Burkina Faso: Health and Nutrition Sector Consultant
Country: Burkina Faso
Closing date: 30 Jun 2014
SCOPE OF WORK
Health and Nutrition Sector Consultant
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Introduction: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 91 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs.
In Burkina Faso, CRS has been active since 1960 and is the first and longest-standing international development organization in the country. In its more than 50 years of service in Burkina Faso, CRS has implemented programs focused on agriculture, education, emergency relief, food security, health (including nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child health), microfinance, peace and justice, hygiene, sanitation and water.
Purpose:CRS Burkina Faso plans to increase its ability to pursue high quality programming in the health and nutrition sector (with a specific emphasis on health systems strengthening), in line with the agency’s 2012-2018 strategic plan. As such,CRS seeks a qualified candidate for a 3-month consultancy to undertake key activities to help CRS Burkina Faso to pursue future activities in this sector. This consultancy will cover research in the following areas: health systems (government, religious, and private), nutrition, gender integration, private sector engagement, ICT4D innovations, extension services, and community health outreach, and will identify barriers, good practices and lessons learned in the field. CRS’ program in Burkina Faso aims to better understand the linkages between these areas and to identify opportunities for growth in this sector.
Objectives:
1. Increase knowledge and understandingof the health sector including decentralized government health systems and policies related to nutrition, maternal and child health and community managed health systems and workers in Burkina Faso.
2. Identify opportunities for the transformation of gender inequities and the integration of men and empowerment of women in this sector (specifically maternal and child health care and nutrition).
3. Improve capacity to articulate CRS’ value propositionin the areas of health and nutrition (with a specific emphasis onareas targeted in the CRS health and HIV strategy), including deepening and strengthening relationships and connections, and identifying its comparative and competitive advantages within the sector.
4. Identify gaps and opportunities, donors, and partnerswithin the sector where CRS Burkina Faso can take a leading role in contributing towards more impactful, sustainable, and locally driven health and nutrition outcomes.
Specific Activities:
The consultant will undertake research and key activities to support CRS Burkina Faso to define its strategy and build its capacity in health and nutrition (with a specific emphasis on areas targeted in the CRS health and HIV strategy) programming. To further the objectives articulated above, the consultant will undertake the following main activities to help improve CRS’s understanding of the health and nutrition sectorand articulate CRS’s value proposition or niche in the sector:
1. Literature Review and Key Informant Interviews
o ReviewCRS health and nutrition strategy documents (Global Health and HIV Strategy, Signature Program Area Paper, relevant capacity statements, etc.) to contextualize CRS’ work in the sector.
o Identify key Government of Burkina Faso health and nutrition policies and initiatives and list priorities being promoted by the Government and leading research and development agencies, include an analysis of potential gaps and constraints.
o Conduct literature review, key informant interviews and focus groups with technical experts, CRS’ technical advisors (regional & HQ), national and local level staff, Ministry and government representatives, government technical experts and implementation staff, civil society organizations, and staff from INGOs and local, researchers, professors, donors, etc.
2. Analyse and Map
· Donors—funding trends, priorities, and award amounts, partners, geographic zones, perception of NGO partners, etc.
· Partners/competitors—including who, where, what, perceptions, funding sources, and strengths and weaknesses.
· Research agencies/institutions– including key activities relevant for CRS.
· Private sector—including who, where, what, interests (either business interests or from the standpoint of corporate social responsibility), and innovation potential.
· External environment(sector policies and/or government mandates or initiatives, pilot studies, needs, etc.)**, including gaps and innovations.**
· CRS Burkina Faso’s current role/position in health programming (for example strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).
3. Summarize key health sector considerations, including
· The population’s key health care needs and access to health services in the target zones, , noting any particular underserved populations based on income, gender (men, women, boys and girls), ethnicity, livelihood (e.g. nomadic), disability, or any other relevant characteristic.
· The effectiveness of the primary health care system (CSCOM) in target zones, including distance between communities and facilities, ability of primary care facilities to provide the basic package of health services per national policies, functioning of the supervision system, key opportunities and gaps.
· The effectiveness of the community health system (Community Health Workers and Volunteers) in target zones, including the ratio of community workers to households, supply and supervision systems, motivation, and key opportunities and challenges in strengthening community-based health services
· Gender considerations of family health care decision-making and identify approaches to integrate men in maternal child health and nutrition, and strategies to increase women’s decision-making in the household related to health care.
