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PATH is a global nonprofit advancing health innovations for the people who need them most. With 50 years of experience, a global team of experts, and trusted partnerships spanning 70+ countries, PATH turns breakthroughs into better health for millions every single year.
**Location: Sierra Leone**
PATH seeks to recruit an Infectious Disease Surveillance Consultant for the STRengthening Infectious disease DEtection Systems (STRIDES) Project. The global project will support and strengthen surveillance, detection, and analytical capacity for infectious diseases across both human and animal health.
The STRIDES project supports partner countries to strengthen infectious disease detection, surveillance, and response capacities. PATH contributes technical expertise as a consortium partner together with FHI 360 and Black & Veatch.
This consultancy will support a structured review and mapping of surveillance tools, systems, and workflows in Sierra Leone. The assignment will establish what exists, how tools are used, how information moves between stakeholders, and where gaps or duplication affect surveillance operations. Findings will provide practical recommendations for harmonization, improved information exchange, and more effective use of surveillance data.
The consultant will work with relevant government counterparts, including the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Agency, alongside human health, animal health, environmental health, laboratory, and implementing partner stakeholders.
Purpose of the Consultancy
To develop a validated inventory and mapping of existing surveillance documents, tools, digital systems, and partner-supported workflows, and recommend priority actions to strengthen their alignment, coordination, and information flow.
The assignment will provide decision makers with an actionable understanding of the surveillance landscape across community, health facility, district, and national levels, within the agreed assessment coverage.
Scope of Work and Responsibilities
The assignment is anchored in the activity to review and map existing surveillance standard operating procedures, tools, job aids, registers, reporting forms, dashboards, and partner-supported workflows.
The review will encompass indicator-based surveillance (IBS), event-based surveillance (EBS), and community-based surveillance (CBS), as well as zoonotic, and environmental surveillance.
The consultant’s key responsibilities will include:
- Design the assessment approach. Develop an inception note covering the methodology, document review framework, stakeholder consultations, proposed scope, schedule, and validation process. Confirm the assessment boundaries and information needs with the designated supervisor and government counterparts.
- Review documentation and current practices. Gather and assess surveillance SOPs, tools, job aids, registers, reporting forms, dashboards, guidance, and partner-supported workflows. Consult users and system custodians to compare documented procedures with routine practice.
- Build a structured inventory. Record each tool’s purpose, surveillance approach or domain, users, custodian, version or revision date, reporting frequency, format, level of use, and links to other tools or systems. Classify tools as active, obsolete, under development, or unverified.
- Map surveillance information flows. Trace how data and signals are captured, reported, verified, analyzed, shared, and used. Document reporting pathways, alert escalation, feedback mechanisms, and responsibilities across administrative levels and sectors.
- Review digital and partner-supported workflows. Assess relevant EpiC- and RISE-supported tools together with DHIS2/eIDSR and EMR processes. Identify where information is exchanged electronically, transferred manually, or entered more than once, and assess the effects on reporting burden and data consistency.
- Identify alignment, gaps, and duplication. Examine overlapping tools, inconsistent indicators or definitions, parallel reporting requirements, missing reporting links, and weak feedback or information exchange. Assess alignment with applicable national surveillance guidance and identify opportunities to strengthen coordination across human, animal, and environmental health surveillance.
- Validate findings and prioritize recommendations. Present the inventory, workflow maps, and preliminary findings to relevant stakeholders. Resolve discrepancies, document remaining information gaps, and develop feasible recommendations for harmonization and improved information flow, including proposed priorities, responsible institutions, and dependencies.
- Finalize and hand over deliverables. Prepare a concise final report and presentation that incorporate stakeholder feedback. Submit the inventory, mapping matrix, workflow diagrams, and supporting materials in editable formats, in line with agreed confidentiality and information-management requirements.
Required Qualifications and Professional Experience
Essential Qualifications
- A degree in public health, epidemiology, medicine, veterinary public health, health informatics, or a closely related field, combined with relevant professional experience.
- Demonstrated experience assessing, reviewing, or strengthening infectious disease surveillance systems, including Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR).
- Practical knowledge of indicator-based, event-based, and community-based surveillance and their links to laboratory and multisectoral surveillance.
- Experience conducting document reviews, stakeholder consultations, tool inventories, workflow mapping, and gap analyses.
- Working knowledge of digital health reporting systems, such as DHIS2/eIDSR or comparable platforms, and how clinical records connect with surveillance reporting.
- Ability to analyze reporting requirements, indicators, data flows, and institutional roles and translate findings into practical recommendations.
- Strong English-language skills in consultation, facilitation, technical writing, and presentation.
- Proficiency in developing spreadsheet-based inventories, preparing documents, and clearly documenting workflows.
Desirable Qualifications
- Postgraduate training in public health, epidemiology, health informatics, or a related field, or recognized field epidemiology training.
- Direct experience working with Sierra Leone’s health system, surveillance structures, government counterparts, or implementing partners.
- Experience in One Health coordination or in antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic, laboratory, or environmental surveillance.
- Familiarity with EMR systems and surveillance information exchange.
- Experience supporting government-led validation and developing recommendations that reflect institutional capacity and resource constraints.
Core Competencies
The successful consultant will bring strong analytical judgment, meticulous attention to detail, a collaborative approach, and respect for government leadership. They will clearly separate evidence from assumptions, communicate technical matters effectively, reconcile diverse stakeholder perspectives, and deliver high-quality work within agreed timelines.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in Sierra Leone.
