Background:

Indonesia currently bears the second-highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, with an estimated 1,060,000 new cases. In response to this situation, the Indonesian Government, through Presidential Regulation No. 67 of 2021, aims to eliminate TB in Indonesia by 2030. The United States Government, as a development partner, supports Indonesia’s efforts to reduce the burden of TB through various projects, including USAID BEBAS-TB.

USAID BEBAS-TB is a project that will be implemented in four provinces in Indonesia with the highest burden of TB, namely East Java, West Java, Central Java, and North Sumatra, for five years from July 2023 to July 2028. There are seven objectives of USAID BEBAS-TB, including: 1) Increasing the detection of TB patients by enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers and expanding case finding efforts among at-risk groups, 2) Improving the quality of TB screening and diagnosis by utilizing modern technology and expanding the network for examination and diagnosis, 3) Enhancing the quality of TB services by improving treatment monitoring systems and integrating TB services into primary healthcare facilities, 4) Strengthening TB prevention efforts by reinforcing the implementation of latent TB infection and providing support for preventive therapy, 5) Strengthening the healthcare system to accelerate TB elimination through more sustainable health financing and TB information systems involving stakeholders and community engagement, 6) Operational research for accelerated TB elimination by providing technical support for planning and implementing operational research related to TB with the aim of accelerating TB elimination.

The USAID BEBAS-TB project is carried out by a consortium consisting of five local organizations, including Yayasan Penabulu, Yayasan Kemitraan Strategis Tuberkulosis Indonesia, Rumah Cemara, POP TB, Yayasan Dokter Peduli (Doctor Share), as well as two international organizations, namely Vital Strategies and Management Sciences for Health (MSH). This consortium is led by MSH.

Purpose:

One of the goals of the USAID BEBAS-TB project is to enhance the health information system for TB (Objective 5.2 of the USAID BEBAS-TB project). One of the activities under Objective 5.2 planned for implementation in the first year of the USAID BEBAS-TB project is an assessment of local health systems’ actors practices, capacities and attitudes concerning the use of routine TB data to inform programmatic decision-making and implementation improvements. The study will involve multiple forms of data collection: online surveys, in-depth interviews (IDI), and participatory action research (PAR). The study will be implemented in the four (4) operational provinces of the USAID BEBAS-TB project (North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java). This study will be done in close collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Health as well as provincial and district health offices. Currently, the central research team for this assessment are seeking for potential candidates to support data collection for the qualitative data and participatory action research (PAR) sessions in the 4 operational provinces.  The team will consist of two supervisors and four qualitative researchers. and together, they will work under the guidance and oversight of BEBAS-TB staff to implement the sections of the protocol that describe the conduct of in-depth interviews (IDI) and participatory action research (PAR).

 Objectives:

General objective:

1. To recruit a data collection team to supervise and implement field activities of the TB Data Use Assessment.

Specific objectives:

1. To identify and recruit experienced qualitative specialists that can arrange field work and ensure the quality of data collectors’ work.
2. To identify and recruit qualified data collectors to conduct in-depth interviews, facilitate and document participatory action research sessions with study participants.

Scope of work:

The selected candidates for the roles of supervisor and qualitative researcher will be contracted as temporary staff of the USAID BEBAS-TB project for the duration of the TB Data Use Assessment. They will the USAID BEBAS-TB and project that is based in Jakarta. All of those selected for either role will be required to participate in an orientation to the study and training on the assessment protocol, data collection instruments and standard operating procedures (SOP). Candidates chosen for these roles will have the following tasks:

1. Data Collection Supervisor:

The data collection supervisor will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Coordinate with the Assessment Coordinator during the assessment (i.e., through meetings, field reports) to ensure adherence to data collection SOP, timelines and reporting requirements; and, if required, to adapt study steps according to emergent needs and lessons.Orient provincial and district health authorities to the study, work with them to secure the participation of IDI and PAR participants and arrange data collection schedules and logistics.
• Supervise qualitative researchers’ adherence to data collection SOP (IDI and PAR), monitor data collection quality and take corrective actions in a timely manner, as needed, facilitate routine debrief sessions with qualitative researcher.
• Coordinate the flow and management of qualitative data and documentation related to informed consents, ensuring that they reach the Assessment Coordinator per the data collection SOP.
• Facilitate PAR sessions and, as required, conduct IDI.
• Produce periodic field reports that report on field work progress, challenges and summarize findings.

