MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS/BSc Nursing with Master s in Public Health / Hospital Administration / Health Management, OR MSc Nursing or equivalent qualification in health-related fields - Minimum 3 5 years of relevant experience in public health program implementation, preferably in maternal and child health, quality improvement, or health systems strengthening.
- Experience in working with government health programs (e.g., NHM) is highly desirable.
- Familiarity with quality assurance standards such as LaQshya, Kayakalp, NQAS, NABH etc., is a strong advantage.
Strong planning, coordination, and problem-solving abilities. Experience of building and nurturing government relationships and partner organizations. Excellent verbal and written communication in English; knowledge of regional languages desirable. Proficiency in MS Office tools and digital data systems. Willingness to travel frequently across project locations.
Position Description
: The State LaQshya Consultant will provide technical and operational support to the Maternal Health Cell of the State Health Society to strengthen the implementation of LaQshya and SUMAN programs, focusing on quality assurance, certification, and maternal health system strengthening in UNFPA-supported and aspirational districts.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
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Provide Technical Assistance to SHSB Maternal Health Cell:
Serve as a subject matter expert in quality maternal health services and offer evidence-based recommendations for effective implementation of LaQshya and SUMAN initiatives. -
Facilitate LaQshya Certification and Strengthen SUMAN Protocols:
- Guide labour rooms and maternity OTs in achieving LaQshya certification through process standardization, infrastructure improvements, and staff sensitization.
- Monitor SUMAN implementation in healthcare facilities to ensure adherence to assured service delivery standards and respectful maternity care.
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Standardize Labor Rooms in High-Load Facilities:
Support facility-level planning for standardizing infrastructure, infection control, biomedical waste management, and other essentials as per LaQshya norms in high-delivery-load facilities and assist in preparation and implementation of quality improvement action plans. -
Conduct Mentoring and Monitoring Visits:
Undertake structured field visits to UNFPA-supported and aspirational districts to assess compliance with LaQshya and SUMAN protocols. Provide hands-on mentoring and real-time feedback to facility teams and track corrective actions. -
Strengthen PMSMA/e-PMSMA Implementation:
- Provide technical inputs for effective organization of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) clinics, with emphasis on identification and tracking of high-risk pregnancies.
- Ensure integration of e-PMSMA tools and digital platforms into routine service delivery and follow-up.
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Support Maternal Health Trainings and Follow-up:
Coordinate and technically support key maternal health training programs (e.g., EmOC, LSAS, SBA, Midwifery) and design mechanisms for post-training follow-up including competency checks, performance audits, and supportive supervision. -
Develop and Strengthen Master Trainers Pool:
Identify and mentor a cohort of skilled state-level trainers for ongoing capacity-building in maternal health and ensure their regular engagement through refresher trainings, feedback loops, and peer learning. -
Monitor Service Readiness and HR Availability:
Assess health facilities for readiness parameters including skilled HR availability, essential supplies, functional equipment, and adherence to clinical protocols and highlight critical gaps and coordinate with SHSB for timely resolution. -
Promote Convergence with Development Partners/INGOs:
Work closely with partner organizations to ensure convergence and complementarity in planning, implementation, and monitoring of maternal health initiatives. -
Conduct Gap Analysis and Recommend Corrective Actions:
Undertake facility and district-level gap analyses to identify bottlenecks in maternal health services and recommend feasible, time-bound corrective measures. -
Institutionalize Review Mechanisms:
Facilitate regular (monthly/quarterly) maternal health reviews at state and district levels by coordinating agenda, documentation, and follow-up of action points. -
Data Analysis and Program Review:
Analyze service delivery data from HMIS, MCTS, e-PMSMA, and other platforms to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in maternal health programming. -
Participate in Review Meetings and Joint Monitoring:
Represent UNFPA in relevant review meetings and contribute technical inputs in joint field monitoring visits with NHM, SHSB, and development partners. -
Support PMSMA/e-PMSMA Documentation and Reporting:
Prepare documentation and dashboards on PMSMA/e-PMSMA performance and disseminate findings to stakeholders for informed decision-making. -
Organize Quarterly Partners Forum for Maternal Health:
Lead organization of a multi-stakeholder forum to share learnings, foster convergence, and review progress on maternal health programs in the state.
