ThaiNGO

Background

About Seven Alliance 

The Seven Alliance is a consortium of regional networks of key populations and comprises of i) APCOM; ii) Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV [APN+]; iii) Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers [APNSW]; iv) Asia Pacific Transgender Network [APTN]; v) International Community of Women living with HIV in the Asia Pacific [ICW-AP]; vi) Network of Asian People who Use Drugs [NAPUD]; and vii) Youth LEAD. The consortium led by the APTN has been awarded the Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) funds to serve as an E-Learning Hub under the Community Engagement Strategic Initiative (GF CE SI). The Seven Alliance’s scope of work under the GF CE SI primarily focuses on “Support peer learning and exchange to strengthen community engagement in all Global Fund-eligible countries in Asia-Pacific”. 

About Regional Learning Hub

The Regional Learning Hub Platforms established by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (the Global Fund) within CE SI, are currently being implemented for the period 2024-2026. The Seven Alliance Consortium is hosting the Regional Learning Hub Platform for Asia and the Pacific region (starting from 2024 also known as the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub).

The Regional Learning Hub is expected to play a key role in engaging community networks and civil society organizations in the Global Fund processes. They are responsible for fostering regional dialogues, exchanging knowledge and good practices among network members and civil society partners, as well as disseminating information on technical assistance opportunities across all countries receiving the Global Fund grants support in the Asia Pacific region. Therefore, one of the objectives of the Asia Pacific regional learning hub is to enhance community knowledge of the Global Fund and its processes, through the regular mutual sharing of tailored and targeted information with a diverse audience.

To achieve this objective during the implementation phase and to better address the learning needs of the civil society and communities in the Asia Pacific region, the Asia Pacific regional learning hub plans to conduct a learning needs assessment and survey of HIV, TB, and Malaria communities on the Global Fund related issues. The Seven Alliance Consortium is pleased to announce an RFP on the selection of a consultant to conduct a Regional Survey to understand the learning needs and priorities of key affected communities and civil society organizations working under the Global Fund in the Asia Pacific region.

The Regional Learning Hub is fiscally hosted by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network.

Purpose of Consultancy 

The consultant will be assigned to develop a comprehensive learning needs assessment report using an online survey across the Asia Pacific region. 

The assessment report will highlight the specific capacity, knowledge, technical understanding, and skills required for effective community-led responses within the region. Furthermore, it will assist the Seven Alliance Consortium members in strategizing and implementing the work plan and activities throughout the life cycle of the Regional Learning Hub project. 

The consultant will undertake the following, but not limited to: 

Task 1 – Review of Materials/Resources 

Post the signing of a contract between the Consultant and the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub, the Consultant will review the following:

1. All communications channels related to the former Asia Pacific CRG Learning Hub including website, e-group, and social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook) and the Regional Learning Hub’s work plan for 2024-26;

2. Existing report on the assessment of engagement of KPs CSOs in global fund process (if any)

3. Report on the former Asia Pacific CRG Platform work in the period 2021-23; and (but not limited to) 

4. Other required materials or documents. 

Task 2 – Developing survey tools and Conducting Survey: Online (and offline, if doable) 

1. Develop and finalize survey questionnaires with the support received from the Seven Alliance consortium members. (Survey questionnaires should be designed to collect the following, but not limited to;)

• What are the learning priorities of the key population community including representatives of civil societies of Global Fund (specific subjects, national, regional, global level, etc.)?

• Why do people need specific Global Fund-related information, for what engagement purposes, and how might it help them?

• What are the major barriers to learning about community engagement in Global Fund processes and how could these be overcome?

• Are there any learning needs that could be addressed through access to Technical Assistance?

• Are there any examples of successful community engagement in Global Fund-related processes that should be showcased for others to learn from?

• Are there any countries facing similar challenges, or with similar learning priorities, that could be twinned together for ‘Peer Learning’?

• What are the most appropriate formats of learning/information sharing?

• What could the Regional Learning Hub do differently to better address the learning needs?

