Call for Expression of Interest for Sub-Recipients to implement Global Fund Grant Cycle Seven (GC-7) under HIV, TB and Malaria 

Job Description

1. Background  

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization dedicated  to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling  the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision International Sierra Leone (WVISL) has been  selected as the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Co-Principal Recipient (PR2) for the Global Fund  Grant Cycle 7 (GC-7) program in Sierra Leone that will run from 1st July 2024 to 30th June 2027.  

In the GC-7 implementation period, WVISL was selected as the Co-Principal Recipient to implement  comprehensive HIV, Malaria, and TB prevention programming and to strengthen the Resilient and  Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH). WVISL will implement the following comprehensive HIV,  Malaria, and TB prevention programming:  

• Among Key Affected Populations (Sex Workers and their clients, Men who have Sex with Men  (MSM) and their clients, Transgender individuals (TG), and People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) to  ensure access to timely, uninterrupted treatment and devoid of discrimination and stigma.  
• Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and their male sexual partners.  • Enhance strong community-led monitoring (CLM) to inform advocacy and access to services.  • Ensure consistent use of Long-Lasting Treated Mosquito Nets by pregnant women, children  under five years, and the entire population.  
• Create demand for HIV, Malaria, and TB services at the community level  
• Address structural barriers and human rights that impact access to services.  
• Support policy formulation and advocacy for HIV, Malaria, and TB interventions whilst also  informing strong Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines.  
• Enhance Community System Strengthening (CSS) for the three diseases.  
• Support Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) for the three diseases that impact access to  services and address stigma and discrimination.  

WVISL is therefore seeking potential partners within the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)  community as Sub Recipients (SRs) for the above-named intervention areas. Eligible and interested  CSOs are invited to submit their expressions of interest, highlighting their area(s) of interest,  relevant capacities, expertise, skills, and ability to support the achievement of results in the fight  against HIV and Malaria, and Community System Strengthening in the following districts: 

2. HIV Sub Recipients Scope of Work and Geographical Coverage  

The HIV epidemic in Sierra Leone is considered mixed, generalized, and heterogeneous but  concentrated in key Population groups (KP). The HIV epidemic affects the KP groups through  multiple and diverse transmission dynamics. Although the prevalence of HIV among the general  population appears low in Sierra Leone at 1.7% (SLDHS 2019), key population groups have a  significantly higher HIV prevalence compared to the National figure of 1.7% (IBBSS 2021). HIV  prevalence among these populations is FSW-11.8%, Transgender-4.2%, PWID-4.2%, and  MSM3.2%. (NSP_NACP). In addition, Adolescent Girls and Young Women, clients of FSW (such as  fisher folks, miners, and transporters), and partners of Recipients of Care (RoC) have been  identified as vulnerable and at risk of HIV infection. Differential vulnerability levels, social risk  factors, high-risk sexual practices, and limited access to appropriate HIV interventions influence  HIV incidence among these populations.  

WVISL plans to partner with two competent and experienced SRs to support the implementation  of HIV-related activities enhancing the minimum package of prevention interventions, supporting  Community Systems Strengthening (CSS), and promoting social behavioural change interventions  for the uptake of HIV services and addressing structural barriers that impede the uptake of HIV  services while strengthening Human Rights activities for KPs. 

Comprehensive Prevention Programs for KPs  :

SR will support equitable HIV interventions for key populations through differentiated prevention,  testing, care, and treatment services, integrating services (including mental health, STI, TB, and  other services) and addressing barriers to accessing services. The SR will engage with hard-to-reach  populations and provide client-centred services through KP community-led programming. WVISL  plans to implement a comprehensive prevention package through:  

• Condom and lubricant programming  
• Harm reduction interventions  
• Behavioral Change interventions  
• HIV testing services  
• HIV treatment and care + pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)  
• Prevention and management of viral Hep, TB, and mental health conditions 

• Sexual and reproductive health interventions and Mother to Child Transmission  

  Differentiated HIV Testing Services for KPs and AGYWs:

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) remain at a disproportionately substantial risk of  HIV infection. AGYW routinely faces the threat of physical violence, early marriage, unwanted  pregnancy, interrupted schooling, limited access to healthcare services, and unpaid, unsafe  employment opportunities. These factors have put AGYW at a substantially higher risk of  contracting HIV than their male peers. The selected SR will ensure that services at the Dropin  Centers (DICs) are optimized through the engagement of peer educators and navigators,  including qualified nurses to deploy social network testing approaches to expand the testing  net for KPs at the DICs in collaboration with NACP. Strengthen the social network on testing  to increase testing to reach more KPs, promote community ART initiation to improve ART  linkage among KP who are ready to receive treatment at the time of diagnosis, and support  community testing to reach more KPs who are at risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. The  overall goals of the HIV Services for KP intervention are (a) To reduce new HIV infections  among KPs and (b) To reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality among KPs. Specifically,  the SR will support  

• Facility-based testing for key population (KP) programs, ensuring services at the DICs are  optimized through the engagement of peer educators, peer navigators, and qualified  nurses to deploy social network testing approaches to expand the testing net for KPs in  collaboration with NACP.  
• Multiple activities for community-based testing for KPs, in collaboration with NACP, to  promote community ART initiation to improve ART linkage among KP who are ready to  receive treatment at the time of diagnosis.  
• Self-testing for KP programs dependent on the availability of commodities, to promote  differentiated testing in social networks and index testing to expand access to key  populations and their partners yet to know their HIV status.  
• Intensify HIV Case Detection which will allow the use of different products and different  implementation models. including integration of HIV/syphilis testing services,  community-based testing (by CHWs and KPs) and EID, and innovative approaches like  ‘Moonlight’ to create demand among FSW KP members to attend targeted mobile HIV  testing services.  

In addition, the SR will also support specific AGYW-related services, which are to  

• Scale up prevention of gender-based and intimate-partner violence among FSWs through  Peer led education.  
• Prevent and reduce women and girls’ vulnerability to sexual violence and other harmful  cultural practices, by engaging with traditional, religious and opinions leaders and national  campaigns on SGBV. 

• Strengthen HIV self-testing and assisted partner notification to KP and priority population  groups in high burden districts.  
• Enhance community-based testing for AGYW and their male sexual partner’s programs to  reach adolescents at risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. Support the integration of  existing standalone adolescent structures to increase access to testing, including index  testing services to reach sexual partners of adolescents yet to know their status and offer  tailored testing outcomes.  

Key Affected Populations Program  :

Key Populations (KP) in Sierra Leone face a disproportionate HIV and STI burden, driven by  structural barriers such as stigma, discrimination, violence, human rights violations, and limited  access to KP-friendly services (Global HIV Prevention Score Card, 2022). HIV infections remain much  higher in Female Sex Workers (FSW), Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), Transgender (TG), and  People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) than in the general population. Despite the high levels of HIV  prevalence among these sub-populations, the coverage of appropriate HIV prevention, care, and  treatment programs for these KPs remains sub-optimal. Like other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa,  in Sierra Leone, access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care continuum remains a challenge for  many KP due to stigma, violence linked to their identity, sexual orientation, and laws that criminalize  same-sex relationships.  

WVISL plans to implement KP programming through Sub-Recipients (SRs) in the 6 high burden  districts of Western Area Urban, Bombali, Kono, Moyamba, Bo, and Kailahun. The selected SRs  will provide the following interventions to KPs (MSM, PWID, FSW, and TG) and their sexual partners  (defined program core package) to reduce the risk of HIV transmission:  

• Provision of free HIV counselling and testing, IEC materials, and referral for STIs,  antiretroviral including STIs, hepatitis B and C, post-violence care and screening for  Tuberculosis.  
• Condom and Lubricant programming to ensure access to and consistent use of condoms  and lubricants in the six intervention districts.  
• Provide comprehensive outreach sexual and reproductive health services, including testing  and treatment for STIs, Hepatitis, and post-violence care. Targeted demand creation using  social media, chat rooms, mass media and IEC material and tailored interventions to reach  young KPs.  
• Ensuring KP interventions take place in leisure places which are frequent sites for key  populations and their customers, as well as adapted service centres and/or community  centres to receive HIV/STI testing services and advice on prevention, treatment, care and  support in DIC.  
• Carry out behavioral Interventions that will provide information, motivation, education,  and skills-building to help the KPs reduce risky behaviours and sustain positive change. In 

addition, HIV prevention communication, information, and demand creation for the four  Key population groups (MSM, FSW, PWID and TG) and their partners.  