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Situational Analysis Reports:
Comprehensive reports outlining maternal health service availability, infrastructure readiness, HR distribution, and systemic gaps at facility and district levels. -
Field Visit Reports and Follow-Up Actions:
Structured reports capturing observations from monitoring visits, facility performance, and status of follow-up actions on identified gaps. -
Progress on LaQshya Certification:
Facility-wise documentation of progress toward LaQshya certification, including self-assessments, peer reviews, gap closures, and final assessments. -
SUMAN Implementation Reports:
Status reports on SUMAN adherence at facility level, including analysis of dignity/respect indicators and corrective measures taken. -
Improved SRH Services in Focus Facilities:
Documentation of service coverage, client satisfaction, and facility-level improvements in UNFPA-supported sites for integrated SRH services. -
Data-Driven Program Updates:
Periodic data analytics reports highlighting key trends in maternal health indicators and progress against state targets. -
Meeting Documentation:
Well-structured minutes of state/district review and convergence meetings with clear action points and responsibility allocation. -
Quarterly Narrative and Programmatic Reports:
Consolidated reports submitted to SHSB and UNFPA summarizing activities, progress, challenges, and next steps for maternal health initiatives. -
Quarterly Partners Forum Meetings:
Reports on the conduct, participation, and outcomes of Maternal Health Partners Forum meetings including action plans for partner collaboration. -
Representation in State Technical Platforms:
Documented participation and contributions made to technical discussions and decisions at state-level review or planning forums.
Reporting to:- Program Manager UPAMA
The Government of India, under the National Health Mission (NHM), is implementing the LaQshya program to improve the quality of care in labour rooms and maternity operation theatres. Complementing this is the SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan) initiative, aimed at providing assured, dignified, and respectful maternal and newborn care. Since June 2023, UPAMA project, funded by UNFPA and launched by PCI India has been working with a focus on developing and demonstrating critical metrics in the designated districts of Sheikhpura, Katihar, Khagaria and Patna urban PHCs, which can become models of FP and MH, which, in turn, can be showcased, replicated, and scaled up in other geographies in the future. LaQshya and SUMAN programmes are a critical focus area of this project.
The Uttkristh Pariwar Niyojan Adhikar Sangrakshan Matritwa Swasthya Abhiyan(UPAMA) project seeks to optimise the use of a range of Government schemes, provisions and facility-level care around maternal health and family planning services by women and their families needing appropriate care by systematically working with Government health systems, Centres of excellence and development partner forums. The project objectives are:
i. To strengthen quality maternal health and family planning service delivery in identified priority districts of Katihar, Khagaria, Sheikhpura and the Urban PHCs of Patna, making them exemplars for learning and replication.
ii .Build institutional arrangements and effective mechanisms, comprising monitoring, mentoring, and putting data to work to improve the effectiveness and quality of the maternal health and family planning programme in the targeted areas.
iii. Capture the key learning and manage knowledge related to the entire quality improvement process.
iv. Enable identified facilities to reach the gold standard of quality care around Family planning and maternal health and achieve due certification for their quality.
What can you expect in PCI - A warm, inclusive and happy work environment.
- Regular Recognition of performance and PCI Value display in work
- An empowering organisation structure which values individual s skills, competencies and potential.
- Leadership roles for women is encouraged and given preference in selection and training.
- Applications will be shortlisted based on the specified criteria mentioned in the Job Description.
- The process could also include presentation of the assignment.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend one or more rounds of panel interview/s.
The complete process usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Those moving to the final round of interviews will be hearing from the People & Culture team. We prefer in person meetings but in case of location distances, we are happy to meet you virtually.
After the final round, if you are not selected for the position advertised, we will inform you over a mail. However, we invite you to apply to other open positions. We always look forward to engaging with talent that add value to our endeavours in various capacities.
PCI is committed to prevent any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct.
