Resident Independent Monitor

Background and Purpose of the Position

• The Resident Independent Monitor (RIM) provides independent, evidence-based monitoring of NTD programme activities, particularly Mass Drug Administration (MDA), within assigned LGAs.
• The role supports programme quality and accountability by monitoring implementation progress, treatment coverage, compliance with established guidelines and SOPs, data quality, commodity management, and operational challenges.
• The RIM identifies and escalates implementation gaps, recommends corrective actions, follows up on agreed interventions, and ensures that monitoring reports are objective, accurate, and based on verified field observations.

Scope of the Position

• Under the supervision of the Associate Manager, Programme Delivery, the Resident Independent Monitor (RIM) will support the monitoring and supervision of pre-, during-, and post-MDA activities in assigned LGAs.

The RIM will be responsible for:

• Monitoring MDA implementation to ensure compliance with approved workplans, microplans, national guidelines, and NTD SOPs.
• Assessing implementation readiness of LGAs, health facilities, communities, and service delivery teams before campaign commencement.
• Monitoring the performance of CDDs, teachers, and other service delivery personnel.
• Verifying treatment and reporting data to ensure accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timely reporting.
• Identifying implementation gaps, including missed communities, underserved populations, and low-performing service delivery points, and recommending corrective actions.
• Monitoring drug and logistics management, including the receipt, distribution, utilization, retrieval, and reconciliation of medicines and related commodities.
• Supporting the resolution of operational challenges through timely escalation, follow-up, and monitoring of corrective measures.
• Documenting field observations, best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve programme performance.
• Submitting timely monitoring updates and reports to Helen Keller Intl. and relevant stakeholders.
• The RIM will work closely with government counterparts and programme stakeholders while maintaining independence, objectivity, and the integrity of all monitoring findings and reports.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

General Responsibilities:

• Reside in the assigned LGA and remain available throughout all phases of implementation, including pre-implementation, campaign, and post-implementation activities.
• Participate in planning, training, review, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and community mobilisation activities to support effective MDA implementation and community participation.
• Monitor the deployment, attendance, and performance of campaign personnel, including CDDs, teachers, and other service delivery teams, and verify related attendance and financial records.
• Monitor the availability, distribution, utilisation, accountability, and reconciliation of medicines, reporting tools, IEC/BCC materials, and other campaign commodities.
• Conduct field monitoring and supportive supervision across assigned implementation areas to assess service delivery quality, compliance with treatment guidelines and NTD SOPs, and overall campaign performance.
• Identify implementation gaps, missed communities, underserved populations, operational challenges, and low-performing areas; recommend and follow up on corrective actions and mop-up activities as needed.
• Support data quality assurance by validating, reconciling, compiling, and monitoring the timely reporting of treatment data and campaign documentation through approved systems and reporting channels.
• Provide regular implementation updates and reports, documenting key observations, challenges, actions taken, and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with Helen Keller Intl.'s safeguarding, data protection, confidentiality, fraud prevention, and security requirements.
• Perform any other program-related duties assigned by the Associate Manager, Program Delivery, or designated Associate Manager.

Specific Deliverables and Responsibilities by Implementation Phase:

Pre-Implementation Phase:

Period: Three consecutive days of training and other preparatory activities, or as specified in the approved workplan.

The RIM will:

• Participate in and monitor training activities at state, LGA, ward, health facility, teacher, and community levels, ensuring participants receive adequate instruction on treatment guidelines, drug administration, adverse event management, record-keeping, and reporting requirements.
• Verify training documentation and personnel deployment records, including attendance, participant information, supporting financial documents, and lists of health workers, CDDs, teachers, and other assigned personnel.
• Review implementation readiness and microplans to ensure targeted wards, schools, health facilities, communities, staffing arrangements, logistics, and service delivery plans are adequate and complete.
• Monitor the availability, distribution, and accountability of medicines, reporting tools, IEC materials, and other campaign commodities, ensuring timely delivery to service delivery points and proper documentation of receipt and issuance.
• Support advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and community sensitisation activities to strengthen community awareness, acceptance, and participation in the campaign.
• Conduct readiness and risk assessments to identify gaps and potential challenges related to staffing, commodities, logistics, security, accessibility, population movement, and other factors that may affect implementation.
• Ensure compliance with approved security guidance and deployment plans, and promptly escalate critical readiness gaps that could affect the quality, safety, or timely commencement of the campaign.

Expected deliverables and means of verification:

• Validated training documentation, including attendance sheets, participant details, financial records, and evidence of participation in training and cascaded training activities.
• Reviewed and documented implementation readiness, including LGA microplans, deployment lists for health workers, CDDs, and teachers, readiness assessments, identified gaps, and recommendations.
• Verified commodity distribution and accountability, including issuance and receipt vouchers, confirmation of delivery to service delivery points, and evidence of commodity availability before campaign commencement.
• Submitted GPS-tagged photographic evidence of training sessions, commodity receipt and storage arrangements, showing date, time, and location.
• Documented advocacy and community engagement activities conducted to support campaign awareness, acceptance, and participation.

Implementation Phase:

Period: Seven days, or as specified in the approved campaign workplan.

• Conduct routine field monitoring and supportive supervision across assigned wards, communities, schools, health facilities, and other service delivery points to assess implementation progress, treatment coverage, and service quality.
• Monitor the performance of CDDs, teachers, and other campaign personnel, ensuring compliance with approved treatment guidelines, eligibility criteria, dosage requirements, directly observed treatment procedures, adverse event management, and accurate record-keeping.
• Monitor community mobilisation and SBCC activities to ensure communities receive accurate information and to identify barriers to participation, including refusals, absenteeism, missed populations, and inaccessible settlements.
• Monitor the availability, utilisation, and accountability of medicines, commodities, and data collection tools, ensuring proper handling and adherence to reporting requirements.
• Verify treatment and reporting data through spot checks, data validation, source document reviews, and verification visits to identify discrepancies and ensure data quality.