Consultant for Project mid-term Evaluation, M-FUND Project
: Dreamlopments (DLP)
: Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
: 832
: 13 December 2023
27 December 2023
Consultant Vacancy
Project mid-term Evaluation, M-FUND Project
Background
- Dreamlopments (DLP), a Thai-based Social Enterprise and Foundation, is running in Thailand the Migrant Fund (M-FUND), a low-cost, not-for-profit health access fund for migrants, stateless persons, and cross-border marginalized populations who are uncovered by existing government insurance schemes.
- The project was launched in Mae Sot District in Tak Province in September 2017. Since then, M-FUND has expanded to Mae Ramad and Phop Phra Districts in Tak, and to five other provinces (Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, Sakaeo, Trat, and Ubon) in Thailand. M-FUND is also present in Myawaddy (Shwe Kokko Area) in Myanmar and Poi Pet Municipality in Cambodia, extending coverage to cross-border populations who seek healthcare on both sides of the border.
- M-FUND deploys Community Workers (CW) and Community Relays (CR) in project areas to provide information about M-FUND to their peers and community. Those interested are enrolled by CW/CR, using tablets or smartphones via a secured web application. An electronic membership card is generated and linked to an individual QR code card that can be scanned in partner facilities, revealing members’ benefits and coverage under M-FUND.
- Currently M-FUND is using Plan 4.0, in which members are asked to contribute 100 THB/person/month (ppm), and granted coverage benefits of 5,000 THB/person/year (ppy) for outpatient services and 45,000 THB ppy for inpatient services. Persons with chronic diseases, pregnant women, and senior persons (>50 years old) can also enroll in M-FUND, with an additional payment of 100-200 THB ppm. As of September 2023, over 66,000 members have voluntarily enrolled in M-FUND.
- To provide broad-quality healthcare services, M-FUND currently partners with a network of over 200 partner health facilities, including public hospitals, and private and NGO clinics in different project areas, where members can receive either outpatient or admission care under M-FUND coverage. As of September 2023, more than 78,000 outpatient consultations and 12,000 inpatient admissions have been covered by M-FUND.
- While M-FUND strives to close the gaps in Universal Health Coverage by increasing area coverage and providing essential healthcare needs for M-FUND members, M-FUND also has an objective of reaching financial sustainability without relying entirely on donor funding support. The project is currently supported by funding from the Global Fund through Raks Thai Foundation and IOM-TEAM2 regional grant, and L’Initiative of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through Expertise France. For more information about M-FUND, please visit www.m-fund.online.
M-FUND under L’Initiative grant
- Under L’Initiative grant, M-FUND has an overall objective to improve health protection of all groups of migrants in Thailand, and poor border communities in Myanmar and Cambodia with specific objectives and indicators.
- As part of the grant requirements under L’Initiative grant 2022-2025, M-FUND aims to conduct a mid-term evaluation of the project and is looking for suitable monitoring and evaluation expert candidates.
- Several evaluations of M-FUND have already taken place including the evaluation of Phase 1 under L’Initiative. A total of 4 actuarial analyses and models have been conducted since the preparation and launch of M-FUND. The last actuarial evaluation was completed in Dec 2020. An evaluation of the impact of M-FUND on access to care, financial burden for households and management of existing health conditions is currently being completed by a PhD student. A specific evaluation was conducted in early 2023 on the gender dimension in M-Fund.
- The current M-FUND plan 4.0 is currently under programmatic and financial review by a microinsurance expert to formulate and launch a new version, M-FUND plan 5.0, in early 2024.
- This mid-term evaluation is expected to review and assess the achievements and progress of M-FUND against specific key grant objectives, and to offer new insights and perspectives that identify the limitations, and outline the possible future developments for M-FUND.
Specific Objectives of this evaluation
- The primary focus of this evaluation will relate to Specific Objective 1 (Ensure greater coverage of migrants and border communities), Indicator 2 : members who drop-out from M-Fund. Indeed, this indicator currently stands at 53%, and reducing this drop-out rate is a great challenge and can be crucial to ensuring the financial sustainability of M-Fund.
