Consultancy: Capacity strengthening and governance support in programming with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is seeking a consultant to strengthen its approach in engaging with government partners and supporting capacity strengthening efforts within its programming with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).
About CRS:
CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff, and as partners, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.
Background:
CRS has a long and rich history of collaboration with the Global Fund in supporting high impact global health initiatives. Since 2003, CRS has been awarded over $290 million in Global Fund resources to implement 54 programs in 26 countries. Currently, CRS is Principal Recipient (PR) of Global Fund resources for malaria in five countries (Benin, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger and Sierra Leone) and for tuberculosis in Mali. CRS is also a Sub-Recipient (SR) for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and health systems strengthening (HSS) grants in Cambodia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Gambia, Nigeria and Senegal.
Partnership and capacity strengthening are central to CRS’ philosophy. CRS cultivates and depends on strong organizational relationships at the national and local level in order to carry out successful programs. CRS shares the Global Fund’s commitment to building resilient and sustainable systems for health, and understands that investing and strengthening partnerships with a full array of partners – government, the non-governmental sector including community and faith-based organizations, the private sector, traditional leaders and others – is key.
As CRS continues to strengthen its engagement with governmental partners in the context of its Global Fund programming, it seeks a consultant to review current practices and tools and advise CRS on how to adapt these, drawing lessons learned from what has or has not worked in CRS’ past experience as well as best practices and innovations from outside the agency. Please refer to the attached Scope of Work for a full description of objectives and deliverables.
Qualifications:
· Advanced degree in public health, health policy, international development, or related field.
· Understanding of technical principles, standards, and best practices in health systems strengthening, governance, and capacity strengthening.
· Minimum of five years’ international experience working on health systems strengthening, capacity strengthening or governance programs; experience working in Africa preferred.
· Proven capacity to work effectively with government ministries of health and national disease programs.
· Familiarity with policies, procedures, and priorities of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
· Prior experience conducting research in the field; thorough familiarity with principles and current approaches to program monitoring and evaluation, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
· Demonstrated ability to gather and analyze information and produce high quality technical reports.
· Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical and written/verbal communication skills, especially in cross-cultural settings.
· Excellent French and English oral and written communication skills.
· Willingness and ability to travel internationally.
Time Parameters:
The consultancy is estimated at 40 days. Exact dates are negotiable, but the consultancy is expected to be carried out during the July-September 2016 timeframe.
Bid Process:
Applications are welcome from qualified candidates based in any location. Consultant will be chosen through a competitive bidding process. Please submit a complete proposal that includes:
· A letter of interest – two pages maximum – that includes your qualifications for the consultancy, how you might approach the task, and consultancy rate
· A resume or CV, with contact information for 2 references
Submission Deadline:
Please submit letter and CV by July 8, 2016. A candidate will be selected and notified by mid July 2016.
Kindly submit to Elizabeth Stierman (elizabeth.stierman@crs.org) with subject line reading: “Global Fund Capacity Strengthening Consultancy”. The consultant is expected to begin work by August 1, 2016.
Disclaimer Clause:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
Scope of Work: Capacity strengthening and governance support in programming with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Background
Overview of Global Fund Grants & Partnerships
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has a long and rich history of collaboration with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) in supporting high impact global health initiatives. Since 2003, CRS has been awarded over $290 million in Global Fund resources to implement 54 programs in 26 countries. Currently, CRS is Principal Recipient (PR) of Global Fund resources for malaria in five countries (Benin, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger and Sierra Leone) and for tuberculosis in Mali. CRS is also a Sub-Recipient (SR) for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and health systems strengthening (HSS) grants in Cambodia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Gambia, Nigeria and Senegal.
Partnership and capacity strengthening are central to CRS’ philosophy. CRS cultivates and depends on strong organizational relationships at the national and local level in order to carry out successful programs. CRS shares the Global Fund’s commitment to building resilient and sustainable systems for health, and understands that investing and strengthening partnerships with a full array of partners – government, the non-governmental sector including community and faith-based organizations, the private sector, traditional leaders and others – is key.
One partnership of critical importance is CRS’ relationship with the host country government, in particular the Ministry of Health (MOH), national disease programs, and other national bodies involved in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Depending on the implementation arrangements of the particular grant, CRS may work with the government directly in a PR-SR, co-PR or SR-SSR relationship or indirectly as a key stakeholder. Where CRS (as PR) provides funds to a government agency (as SR), CRS is expected to play a capacity strengthening role, often with the ultimate goal to prepare the national government to take over the role of PR.
CRS defines capacity strengthening as a deliberate process that improves the ability of an individual, group, organization, network, or system to enhance or develop new knowledge, skills, attitudes (KSAs), systems, and structures needed to function effectively, work towards sustainability, and achieve goals. It is composed of three primary approaches, as follows.
̶ Institutional Strengthening is focused on an organization, enhances or develops the systems and structures needed to function effectively, work towards sustainability, and achieve goals. Assists in developing or improving sound business processes.
