Country: Somalia
Closing date: 21 Aug 2016
For over 90 years, Save the Children has been making a difference in children's lives in more than 120 countries. We are the world's largest independent child rights organisation, underpinned by a vision in a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We are an equal opportunity organisation dedicated to our core values of Accountability, Ambition, and Collaboration. Our culture is embedded in these values, along with a strong commitment to our Child Safeguarding Protocol, ensuring that all representatives of Save the Children demonstrate the highest standards of behaviour towards children both in their private and professional lives.
Save the Children has worked in Somalia/Somaliland since 1951. Our vision is that every child in Somalia and Somaliland attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way children are treated in Somalia and Somaliland and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Across all of our work, we pursue several core values: accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity. Each year about 650,000 people benefit from our work in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Education, Child Protection and Child Rights Governance.
Background
Following the invitation from UNICEF, Save the Children has taken the role to provide support to the Ministry of Health, implementing partners and community health services providers in the roll out implementation of the integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of childhood illnesses in Somalia/Somaliland as stipulated in the Terms of Reference (TOR). This section describes the proposed technical approach and methodology.
Integrated community case management (iCCM) is a strategy to extend case management of childhood illness beyond health facilities so that more children have access to lifesaving treatments. The strategy also aims to improve equity by reaching the hard-to-reach and underserved segments of the population. Evidence and programmatic experiences from across the world have demonstrated that community level service providers if well trained, equipped, supervised and supported can effectively deliver integrated community case management of diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria. For instance, in Ethiopia, Health Extension Workers (HEWs) correctly treated two times the number of sick children with diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria as compared to facility health workers. In addition, during the project period, the number of sick children being brought to see HEWs for treatment increased for all three diseases (Degefie, et al., 2009). Similarly, in Malawi, a study on the quality of care provided by iCCM-trained Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) showed they counselled caregivers about the dose, frequency and duration of treatment for over half of children provided with ORS, antibiotics or anti-malarials (61%), and 81% of caregivers described correctly how to give these treatments. In Nepal, the government used illiterate female health volunteers and community health workers to give Septrin, ORS and Zinc to treat patients with pneumonia and diarrhoea with dehydration. Results showed that 98% of children were given the correct dosage of Septrin with timely follow-up. Correct treatment of pneumonia in intervention districts was two times that in control districts.
Experience of iCCM implementation in Somalia/Somaliland is limited as the approach is just recently gaining traction. However, the huge unmet healthcare needs and a conducive policy environment which will present an exceptional opportunity for scaling up iCCM.
Objective
The overall objective of the consultancy is to support rollout of pilot iCCM projects through support to implementing partners on micro plans, training, and supervision. In addition the consultant will conduct a gap analysis of iCCM by mapping existing Community Health workers, Community based workers and Lady Health Workers, their training needs and their geographical distribution and engage with WHO and Ministry of Health on advocacy and policy dialogue on iCCM.
The specific objectives of the consultancy are as follows:
- To enhance participation and buy-in of key stakeholders and leadership of government counterparts in scaling up iCCM implementation in Somalia/Somaliland
- To undertake a rapid assessment of current situation of iCCM implementation and identify prevailing gaps and bottlenecks.
- To undertake development/review, harmonisation and refinement of iCCM training curriculum, job aids, IEC and advocacy materials and reporting tools
- To support rollout of pilot iCCM projects through technical support to implementing partners
- To facilitate adoption of national iCCM policy, guidelines and full integration into the community health strategy (CHS)
How to apply:
Save the Children International Somalia/Somaliland is seeking for a Consultant to undertake this role.
The suitable applicant must have the following:
- Implementation of EPHS in Somalia/Somaliland
- Implementation iCCM in Somalia/Somaliland or similar context
- Implementation of iCCM in Somalia or other countries
- Implementation of community health and health promotion at facility level
- MD with a Master degree in Public Health and at least 8 years of experience managing public health programs, a community health specialist
- At least 5 years direct experience in iCCM, health promotion at facility and community and a Monitoring and evaluation specialist with at least 5 years of experience in health projects monitoring and evaluation.
- Previous experience on similar tasks
- Excellent writing and presentation skills
- Fluency in spoken and written English
- Ability and willingness to travel to Somalia is essential
- Desirable: Knowledge of Somali and Somalia cultur
Consultancy Cost and Logistics Support/Arrangements
- The consultant will work with ICCM Team Leader based in Somaliland and will require traveling to all parts of Somalia as security permits.
- Save the Children will be responsible for all the logistical arrangements when the consultant arrives in the mission for the following:
- Local transport for all official movements
- Hotel accommodation in Nairobi/Somalia
- Communication costs
- Health and travel insurance
- Application for entry visas
- Equipment needed to do the job to a degree of quality.
Reporting:
- The consultant will report to the Head of Health and Nutrition based in Nairobi and work closely with iCCM Team Leader Based in Somaliland.
Timing:
Total number of days allocated to finalize the task is approximately 52 days spread across 16 months.
Deliverables:
- Road map of iCCM rollout
Report on community cadres map and training needs
Baseline report on supplies and supervision system for community cadres and recommendation for improvement
Microplans of iCCM implementing partners
Report on training guidelines, reporting tools and job aids to support CHW, CBW and LHW
Malaria reviewed and MoH approved IEC materials
Training plan of ToT and community cadres trainings
Training reports of ToT and community cadres training
Report advocacy tools for health promotion by indicated audiences
Quarterly report on competency level of CHW, LHW and CBW in iCCM and health promotion, supervision, supplies chain effectiveness and referral
Quarterly report on diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria cases diagnosed, treated at community level and general complications cases referred to facilities.
Quarterly report on supplies use and replenishment and supervision system for community cadres.
Road map for iCCM policy, guidelines and integration into Somalia/Somaliland CHS
Thee final report shall include the analysis, report and recommendations for the design of the pilot project
To Apply:
Qualified candidates are requested to apply through a short proposal detailing past experience and the budget to somalia.procurement@savethechildren.org: to be received by close of business 21stAugust 2016
Disclaimer - Save the Children is under no obligation to award to the lowest or highest or any applicant at all and may cancel the whole/part process when deems fit without giving further justification. Applications shall not be accepted beyond the stipulated time.
For more information please visit www.somaliangoconsortium.org
