Developing FP Quality Standards for Sierra Leone

Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY

Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) 

Project/Consultancy Title:  Developing FP Quality Standards for Sierra Leone

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Background and Project Description 

MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) is a five-year global project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide targeted maternal, newborn, and child health, family planning, and reproductive health (MNCH/FP/RH) technical and capacity development assistance (TCDA) to countries to facilitate countries’ journeys to sustainable development. MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership also aims to contribute to global technical leadership and learning, and USAID’s policy dialogue for the achievement of global MNCH/FP/RH goals through support to globally endorsed MNCH/FP/RH initiatives, strategies, frameworks, guidelines, and action plans.   

In Sierra Leone, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership is tasked with the provision of support to the strengthening of Quality of Care (QoC) of the whole spectrum of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services nationally through research, learning, and TCDA. Against this background, the RH/FP Programme is striving towards the goal of increasing access to and providing quality reproductive health, including safe family planning services in the country by 2030. 

The Family Planning (FP) Standards for Healthcare Facilities is a tool for healthcare providers, supervisors, and program managers to assess and provide FP service delivery at all types of facilities in Sierra Leone. It’s the first Standards for the provision of FP services in the country that will include the World Health Organization (WHO) medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use developed by the National Quality Management Programme in collaboration with the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme, RCH Directorate of the Ministry of Health Integrating Quality of Care (QoC) which is a client-centered approach to providing high-quality health care as a basic human right; that is considered a critical element of FP/RH services. It has been promoted by all stakeholders in the public and private sectors as well as by NGOs, as affirmed at international conferences. High-quality services will ensure that clients receive the care that they deserve. Furthermore, providing better services at no cost or at reasonable prices attracts more clients, increases the use of FP methods, reduces dropout rates, and reduces the number of unintended pregnancies.

Improving QoC for clients means understanding their cultural values, previous experiences, and perceptions of the role of the health system, and then bringing FP service providers and the community together to map out a shared vision of quality. Similarly, enhancing the QoC given by healthcare providers requires identifying their motivations, addressing their needs (including general administrative and logistical support), and helping them to better understand and address clients’ concepts of quality. Creating a shared vision for improved QoC requires that program managers, service providers, researchers, and consumers advocate the idea that quality matters. Given time and effort, the ongoing attempt to improve the QoC will translate into services that meet minimum quality standards and satisfy the needs of clients and providers to bridge the gap of unmet needs.

This document will further lead to the development of a sustained advocacy campaign that will address special groups such as parliamentarians, policymakers, district government, religious leaders, opinion builders, youth, and adolescents. It will increase ownership of population issues by stakeholders and strengthen their participation in processes of program design and service delivery as well as reduce the huge unmet need for FP services by addressing social barriers and making available quality FP services. It will further ensure the provision of services to the poor, underserved populations in difficult-to-reach areas.

Location and official travel involved

The consultancy will focus on information gathering from stakeholders, and desk review of documents – policies, strategies, guidelines and so has the flexibility to work virtually. Office space will not be provided and the consultant is responsible for his/her own workspace and IT equipment. The consultant will not be required to travel to other locations. 

Consultant Objectives 

The consultant will be responsible for working with the Programme Managers and staff of the National Quality Management Programme and the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme, RCH Directorate of the Ministry of Health to develop a national family planning quality standard, to support the integration of the FP standards into the existing Quality RMNCH Strategic Roadmap as a mechanism for improving family planning services in health facilities. 

Consultant Activities

• Meet with the National Quality Management Programme (NQMP) and the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme under the Directorate for Reproductive Health at the MoH and discuss the process for desk review and incorporation into the work plan. 
• Conduct a desk review of relevant assessment tools, including the National Quality RMNCH Strategic Roadmap and Policy, QoC operational plans, nationally endorsed FP training curricula, manuals, etc. 
  • Analyze reviewed documents and compare them with WHO’s Global Standards for Quality Healthcare Services for Adolescents and Young Persons and identify key gaps 
  • Identify existing national and district-level policies/strategies/guidelines, research papers, and program reports, including standards and indicators of family planning.  
  • Identify existing Implementing Partners of FP, including government stakeholders and national and community-based organizations.
• Gather feedback on current standards and any related challenges through a few key informant interviews or discussions.
• Facilitate MoH convened stakeholder workshop for updating national standards
• Provide progress updates and meet with the MCGL team to share findings. 

Consultant Deliverables 

• Inception report, which includes a detailed work plan, list of stakeholders to be interviewed, and draft discussion/interview guide. 
• A brief report of desk review findings including a mapping matrix focused on the current trends, indicators, and gaps.
• Develop an assessment tool for external assessment to ensure compliance with standards of practice
• Train enumerators to conduct the FP Quality assessment and analyze the information to identify gaps.
• Develop national FP Quality standards and recommendations for integration of the updated standards into the National Quality RMNCH Strategic Roadmap.
• Develop a roll-out plans in collaboration with the NQMP and the RH/FP Programmes

Proposed Timeframe / Schedule:        

Qualifications, Skills and Experience required

• Master’s degree in Midwifery/ Public Health/SRH or related field 
• Minimum of 8-10 years’ experience working with Ministries of Health at National and Subnational level. An intimate understanding of the Sierra Leone Health system strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience in facilitating development of national quality standards and/or guidelines for RMNAH. 
• At least five years of experience in family planning health service delivery, programming, and quality. 
• Excellent meeting and workshop facilitation skills
• Excellent ability to combine multiple points of views into a document and generate consensus. 
• Demonstrated experience conducting desk reviews. 
• Excellent writing skills in reports, research briefs, and multi-media communication platforms. 
• Ability to work independently. 

Technical Supervision for this work will be provided by the USAID Momentum, Sierra Leone will approve the deliverables and any questions or queries should be directed to the focal person. 

Payment schedule 

The consultant is advised to review this ToR and submit an itemized budget with realistic daily rates for the assignment based on the understanding and current market rates.  Where need be, USAID Momentum will engage the consultant to an agreeable daily rate. Remuneration will be based on the submission of deliverables that are satisfactory to USAID Momentum as agreed upon after discussion with USAID Momentum in the inception meeting. The payments will only be made when the deliverables have been assessed by USAID Momentum and MoH team and deemed to be of acceptable quality and official sign-off by the MCGL Project Director provided.

The following payments will be made to the consultant using an agreed mode of payment:

• 30% upon approval of the inception report 
• 35% upon completion of stakeholder workshop and submission of the first draft of the updated national standards and recommendations for integration of the updated standards
• 35% upon approval of the final version of the updated national standards and recommendations for integration of the updated standards

Child Safeguarding

The consultant will be working on behalf of USAID Momentum; therefore, he/she will be required to sign and adhere to our Safeguarding Policy and ethical guidelines. Note that background checks will be undertaken on all applicants.

Intellectual property 

The title rights, copyrights and all other rights of whatever nature in any materials used or generated under the provisions of this consultancy will exclusively be vested with USAID Momentum Sierra Leone country office and the Ministry of Health. All products developed under this consultancy belong to the project exclusively, guided by the rules of the grant contract. Under no circumstances will the consultant use the information of this study for publication or dissemination without official prior permission (in writing) from USAID Momentum Sierra Leone.

Qualified persons are required to send their Curriculum Vitae (CV) and application letter to:      

sl-recruitment@jhpiego.org

In the subject area, kindly state the position and location you are applying for. CVs without proper labeling will not be considered.

The deadline for submitting applications is 14th November 2024. Given the likely high number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.