Consultancy: Assessment on virtual HIV interventions in the Asia-Pacific

APCOM Foundation
Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
1181
02 Aug 2023
14 August 2023

(See detailed 'Request for proposal' at APCOM website / "Work with Us")

Background
Key populations’ way of life has progressively changed in the advent of technological advancements and availability of high-speed internet. This behavioural change – directly or indirectly – prompted alterations in HIV education, prevention, testing, care, and treatment. Many programme implementers and other stakeholders are creating, adapting, or refining their initiatives and efforts, utilizing virtual platforms with specifically tailored approaches to reach the at-risk communities as per their convenience. Not only do virtual platforms provide an opportunity to make services more convenient for key populations, they also have potential to reduce the burden on the health system and health facilities, as well as potential cost efficiency gains from integrating services, and delivering services at a lower unit cost.

As these initiatives are implemented by many different bodies and supported by various donors – each with its own targets and goals – a need for regional assessment is needed to gather evidence-based best practices, as well as challenges, that would help to ensure sustained action, and to help promote cross learning and foster collaborations.

Consultancy purpose

APCOM is seeking technical assistance to conduct a comprehensive landscape assessment of virtual HIV interventions that are implemented at country level in the Asia-Pacific region. The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:

Identify existing virtual intervention plans/strategies and initiatives at country level. [Proposed countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam]
Document successes and best practices, as well as challenges or bottlenecks of the initiatives, and future planned developments;
Use this and UNAIDS normative guidance to develop a checklist of services for each key population group that can be delivered virtually, and score Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Mongolia against the checklist
Develop recommendations, considering local context, based on the performance against the checklist to introduce or scale up virtual interventions for SKPA-2 countries of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Mongolia.

Consultancy tasks

Consultant: 20 days

A consultant will be hired to support these assessment processes which specific tasks will include, but not limited to the following:

Develop a detailed workplan with proposed timelines for this consultancy
Conduct a desk review of HIV virtual interventions strategies, plans and best practices in the region
Develop questionnaire in close coordination with APCOM, Health Equity Matters, UNAIDS, WHO, and other parties.
Identify prospective participants for the assessments from key stakeholder groups in each country;
Conduct consultation with country level CBOs, agencies and stakeholders as appropriate for the assessment approach;
Conduct interviews with the identified participants; record the interviews (with consent)
Analyze collected data and develop a virtual interventions checklist and comprehensive report in the format of compelling compilation of case studies;
Develop a report which includes:
- Compilation of case studies highlighting successful virtual interventions;
- Virtual interventions checklist and rating/score of Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Mongolia against all components of the checklist;
- Recommendations for SKPA-2 countries of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Mongolia.
Present the draft deliverables to APCOM and other parties, consolidate feedback and finalize the deliverables.