review outcomes, and corrective actions at all health system levels.
• Strengthen accountability by enabling systematic tracking, escalation, monitoring, and reporting of MPDSR recommendations and response actions across all health system levels.
• Build national and district capacity for sustainable management, administration, maintenance, and use of the eMPDSR platform through training, mentorship, and knowledge transfer to local institutions and personnel.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master's Degree or higher) in Health Informatics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Health Information Systems, Digital Health, Data Science, Public Health with specialization in Health Information Systems, Information Technology, Electronic Engineering or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the design, development, deployment, and management of large-scale health information systems.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the development and implementation of national digital health platforms within low- and middle-income countries.
• Proven experience in development and deployment of web-based and mobile-enabled health information systems.
• At least 5 years of experience in systems integration and interoperability using international health data exchange standards.
• Demonstrated experience integrating health information systems with platforms such as DHIS2, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), disease surveillance systems, or similar national databases.
• Proven experience in software architecture, database design, cybersecurity, and data governance.
• Experience in developing dashboards, analytics, and data visualization solutions for public health programmes.
• Demonstrated experience conducting user acceptance testing, system rollout, change management, and capacity building.
• Experience working with Ministries of Health, UNICEF, WHO, UN agencies, development partners, or government institutions.
• Previous experience in maternal, newborn, child health, mortality surveillance, MPDSR, public health surveillance, or related health programmes will be an added advantage.
• Experience working in the Southern African region and/or Lesotho is highly desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of Sesotho will be an added advantage.
• Strong knowledge of digital health architecture and health information systems.
• Advanced knowledge of software development methodologies and system lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated expertise in interoperability frameworks, APIs, HL7 FHIR, OpenHIE, and related standards.
• Strong understanding of DHIS2 architecture and integration methodologies.
• Knowledge of maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) systems and public health surveillance frameworks.
• Knowledge of data protection, cybersecurity, privacy, confidentiality, and information governance principles.
• Expertise in database management systems, cloud-based solutions, and web technologies.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems design skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
• Ability to translate business and public health requirements into technical solutions.
• Strong project management, planning, and coordination skills.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical documentation and reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to train and mentor technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Certification in Digital Health, Health Informatics, Enterprise Architecture, Project Management (PMP, PRINCE2), or related professional qualifications is desirable.
• Experience developing or supporting MPDSR, MDSR, surveillance, civil registration, or mortality reporting systems is desirable.
• Experience with DHIS2 Tracker, DHIS2 Events, and interoperability components is desirable.
• Experience with OpenHIM, OpenMRS, OpenHIE, FHIR, or similar digital health platforms is desirable.
• Knowledge of WHO digital health guidelines and interoperability standards is desirable.
• Experience developing systems using open-source technologies is desirable.
• Experience working on UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Global Fund, USAID, or other donor-funded digital health initiatives is desirable.
• Knowledge of the Lesotho health system and health information architecture is desirable.
• Availability of a multidisciplinary team comprising software developers, interoperability specialists, health informatics experts, data analysts, and trainers is desirable.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering national-scale digital health solutions within agreed timelines and budgets is desirable.

Skills

• Health Informatics
• Software Engineering
• Health Information Systems
• Digital Health
• Data Science
• Public Health Surveillance
• Health Information System Development
• Large-scale Health Systems Deployment
• National Digital Health Platforms
• Web-based Health Systems
• Mobile-enabled Health Systems
• System Integration
• Interoperability Standards
• Health Data Exchange
• DHIS2 Configuration
• Civil Registration and Vital Statistics
• Disease Surveillance
• Software Architecture
• Database Design
• Cybersecurity
• Data Governance
• Dashboard Development
• Data Visualization
• User Acceptance Testing
• System Rollout Support
• Change Management
• Capacity Building
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Technical Documentation Production
• Project Management
• Health Informatics Certification
• Enterprise Architecture
• OpenHIE
• HL7/FHIR Standards
• APIs
• DHIS2 Tracker
• openHIM
• OpenMRS
• Open-Source Technologies
• Digital Health Architecture
• System Lifecycle Management
• Data Protection
• Confidentiality and Discretion
• Cloud-based Solutions
• Health Program Analytics
• Maternal Perinatal Deaths Surveillance
• MPDSR Systems

Languages

English