̶ Capacity Building is focused on individuals or teams, enhancing or developing new KSAs (knowledge, skills, attitudes) so people or teams function more effectively.
̶ Accompaniment combines thoughtful and consistent coaching and mentoring in combination with specific interventions, including workshops, conferences, organization design, or on-the-job training. It is further successful when it includes other methods of continuous learning.
Existing Capacity Strengthening & SR Management Tools
CRS has developed a range of evidence-based methods and tools for strengthening the capacity of partners around the world. This includes a 10-part guide on strengthening institutions, available in five languages, and CRS’s Institute for Capacity Strengthening, which offers online learning, face to face trainings, coaching and mentoring, as well as access to helpful tools, guides, studies and other learning and practitioner resources.
Additionally, CRS implements a rigorous Sub-recipient Financial Management Policy (SFMP) to ensure effective management of and accountability for funding issued to SRs, while simultaneously supporting SRs to build their long-term financial management capacity. Key activities under the policy include: the completion of pre-award capacity assessments of SR financial processes and internal controls; the development and implementation of SR internal control improvement plans, as needed; and ongoing monitoring of SR financial management performance.
Under the USG-funded AIDSRelief program, CRS pioneered a model for transitioning grant management from international consortium members to local partners. The program developed standardized capacity assessment tools and worked with local partners to develop transition plans, detailing capacity strengthening activities, a timeline and benchmarks to track and facilitate the handover of the HIV program to local partners.
In the context of Global Fund grants, CRS has developed a Sub-Recipient Management Guide which provides guidance to CRS program managers on how to select, assess, monitor and manage SRs while ensuring compliance with Global Fund regulations and CRS policies. As a companion to this guide, CRS has also developed a Zero Cash Policy Framework, detailing specific procedures for managing SRs operating under additional safeguards imposed by the Global Fund due to elevated risks associated with the particular country context.
Additionally, the Global Fund has developed its own tools for identifying and managing risks associated with the provision of grant funds to implementing partners (PRs and SRs), including the Qualitative Risk Assessment, Action Planning and Tracking Tool (QUART) and the Grant Risk Assessment and Management Tool (GRAM). The Capacity Assessment Tool (CAT) is used to measure capacity of the proposed PR in four domains: 1) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), 2) Procurement and Supply Management (PSM), 3) Financial Management and Systems and 4) Governance and Program Management.
Gaps in Tools Targeting Government Partners
Most of these tools focus on addressing concerns about weaknesses in SR financial procedures and internal controls, based on the perspective of CRS as PR disbursing funds to an organization as SR. The guidance is designed to help CRS mitigate its risks in disbursing funds to institutions with weaker controls. These tools do not address how to strengthen other important capacities required for grant management, nor do they outline a clear strategy for transitioning responsibilities to SRs.
An exception to this critique is the guidance and tools developed through CRS’ Institute for Capacity Strengthening, which have a broader focus that reaches beyond the financial aspects of the PR-SR relationship. However, these tools have been developed with a focus on non-governmental partners as the primary target audience. Government partners operate very differently from CRS’ non-governmental, including Church, partners. Governments have a particular mandate to promote and protect the interests of the citizens of their country, and their role in establishing national policies, providing public goods and services and regulating private providers are unique from other CRS partners.
CRS is seeking a tailored approach for managing, strengthening and ultimately planning for the “transition of PR responsibilities” [1] to government partners on its Global Fund grants. Some lessons learned can be borrowed from AIDSRelief in this area. Although the majority of transitions in the 10 countries targeted by AIDSRelief were to non-governmental partners, CRS did oversee the successful transition of the HIV program to government entities in Rwanda and South Africa. While the political environment in these two countries are unique from those where CRS currently manages Global Fund grants, they can offer valuable learning that can inform approaches to strengthen and transition grant management responsibilities to government partners on Global Fund grants. Additionally, CRS is now developing a new guide, Engaging Government, which will provide guidance for project officers on how to design and implement interventions that help governments strengthen their governance and service delivery capacity. This consultancy will review and build on this draft guidance by proposing concrete recommendations specific to CRS’ government partners on Global Fund grants.
Objective
The objective of this consultancy is to strengthen CRS’ approach to capacity strengthening of government partners on Global Fund grants, with a particular focus on PSM, M&E, financial management and program management/governance. The consultant will review current practices and tools and advise CRS on how to adapt these, drawing lessons learned from what has or has not worked in CRS’ past experience as well as best practices and innovations from outside the agency. Where gaps have been identified in CRS’ current practices and tools, the consultant may propose new practices and tools which have proven effective outside the agency.
Reporting and Working Relationships
The consultant will report to Global Fund Support Unit (GFSU) Director for this assignment. The consultant will work closely with the GFSU to develop the research methods, identify key informants and finalize the list of countries to visit. The consultant should minimally provide weekly updates on progress towards deliverables.
In addition to the GFSU, the consultant will consult with technical advisors in CRS’ Program Impact and Quality Assessment (PIQA) department to understand existing CRS approaches and tools for health systems strengthening, governance and capacity strengthening. S/he will engage regional and country program staff to review current and past experiences working with government partners on Global Fund grants and to assess future needs.