• Carry out community empowerment that will seek to increase access to HIV prevention,  treatment and SRHR services for KPs and other high-risk sub-population groups by  organizing refresher training for existing peer educators/navigators to implement HIV  prevention services.  
• Providing Prevention Packages for People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs) and their Sexual  Partners inclusive of needle and syringe services, management of Opioid overdose (facility  and community-based) and opioid substitution therapy. In addition, providing services on  harm reduction services and harm reduction interventions for drug use.  
• Support in Establishing 2 to 5 DICs in the districts of Kailahun and Kono, after an assessment  of this approach.  
• Support programming on addressing TB co-infection rate among PLHIV, and build the  capacity of the KP service providers to conduct screening for TB among KPs in the  community and on TPT services in the DICs.  
• Provide support to ongoing School Health Clubs (SHCs) in the districts by introducing TB  and HIV/AIDS messages to allow the revision of messages/spots/IEC materials on Malaria,  TB and HIV/AIDS including the signing of MoU with different community radios for local  dialects diffusion.  
• Carry out In Interactive Radio Programming which serves as one of the main channels of  information for communities on HIV issues.  
• Carry out biomedical interventions to directly influence the biological systems by blocking  viral transmission, decreasing infectivity, and reducing the risk of acquiring the infection  such as the design and implementation of an oral PrEP program, including determining  eligibility, site planning and service delivery models.  
• Provide adherence support including peer-led adherence support, peer-led PrEP literacy  and awareness, development, and distribution of PrEP-specific IEC materials. And  supporting referrals to HIV/STI prevention, testing, treatment, care and clinical monitoring,  hepatitis B vaccination, and other primary health care (PHC) services.  

Malaria SR Scope of Work and Geographical Coverage  

Sierra Leone’s entire population is at risk of Malaria. In Sierra Leone, Malaria is endemic with stable  and perennial transmission in every part of the country. The whole population is at risk of malaria,  but pregnant women and children under five years are most vulnerable. The Malaria burden has  markedly decreased between 2016 and 2019, with a reduction in Malaria incidence from 316 to  271 per 1,000 Population. Malaria is still the leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst  children under five years of age and remains a serious public health challenge and driver of poverty.  The disease accounts for 40.3% of outpatient morbidity for all ages and 47% of outpatient  morbidity for under-five children. Malaria is also responsible for 37.6% of hospitalized cases with a 

case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 17.6%. In Sierra Leone, the disease accounted for an estimated 2.4  million confirmed cases and 6,500 deaths in 2018 (National Malaria Strategic Plan 2016–20). In  2019, there was an increase in suspected malaria cases, which can be attributed to increased  reporting from private sector facilities and improved access to diagnosis and treatment provided  by community health workers, especially in hard-to-reach areas (Malaria Indicator Survey 2021).  WVISL will implement malaria intervention through one SR in the 4 high burden districts of Kenema,  Tonkolili, Kambia, and Western Area Urban. The selected SR will implement the following  interventions (defined program core package). These are  

• Interventions on IEC/ACSM/SBCC.  
• Advocacy, communication and social mobilization (ACSM) activities related to equitable  access to specific malaria prevention interventions and all other services including case  management, LLIN use, timely treatment-seeking and testing before treatment according  to national policies and guidelines.  
• Strengthen the school health program for malaria prevention and control: Using a renewed  School Health Club (SHC) approach, participating school children will be encouraged to  share malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS prevention and control knowledge and skills with their  respective households.  
• In addition, the integration of Malaria, TB, HIV and AIDS will be done by expanding the  Community Action Against Malaria; TB and HIV/AIDS (CAAM) approach to include TB and  HIV.  
• Ensuring consistent use of Long-Lasting Treated Mosquito Nets by pregnant women,  children under five years and the entire population.  
• Ensuring that pregnant women take 3 or more doses of SP during each pregnancy.  • Ensuring that all fever cases are tested for malaria before malaria treatment is given.  • Ensuring that caregivers of children under five years and pregnant women with fever seek  treatment within 24 hours  
• Ensuring that caregivers of children less than one year ensure that the child receives 3 or  more doses of SP during the first year of life.  
• Intensifying social behaviour change (SBC) interventions that impact positively on all  services provided to beneficiaries in the fight against malaria to achieve elimination in the  country.  

