Consultancy to Develop Consolidated Guidelines for the Integration of COVID-19 into Routine Health Services Delivery tender job at Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Project: EGPAF DELTA2 Assignment #09, Technical Assistance to the GFATM COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM)
Duration of the Consultancy: 45 working days
Assignment Task: Support the integration of COVID-19-associated care activities into routine healthcare systems using lessons learned from the efforts to ensure the continuity of essential health services at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization.
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Country Director, EGPAF Uganda

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Introduction/Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on routine health services, causing significant strain and disruption in Uganda and globally. However, valuable lessons have been learned from initiatives aimed at ensuring the continuity of the provision of essential health services while responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Furthermore, successful strategies have emerged from the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization programs, demonstrating effective approaches and successful strategies for incorporating COVID-19 services into the existing healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Assignment:
Basing on a need identified by the Ministry of Health, this consultancy aims to develop comprehensive guidelines for the integration of COVID-19 into routine health services delivery, drawing on lessons learned from efforts to ensure the continuity of essential health services during the peak of the pandemic and the successful integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization.

The services of a consultant are therefore sought to support this process.

Scope of Work : A technical team will be constituted by MOH to work in close collaboration with the Consultant on all aspects of this assignment. The materials developed will be reviewed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other stakeholders through a series of consultative processes.
The scope of work for this consultancy includes the following activities:
• Inception Report Drafting : In accordance with the Request for Proposals (RFP), submit an inception report that includes a comprehensive plan outlining detailed approaches and timelines for the assignment. The report should adhere to the evaluation criteria specified below and meet the quality standards established by the EGPAF home office.
• Stakeholder Engagement: (a) Seek consensus from EGPAF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MOH, and UNICEF on the implementation of the assignment. (b) Actively engage with key and relevant stakeholders at all stages of the assignment through workshops, co-creation meetings, and interviews, to obtain their input, perspectives, and experiences related to the integration of COVID-19 services into routine health services, taking into account the lessons learned.
• Review of Lessons Learned: (a) Participate in stakeholder mapping exercises involving different organizations and implementing partners, including MOH (Continuity of Essential Health Services Pillar), UNICEF, and PEPFAR, to collect relevant documents critical to the assignment. (b) Conduct an extensive desk review of relevant literature including guidelines, programme documents, documented experiences, case studies, and best practices that are relevant to ensuring continuity of essential health services during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization.
• Expert Input and Feedback: (a) Collaborate with subject matter experts in COVID-19 management, routine health services delivery, and immunization. This collaboration should include representatives from various disciplines such as paediatrics, laboratory, and the National Sentinel Surveillance System, among others. (b) Conduct consultations to gather valuable insights, recommendations, and feedback on the guidelines, and incorporating the lessons learned. (c) Participate in the TWG meetings and writing workshops involving key stakeholders such as the MOH Continuity of Essential Health Services (CEHS), UNICEF, and the CDC. These collaborative sessions will be responsible for drafting the guidelines. (d) After careful consideration, incorporate the feedback received from the subject matter experts and other stakeholders into each draft version of the guidelines prior to it being shared.
• Analysis and identification of shared components or key factors: (a) Identify common elements, effective approaches/successful strategies, and key considerations that can be applied to the integration of COVID-19 into routine health services. (b) Analyse various factors including service delivery models, optimization of the health workforce, supply chain management, implementation of infection prevention and control measures, immunization practices, and community engagement, among other relevant aspects.
• Guideline Development: Develop consolidated guidelines that provide comprehensive recommendations for the integration of COVID-19 services into routine health services. Ensure that the guidelines reflect the lessons learned, addressing various aspects such as prevention, screening, testing, diagnosis, treatment, management, and surveillance, while considering the specific requirements of routine health services delivery.
• Documentation and Reporting : (a) Develop user-friendly guidelines that include practical tools, checklists, standard operating procedures, and other additional resources to facilitate the implementation of integrated COVID-19 services into routine healthcare delivery, drawing on the lessons learned. (b) Compile a final report summarizing the methodology, findings, and providing actionable recommendations.
• Validation of the guidelines: Participate in a validation meeting or workshop with MOH and key stakeholders to present and seek approval for the final version of the guidelines.
Submission of deliverables: Provide the complete set of final deliverables and the report for submission to EGPAF.

Expected Deliverables
Inception report (in accordance with the RFP)
• A desk review report on existing documents used during the assignment
• Lessons learned report: A comprehensive report highlighting the key lessons learned from efforts to ensure continuity of essential health services during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization.
• Reports on the consultative and TWG meetings and validation workshop
• Consolidated Guidelines for the Integration of COVID-19 into Routine Health Services Delivery
• Final consultancy report: A detailed report summarizing the methodology, findings, and recommendations, including stakeholder engagement, expert input, and revisions made during the consultancy process
• Debriefing to EGPAF, CDC, and MOH

Evaluation Criteria
• Past performance of similar work (25%)
• Qualifications of proposed individuals and past performance on similar work (25%)
• Methodology and time frame (25%)
• Total fixed price (25%)

Timeframe:
• The expected timeframe for this consultancy is May 1, 2023- December 31, 2023.

Activity
May- June 2023
July- September 2023
October - December 2023

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery, Public Health, or any other related field.
• Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, internal medicine, or a related field is an added advantage.

Competencies
• Functional and technical competencies include:
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in Public Health or in a similar role.
• Knowledge of national and decentralized health systems.
• Excellent working knowledge of COVID-19 management and programming, immunization, and routine health service delivery.
• Experience in conducting training and working in partnership with MOH, and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and facilitate the development of national guidelines or experience in working on a similar assignment
• Project management and planning skills
• Good report-writing skills
• Excellent communication, consultation, and presentation skills
• Team management and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of research and analytical capacity
• Proficiency in standard Microsoft Office applications

Method of application
Interested and Qualified? click here to apply