Deliverables
- Preliminary report (10-15 pages) and presentation to CRS following completion of phase one:
o Findings from the review of existing guidance, tools and capacity strengthening plans[2]; identification of gaps and recommendations for strengthening/adapting tools;
o Summary of CRS’ experience in capacity strengthening of government partners on Global Fund grants, including lessons learned and promising practices;
o Proposed research methodology, including list of countries to visit, key informants and development of interview guide.
- Final report (no more than 20 pages, plus annexes) describing methods, findings and recommendations on the following:
o Brief contextual analysis
o General recommendations to strengthen CRS’ approach and strategies to capacity strengthening of government partners;
o Country-specific recommendations for the countries visited. The recommendations should describe how CRS can more effectively manage and strengthen capacity of government SRs (and SSRs) in the context of current Global Fund grants;
o Guidance on how to measure results of capacity strengthening efforts, including recommendations for developing country-specific M&E frameworks, illustrative indicators/benchmarks, and measurement tools.
- Annotated list of recommended tools for CRS staff to use in assessing the capacity of government partners and developing capacity strengthening plans, with description of when these tools should be used, in what contexts and how existing tools complement one another (with a focus on reducing redundancy and effectively utilizing existing tools).
Estimate of Days
The consultancy will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will consist largely of a desk review of relevant tools and documents. The consultant may work remotely during this period, although starting with 1 day in Baltimore to meet with CRS staff to lay groundwork for the consultancy, and an additional day at the end of phase one to present findings and finalize the research plan for the second phase. The second phase will include international travel to selected countries (to be determined) where CRS is implementing Global Fund grants.
Phase 1: 11 days
Review objectives of consultancy, meet with key CRS staff: 1 day (plus travel day if needed)
Review relevant capacity strengthening guidance and tools developed by CRS and the Global Fund. Review country-specific documents to understand implementation arrangements between CRS and government actors and planned capacity strengthening/HSS activities in the context of different Global Fund grants: 7 days
Present preliminary findings from CRS program documents, reports and other grant documentation, as well as existing tools – identifying gaps in CRS’ current approach as well as existing methods and tools that can be built upon: 0.5 day
Develop research methods with CRS collaborators; this would include identification of countries to visit, key informants and development of interview guide: 1.5 days
Phase 2: 29 days
Hold initial meetings (Skype, phone) with country program staff to gather background information and plan for country visits: 3 days
Travel to countries[3] where CRS is implementing Global Fund grants for in-depth interviews with CRS and government stakeholders; organize a workshop with country stakeholders to present proposed methods and tools, solicit feedback and adapt as appropriate: 20 days
Prepare report: 4 days
Present findings and recommendations: 1 day (plus travel day if needed)
Number of days: 40 days
Further Reading
CRS Resources
“Governance and Integral Human Development: Lessons from Scholarship, the Teachings of Pope Francis, and the Practical Experience of Catholic Relief Services” (working paper, Catholic Relief Services, 2016).
“Plan de renforcement du PNLP [Niger]” and “Plan de renforcement du PNLT [Mali]” (drafts, Catholic Relief Service, 2016).
Institutional Strengthening: Building Strong Management Processes (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, 2011).
Global Fund Sub-Recipient Management Guide (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, 2016).
“Zero Cash Policy Framework” (Catholic Relief Services, 2016).
Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring Policy, POL-FIN-SFM-023 (Catholic Relief Services, 2013).
Institute for Capacity Strengthening materials, available at http://www.ics.crs.org
Mwayabo Jean Claude Kazadi, Evaluation of Transitioning an HIV Response to Local Ownership in Four Countries (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, 2015).
The AIDSRelief Rwanda Partnership: Transitioning to the Ministry of Health (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, 2010).
The AIDSRelief Site Capacity Assessment Tool, available at http://pqpublications.squarespace.com/the-aidsrelief-site-capacity-a/
Engaging Government guide, (Baltimore: Catholic Relief Services, draft copy to be published late 2016).
Global Fund Resources
The Role of the Global Fund: Supporting Countries to Build Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (Geneva: The Global Fund, 2015).
Evolving the Global Fund for Greater Impact in a Changing Global Landscape: Report of the Development Continuum Working Group (Geneva: The Global Fund, 2015).
The Global Fund’s Capacity Assessment Tool, available at http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/lfa/documents/
[1] Within its policies and guidance, the Global Fund has stated its preference is to work through national governments and civil society organizations as PRs. Where an international organization serves as PR (usually where governments are weak due to conflict, corruption, etc.), the intention is that it will build the capacity of national actors and eventually pass over the PR role to them.
[2] CRS has worked with the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) in Niger and National Tuberculosis Control Program in Mali to develop capacity strengthening plans, and will soon be working with the NMCP in Guinea to do the same.
[3] It is estimated that the consultant would likely travel to three countries, but the number and list of countries to visit will be finalized during phase 1.
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