· ICT4D technologies in the sector (information services, linkages to national level system, etc.).
· Recommend policies to reinforce, barriers to overcome, and good practices and lessons learned to be considered in CRS program design.
4. Identify Strategic Growth Opportunities for CRS, based on needs, expected funding and CRS’s strengths.
5. Compile innovative proven and promising practicesthat could be adopted or piloted in current or future programming related to health and nutrition, identifying innovative approaches (including but not limited to ICT4D) which could facilitate the ways in which CRS and the GoBF currently implement their activities and engage stakeholders**; Recommend**policies to reinforce, barriers to overcome, and good practices/lessons learned to be considered in CRS program design.
6. Lead Action Planning Workshopto present findings and recommendations at the end of the 3-month consultancy period and to support the Country Program in its development of its action plan and/or sector engagement strategy document.
NB:The CRS Burkina Faso Country Program will work with the consultant to define the geographic scope of the research and the specific technical areas of intervention at the start of the consultancy.
Deliverables:
By the end of the three month consultancy, the consultant will be expected to produce a final report (which will inform a health systems strengthening strategy paper) which includes:
· A report/summary of the workshop (5-7 pages), including agenda, attendance list and contact information, summary of sessions, action items/next steps, etc.
· A summary of key informant interviews (donors, partners/competitors, private sector, Government, other), including key findings, potential innovations, and tips/pitfalls (8-10 pages). Additionally, provide transcripts of interviews as an annex.
· A report on innovations and initiatives (including ICT4D) in the health and nutrition sectors that highlights documents reviewed and summarizes key findings and potential innovations (8-10 pages).
· evaluation summary of the effectiveness of primary health care and community health system services and constraints (3-5 pages).
· Document key activities from the country-led capture plan, including:
o Analysis and mapping of donors (3-4 pages of who-what-where, historical funding and priorities, future priorities and funding, plus maps)
o Analysis and mapping of sector actors (5-7 pages of who-what-where, plus maps)
o Analysis of the external environment, including gaps and innovations (2-4 pages)
o List of identified strategic opportunities, partners, and recommendations (2-4 pages)
o Analysis of CRS Burkina’s current value proposition and position (2-4 pages)
· A prioritization of health and nutrition strategies/activities for CRS in the target zones with justifications (5-7 pages).
· Brief (5-10 page) report on the consultancy, summarizing work carried out, results, and conclusions.
Key Working Relationships:
The consultant will work directly with the CRS Burkina Faso’s Program Manager for Business Development and Strategic Growth and develop internal and external relationships.
Internal: Country program leadership and staff, including the Country Representative, Deputy Country Representative, Head of Program, Head of MYAP, Head of FFE, Emergency Coordinator, MYAP Health and Nutrition Program Manager, and other staff as necessary; Sahel West Africa (SWA) Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality and Growth (DRDPQ) and Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) in Health and Nutrition; CRS headquarters Technical Advisors in Health/Nutrition.
External: Caritas and other international and local partners; Ministry and government agents in the capitals as well as in municipal offices, including CSCOMs and health and nutrition centers; donors; officials and agents of other international and local organizations as needed.
Background, experience and capacities/skill required:
· M.A., M.S. or public health degree with a focus on health, nutrition, health systems strengthening, or a related field.
· 10 years of experience in health, nutrition, and/or health systems strengthening programming in the Sahel, preferably in Burkina Faso.
· Experience designing health, nutrition, and health systems strengthening projects; knowledge and understanding of rural development.
· Deep understanding and commitment to addressing gender equality in programming.
· Excellent interviewing skills.
· An understanding of donors in the sector highly preferred, as well as good contacts in Burkina Faso.
· Proven self-starter, excellent analytical, problem-solving and planning skills; capacity to work well in a team environment (and also to work independently as needed); and strong writing skills.
· Experience working with faith-based organizations highly desired – and strong willingness to understand how they work (and sensitivities) in order to further define roles in the project
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook.
· Excellent French oral and written communication skills as well as fluency in oral and written English, required.
Place of assignment: Based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with travel to other regions as needed. Lodging will be covered in Ouagadougou; lodging and per diem will be covered while on field visits.
Level of Effort and Timing: Full time for three months starting in June 2014 (approximately).
How to apply:
Process for Application:Send full CV and cover letter to Kristina Sene at kristina.sene@crs.org. The subject line should read: Health and Nutrition Sector Consultant. Ensure that the cover letter includes information on availability and payment terms.
