National Director, Health Services Quality Management

Job Purpose:

The incumbent is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and coordinating all activities of the Directorate of Health Services Quality Management of the Ministry Health. Work involves developing and ensuring implementation and institutionalization of a coherent system for continuous quality improvement; providing advice on implementation of principles, practices of quality health care and developing a national system to assess health technologies. Work is performed with a considerable degree of initiative and independence within the framework of policies and plans. Work is evaluated by a professional superior through discussion and reports for the achievement of goals and targets. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Plans, organizes, direct and coordinates all activities of the Health Services Quality Management division. 
• Develops and ensures the implementation and institutionalization of a coherent system for continuous quality improvement in the Health Sector so as to enable health service/care to be delivered in an effective and efficient manner. 
• Provides advice on implementation of principles, practices of quality health care to the Boards of the Regional Health Authorities, the Ministry of Health and the private sector. 
• Collaborates with other senior officers in the development of strategic plans, operational objectives and an annual business plan for the Health Services Quality Management Directorate of the Ministry of Health. 
• Develops a national system to assess health technologies and identifies the infrastructure required to implement the system. 
• Supervises a group of professional and other support staff engaged in quality health management programmes.
• Conducts training sessions for personnel at various local and regional institutions to sensitize on their roles and functions in respect of promoting health service quality care. 
• Advises committees and working groups on the development of standards, protocols and procedures for regulation of health care services in the public and private sectors. 
• Collaborates with the Legal Adviser for the development of a Legislative framework including bye-laws for service delivery to support the National Health Quality System. 
• Convenes standing and ad hoc committees, and working groups of professionals within and outside the Ministry of Health in the development of terms of reference and the review of health quality standards and protocols. 
• Reviews and assesses models of care in the public, private and NGO sectors through quality audits to ensure compliance with national and international health quality standards and practices. 
• Collaborates with other units to ensure that quality measures form part of the contracting arrangements and performance review measures between the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, for example, quality specifications for procurement and quality targets in the annual service agreements. 
• Collaborates with agencies such as PAHO/WHO for short-term consultancies to develop and train staff to use international quality standards/methods and utilize appropriate health technologies in the public and private health sectors. 
• Chairs the Quality Management Forum to give policy direction to Regional Health Authority Quality Managers and to facilitate/support the implementation of quality systems in the Regional Health Authorities. 
• Represents the Ministry at workshops, seminars and conferences, on matters relating to the promotion of quality health care. 
• Other related duties. 

Minimum Qualifications, Education and Experience

• A recognized degree in Health Administration supplemented by a recognized Certificate in Quality Management. 
• Over eight (8) years of experience in the management of Quality Health Care programmes. 

OR 

• Any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of Health Services Quality Management. 
• Considerable knowledge of the laws, policies and institutional arrangements affecting the provision of quality health care services at a national level. 
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of human resource management and strategic planning. 
• Ability to plan, direct, coordinate and evaluate all activities relating to quality health care services. 
• Ability to plan training programmes, provide advice and articulate the Ministry of Health’s position on the promotion of quality health care/services. 
• Ability to coordinate and articulate the Quality Health Care Plan of the Ministry of Health with government and other non-governmental agencies. 
• Ability to prepare and present complex reports in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in writing. 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with government, non-government agencies, fellow employees and the public.