COVID-19 Health Facility Technical Consultant

Catholic Relief Services

Jerusalem, West Bank, & Gaza (JWBG)

COVID-19 Health Facility Technical Consultant

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international relief and development agency of the Catholic community in the United States.  CRS supports more than 100 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents based on need regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.  CRS has been present in Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza (JWBG) since 1961 supporting emergency, recovery, and development programs with activities in the sectors of: food security, shelter, psychosocial support, agricultural and urban livelihoods, youth and women’s empowerment, and health.  For further information about CRS, please visit: www.crs.org. 

CRS is actively responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and has been awarded a $5M, 6-month program from OFDA/USAID to help mitigate the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the West Bank.  The program has two key components: 1) helping public and charitable health facilities to effectively respond to COVID-19 by acquiring necessary equipment, supplies, and human resources and strengthening their Infection Prevention Control (IPC) measures; and 2) supporting vulnerable households to practice safe behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 through targeted messaging and access to hygiene supplies to prevent the spread.  CRS is working in close coordination with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Health Cluster on this response contributing to the efforts of Palestinians and international actors to fight this common threat to health and safety.

CRS is seeking a highly qualified consultant, with previous experience coordinating with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to execute the following scope of work. 

Description of Work: 

Purpose:

Coordinate with and provide technical support to a portfolio of public health facilities to prepare for and/or respond to COVID-19 cases.  CRS anticipates supporting approximately 5-10 health facility units (HFUs).  CRS may hire a full-time staff member that will work with the technical consultant to coordinate and deliver this support to targeted health facilities as a small team.  

Activity Description:

Coordination with the MoH, other government institutions, and the Health Cluster – The technical consultant will support CRS’ collaboration with  the MoH specific to project implementation.  S/he will help develop an MoU with the MoH for the project outlining a joint commitment to the program and clarifying roles and responsibilities.  S/he will support CRS in coordinating with MoH on the selection of targeted public health facilities for the project.  S/he will help secure necessary approvals and documents needed to implement the project in an efficient way.  As needed, s/he may also support CRS coordination with other government institutions and representatives including the Ministry of Social Development and governorate-level representatives.  S/he will also liaise to WHO, UNICEF, and Health Cluster actors actively engaged in the COVID-19 emergency response.

1. Establish partnerships with targeted MoH-managed health facilities – After selection of targeted public health facilities, s/he will meet with facility administrators to introduce the project, collaborate with HFU focal points, understand needs and management dynamics.  Pending recommendations from the MoH, this partnership -building may also be formalized in an MoU or other formalized agreement.  S/he will serve as the focal point for partnership management at targeted public health facilities.
2. Confirm procurement needs – The MoH has identified the priority procurement needs to respond to COVID-19 across its network of health facilities in the West Bank.  Given how quickly the situation is changing in terms of needs/cases, procurement, and resources available; the consultant will confirm the priority procurement needs of each targeted health facility through the development of a procurement list.  CRS is able to purchase priority equipment and supplies in line with USAID requirements and provide these items in-kind to targeted public health facilities.  No cash or grants may be provided to public health facilities.  S/he will also coordinate with partner health facilities to ensure there is adequate inspection and quality control on items received/delivered.  S/he will coordinate with targeted health care facilities on adequate supply chain management, including training of medical commodity supply chain staff (where relevant) and tracking of stocks to ensure no shortages.
3. Coordinate IPC assessments and action planning – As procurement is underway, CRS anticipates supporting partner health facilities to identify their facility needs in terms of infection prevention controls (IPC).  Some facilities may have already undergone an IPC assessment since the COVID-19 outbreak.  In this case, the consultant will validate those assessment results, analyse progress and determine if there are any outstanding needs.  For HFUs that have not undergone an assessment, the consultant will help conduct this  in alignment to MoH protocols and industry best practice to determine whether standard infection precautions are in place and maintained at partner health facilities, including the safe handling of laboratory specimens where applicable and droplet precautions particularly for patients suspected or known to have acute respiratory infection, novel coronavirus or influenza.  IPC measures will be examined from the point when the patient enters a triage area with symptoms that meet the criteria for a suspect case, through transportation within and between health facilities, and ultimately through discharge, and will include review of environmental and engineering controls as well as safe waste disposal and sanitation practices.  Based on the results of this assessment, CRS will support partner health facilities on the developing of an action plan of the highest priority items for COVID-19 infection prevention that can be implemented in a timely,  3-month period of time during the project.
4. Coordinate technical assistance on IPC – Based on the IPC action plans developed, the consultant will coordinate (and occasionally provide directly) technical assistance to advance plans.  Technical assistance may include trainings and consultations from specialists within the MoH or within the broader health community.  S/he will keep track of progress against plans and problem-solve to ensure plans are executed by partner health facilities on-schedule and in a high-quality way.