2. Enumerators:

The enumerators will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Closely coordinate with the data collection supervisor for the planning and implementation of field activities (IDI and PAR) in the provinces and districts.
• Work closely with the research team, providing inputs on updates on progress to ensure timely completion of data collection.
• Participate in regular research team and debriefing meetings with the central study team and also the data collection team for progress updates.
• Reporting to the supervisor, follow the data collection field schedule and implement IDI with study participants per the assessment protocol and qualitative SOP.
• Per the SOP, promptly transcribe IDI transcripts in the appropriate language, and report on important observations, challenges or deviations in an addendum to each transcript.
• As required by the supervisor, take corrective actions to ensure data quality, including repeating interviews with new participants if needed.
• Support the data collection supervisor in facilitating and documenting PAR sessions, ensuring active engagement of participants.
• Support the supervisor to ensure timely preparation and flow of study data per the SOP, complete periodic field reports and, as needed, participate in meetings with the Assessment Coordinator.

Qualifications:

The project is seeking for candidates for two roles with the following qualifications and experience:

1. Data Collection Supervisor

• Education:
  • Minimum of a Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, or a related field.
  • A PhD degree is an advantage.
• Experience:
  • Extensive knowledge or at least 5 years of experience in qualitative research (data collection and analysis).
  • Prior experience in coordinating multi-component data collection projects with staff of provincial and/or district health systems is mandatory.
  • Prior experience using participatory methods to engage health care implementers, managers and decision-makers in use of research evidence and/or data is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with TB programs and health information systems is an advantage.
• Skills:
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust with government officials and participants.
  • Strong organizational skills, with the ability to plan activities and allocate tasks to team members.
  • Excellent attention to detail in ensuring the quality of qualitative and monitoring adherence to data collection procedures and analysis.
  • Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, web‐based research) and qualitative data analysis skills.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards in research.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in Bahasa Indonesia is required. Fluency in English is an advantage.
• Other :
  • Willingness to travel to various districts as required by the project.
  • Flexibility to work extended hours or weekends if necessary.
    2. Enumerators
  • Education:
    • Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, or a related field.
    • A Master’s degree is an advantage.
  • Experience:
    • At least 2 years of experience in qualitative data collection, specifically conducting in-depth interviews and/or focus group discussions.
    • Prior experience with participatory action research methodologies is highly desirable.
    • Familiarity with TB programs and public health information systems is an advantage.
  • Skills:
    • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust with study participants.
    • Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
    • Ability to maintain confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards in research.
    • Excellent written and oral communication skills in Bahasa Indonesia is required. Fluency in English is an advantage.
  • Other Requirements:
    • Willingness to travel to various districts as required by the project.
    • Flexibility to work extended hours or weekends if necessary.

Deliverables:

The supervisors/enumerators together are expected to deliver the following:

1. Data Transcripts:
   • Complete and accurate transcripts of all in-depth interviews and PAR sessions.
2. Progress Reports:
   • Regular progress reports to the research team, as per the agreed schedule.

Contract duration: 3 months

Location: North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java

Application Process:

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents:

1. Cover Letter:
   • A cover letter outlining their motivation and suitability for the role.
2. Resume/CV:
   • A current resume/CV detailing relevant experience and qualifications, including publications.
3. References:
   • Contact information for at least two professional references who can attest to the candidate’s suitability for this role.

Please send your cover letter, CV, and references to hrsingapore@vitalstrategies.org , indicating the job title in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please use “TB Research – Data Collection Supervisor” or “TB Research – Enumerators as the email subject line.