Terms of Reference for the VHT Revitalization Strategy Revision 2024

Background/Context

Earlier this year, Living Goods through Africa Frontline First (AFF) received funding from the Global Fund (GF) to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) to address key gaps and bottlenecks, lay strong foundations, and build the readiness of community health systems towards scale, institutionalisation, and sustainability through Project BIRCH (Building Integrated Readiness for Community Health). The proposed technical assistance (TA) approach is designed to provide comprehensive support tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of the project, including the MoH priority needs to be addressed. Through a collaborative partnership with the Department of Health promotion and various key stakeholders (including donors and implementing partners), Overall, LG will employ a multi-faceted methodology aimed at enhancing capacity, fostering innovation, and facilitating sustainable solutions.

These will involve: thorough assessments to identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities within the project scope; wide key stakeholder engagement at all levels to ensure alignment of objectives, promote ownership, and foster collaboration; capacity building; provide dedicated technical support through ongoing guidance to address challenges and facilitate effective implementation; enhance capacity at MoH to provide dedicated leadership of the project and timely, effective coordination with other MoH departments and strengthening the skills and competencies of these personnel; establish robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure accountability; documentation and facilitate knowledge sharing sessions and workshops to promote learning, exchange best practices, and foster innovation; assist in the development of sustainability plans to ensure project outcomes are maintained beyond the TA period and employ adaptive management strategies to respond to emerging challenges and adapt interventions as needed.

After BIRCH support, the goal is for Uganda to have achieved strong policies, strategies, and operational plans to advance the community health agenda within wider primary health care, human resources for health, health sector and the country; monitoring and regular assessments of systems that support community health to identify areas of improvement; functional coordination platforms to turn data into evidence-based decisions and performance; increased resource mobilization for community health; integrated financial planning with broader HRH and efficient resource allocation in community health; and long term financing and sustainability plans to ensure lasting impact.

VHT Revitalization strategy

Since 2010, the VHT strategy and operational guidelines have been used to guide community health implementation throughout the country. However, after 14 years, significant changes have taken place in the community health landscape, necessitating a revision of the current strategy to better align with current community health needs. For example, the range of services provided by Community Health Workers (CHWs) has gradually expanded. Factors such as population growth, changes in performance management, the introduction of technology through digitization and CHEWs, and the recent introduction of the national community health strategy have all required changes in the selection, training, equipment, and compensation of CHWs. Furthermore, the desire to harmonize and standardize CHW operations emphasizes the need for revision to optimize the community health program.

Purpose of the consultancy

The consultant will lead the process of revising the outdated VHT revitalization strategy. The goal of this consultancy is to update the strategy and involve key stakeholders and the Ministry of Health in a collaborative process to ensure their ownership of the updated VHT revitalization strategy.

Scope of Work

The VHT revitalization strategy shall encompass a range of issues, including defining the VHTs, their qualification, selection/recruitment, retirement the roles and responsibilities. It will also define the scope of work they do, their supervision, compensation and remuneration, tooling and training, implementation arrangements among others. The consultant can draw from any best practices within similar strategies for other non-governmental organisations and stakeholders with similar modus operandi.

Specific Tasks

The Consultant will:

1. Carry out a desk review of documents relevant to an understanding of the mandate.
2. Review existing national strategies, laws and policies on the community health workers sector and include these when developing the VHT revitalization strategy
3. Develop a sound methodology and tool that will ground the VHT revitalization strategy revision
4. Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for the VHT revitalization strategy including desk reviews, stakeholder consultations and benchmarking exercises.
5. Guide stake holder mapping and consultations and understand, obtain, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data relevant to stakeholders and partners.
6. Develop plans and strategies with clear deliverables and tools that address the constraints and create the needed updates
7. Together, with the advisory committee, lead a program of wider consultations to receive feedback on the draft VHT revitalization strategy.
8. Development, validation, finalization, and costing of the revised VHT revitalization strategy among others.

Deliverable Outputs

Based on the above, Consultant shall prepare and complete the VHT revitalization strategy. This shall entail, among other things the following:

• A detailed VHT revitalization strategy with clear and detailed changes/improvements from the previous one and able to provide direct guidance on implementation and how to strengthen VHT implementation in Uganda.
• PPT of the VHT revitalization strategy
• Present the draft VHT revitalization strategy to stakeholders for validation.

Commitment to Quality Work

At every stage of the assignment, the consultant shall use an evidence-based approach to ensure the highest standards of work and timely deliverables. The consultant shall ensure clarity of objectives and process during the consultations, countercheck all facts and figures cited, ensure that the content and format of the draft VHT revitalization strategy meets the high standard for such documents, and ensure proper editing and clarity.

The consultant shall, at the onset of the planning process, identify all stakeholders having a direct and indirect interest in the VHT revitalization strategy. Listing people, groups, and institutions that influence MoH’s work on community health. All stakeholders must be able to contribute to the VHT revitalization strategy to promote ownership.

Methods

The consultant shall obtain disaggregated data, review relevant literature, conduct interviews, conduct workshops, and undertake field visits if necessary. The consultant may establish a team to accomplish the consultancy’s objectives.

Qualifications/Competencies/ Experience

Living Goods is seeking for the services of a professional to develop revised a VHT revitalization strategy. The individual must possess the following.

1. Relevant work experience in strategic planning and development
2. Excellent and proven analytical skills
3. Possess knowledge of Uganda’s health system and experience in community health landscape.
4. Understanding of participatory approaches to management and operations
5. Excellent organizational and communication skills ability to prioritize and work with minimum supervision

Duration

The consultancy shall be for a period no longer than three (3) months, beginning on August 12th, 2024.

Application materials:

• Interested parties should submit a concise proposal for how the work will be carried out.
• Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their bids alongside detailed proposals, indicating their work schedule from the commencement to the end of the consultancy. Included should be:
• Technical approach and suggested timeline (maximum 5 pages)
• Case studies of previous experience of strategic development planning or similar assignments (maximum 2 pages)
• Budget for work to be undertaken (submitted in a single Excel work sheet and broken down into Consultancy fees, travel related costs including workshops and other)
• Any restrictions on consultant availability to begin work on August 12th, 2024.

Application timeline

Proposals should be submitted to: rmuhumuza@livinggoods.org with the subject line ‘MOH-LG VHT revitalization strategy Consultancy’

Application deadline: Monday, July 24th, 2024

• Short-listed applicants may be invited to attend an in-person or remote interview the between 31st July and 5th August at Living Goods offices. Candidates should endeavour to be available on these dates
• Any questions should be sent to the email address above before 24th July 2024, with “MOH-LG VHT Revitalization Strategy Consultancy” in the subject line.

Avoidance of Conflict of Interest

The VHT revitalization strategy writer must be able to provide objective, unbiased support. Therefore, each applicant must fully divulge any activities or connections that might lead to potential or perceived conflicts of interest, a self-assessment of whether such conflicts exist, and if so, how the consulting firm proposes to manage these. This applies at both the corporate and individual levels. Failure to disclose such conflicts would constitute grounds for disqualification.