Country: Somalia
Closing date: 23 Jun 2017
1. Background / IRC Summary
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers help to people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and natural disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC is currently working in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities where it resettles refugees and helps them become self-sufficient.
The IRC is currently working in Benadir, Mudug and Galgaduud regions in South Central Somalia, supporting and implementing community health related activities.
There has been no national plan or strategy for Somali community health meaning that activities are often uncoordinated resulting in a fragmented approach with overlaps and glaring gaps in service provision. The mapping of community health workers is an aggregation of the response from 12 agencies working in Somalia, the mapping revealed 17 different community health cadres in Somalia. Community health workers (CHWs) constituted the largest number and they were based in the primary health unit (PHU). The report further stated that the CHWs have been trained for a period ranging from 2 days to 2 years.
The Somalia Health Sector Strategic Plans (HSSP,s – 2013-2016) and Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) identify the PHU as the level of the health system closest to the community staffed by CHW's. The PHU is based in a village covering a catchment population of approximately 1,000-4000 people. The HSSP's stated that the PHU should be staffed by a trained CHW who has had a minimum of 6 months approved training. However, in many cases, the PHU is staffed by CHWs with much less training, or by auxiliary nurses, who have only had on-the-job training (often ad hoc) and who are supervised intermittently from the nearest maternal and child health (MCH) centre/Health Centre. This means that in many cases they cannot provide support to Female Health Workers (FHW's) based in villages and therefore a standardized training for CHW's is required.
2. Goal
The main goal of the consultancy is to develop a community health strategy that will provide a framework for strengthening community health programming in the IRC program areas.
3. Objective
- To conduct a situation analysis on the implementation of community health program in IRC program areas Mogadishu, Gaalkayo and Dhusamareeb.
- To develop a training package for the two main community based health cadres, that is, community health workers and female health workers.
- To develop an appropriate feedback mechanism from the community to program staff
- To develop a community evaluation system on knowledge of health education received.
4. Scope of work
The consultant will analyze and identify main problems and or gaps in the implementation of the IRC Somalia community health program and develop tools and guidelines that will be used to implement community health strategy and evaluate any community behavior changes relevant to the community health activities being supported through the IRC health programme. Additionally, the consultant will work with the Senior Health management team and staff at the field level and review community engagement activities within the program and also pre-test tools that will be used to collect data on community health education, knowledge gained by the community on receiving health education, and community changes as a result of health education provided by the CHWs.
5. Deliverables:
- Initial inception report detailing the methodology to be used to assess, review, develop community health strategy and tools required. IRC will require approval of the proposed methodologies, strategies to be used and tools to be incorporated before the consultancy can begin.
- Submit a complete Community Health Strategy document for the IRC community health programming
- Submit a training package for training community health workers on the strategy
- A report on CHWs training workshop implemented and a comprehensive report detailing all the activities undertaken.
- Submit community knowledge and improvement evaluation tools.
6. Education Required Skills and Experience
- Public/Community health experts with Bachelor’s degree in community or public health, (Masters in Public Health will be an added advantage)
- The consultant should have experience in conducting and developing strategies related to health programming
- Good understanding of community dynamics
7. Minimum criteria for submission of the proposal for the bid
- The training consultant /institution should submit a technical and a financial proposal and is expected to demonstrate that it has a track record of not less than five (5) years of experience executing similar assignments.
- The consultant/institution to prepare and present an inception report, complete with a work plan of planned activities, to the Deputy Director of Programmes, the Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator and the Senior Community Health Programme Manager for validation.
8. Contractual issues
IRC will not be responsible for any cost associated with preparing the application including proposal submission.
IRC will provide the following at no cost to the consultant/institution
- Travel costs (to and from Nairobi and within Somalia) and accommodation while in Somalia
- The consultant/team must comply with the IRC rules and procedures related to security and relations with the media
- Security would be provided and organized by the IRC team at field level
Documents of reference (To be availed by IRC)
- Existing Somalia Community Health Strategy
- Relevant project documents as deemed necessary.
How to apply:
If you feel you/your organization fit the required profile and are available for the assignment
Please submit a short technical proposal providing detailed budget breakdown, along with brief technical bio data of the core team members and evidence of similar work undertaken recently.
Submit via email to ircsomaliajobs@rescue.org
Deadline for Applications: 23rd June 2017. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Those who applied before should not re-apply.