Health Advisor

COVID-19 Health Advisor - Gaza

June 2020-October 2020

Introduction:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the 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. CRS works with local partners to promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies; and serve Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world. CRS’ World Headquarters is located in Baltimore, MD.

CRS established an office in Jerusalem in 1961 and has maintained a continuous presence throughout the intervening decades of turbulence and change.  Today, CRS’ strategic focus is on programs addressing food security, civil society strengthening, peacebuilding, the provision of humanitarian assistance. CRS employs 48 staff, spread across three offices in Jerusalem, Gaza City, and Bethlehem. 

In Gaza, CRS has maintained an active presence and diverse portfolio of humanitarian response and development programs.  CRS’ current work includes e-vouchers to support vulnerable households with access to food and critical living supplies, shelter rehabilitation for families living in sub-standard housing, psychosocial support for children, adolescents, and caregivers, job training and career opportunities for female youth, and medical and emotional support to children with severe disabilities.  At the household level, CRS is supporting COVID-19 prevention and response by providing risk communication and access to supplies needed to keep families safe. At the health facility level, CRS is supporting COVID-19 prevention and response by ensuring health facilities have the medical supplies, qualified surge staffing, and training needed. 

Purpose:

CRS seeks health advisor for its COVID-19 prevention and response in Gaza.

Background:

On 5 March 2020, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority declared a State of Emergency to contain the spread of COVID-19.  As of 2 June 2020, Gaza has confirmed 61 cases of COVID-19 and one death, despite limitations in testing capacity.  The WHO Risk Assessment for the Palestinian territories is “Very High” and has reported shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and essential medical equipment and supplies; limited capacity to detect COVID-19; and the need to strengthen the knowledge and skills of health care workers to prevent, detect and manage cases.  

Description of Work:

The health advisor’s tasks will include:

1. Liaise with the Health Cluster: Participate in regular health cluster meetings for Gaza, summarize key information in a concise and timely manner, and elevate key findings. Serve as CRS’ focal point for additional ad hoc coordination needs (information requests, information-sharing, etc.) with the health cluster coordinator and other health stakeholders. 
2. Identify COVID-19 needs of health facilities: Collect, review, and/or validate needs assessments of health facilities designated or positioned to support the COVID-19 response; conduct additional data collection as needed. Provide CRS concise and accurate analysis of existing capacities of these facilities and support needed to scale their response (e.g. supplies, equipment, unskilled or skilled human resources, staff training).  Cross-check these needs with relevant actors to identify which are being provided by other actors and confirm anticipated gaps.  
3. Advise on technical aspects of COVID-19 procurements: Draft/revise BoQs/SoWs for supplies, equipment, and/or training for COVID-response that meet international standards and respond to assessed needs of health facilities (see above); support the assessment of medical supplier capacity and supply chain, and provide technical support for related deliveries, inspections, and/or installation.
4. Support Infection Prevention Control (IPC) assessments: With support from global CRS technical advisors, support self-assessments of partner health facilities’ IPC measures. Ensure assessment processes are aligned with WHO standards and are responsive to localized guidance from WHO, local authorities, and other key health actors. Advise on follow on supports needed to meet IPC minimum standards (e.g. trainings, triage capacities, etc.) in a COVID-19 context, including any special considerations related to CRS surge staffing, and support resulting action plans as needed.
5. Provide technical inputs into COVID-19 project learning and adaptive management: Under the guidance of the Program Manager, support the review of COVID-19 preparedness and response programming that has been piloted to understand its relevance and impact, including its provision of surge staffing and supplies/equipment to health facilities. Based on this review, updated needs/gaps and contextual developments, and CRS’ strengths and capacities provide recommendations on appropriate adaptations to and/or additional interventions. Ensure all technical inputs adhere to international best practices for COVID-19 prevention and response.

Deliverables include:

1. Concise, same-day, e-mail summary notes from health cluster meetings and ad hoc coordination meetings/calls with health cluster actors; timely dissemination of formal Minutes of Meetings from the Health Cluster.
2. COVID-19 health facility preparedness/response gap analysis, documenting who (authorities, UN, other NGOs) is doing what, where in response to and preparation for the COVID-19 outbreak. 
3. Updated needs assessment report of health facilities designated or prepared for COVID-19, that may include specifications of supplies, equipment, human resources, or training needed and coverage by other actors.
4. Consolidated IPC self-assessment reports and documented technical review of assessment by partner health facility
5. Active participation in CRS’ review of the relevance and impact of its COVID-19 programming to date; summary report to document technical inputs and recommendations. 

Conditions:

• The health advisor will receive an initial briefing from CRS’ Head of Office in Gaza, Head of Programming, Head of Operations, and Program Manager (PM) for Emergency Response to provide additional context and parameters to the scope of work.
• The health advisor should plan for daily check-ins and coordination given the rapidly changing environment. Coordination work during nights and weekends is possible.
• The health advisor will work-from-home utilizing his/her own laptop, internet connection, and mobile phone.  
• The health advisor will report directly to the PM for Emergency Response, with close coordination with CRS’ Head of Office for Gaza.
• The health advisor and PM should agree on the format of all written products 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.

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Qualifications:

Consultant/s should possess the following expertise and skills: 

Technical Skills: 

• University Degree (Masters preferred) in health, medicine, 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 providing technical assistance to health care facilities.  
• 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

Interested parties should submit the bidding proposal containing the following: 

• The person needs to be present in Gaza. 
• 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.

How to apply: 

Interested applicants with relevant experience and education are encouraged to apply 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 21 June 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 Head of Office – Gaza; Mr. Bassam Nasser at  [email protected] 

Attachment: CRS Consultancy Application Form