Selection Process for Sub Recipients (SRs)  :

A clear, transparent, and documented process for selecting the successful sub-recipients will be  undertaken. This process will include the evaluation and assessment of EOIs by a multi-stakeholder  review panel which will include the CCM, Government and civil society stakeholders. 

Application Eligibility Criteria :

To be considered for award as a Sub-Recipient, the shortlisted Civil Society Organization must:  • Be a national or international institution that is registered and currently operating in Sierra  Leone.  

• Be compliant with local laws and have the license to operate under the relevant laws of  Sierra Leone.  
• Submit a complete application by the due date, including a fully completed cover page; 
• Submit documented evidence of experience working on the relevant program being  applied for.  

Application and Submission Information  :

Each applicant must provide the information required by this call for Expression of Interest. This  subsection addresses general content requirements applying to the full application. Please pay  attention to the information on the content specific to the expression of interest application.  

The expression of interest must include a cover page containing the following information:  

• Name of the organization(s) applying;  
• Identification and signature of the primary contact person (by name, title, organization,  mailing address, telephone number, and email address) and the identification of the  alternate contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number,  and email address);  
• Disease component and districts being applied for.  

The EOI should be specific, complete, and presented concisely. The application must demonstrate  the applicant’s capabilities and expertise concerning this program.  

7. Minimum documentation requirements to be submitted (as annexes)  

• Copy of registration Certificate (MoPED and SLANGO).  
• Certified copy of Annual (not Transactional) Tax Clearance Certificate for 2023 or 2022 Tax  Clearance Certificate.  
• Certified Audited Financial statements signed by its Executive Director (or the Board) for the  last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022). Please note that applicants can submit  either a complete set of Organizational Annual Audited Financial Statements or Project  Specific Audit reports.  
• Copy of Audit Management Letters for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022).  • Copy of the current Approved Organization’s Strategic plan that has the interventions  concerning the module being applied for.  
• Copy of project report demonstrating the implementation of this kind of interventions. 

• Current Organigramme of the Organization  
• List of Senior Management’s full names and positions held in the organization  
• List of Board members’ full names.  
• Physical addresses of the Head Office and the sub-offices (at regional and/or district levels)  of the Organizations in Sierra Leone  

Guidelines for submission of applications:  

Applicants MUST submit the full application package, including the EOI (Not more than 20 pages,  Lato font size 11) and all the supporting documentation in both hard (two copies) and electronic  copies (in PDF format):  

• Hard and electronic copies must be addressed to ‘World Vision International Sierra  Leone Global Fund GC-7 PR2 Technical Review Panel’. 
• Electronic copies in PDF format should be sent to  

worldvisionSierraLeoneGFselection@wvi.org.  

• Applications (including those sent through Courier Services) must be submitted on or  before 17:00 GMT, 28th March 2024.

The EOI Application is prepared by the prospective organization, and all the correspondence and  documents related to the EOI application shall be submitted in English. Applicants should submit  their hard copies and supporting documentation in a sealed envelope addressed to:  World Vision International Sierra Leone, 35 Wilkinson Road, PMB 59,  

Freetown.  

Please note: Applications in response to this EOI must be submitted no later than the closing date  and time indicated in this EOI. Late applications will not be reviewed nor considered.  

Description of Required Sections.  

Detailed descriptions of each required section of the EOI application are as follows and the  submitted EOIs must address the following:  

Demonstrate strong geographical presence and technical approach to programming:

  • The organization should highlight a strong geographical presence and operations related  to the disease area being applied for with at least three years of minimum experience  implementing said programme within the country.  

• Demonstrate the organization’s technical capacity to support the implementation of the  selected interventions applied for (HIV or Malaria)  
• Describe the technical approach to implementing the selected activities including a  strong strategy for ensuring regular data collection and review to inform programming  and course corrections in real-time, with attention to poor performance, is essential. 

