Organization: UN Children"s Fund
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 13 Aug 2015
Background & Rationale
The Inter Agency Task Team on the Prevention and Treatment of HIV Infection in Pregnant Women, Mothers and Children (IATT) co-convened by UNICEF and WHO is a partnership of 33 organizations committed to the elimination of new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive. Guided by the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mother Alive (The Global Plan), the IATT focuses on 22 countries outlined in the Global Plan as priority countries and has three core mandates, namely:
- Develop and revise guidance and operational tools
- Monitor and track progress of country implementation
- Coordinate and provide technical assistance (TA) for EMTCT
To support delivery of these mandates, the IATT has thematic working groups one of which is the Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group (MEWG). The MEWG group, comprised of 30-35 member organizations, is tasked to coordinate and facilitate technical assistance; and provide operational and programmatic guidance in relation to global, national and sub-national program and progress tracking, across all 22 Global Plan countries.
Over the past decade, Prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) programmes have rapidly evolved from delivering a single prophylactic drug to mothers to providing lifelong care and treatment for both mothers and children living with HIV. Lifelong treatment approaches—widely known as ‘Option B+’—are expanding from pilots to universal implementation as revised national treatment guidelines are scaled up across generalized epidemic settings. As service delivery programmes expand lifelong treatment approaches, data systems that collect, report and use routine and enhanced programme information must be strengthened to identify programme successes and challenges.
The IATT Monitoring and Evaluation working group, through its’ partnership with WHO and partner CDC, has developed and published the Option B+ Monitoring & Evaluation Framework for Antiretroviral Treatment for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women Living with HIV and Their Infants (IATT M&E Option B+ Framework). The tool is intended to help guide national programmesreview, adapt and update current monitoring systems and continuously evaluate programmes, maximizing the potential impact of lifelong treatment (Option B+) programs to improve health outcomes and prevent HIV infections for women, their children and their families.
This resource is intended for use among national Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) officers; PMTCT, pediatric, MNCH and HIV Care and Treatment programme managers; and other stakeholders (including donors, implementing partners, and civil society) in countries with generalized HIV epidemics.
A number of countries have taken a lead in developing and implementing adaptations to their monitoring systems in order to be able to better document events throughout the care continuum for mothers and their infants and better determine retention and PMTCT outcomes. Examples of these efforts are: the HIV Exposed Infant Cohort Analysis in Kenya; the SMS enhanced monitoring system with weekly dashboard reviews to track ART initiations, early retention and commodity stock outs in Uganda; the enhanced monitoring system in Rwanda; and the implementation of a unique patient ID that links mother and infant pairs in Botswana.
Purpose
To shorten the learning curve for countries, UNICEF would like to showcase through documented case studies, these and other countries implementing M&E practices that align to the recommendations in this framework. The case studies will supplement the guidance within the B+ M&E framework by providing practical implementation examples outlining inputs, process, challenges and solutions. In order to complete these case studies a consultant is required to work with the IATT Secretariat as well as the MEWG in engaging countries; obtaining data, tools and information for development and completion of the case studies.
Expected results
- Tool Development done: Case study outline as well as data/information gathering template and plan.
- Documented Country Engagement Discussions and Outputs: abstracts, copies of tools
- Country case study write ups (final drafts) developed : 10 Country case studies covering 5 thematic areas namely:
a. Cohort and Retention monitoring;
b. Enhanced Monitoring;
c. Sub-national Analysis for Unmet Need for PMTCT, EID and Pediatric ART done;
d. Dashboards to enhance data use available; and
e. Use of Unique Identifiers that Link Mother-Infant Pairs across Service Delivery Points and across Health Facilities as a foundation for Outcomes and Impact Assessment available.
Methodology
a. Literature Review and Development of Tools
Case study outline and data/information gathering template: For each thematic areas namely covering 5 thematic areas (Cohort and Retention monitoring; Enhanced Monitoring; Sub-national Analysis for Unmet Need for PMTCT, EID and Pediatric ART; Dashboards to enhance data use; and Use of Unique Identifiers that Link Mother-Infant Pairs across Service Delivery Points and across Health Facilities as a foundation for Outcomes and Impact Assessment); a literature and desk review will be conducted from Global and country perspectives to inform the background, rationale and justification of the case studies. An outline of the case study for each thematic are will be drawn as well as data gathering template and plan.
b. Country Engagement
Initiate and carry through country conversations prior to the Country Consultation Meeting in September of 2015, as well as during the meeting and after, until all information satisfactorily gathered. A country consultation is planned for September 2015 for 13 countries. Countries have been invited and provided with a guidance document that describes preparations leading up to the meeting. Countries (2 or 3) have been identified to make presentations in each of the 5 thematic areas (Table 1) detailing their implementation models. These countries will be engaged prior and during the meeting to initiate and carry forward conversations around the respective thematic areas as part of sharing perspectives and experiences on their implementation model; and as part of the data/information gathering process. This will involve travel to the meeting as well as to countries where an in-country follow up mission is required.
c. Data/information gathering
Gather data and information from the service delivery, program, policy and cost perspectives through country calls, country interaction at the Country Consultation meeting and follow up missions after the meeting as necessary.
For each case study, information will be collected on the following aspects:
- Background, rationale, justification
- Key Definitions
- Methodology
- Issues addressed
- Challenges identified
- Lessons learnt: good practice
- Lessons learnt: what would you do differently
- What it cost (initial implementation & scale up)
- Recommendations
In addition, there will be a focus on highlighting important aspects related to specific thematic areas (**Table 2**).
d. Analysis, Synthesis and Case Study Write up
Following the data/information gathering there will be analysis and synthesis of rationale, processes, methodologies, work flow, tools, outputs, cost, results, challenges and lessons learnt; and write up of the case studies. Two case studies will be written per thematic area, bringing out some contrast from methodological approach, country context and success or failure perspectives.
e. Draft of a compendium of best practices/lessons
learned on M&E systems in the context of lifelong ART for pregnant women living with HIV.
Duty Station
Consultant will work at UNICEF New York Headquarters. Travel will be required. Countries to be determined.
Timeframe
Start date:31 August 2015 End date: 31 December 2015 (4 months)
Key competences, technical background, and experience required
Education:
· Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, information systems,
· Strong experience in working on Monitoring & Evaluation/Strategic Information systems with knowledge of PMTCT and Paediatric HIV programming (min. 8 years’ mid-level experience)
· Fluency in English required, with excellent writing skills, French proficiency desired.
*Please see deliverables in attached chart.
How to apply:
How to Apply
Applicants are requested to send their submissions to <**pdconsultants@unicef.org>with subject line: **“Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) M&E Case Studies Development, Consultancy”by**13 August 2015, 5:00pm EST.**
Applications must include:
· Cover letter,
· Maximum 3-page curriculum vitae (CV); and
· Signed P11 form (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc)
· Indicate where you heard about this advertisement
Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.
Due to the volume of applications being processed, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
NOTE: Files should not exceed 5.0MB limit
UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
EmoticonEmoticon