Epicentre is an organisation created by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 1986. We conduct field epidemiology, training, and research activities for MSF interventions. Our activities for populations in precarious situations are led from Uganda, Niger, and France, and through the programs of MSF and others. They mainly concern infectious diseases and undernutrition.

Background

The AmoCo Study (Abortion-related Morbidity and mortality in Conflict-affected settings) aims to describe and estimate the burden of abortion-related complications, particularly near-miss complications and deaths, and their associated factors among women presenting for abortion-related complications in health facilities supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in African fragile and/or conflict-affected settings. The AmoCo Study is supported through a collaboration between MSF, the Guttmacher Institute and Ipas.

Under the responsibility of the Epicentre Coordinating Principal Investigator of the study (based in Paris), the International Study Coordinator will be in charge of launching the Implementation of the AMoCo Study within 3 Ministry of Health’s gyneco/obstetrics wards supported by MSF, in Nigeria, DRC and CAR. During the launching of the implementation in the first 2 study sites, he will also be in charge of the training of the Site Study Coordinators who will continue the tasks of the study coordination after the departure of the international study coordinator. The International study coordinator will be in charge of the full implementation of the study in the 3rd site.

Main Activities (Not exhaustive)

·      Participate in the elaboration and implementation of work plan, study procedures and forms and update them accordingly all along the study;

·      Participate to the development of training materials;

·      Recruit the local study staff in the field, in collaboration with the MSF and study team in the field;

·      Organize and lead the implementation of the study in the field (incl. but not limited to study internal and external coordination, training, pilot, data collection, data entry, data management & monitoring, quality processes);

·      Act as liaison between the site study staff, the national steering committee and the international coordinating committee (through the Epicentre Co-PI).

·      Ensure that all authorizations are obtained before the start of the study (ethical and administrative);

·      Train the study staff on the study protocol and procedures including (but not exhaustive), Ethics and GCP, inclusion and consenting procedures, standard operating procedures, methods of quantitative and qualitative interviews, study case report forms (CRF), quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews guides, data entry, data quality processes, data management and monitoring;

·      Manage the study teams (interviewers, data clerks +/- study doctor/nurse);

·      Collaborate with study site investigators, MoH and MSF teams;

·      Supervise the procedure of patient’s enrolment and informed consent for participation in the study;

·      Ensure full implementation of Good Clinical Practices principles, especially the ethical principles;

·      Ensure all documents are present in the Study site file and update them regularly;

·      Supervise the organization and safety of the study documents (informed consents, CRF, questionnaires, qualitative interview records and transcripts etc.);

·      Lead the rapid facility assessment and the KAPB survey among health professionals involved in Post-Abortion-Care;

·      Lead medical data collection among women presenting for abortion-related complications (incl. CRF fulfillment) with the help of a study doctor/nurse if necessary,;

·      Supervise the quantitative and qualitative interviews processes led by study interviewers;

·      Supervise the filling of study forms and quantitative questionnaires as well as transcription of qualitative interviews by the study staff;

·      Supervise the data clerks in data entry and file organization as needed and implement the double data entry system and the data quality system;

·      Organize and support the monitoring (supervision) visits by members of the study international coordinating committee;

·      Identify and report protocol deviations to the Epicentre Coordinating Principal Investigator;

·      Ensure a regular contact with the Epicentre Coordinating Principal Investigator as well as the study international coordinating committee, including regular written reports on the progress of the study as well as participation to coordination meetings;

·      Ensure regular communication with other stakeholders including ministry of health, local associations, local authorities and necessary declarations as per the local regulation.

·      Train and accompany the site study coordinator who will continue the tasks of the study coordination after the departure of the international study coordinator

Candidate requirements

-      Medical/clinical diploma: medical doctor, midwife or nurse with research experience

-      Masters of Epidemiology or Public Health, or other relevant degree,

-      Experience in management of field health research, in epidemiology (experience in implementing cohort studies and/or quantitative interviews and/or qualitative interviews is an asset) in low and middle income countries preferably

-      Experience in project management and team management

-      Working experience with Word and Excel,

-      Knowledge of software for data entry (ex: EpiData, Access, RedCap) is a plus,

-      Fluent English (speaking, reading, writing) for Nigeria site, Fluent French (at least speaking, reading) for CAR and DRC sites)

-      Excellent communication skills, including writing skills in English

-      Interest in research on maternal health (experience in sexual and reproductive health is an asset)

-      in full support of the MSF policy on abortion

-      Rigorous, dynamic personality and able to work effectively within a multi-cultural and multi-lingual team.

Conditions

·                Position based in CAR, DRC and Nigeria

·                Starting date: March/April for 12 months

·                Remuneration: MSF/Epicentre expatriate scale