- The evaluation will first aim to identify the reasons associated with member drop-out. It will consider among other elements the extent of use of medical services under M-Fund and any related characteristics for members who drop out.
- It will also aim to identify options, opportunities, solutions to reduce drop-out and maintain members with M-FUND for a longer duration.
- In addition, the Consultant is expected to document good practices and possible challenges that were met in reaching current progress related to the objectives.
- Alongside this primary evaluation focus, the Consultant may also consider other related program objectives and express recommendations for improvements and better strategic orientations. (For example, relevance of investment of resources in different project areas in neighboring countries).
Methods
- Desk review and secondary data analysis
- Evaluator will be given access to the M-FUND Project log frame, reports, and routine indicators, as well as the M-FUND application where he/she will be able to export program data to conduct further analyses.
- Evaluator will be given access to all details related to the nature and costs of M-FUND operations.
- Field visits
- Evaluator will be able to follow activities of information and enrollment done in the community, by Community Workers and Community Relays. Evaluator will also be able to meet M-FUND members receiving healthcare services in partner facilities.
- Evaluator may choose to conduct focus group discussions/survey questionnaires/key informant interviews, with M-FUND members and migrants in the community, M-Fund staff, other key relevant informants (e.g. staff of partner facilities, NGOs) to study the evaluation objectives.
Timeline
The evaluation is expected to last for 30 working days (including report writing) and is to be conducted between January and February 2024.
Deliverables
- The consultant should first deliver an inception note within 5 working days after signing the contract. The inception note contains a detailed work plan for the evaluation period covering activities to be carried out, a schedule of activities and outputs, and methodologies to be used.
- After the evaluation assessment, a preliminary draft must be submitted for review by DLP team (the Head of Programs and the Director) and the donor team (L’Initiative) before finalizing the report. The 2-week review period is to be expected.
- After ensuring all comments and observations from reviews from the designated persons mentioned above, the consultant should deliver the final report, containing a maximum of 20 pages, including an executive summary of evaluated program indicators, the methods used to carry out the evaluation, and findings for each of the evaluation objectives.
- A powerpoint presentation of the evaluation methods, findings and recommendations for possible improvements of the M-FUND project and operations is also expected.
Qualifications required
Education:
- University degree in international development, public health, epidemiology, health economics/financing, or other related fields.
- Additional training/qualification in project evaluation and monitoring, or micro-insurance micro-finance, a strong plus.
Work Experience:
- At least 8 years of experience in international health and development encompassing a broad range of specific experience in:
- Project management/coordination.
- Project design.
- Monitoring and evaluation.
- Social research, including qualitative methods such as focus group discussions, and surveys; a strong plus.
- Experience in several countries, including in Asia, and various resource-limited settings required.
- Design, management, or evaluation of micro-insurance projects; a strong plus.
- Experience in projects of policy, aid and development for migrants and refugees a plus.
- Experience in the use of electronic data management systems desired.
Skills and competencies:
-
- Excellent analytical and reporting skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Fluent in English.
- Fluent in Burmese, or Thai; a strong plus.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills.
- Able to follow work plan, and timelines, and set priorities.
- Able to work under pressure. Flexible.
- Able to operate in a multicultural team environment.
- Advanced command of Microsoft Excel.
- Good command of other applications, including statistical software, a plus.
- Details and quality oriented.
- Diplomatic, energetic, highly motivated.
The position is open to experts of any nationality.
Remuneration:
-
- A daily competitive consultant fee is provided. Please indicate in the application, the previous reference daily consultant fees received, and the expected daily consultant fee for this evaluation.
- For consultants not based in Thailand, Dreamlopments (DLP) will cover the costs of international travel from/to home, and any local transportation needed to carry out the evaluation in the field. Accommodation and per diem will also be provided.
- For consultants based in Thailand, DLP will cover the costs of local transportation needed to carry out the evaluation, as well as per diem and accommodations during field visits.
How to Apply: A cover letter and the most recent CV in English should be submitted to: jobs@dreamlopments.com
Dreamlopments is an equal opportunity employer
Contact : jobs@dreamlopments.com
ที่ปรึกษา / Consultantติดตามและประเมินผล / Monitor and Evaluator