Deliverables:

• MoU with the MoH for the overall project
• Minutes of Meetings including summaries of key actions/updates (via email) with key government representatives, WHO, UNICEF, and other Health Cluster actors.
• Partnership agreements/MoUs with targeted public health facilities, as needed
• Priority procurement lists, with detailed specifications, in accordance with USAID procurement requirements for each targeted public health facility.
• Goods received notes signed by partner health facilities confirming the quality of in-kind supplies provided.
• IPC baseline assessments and action plans developed in a participatory fashion with partner health facilities.
• Overall technical assistance delivery plan developed and implemented, with status updates provided on a regular basis.

Conditions:

• The consultant will receive an initial briefing from CRS’ COVID-19 Emergency Coordinator to provide additional context and parameters to the scope of work.
• The consultant will be expected to join twice weekly team coordination meetings (by phone or video conference) given the rapidly changing environment. 
• The consultant will work-from-home utilizing his/her own laptop, internet connection, and mobile phone.  
• The consultant will utilize his/her own car to conduct visits to partner health facilities and periodic representational and coordination meetings.  
• CRS may make a workspace available at its office in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, as needed.  
• The consultant will agree on the format of all written products with CRS in advance.
• All information received during the execution of the scope of work shall be treated as confidential and proprietary to CRS and cannot be reused without written consent of CRS.

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Qualifications:

Consultant/s should possess the following expertise and skills: 

Technical Skills: 

• University Degree (Masters preferred) in health, medicine, supply chain, or related fields required.
• Minimum of five years relevant working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions with health care facilities in the West Bank.
• Previous experience with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) at the central level in Ramallah and across all governorates of the West Bank.
• Previous experience providing technical assistance to MoH-managed health care facilities and working in close collaboration and coordination with management levels of the MoH.  
• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in infection prevention control (IPC) at health care facilities. General knowledge of other related health disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in project management and medical supply chain management, a plus.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Experience and skills in networking and maintaining relationships with government representatives, donors, peer organizations, and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Fluency in English and Arabic

Personal Skills: 

• Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Application and Bidding Procedure:

Interested parties should submit the bidding proposal containing the following: 

• Cover Letter (1 page) – outlining the key qualifications and relevant skills/experience for the consultancy according to the Scope of Work
• CV or Resume
• Application Form (1 page) – see template below including references and financial offer.

Each bid will be assessed based on technical capacities, experience, and fit in relation to the overall cost.  Consultants may also be subject to USAID vetting requirements.

Interested applicants with relevant experience and education are encouraged to submit an application as follows: 

• This announcement is available at http://jobs.crsjwbg.org. 
• CRS will review the above qualifications of the specific individuals wishing to fulfil the role. 
• Technical applications should include all items identified above (cover letter, CV, application form).  Financial offers should include prices in US Dollars ($) and must be valid up till 90 days after the submission date.  The financial offer should include both a daily and/or monthly rate. The total cost should be “all-inclusive” and cover all costs that are the responsibility of the consultant including travel, supplies, and any required insurance and taxes.
• Please submit your complete application online at: http://jobs.crsjwbg.org/ no later than 11 May 2020.
• CRS reserves the right to interview candidates, request supporting documentation for experience and expertise, or request additional information or documentation that could facilitate selection.
• CRS reserves the right to reject all bids, and to decide not to pursue this procurement. CRS is not obliged to procure the lowest priced offer, when the lowest price does not offer the best overall value, all other factors considered. 

For any questions, kindly contact CRS JWBG’s COVID-19 Emergency Coordinator at [email protected].