Médecins Sans Frontières Luxembourg and Operational Centre Brussels (OCB), are looking for a

BACKGROUND

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides medical assistance in more than 70 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation.

MSF Luxembourg

MSF Luxembourg is a historical partner section of the MSF movement created in 1986. With 35 staff members, the section’s team works to raise awareness on humanitarian issues among Luxembourg’s population, raise funds needed to finance humanitarian interventions, supports MSF volunteers who go into the field and carry out, through LuxOR, operational research projects directly linked to health programs to help improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

The MSF-OCB Medical Department

The MSF-OCB Medical Department is a network of units, consisting of the Brussels Medical Unit, the Southern African Medical Unit (SAMU) in Cape Town, the Luxembourg Operational Research unit (LuxOR) in Luxembourg, the Middle East Medical Unit (MEMU) in Beirut and the Brazil Medical Unit (BRAMU). LuxOR is the operational research arm of the OCB. SAMU, BRAMU, and MEMU are medical units of the OCB Medical Department. It is composed of polyvalent medical staff working in, and outside of the operational cells – e.g. medical, paramedical, environmental health domains, etc. The department support is organized in resources deployed in thematic circles with specific time-bond deliverables.

Operational Research in MSF-OCB

Operational Research and documentation are an integral part of the MSF activities to strengthen evidence around decision-making, guidelines and policy. There are two relatively autonomous units supporting operational research and field epidemiologists. The LuxOR unit has staff based in the offices in Luxembourg, Brussels, Beirut, and Toronto, with core activities including operational research, epidemiology support, capacity building, and a focus on research linked to the domains covered by the medical department (as mentioned above). The second unit (although a medical unit) involved in Operational Research is SAMU, based in Cape Town, South Africa, which focuses on HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis. More information can be found here.

The Research Process Coordinator (RPC)

The Research Process Coordinator is a position within the medical department of the OCB, between the functional units that support operational research activities in MSF-OCB. The position is based in the LuxOR unit in Luxembourg.

This relatively new position was created to better align and design processes that are essential in the support for operational research with the aim to keep our research at MSF better accountable, trackable, and ensure milestones are met within the agreed the research process and operational research framework (MSF-OCB). This way we safeguard that our research is operationally relevant, ethical, lawful, and scientifically sound. The RPC is the focal point for operational research in the operational research process and links strongly between OR project coordinators (or PI’s), the Operational Research (OR) advisors and to the OCB Operational Research Committee (ORC). The RPC is also the focal point for any legal processes related to medical research within OCB and works closely with the focal points on data protection, data banking, etc.

Activities in the first year of this position involved the implementation of the renewed MSF-OCB Operational Research framework, process, and design of guiding protocols, terms of reference, and SOPs for the different OR stakeholders in MSF-OCB. This has included implementation of the OCB Operational Research Committee with continuous monitoring of the implementation.

The first year of the position also involved understanding and supporting the implementation of medicolegal (the intersection between medical and legal aspects) adherence and processes of research conducted within MSF-OCB and secretarial/administrative duties for agreements with the Medical Strategic Advisor. After the medical strategic advisor position was discontinued, the RPC had support from the senior medical management team members who are also part of the ORC for medicolegal queries when needed.  All of this with the purpose of stimulating a supportive and accountable research environment that stimulates quality across the research process. This would require knowledge of the Declaration of Helsinki, CIOMS, and other medicolegal principles that MSF abides by. Consequently, the RPC supports on files around OR-related processes such as Research Agreements, Data Sharing Agreements, Material Transfer Agreement, any other Data Sharing Agreements and Data Banking, GDPR compliance, Health Records Management, Information and Knowledge management, Research Insurance and other Institutional agreements. The RPC to keep an inventory to track expiry of legal agreements and keep the MedDir updated of the same.

Information and Knowledge Management: The first year also included transition of the knowledge base of Operational Research and Epidemiology Support to the OCB Intranet as a handy resource for all staff within and beyond OCB (within MSF). The second year would involve maintaining and improving the knowledge base based on feedback from colleagues. The RPC coordinates internal communication and dissemination of operational research with colleagues involved in advocacy and communication.

In subsequent years there will be space to further develop the position based on strategic priorities and the needs and interests of the respective selected candidate.

FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION

• The LuxOR Director is the overall medical department reference person regarding guiding global policy and strategic aspects of operational research in OCB and provides overall guidance to team members.
• The LuxOR Coordinator is responsible for day-to-day team management and allocation of resources (HR, budget) related to operational research. The LuxOR Coordinator is also responsible linking LuxOR, Operations and other units within the Medical department (Brussels Med/BRAMU/MEMU/SAMU) for specific OR Projects and/or studies.
• The LuxOR Team members based in Luxembourg, Beirut, Brussels, and Canada. They have continuous interaction with the country teams, operational regional support teams, and the medical department to support operational research, documentation activities and field epidemiologists. They report to the LuxOR Coordinator and LuxOR Director.

• The SAMU Research Coordinator is responsible for supporting and coordinating a large thematic OR portfolio (HIV, TB, HBV/HCV, NCDs, key populations, etc. in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East) and for linkage with LuxOR and Medical Department on OR issues. A functional interaction/link with the Research Process Coordinator on OR processes could ensure harmonization, standardization, and cross-pollination between the units.

• The OCB ORC which consists of senior medical management team members (LuxOR Director, Deputy MedDir, MEMU Coordinator), Research Coordinator of SAMU, Epidemiologist of BRAMU, Medical Editor and other technical referents within the medical department.

• The OCB Medical Director who will sign the legal agreements related to research.

• The Intersectional Legal Department (ILD) senior manager who supports with medicolegal research related agreements mentioned above. The RPC may occasionally interact with MedDirs of other OCS and/or counterparts from other OCs for the research process.

MAIN ACTIVITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT STRENGHTENING AND SUPPORT and INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (45-55%)

1. Support and coordinate regular and strategic activities of the Operational Research Committee (ORC) to support creation of a stronger research environment for MSF-OCB including LuxOR, SAMU.

This includes maintaining a logbook, communicating with colleagues, ensuring timelines are met, organize strategic meetings, be the process focal point for researchers,       Support the development of a strategy around on research related record management and other procedures related to OR (data retention, storage of data, DSAs etc.)

2. Strengthening the MSF research environment

• Contribute to the integration of solid and pragmatic DEI practices and principles that adhere to a modern global health research environment as exerted in OR projects that MSF engages in. This includes learning from initiatives inside and outside MSF
• To support with administrative and technical tasks with the MSF intersectional Research Platform
• Create Standard Operating Procedures on research related record management and other procedures related to OR (data retention, storage of data, DSAs etc.)
• Maintain the MSF-OCB knowledge base for Epidemiology and Operational Research with the help of Epidemiology and Operational Research advisors.
• Support training and onboarding regarding the research processes for OCB researchers.
• Support the training delivery around Operational Research

3. Research Inventory Management
   1. To keep an updated inventory of operational research studies within LuxOR, SAMU and MSF-OCB including,
   2. To support and stimulate the proper use of the Research Management and Impact tool (REMIT) throughout the OR study cycle within OCB Operational Research projects.
   3. Review and update research indicators to monitor the progression of research and the research environment link this to the use of ReMIT and other Research databases we use to monitor Research in MSF-OCB

MEDICOLEGAL PROCESSES FOR RESEARCH (30-40%)

1. Review concept notes and protocol if ORC suggests that an agreement may be required. Assess compliance with MSF Charter and the OCB OR Framework. Assess compliance with GDPR and medical code of ethics and medical data. Support MSF OCB, Medical department in the clarification and proper use of EU GDPR regulations as part of the research process.
2. Coordinate the writing, adaptation and validation of legal agreements between the different stakeholders of research projects
3. At times, the RPC may need to organize meetings with external stakeholders that MSF does research with – to understand the scope of involvement of MSF. The RPC’s role may involve coordinating with and/or collecting information from colleagues across various departments in the OCB and/or movement.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND ADVOCACY (5%)

Communication and Advocacy

Use existing and new tools to inform the public and specific target groups within MSF-OCB of LuxOR’s work (press releases, social media, articles, web update, LuxOR Activity Report, OR Day Booklet, and other communications materials) and similarly of legal processes related activities to OCB with the Policy & Practice Advisor.

SUPPORT TO MSF-LUXEMBOURG SECTION (5%)

Act as ambassador for LuxOR-led Operational Research in the Luxembourg humanitarian and scientific community