• Other existing gender-related gaps in engaging with global fund processes and grant-making?

2. Semi-structured interviews with representatives of the following groups:

• NGOs that received Global Fund’s CE TA with the support of the former Asia Pacific CRG Platform in 2021-23. (3 interviews)

• CE TA providers who had the experience of CE TA provision in the Asia Pacific region in 2021-23. (3 interviews)

• Global Fund representatives including CE SI staff, CRG investment support advisor, and others from the Grant Management Division, as relevant. (2 interviews)

• Key partners of the former and current Asia Pacific CRG Platform in the region from among national and regional key population networks. (2 interviews)

• Activists from among the following communities in Asia Pacific countries – People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Women and girls living with HIV, Sex Workers (SW), People Who Use Drugs (PUD), GBMSM/LGBTQI+, people living with or affected by TB. (6 interviews)

• Partners involved in the implementation of the Component 2 of the CE SI in Asia Pacific region both within the current and previous phases. (2 interviews)

The Consultant will:

• Prepare the list of the interviewees with the help of the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub team members. Some interviewees might represent more than one group.

• Develop a separate set of questionnaires for each group of interviewees.

• Confirm the list of interviewees and questionnaires with the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub before the interview.

• Conduct not less than 16 interviews covering all the above-listed groups (as some of the respondents could represent 2 or more groups).

3. Draft and finalize the survey questionnaires (English) with the support of SA consortium members. 

4. Coordinate and liaise with SA consortium members to translate the survey questionnaires into local languages. (For Example: Bahasa, Burmese, Hindi, etc.) 

5. Take the lead or seek support from Seven Alliance consortium members to deploy the questionnaires into an online platform to create a survey link for rollout (For example: Survey Monkey, Google Forms, etc.) 

6. Develop and share links to the online survey form through pre-agreed communication channels.

7. Monitor, collect data, and analyze information to draft the learning needs assessment report. 

Task 3 – Draft and finalize the learning needs assessment report

1. Present the significant findings (through a slide presentation) from the survey results with the SA consortium members. 

2. Prepare and confirm with the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub team on the structure of the learning needs assessment report. 

3. Prepare a draft report on the results of the survey and present it for review.

4. Incorporate comments provided by the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub and finalize the report.

Timeline and process

Deliverables

Task 1. A summary review report.

Task 2. Online survey questionnaires, structured interview guide, list of interviewees. 

Task 3. Slide presentation of survey results and a detailed survey report. (should not exceed 15 pages (excluding annexes if any)

Cost and payment

The final cost of the contract will be calculated based on the number of working days indicated by the Consultant in their application required to complete each stage of the assessment process described in this Request for Proposals (RFP), as well as the daily rate (in US Dollars) confirmed and agreed with the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub. The daily rate must include all taxes to be paid by the Consultant.

Payment will be made based on the APTN Consultant payment policy.

Evaluation Criteria

An evaluation panel will assess the proposals that will be submitted by/before the submission timeline in response to the RFP. The evaluation criteria is listed below.

The minimum technical score is 90. Only candidates with a minimum score of 90 points out of a maximum of 100 are considered eligible for the assignment. Consultants with proven work experience with the key population community would be given priority. Three candidates with the highest technical score will be invited for a negotiation of the agreement.

Additionally, the consultant should have:

• No conflict of interest (should be declared in the Letter of Interest);

This RFP shall not be construed as a contract or a commitment of any kind. This request for proposals in no way obliges the Seven Alliance Regional Learning Hub to award a contract, nor does it commit Seven Alliance to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposals.

How to apply

Individual consultants are invited to submit the CVs and the Letter of Interest (LoI) – covering the above-mentioned criteria, estimated number of working days, and daily rate. to: apply@weareaptn.org with the subject line: 

“RFP: Regional Consultant to conduct learning needs assessment Survey of key affected communities and Civil Society organizations.” to by 14 April 2024 23:59 ICT.