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Approaches To Community Health Systems And Innovations In Maternal and Newborn Health In Latin America And The Caribbean

Panamá

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Panamá
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Social Affairs
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
    • Sexual and reproductive health
    • Civil Society and Local governance
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Innovations for Sustainable Development
  • Closing Date: Closed

To update current evidence on the role of community health systems under the overall people- and community-centered primary health care model, with a focus on newborn health and including programmatic innovations to bridge equity gaps.

THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR/ CONSULTANCY

FOR

APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS AND INNOVATIONS IN MATERNAL AND NEWBORN HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Level of experience:   Junior [   ] 1-3yrs        Medium [   ] 4-10yrs   Senior [X] more than 10yrs

Location: UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean [LACRO]

Language(s) required: Fluency in English & Spanish is required; French is desired

Closing date for applying to this consultancy: 27 July 2018

Estimated start date of this consultancy: 3 August 2018       Estimated end date: November 2018

BACKGROUND:

In the drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and building on the 40th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Healthcare, there is a renewed focus on people- and community-centered primary health care. As communities are increasingly recognized as essential change agents for more equitable and transformational health systems, policies, and programs, the understanding of what constitutes community health systems in the various country contexts is also evolving.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) provide some of the vanguard experiences in strengthening community health systems with outstanding progress in the last decades in maternal, newborn and child health.  However, newborn health indicators lag behind in progress in the region and globally, especially among indigenous and remote populations. There is further need for regional guidance on the definition and strengthening of the various aspects of “Community Health”, including but not limited to: the type, quality and outreach of provided services, the role of the community and health workers while exploring other human resources for health, the importance of community involvement, the overall contribution to equity, and the effective strategies in reaching the unreached with a focus on excluded, indigenous or remote populations.

On the 40th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Healthcare a reflection on lessons learned from existing strategies to improve primary health care based on their ability to bring basic services to communities and produce equitable MNH outcomes in LAC is timely. This reflection must take into consideration the ability of these strategies to be culturally and ethnically acceptable and valuable, as well as the availability of new programmatic and technological health-related developments and innovations. All the above are essential contributing factors to the transformational impact of re-defining community health and community health systems, as well as to long-term sustainability.

Advancing maternal and newborn health and community health systems is central to equity, and therefore to achieving the health targets under the SDGs, as well as the overarching goal of universal health coverage. UNICEF advocates for further integration of community health systems into national and local health and protection systems in order to accelerate equitable progress in the development health agenda. This review will be used as evidence for an advocacy tool to inform policy and improve health practices in LAC, and is expected to contribute to the reduction of community and newborn equity gaps and knowledge bottlenecks.

PURPOSE:

General objective: To update current evidence on the role of community health systems under the overall people- and community-centered primary health care model, with a focus on newborn health and including programmatic innovations to bridge equity gaps.

Specific objectives:

  • Regional/multicounty review of community health system models
  • Lessons learned with emphasis on health services for newborn care.
  • Review of innovative strategies to reach the most disadvantaged newborns and pregnant women with essential an effective MNH services in LAC, with a major focus on excluded, indigenous or remote populations.

EXPECTED RESULTS (measurable results):

  • A review of country policy and program documents in relation to community health system approach as a strategy for health system strengthening.
  • An inventory an analysis of existing community health system approach aiming at providing services to hard to reach population
  • Identify and document challenges for the implementation of community health system.
  • Identify good practices and lessons learned from implementing the community health system as a strategy to reinforce health system in a vision of health for all
  • Identify and suggest mechanisms that ensure success and sustainability

The duration for the contract is estimated to be of no more than 3 (three) months starting on the date of the signature of the contract, 3 August 2018 (expected).

DELIVERABLES:

Product

Description

Duration

(Estimated # of days)

Delivery deadline

Deliverable 1: Methodological proposal and timeline

 

Draft review design, planning and implementation calendar, including proposed methodology and stakeholders to be consulted.

 

Outline of a tentative final report index.

15

20 days after contract is signed

Deliverable 2: Literature review and desk research

Desk review of community health system models and newborn health in LAC, including programmatic and other innovations, framing it in the global context and in consultation with internal and experts as required.

