Consultant, support for AMP “light-touch” technical assistance provision and quality control, and support for the Optimizing ITN Access in Africa

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. At Geneva level, the Health and Care Department’s (HCD) New Strategic Direction 2023 focuses on Health Systems Strengthening and WASH Systems Strengthening through four pillars: Global Health Security, Global Health Protection (UHC), Global WASH Services and Transformative Partnership.

The Global Health Protection (UHC) pillar houses and chairs the Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP), a partnership of more than 40 organizations, including government, private sector, faith-based and humanitarian organizations, focused on three main activities: (1) coordination of partners involved in insecticide-treated net (ITN) campaign and continuous distribution activities; (2) development of operational guidance for planning and implementing of ITN distribution based on an iterative process; and (3) providing technical assistance to national malaria programmes and partners based on requests. AMP’s activities support achievement of the WHO Global Technical Strategy (GTS) targets for high coverage and use of ITNs. AMP is a workstream within the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Harnessing the global leadership and management systems of IFRC, AMP is uniquely positioned to support and advance country-level efforts to optimize ITN distribution and ensure that the right nets reach the right people at the right time through both campaign and continuous distribution channels.

In 2020, IFRC/AMP was awarded a three-year grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to identify ways to improve operational efficiency for ITN campaigns and develop associated operational guidance for national malaria programmes and partners. AMP’s work under this grant provided key lessons learned and practical guidance for improving the implementation of ITN distribution through multiple channels. In 2023, a new grant was awarded to IFRC/AMP by BMGF focused on optimizing ITN access. In this grant, AMP will focus on implementing activities across five workstreams designed to address identified gaps. The primary objectives are to enhance data utilization for informed decision-making and to leverage digital tools for optimization of ITN campaigns. These workstreams ultimately aim to reduce the malaria burden through effective malaria prevention with ITNs.

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the AMP partnership with the implementation of activities and deliverables outlined in the BMGF-funded Optimizing ITN Access in Africa (OPITACA) project. The consultancy will support activities across the different workstreams for the first year of the project.

The consultancy will support specific activities related to three of the workstreams of the OPITACA project including:

Workstream 3: Estimated LOE – 10 days

• Support selected countries to use data to inform social and behaviour change (SBC) planning for ITN campaign and continuous distribution.
• Support national malaria programmes and partners with planning and implementation of different SBC assessments on the basis of requests.
• Support two to three countries that have collected in- and end-process data, or have ITN durability data, to assess how these data are being used to inform SBC strategies, planning and budgeting, or why they are not being used.
• Support two to three countries with development of qualitative tools to collect more granular data in areas identified through clustered lot quality assurance sampling (cLQAS) or other data as being problematic for core indicators (ITN use given access, ITN misuse).
• Support development and finalization of online training curricula and short guides for SBC planning, budgeting and implementation based on data, as well as monitoring of strategies implemented.
• Enhance collaboration and communication with the SBC Working Group to enhance linkages and coordination in the development of various SBC resources and trainings.
• Organize a webinar on SBC resources in collaboration with the SBC working group.
• Provide support for the review and improvement of the AMP toolkit pulling together the experiences, lessons learned, successes and challenges from different countries and incorporating cost-effective and efficient options that could be considered based on a context analysis.

Workstream 4: Estimated LOE – 5 days

• Support the work of the AMP on waste management by providing input on SBC related aspects in guidance documents developed by the partnership.
• To support development of case studies on better practices on waste management for two countries.
• Support for framework development and discussions with national programmes about post-market surveillance.

Workstream 5: Estimated LOE – 15 days

• Support the planning and deployment of technical assistance for ITN campaigns and fill gaps in TA as needed due to late requests, gaps between contracts or other reasons.
• Backstop AMP technical support to countries for SBC activities to ensure that TA support is appropriate, efficient and effective and reflects operational learning and recommendations from the ITN Campaign Efficiency project.
• Respond to requests for review of documents, including campaign overall plans of action and other specific action plans as well as supporting documents.
• Support planning for the training of technical assistance (TA) providers, national malaria programme and implementing partner staff, with a specific focus on SBC.
• Support organization of TA team monthly technical discussions.
• Support country exchange, experience sharing and technical capacity strengthening from in-country peer-to-peer interactions.
• Provide quality control and oversight to TA deliverables (work products) and reports.
• Participate in AMP weekly calls and provide updates on countries.
• Ensure familiarity with all ongoing AMP TA through review of situation reports and calls with specific TA providers or TA teams as needed.

Deliverables:

• Updated SBC section of the AMP toolkit.
• Online training curricula and short guides for SBC planning, budgeting and implementation based on data, as well as monitoring of strategies implemented.

• Webinar organized in collaboration with SBC working group to disseminate SBC tools and resources developed on the project.
• Case studies on best practices on waste management for two countries.
• AMP TA for SBC is implemented at high quality, with work product that can be used successfully by the supported country.
• Backstopping and surge support for AMP technical assistance (TA) teams.
• Support provided to the organization of TA team monthly technical discussions.
• Situation report reviews for ongoing AMP TA.
• Organization and support for training sessions, webinars, and online learning courses.

Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy:

The Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP)’s mandate aligns to the Federation’s Strategy 2030 as it supports the achievement of strategic aims:

1) Save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises.

2) Enable healthy and safe living.

Objective and outcomes:

Objective #1: Scaling up and maintaining universal coverage targets of malaria prevention with ITNs through all available channels including mass distribution campaigns and continuous distribution channels.

Desired outcomes: To address some of the most critical challenges countries, partners, and TA providers face with planning and implementing mass ITN campaigns and to identify cost-effective and efficient strategies with a specific focus on SBC.

Support to be provided to the consultant

The consultant will be supported by the Manager – Malaria Programmes, Senior Officer – Optimizing ITN Access in Africa project, the Officer, AMP Coordination and the Officer, Country Support and Events Coordination.

Time allocation, for budget purposes

The total budget for the contract is CHF 27,550.

This budget is based on an estimate of 30 billable days at CHF 600 per day.

The consultancy timeframe will be from 15^th November 2023 to 15^th September 2024.

Notes:

• The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC, and the standard contractual terms will apply.
• This consultancy contract includes travel.

Required

• Strong command of English and French required for this role.

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.

Application Instructions

• Please submit your application in English only.
• Please include in your motivation letter your availability and your current Daily Fee Rate in CHF.

IFRC values equal opportunity, diversity and inclusivity. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, nationality, class, political opinions, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion, or belief.