Nexo Project Manager

Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and exclusion from healthcare.

The Manson Unit is a multi-disciplinary medical team within MSF-UK who aims to improve the quality of MSF’s medical programmes worldwide, so the best possible care is delivered to our patients. To achieve this, MSF conducts operational research to assess the provision of healthcare being provided in our projects and suggest improvements that will directly benefit the populations we serve, according to medical, ethical, and humanitarian principles.

Sharing research data collected by MSF is essential to enabling further research that could lead to improved health outcomes for populations in humanitarian settings. At the same time, strict measures must be in place to protect patient data, ensuring compliance with privacy and anonymity protocols.

The Nexo Project, led by MSF-UK, is designed to facilitate the safe and efficient sharing of research data through a user-friendly platform and corresponding processes. This platform assesses the sensitivity and risk level of research data, determines the appropriate level of accessibility, and grants access to external users based on predefined criteria aligned with the assessed risk.

The Nexo platform has been developed, and the project is now entering a new phase focused on integrating additional research projects into its data system and expanding its outreach to external users. This phase will assess its feasibility and the interest and easy use by researchers, It needs to take place between April and August so that in September the results can be presented to leadership and decisions made for the future of the project.

Project objective

To establish Nexo as a fully functional and user-friendly research data-sharing platform by ensuring its technical reliability, populating it with a sufficient number of studies to attract user interest, and developing clear processes to facilitate external engagement and usability. The project aims to demonstrate the platform’s value to researchers, epidemiologists, and MSF teams, while also ensuring it is actively sought after and engaged with by external researchers looking for research data.

Assessment of current need

The project requires an experienced Project Manager (PM) to oversee the implementation of agreed deliverables, coordinate engagement with volunteers and students responsible for data uploads, liaise with external stakeholders, and ensure active involvement from the steering committee.

The PM will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and reporting on the project to the Steering Committee, Manson Unit leadership and MSF-UK Directors as required, ensuring governance and oversight of both internal and external project partners. Responsibilities include supporting Manson Unit members in their specific roles, acting as primary liaison with external suppliers and ensuring the project runs on time within restricted budget constraints.

Project requirements

1. Coordinate the upload of additional studies to the platform.
2. Identify and onboard key epidemiologists, students, and volunteers who will test the platform.
3. Develop a platform usage strategy by incorporating feedback from testers.
4. Review and compare the Nexo platform alongside other MSF research databases (such as ReMIT) and provide recommendations on integration, synergy, and interoperability.
5. Increase awareness and adoption of the Nexo platform by implementing a communications plan, developed in collaboration with MSF-UK Communications Department.
6. Document the Key Performance Indicators.
7. Ensure the Steering Committee, UK Directors and MSF-wide Medical Directors are fully informed and equipped with the necessary insights to guide future decision-making.

Activities

• Provide a clear plan with set activity timelines.
• Be the primary point of contact for the Nexo project, coordinating the overall Nexo project activities in line with the agreed plan.
• Coordinate and forecast the project expenditure and procurement requirements and implement to agreed budget and time frame through the adherence to MSF UK procedures project management best practices, maintaining full transparency of decisions and risks.
• Ensure the Manson Unit Leadership is kept up to date through maintaining weekly updates and monthly reporting.
• Liaise with internal and external teams to ensure the data and IT architecture for the Nexo platform is secure and fit for purpose.
• Close monitoring of suppliers to the Nexo project (platform developers) – ensuring compliance and adherence to contracted deliverables and timelines.
• Collaborate with the ReMIT Platform Manager to assess how MSF research platforms coexist, identify potential linkages, and explore opportunities for integration and synergy.
• Act as an advocate for data sharing through the Nexo platform with key stakeholders and senior managers to drive engagement, support, and strategic alignment.
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Nexo Steering Committee, Manson Unit leadership, MSF-UK Committee of Directors, and the Medical Director platform to support informed decision-making.
• Support the development of an appropriate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework through consultation with team members and researchers, ensuring appropriate and timely reporting of project deliverables.
• Take primary responsibility for developing and testing the feasibility of a long-term support and transition plan, to ensure smooth integration of the platform and its use into business as usual (if approved).
• Prepare project presentation for Medical Directors in September.
• Engage and inform project stakeholders, such as external researchers, universities and external epidemiologists.
• Make recommendations for next steps.
• Draft a longer-term business plan for Nexo data sharing, ready for 2026 planning, should the recommendations be approved.

Deliverables:

• A detailed project plan – with defined deadlines.
• Planned expenditure report – identified spend requirements, along with any procurement requirements; with a monthly revisal submitted to the Project Lead and Head of Manson Unit resources.
• A risk assessment – in line with MSF UK’s procedures, complete a level 3 risk assessment and complete a monthly revisal.
• Portfolio of studies – >50 additional studies uploaded to Nexo platform
• Stress test report – A documented evaluation of the platform’s performance by key epidemiologists and other users, including identified issues, process improvements, and user feedback.
• Stakeholders/testers feedback report – A record of stakeholders/testers identified and onboarded, and feedback on platform usability.
• Platform usage strategy document – A formal strategy outlining recommendations and best practices for data uploads, incorporating feedback from stakeholders/testers.
• Interoperability assessment report – A report evaluating Nexo’s comparability with other MSF research platforms (such as ReMIT), including actionable recommendations for improving synergy and interoperability.
• Communications plan – A structured communications strategy developed with the MSF-UK Communications Department, detailing specific audiences, outreach efforts, key messaging, and engagement plans to increase platform adoption.
• KPI documentation report – A clearly defined list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track platform performance, usage, and impact.
• A project evaluation report – to be delivered in time for leadership decision-making.
• Steering Committee and Medical Directors briefings – Regular briefing documents or presentations ensuring stakeholders are well-informed and equipped to make strategic decisions about the platform’s future.

Profile of consultant(s):

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience in project management.
• Significant experience in delivering IT-enabled data or information system projects in large or international organisations.
• Proven understanding of academic research processes including ethical review and data sharing complexities.
• Proven ability to cooperate and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Strong team-working skills and experience, particularly in a matrix management environment.
• Excellent organisational and risk management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• “Getting things done” mentality, persistent, persuasive and convincing.
• Ability to transfer knowledge effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, oral as well as written.
• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision and under pressure.
• Fluent in English, written and speech.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver in an international and multi-cultural environment.
• Knowledge and working proficiency of Microsoft 365 environment including Teams and SharePoint.
• Committment to the values of MSF.

Desirable:

• Previous experience of working in an INGO humanitarian organisation is also an advantage.