40

40 days after contract is signed

Deliverable 3: Draft findings report

The draft findings report will include data content (graphs, tables, images) as well as data-driven narratives messages, potential areas of intervention and recommendations.

60

60 days after contract is signed

Deliverable 4: Final report and draft scientific article

Compilation of the above including observations from UNICEF to previous drafts in a final report that also includes areas of intervention and recommendations to improve community health systems and newborn health in LAC.

The final report will include:

  • A final complete report for UNICEF (in either Spanish of English)
  • A final summary document for wider dissemination (20 pages max. in both Spanish and English)
  • A final executive summary for the public (2 pages max, in both Spanish and English)
  • A presentation on the summary and key findings.

90

90 days after contract is signed

 

TOTAL ESTIMATED TIME OF CONTRACT

90

 

KEY QUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

  • Advanced University degree in public health or other relevant academic background
  • A minimum of 5 years of experiences leading or conducting research in the areas of community health systems, newborn health, public health.
  • Knowledge of MNCH sector in LAC
  • Fluency in English and Spanish required.French is desired

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR’S WORKPLACE:

The consultant will work independently using their own personal premises, materials, and equipment’s. 

Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations (if applicable)

FEES:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a financial proposal. Proven past experience and financial proposal will be taken into consideration during selection process.

Travel (if applicable) will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA:

Consultants and/or Individual Contractors (CIC) will be evaluated based on a cumulative methodology, being the award of the contract made to the CIC whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  1. Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and;
  2. Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical component score

Max. 80 points

Economical component score

Max. 20 points

TOTAL score

Max. 100 points

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 60 points (of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Proposal

Technical Evaluation

Technical Criteria

Technical Sub-criteria

Maximum
Points

Overall Response

Completeness of response


Overall concord between TORS requirements and proposal

5

 

 

5

Maximum Points

 

10

Company and Key Personnel

Range and depth of experience with similar projects, especially related to social media and/or adolescent mental health and related gender differences.


Key personnel: relevant experience and qualifications of principal research team.

20

 

20

Maximum Points

 

40

Proposed Project Methodology and Approach

Quality of the proposal

Innovative approach

10

 

10

Maximum Points

 

20

 

Total Maximum obtained for Technical Criteria

(Note: the total maximum score must be equivalent to the weight assigned to the technical score)

80

Minimum score for technical compliance

 

60

Financial Proposal

In addition, separately from the technical proposal (as in another document), an economic proposal detailing the total costs of the assignment (not including costs for travel yet) must be submitted.

The total amount of points allocated for the economic component is 20. The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal and compared among those consultants which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price; e.g:

                                                Max. Score for Financial proposal * Price of lowest priced proposal

Score for price proposal X = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Price of proposal X

  Travel (if applicable)

Please note, for travel to countries - it will be decided based on agreements with UNICEF and contractor/consultant. For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering its own travel.  UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.

 -Travel: http://www.un.org/esa/cdo/hr/CIRCULARS/STAI20064%20-%20OFFICIAL%20TRAVEL%20(SECTION%2010).pdf Section 4, paragraph 4.2 , numerals (d) and (e)

-Accommodation (Daily Subsistence Allowance, DSA): http://icsc.un.org/ (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map)

Payment Provisions

UNICEF's policy is to pay for the performance of contractual services rendered or to effect payment upon the achievement of specific milestones described in the contract. UNICEF's policy is not to grant advance payments except in unusual situations where the potential contractor, whether an Individual consultant, private firm, NGO or a government or other entity, specifies in the bid that there are special circumstances warranting an advance payment. UNICEF will normally require a bank guarantee or other suitable security arrangement.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates may submit their application by clicking on either highlighted links, as shown in the example below:
The deadline to receive applications is 27/ July/2018. The pre-selection of candidates will be done after closing date. Please note only selected candidates will be contacted.

Important: In the selection of its consultants, UNICEF is committed to gender equality and diversity, without distinction as to race, sex, or religion, and without discrimination to people with disabilities.

This vacancy is now closed.
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