Public Health Consultant for HIV Treatment Cascade Tender - 30182017

Procurement Summary

Country: Lao PDR

Summary: Public Health Consultant for HIV Treatment Cascade for MSM and TG

Deadline: 08 Feb 2019

Posting Date: 29 Jan 2019

Other Information

Notice Type: Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 30182017

Document Ref. No.:

Competition: ICB

Financier: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFFATM)

Purchaser Ownership: -

Tender Value: Refer Document

CPV Classification

85100000 - Health services

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Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Public Health Consultant for HIV Treatment Cascade for MSM and TG.
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONSULTANT
**

Strengthening Capacity of Global Fund Principal Recipients and Subrecipients**
for Implementing Evidence Bases Programs for Key Populations
**

LINKAGES Laos**
**

Issue Date: January 25, 2019**
Closing Date: February 8, 2019
**

About FHI 360 and LINKAGES: **FHI 360 is a non-profit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology; creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories.
In June 2014, the U.S. Agency for International Development awarded FHI 360 the Linkages across the Continuum of HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV (LINKAGES) project, a global cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. FHI 360 partners with Pact, IntraHealth International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to conduct a range of activities to reduce HIV transmission among key populations — sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons and people who inject drugs — and to improve their enrollment and retention in care. Under LINKAGES, the FHI 360-led team accelerates the ability of governments, organizations working with key populations at risk of HIV and private-sector providers to plan and implement services that reduce HIV transmission among key populations and their sexual partners and extend the lives of those already living with HIV. Project activities enhance the HIV prevention and care cascade by increasing reach to key populations most at risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, promoting routine HIV testing and counseling, and actively enrolling those with HIV into care and support interventions that enable them to remain in care. The project helps countries use and scale up evidence-based approaches to service provision; help key populations mobilize and advocate for changes in laws and the conduct of police, health care workers and policymakers; and work with governments to make programs sustainable for the long term.
Project Description: LINKAGES Laos Project is aimed at accelerating the HIV/AIDS response in Laos PDR to recruit, reach, test, treat and retain populations in HIV prevention, care, and treatment services. The project focuses primarily on men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in selected districts of Vientiane Capital and Savannakhet and Champasak provinces. The LINKAGES Laos Project collaborates with the Centre for HIV/AIDS and STI (CHAS) at national level, the Provincial Committee for the Control of AIDS (PCCA) of the three targeted provinces and the Lao Positive Health Association (LaoPHA), a civil society organization working with key populations in LINKAGES- sites and in other provinces under the Global Funds program.
The recent integrated bio-behavioral surveillance (IBBS) results indicated an increased HIV prevalence among MSM (TGW are not included in the national surveillance) in Laos requiring effective interventions to control the epidemic. Due to a significant decrease in funding support from external donors, there are urgent needs to identify and document key cost-effective interventions and obtain buy-in from the government of Laos (GoL) when negotiating the transition plan and reviewing the national strategy. LINKAGES Laos Project sites have reached and linked more MSM/TG to testing and care and support services compared to other sites due to the innovative model and approaches under the EPM model.
Given the extensive experience and successes of LINKAGES in building capacity for KP data analysis to achieve program expansion and optimization, USAID provided funding for LINKAGES to provide TA in strategic information to selected GF countries, including Lao PDR, to support progress towards sustainable epidemic control. Through this funding, LINKAGES will support Global Fund Principal and Sub-Recipients (government stakeholders and civil society partners) to build their capacity in analyzing, interpreting and using data from different sources to develop programs for epidemic control
Thus, LINKAGES Laos will engage with CHAS and LaoPHA as the outreach provider for both Global Funds program and LINAKGES Laos project, to jointly discuss and analyze the various outreach approaches currently in operation--e.g. strategic frameworks, standard operating procedures, field perspectives (including outreach workers and target populations), HIV cascade data, and data systems--to determine potential improvements for a national outreach strategy for MSM and TGW in the future.
For this short-term project, the LINKAGES Laos Project is looking for a public health consultant to conduct this assessment with stakeholders in Lao PDR. Throughout the implementation of the assessment, the public health consultant will work closely with the LINKAGES Laos team and FHI 360 Asia/Pacific Regional Office (APRO). She or he will be also assisted by another consultant (social scientist) who will collect qualitative data from various stakeholders and key informants

Scope of Work: This assessment is aimed to assess the current HIV programing for MSM/TG in Laos to inform the development of the national strategic plan for 2020-2025; the transition plan from Global Fund to GoL; and the national SOPs for HIV Cascade for MSM and TG in Laos.
The below objectives will guide activities to achieve improved SI systems for KP programming:
1. Assess the current epidemiological context for MSM and TG in Laos, and using the HIV cascade as a framework, assess the achievements of current prevention program targeting MSM and TG in Laos; including challenges, gaps and opportunities.
2. Explore the possibility to use the EPM model as a standard prevention package for MSM/TG implementation programs in Laos and how it could be expanded to other priority sites or provinces in Laos (beyond LINKAGES sites)
3. Develop key recommendations for the development of the national strategic plan for 2020-2025; the Global Fund to GoL transition plan; and the national SOPs HIV Cascade for MSM and TG in Laos
To achieve the above objectives of the assessment, the following key activities will be implemented by the consultant (remote and in-country activities):
1. Conduct desk reviews
2. Conduct in-country meetings and a workshop aimed to help to review current program for MSM and TGW and to understand main barriers/facilitators for MSM and TGW to access prevention, testing, and treatment services
3. Jointly analyze HIV cascade performance data to date with CHAS and the implementing organization, LaoPHA, who implement MSM outreach programming
4. Contribute to the analysis of the qualitative data collected by another consultant through key informant and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders to better understand barriers and facilitators for service uptake among MSM and TGW based on the results of analysis of HIV cascade performance data
5. Review M&E and data flow systems to optimize high quality data and data utilization for quality improvement
6. Develop report that includes effective recommendations and measurable objectives for improving Global Funds program targeting MSM and TGW in Lao PDR
Deliverables:
1. Key activities report and trip report after each in-county visit
2. Final report with key findings, recommendations validated by stakeholders, measurable objectives, key activities and tentative timeline for the implementation of the activities
3. Slides (PPT) summarizing the findings and key recommendations
Period of the Assesment:
March to June 2019
Estimated Level of Effort:
Up to 45 days
Travels:
This short-term assessment includes up to three 7-day trips by air to Vientiane Capital in PDR Lao and domestic trips to selected provinces (TBD) either by car or air.
Requirements:
1. At least a master-s degree in public health or other related fields
2. Experience of at least 10 years in managing or providing technical assistance program with key populations
3. Experience in working in Lao PDR would be a plus
4. Experience in leading or contributing to program or project assessments/reviews working with key populations and generating recommendations for improvement
5. Full professional proficiency in written and spoken English
6. Speaking/understanding Thai or Lao language would be a plus
7. Able to travel
8. Effective organizational skills and excellent interpersonal and team building skills
9. Demonstrate sound work ethics and cultural sensitivity; and being honest, trustworthy, respectful and flexible
10. Computer skills: Microsoft office and any statistical analysis package (SPSS, STATA, etc.)
HOW TO APPLY:
If interested, please send your CV to [email protected] that should also include your proposed daily fees.

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