• Demonstrate knowledge and experience in condom and lubricant programming and the  last mile distribution innovative approaches.  
• Demonstrate the acceptance within the local communities where the intervention is  proposed, or a plan to ensure the organization will obtain local leaders and community  support.  
• Builds on, complements, and co-ordinates with existing national programs, in support of  national policies, priorities, strategies, and partnerships and should also have an adequate  physical presence in proposed locations for this action, minimum logistical arrangements,  etc. 
• Demonstrable effective internal control system to prevent and detect misuse or fraud 
• The organization should highlight the existence of internal control systems that ensure that  it adheres to policies and procedures consistently (including procurement processes). The  internal control system should support compliance effectively with donor regulations,  especially the Global Fund. Evidence of the operation of the internal control system should  be verifiable.  

• The applicants should show that selection of and assignment of duties to external auditors  and other third-party assurance providers per donor/own prescribed guidelines. 
• Clearly defined Risk management framework and mitigation measures in place to manage  and mitigate against fraud. 

Effective and accurate financial management system  :

• Applicants must clearly describe the accounting system in place that can correctly and  promptly record all transactions and balances, making clear reference to the budget and  work plan of the grant agreement.  
• Applicants should show potential to manage all transactions and transfers in a supplier’s  transparent manner to safeguard financial and physical assets. The organization should be  able to monitor actual spending in comparison to budgets and work plans and investigate  variances to take prompt action.  
• Applicants should demonstrate strong financial Controls and Systems in place to support  the judicious management of Global Fund financial resources, including finance policies,  procedures, manual or guidelines.  
• Applicants should demonstrate integral systems that contribute to incredible value in  reducing fraud and error and promoting operational effectiveness, giving confidence to the  donors for transparency and integrity of our internal processes and financial management  systems.  
• Demonstrate an effective and efficient administrative and financial management structure  and practices for the overall implementation of the GF grant. 

• Show potential to manage all transactions and transfers to suppliers/ beneficiaries  transparently to safeguard financial and physical assets. 

Institutional Capability and Past Performance  :

• Applicants must summarize their institutional capabilities and technical strengths, including  unique or specialty areas of technical expertise.  
• The application must include information on experience demonstrating evidence of relevant  technical and managerial expertise to implement this project. Applicants should include  information demonstrating their ability to work with key stakeholders and their track record of  influencing the human rights agenda for adolescent girls and young women and their male  partners and marginalized sub-populations in Sierra Leone. 

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• Track record of working with and/or willingness to work with Community-based  Organizations (CBO) and Community-led Organizations (CLO) either through provision  of support and oversight or payment by result.  
• The application should include an Annex listing of all relevant contracts, grants, or  cooperative agreements involving similar or related programs during the past five  years. The reference information for these awards shall include the project location,  award number (if available), a brief description of the work performed, and a point of  contact with current telephone numbers and email addresses. 

Data-collection capacity and tools to monitor program performance:  

• The applicants should describe their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system that defines  relevant indicators for routine monitoring of activities/interventions that are aligned with  the goals and objectives of the program in question.  

• Demonstrate adequate mechanisms and tools must be in place to report accurate and  quality-assessed data from the sub-sub recipient/sub-recipient to the PR level.  • Demonstrate the existence of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system in place that  defines relevant indicators for routine monitoring of activities/interventions that are  aligned with the goals and objectives of the program in question.  
• Ensure adequate mechanisms and tools are in place to report accurate and  qualityassessed data at different levels.  
• Demonstrate a strong information system and capacity to collect and provide  programmatic reports for the proposed activities, including reports to the PR.  

Demonstrate Management Capacity  :

• Demonstrate adequate skills (personnel) and systems to gather and process data and relay  the same to the PR and other stakeholders.  
• The organization should show organizational leadership, with a transparent decision-making  process.  

SRs Assessment and Recommendation  :

WVISL in consultation and collaboration with the GF-CT, CCM SL and Local Fund Agent (LFA) will  conduct a robust, inclusive, transparent, and accountable capacity assessment of nominated SRs  by the selection committee. This will help WVISL understand organizational capacity, gaps, and  risks and plan for capacity-building initiatives for the selected SRs.  

NB: A Partner Virtual Information Sharing Session will be held on the 21st of March 2024 at  14:00 GMT. To register for this session, kindly send an email to  

worldvisionSierraLeoneGFselection@wvi.org, and a meeting link will be shared with you  upon registration. To manage the number of participants, only two people will be allowed 

to register per organization. Any request for clarification should be sent to  worldvisionSierraLeoneGFselection@wvi.org before close of business on 19th March 2024.