NATIONAL INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT
Purpose of consultancy: To develop a Facility Assessment For Reproductive Health Commodities and Services (FARHCS) in Timor-Leste.
Scope of work:
Background:
The Government of Timor-Leste is committed to expand coverage and improve the quality of the health services. The National Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030, National Health Sector Strategic plan 2011-2030, 2014- 2018 RMNCAH Strategy and 2021 Family Planning Policy identify Family Planning as one of the core components of health services.
Government’s continued efforts to expand the coverage and improve the quality of health services have yielded significant positive results. Nevertheless, according to 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, 24 per cent of currently married women aged 15-49-years use modern contraceptive methods, an increase of only 3 per cent over the 21 per cent in 2009-2010, and almost three-quarters of unmarried sexually active women have an unmet need for contraception (74.7 per cent).
Availability of safe and quality FP commodities in right quantities at service delivery points is crucial for the success of the FP programme. Functional logistics management information system and proper supply chain management along with skilled health personnel are key to ensure that all individuals who desire to practice family planning have access to good quality services.
UNFPA is working to expand access to sexual and reproductive health services in Timor-Leste while supporting the advancement of women’s empowerment, gender equality, safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health of young people and realizing their full potential. Our aim is to bring the unmet need for family planning towards zero while developing innovative approaches to accelerate access to and demand for contraceptives.
To monitor the progress towards ensuring achievement of the fund’s objectives, a facility based assessment for reproductive health commodities and services is being conducted on an annual basis, through a survey employing mixed methodology.
Purpose and scope of the survey:
The FARHCS is expected to provide information on availability and quality of reproductive health commodities and services, including any stock-out situations, and other issues related to the delivery of family planning services, based on the UNFPA Supplies performance monitoring framework using a standardised methodology.
Information on available HIV, adolescent friendly and SGBV services will also be collected. The assessment will provide baseline data for the program as well as support national systems for monitoring and tracking progress of interventions and results in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and commitments to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
It is anticipated that the assessment will involve desk review and field work in sampled health
facilities. This survey will cover selected primary, and all secondary and tertiary SDPs, both urban and rural.
Specific Objectives:
The assessment will be conducted to obtain data for the following country level indicators:
- Number of health facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary level providing at least three and five modern contraceptive methods in line with existing national protocols, guidelines and/or laws specific for levels of service delivery points.
- Number of health facilities at primary, secondary and tertiary level offering at least three and five modern contraceptive methods based on methods that the SDPs regularly provide as part of its normal service delivery process.
- Number of health facilities with no stock out of modern contraceptives within last 3 months based on methods expected to be offered per the existing national protocols, guidelines and/or laws specific for the levels of SDPs.
- Number of health facilities with no stock out of modern contraceptives within last 3 months based on methods that the SDPs regularly provide as part of its normal service delivery process.
- Assess the availability and stock outs of seven life-saving maternal/RH medicines – which must include Magnesium Sulphate and Oxytocin plus any other five drugs from the WHO/UNFPA essential maternal medicine list.
- Assess any bottlenecks around supply chain management (including cold chain).
- Identify gaps in staff training and supervision for provision of quality RH services.
- Assess the availability of national guidelines, protocols, standards and job-aids on provision of quality RH services in the health facilities.
- Assess issues around availability and use of Information Communication Technology.
- Assess issues around infection prevention and control (IPC), including waste disposal.
- Assess clients’ perception and appraisal about the family planning services and of the cost for family planning services.
Other indicators to be measured will include:
- Availability of Adolescent friendly services
- Availability of Disability inclusive services
- Availability of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) services
- Availability of HIV services
Methodology:
The development of the FARHCS should be guided and informed by an extensive literature review of existing policies and relevant available documents. The consultant will be responsible for leading the development of the FARHCS. The assessment will be conducted using the adapted UNFPA Supplies Survey tool and will be funded by UNFPA.The consultant will also be responsible for conducting in-country consultations and collecting inputs from relevant stakeholders and with different departments and personnel of MoH and other relevant organizations, including interviews with service providers, accessing provider records and in-service observations.
Deliverables:
- Participation in the data collectors training Workshop
- Data collection team set up to conduct the FARHCS
- Submission of finalized and translated updated questionnaire for technical review, quality assurance and clearance
- Draft FARHCS report for UNFPA inputs
- A final report for 2022 UNFPA FARHCS for Timor-Leste, language edited and print-ready report in word and PDF format, with specific international standards as outlined in the UNFPA Supplies Framework, annotated outline indicating all the required tables and charts for illustrations of findings. The final report will also include an in-depth analysis of the above selected indicators, a comparative analysis with data from previous similar assessments, and a section with conclusions and recommendations.
- The full clean dataset in SPSS or related software.
- Development of dissemination materials (Executive summary, PowerPoint presentation with main findings and recommendations) and presentation of those materials to UNFPA and stakeholders
Duration and working schedule:
60 days, starting from the signing of the Consultancy contract.
The place where services are to be delivered: Díli
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered:
- UNFPA will organize an initial meeting with the consultant prior to commencement of work in order to fine-tune deliverables and needs.
- Consultant is expected to work autonomously with the data collectors and data entry consultant, keeping regular contact with UNFPA and with the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) department of the Ministry of Health. UNFPA may provide a working space for the consultant, if needed.
- Consultant is expected to submit deliverables in time, within the consultancy period, by email and hard copy addressed to UNFPA CO, for UNFPA to review and provide comments.
- One all-inclusive lump sum payment will be made when the above mentioned deliverables have been submitted and approved by UNFPA CO, after all comments and inputs from UNFPA have been addressed.
- All documents, should be developed English, except for the questionnaire and the dissemination material, which should also be developed in Tetum.
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
Monitoring of activities will be done by UNFPA, in collaboration of the MCH department of the Ministry of Health.
The consultant will report to UNFPA. Approval of consultancy deliverables is done by UNFPA.
Supervisory arrangements:
The consultant will report to the UNFPA RH Programme Analyst.
The consultant will work under the overall guidance of UNFPA SRHR-HIV Specialist and MCH Department and in close liaison with M&E officer of UNFPA. The consultant will be working closely with the data collection team and Data Entry officer.
Expected travel: Expected travel to the municipalities
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
- Advanced University degree in Public Health, Medicine, Social Sciences, or related field, with at least 7 years of relevant demonstrated experience; or Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, social sciences, or related field, with at least 9 years of relevant experience;
- Relevant experience in epidemiology, research, data collection, analysis and report writing within the health sector is required;
- Experience with utilizing data analysis programmes (SPSS and other related software) is required;
- Previous experience in conducting similar surveys and assessments related SRH is an advantage;
- Good knowledge of UNFPA’s mandate and the Health sector in Timor-Leste is an advantage;
- Excellent ability to work autonomously, in a challenging and changing environment, around sensitive issues; flexible and positive collaborative attitude;
- Good communication, presentation and analytical skills, ability to work efficiently with governmental and non-governmental institutions;
- Fluency in Tetum and English, both oral and written is required
Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner, if applicable:
UNFPA will be responsible only to facilitate access to stakeholders and individuals for consultations/interviews and relevant documentation. UNFPA will also be responsible for the payment of data collectors, training costs and mission costs to the different municipalities for data collection.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:
Interested candidates should submit an application letter and a completed United Nations Personal History (P11) Form by email to timor-leste.office@unfpa.org and register their profile on this link: http://www.unfpa.org/unfpa-consultant-roster
Closing date: 5 August 2022
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
