Title:                     Consultant to Review and Revise KP Package of Services for Sri Lanka [Urgent!!]

Duration:            35 days

Periord:               23 September 2019 – 30 November 2019

Location:             Sri Lanka

Organization Background 

AFAO is the national federation for the community response to HIV in Australia. It provides leadership, coordination and support to the country’s policy, advocacy and health promotion on HIV. AFAO’s International Program is based in Bangkok and contributes to the development of effective policy and programmatic responses, particularly in the Asia and Pacific region. It has supported community-based responses to HIV across the region for over two decades. 

 

AFAO is currently the principal recipient of Global Fund Multi Country Grant Sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in Asia (SKPA), which is being implemented in eight countries: Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Laos and Papua New Guinea. The main aim of the SKPA Program is to promote sustainable services for key populations at scale to stop HIV transmissions and AIDS related deaths by 2030.

 

The objectives of SKPA program are to:

 

Increase Financial Sustainability: Secure the long-term sustainability of increased service delivery at national levels through securing domestic investment and spending, exploring innovative approaches and identifying alternative sources of funding for key programs.

 

Strengthen Strategic Information: Secure up-to-date strategic information, particularly on key epidemiological and response information including population size estimates and program coverage, community needs assessment of key populations to inform program design 

 

Mitigate Service Delivery Gaps: Scale-up outreach to key populations and improve their access to prevention, testing and treatment and retention in the service cascade 

 

Strengthen Community Systems: Strengthen community responses and systems to support increased scale-up of services for key populations including sustainability of community-led services through community-based research, effective use of data and other strategic information and through community mobilisation 

 

Contribute to Enabling Environment: Address barriers to access including addressing stigma and other human rights- and gender-related barriers to services, where relevant. 

 

In each of the countries that SKPA is being conducted, country Sub Recipients (SRs) are implementing the program. This consultancy will be contracted and overseen by The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka with support from AFAO.

 

Background:

While the World Health Organization has outlined the comprehensive package of services which should be available for key populations (including but not limited to: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, transgender people, and prisoners) these populations rarely have access to the full range of recommended services (WHO, 2016).  AFAO seeks a technical consultant to lead a review of the package of services for key populations within Sri Lanka to:

• Determine if and to what extent the HIV service packages as designed in the national guidelines or supported by Global Fund (or other) programs are in line with international standards and guidelines;
• Assess options in the configuration of services that are most likely to achieve 90/90/90 targets;
• Assess cost effectiveness of different service configurations;
• Identify barriers for implementation service delivery options within the legal environment and suggest a strategic advocacy plan.
   

Following this review, the consultant will develop a roadmap that will serve as a guide revising and implementing the revised KP package of services and scale up to achieve 90/90/90 targets.
 

Scope of Work and Tasks:

• Review the current package of services per key population as per the National Strategic Plan and conduct a comparative analysis between the packages of services in the NSP versus what the comprehensive package of services should be, as per UNAIDS and WHO guidelines (e.g., WHO Consolidated Guidelines for Key populations, Key population Implementation tools, guidance on PrEP, HIV Self-Testing, and Community-Based Screening, etc.)
• Determine whether HIV service packages as designed in the national guidelines or programs supported by Global Fund (or other donors) are in line with international standards and guideline, and are appropriate to epidemiological context, available, accessible.
• Examine what is practically being provided at the country-level and evaluate the utilization and implementation of HIV service packages in reaching intended target groups, coverage and reported quality of these programmes;
• Assess the feasibility and implementation options for the introduction or scale up of novel HIV interventions (including but not limited to PrEP, HIV Self-Testing, and Community-Based Screening)
• Examine the enabling environment and other factors (e.g., legal barriers, political environment, policy, funding, and service delivery infrastructure and strategic information) facilitating and inhibiting the availability, accessibility, utility, and scalability of HIV intervention services (including but not limited to PrEP, HIV Self-testing, and Community Based Screening) and suggest strategic advocacy plan for engaging and further developing  capacity of key stakeholders.
• Assess the mechanisms and degree to which financial resources are made available and used accountably for funding the implementation for service packages for key populations.
• Identify and define specific roles and responsibilities of each of technical, implementing partners involved in the review and revision of KP Package of services.
• Identify gaps in implementing partners, specifically in the area of sustainability and financing after GFATM transition and suggest possible avenues of interventions related to HIV financing.
• Develop recommendations that will support the revision of national policies and guidelines to include comprehensive package of HIV services for key populations and to support the implementation of revisions, including but not limited to PrEP, HIV Self-Testing, and Community-Based Screening and foster an enabling environment.

 

Methodology

This review will be carried out by consultants working closely with AFAO and sub recipient staff, in consultation with UNAIDS, the National Program and Country Partners.  The review will be based on the methodology described below, and further discussed with SKPA SR and PR Program Officers and Country Leads. The methodology for the review shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:

 

Part A: Initial Desk-Review + Development of Protocol for Review

Desk review of all national reference documents where policy and service related information are documented (including but not limited to current national strategic plans, action plans, outlines of state-provided HIV services and national programs, Global Fund Funding Request, etc.); review of relevant Global AIDS Response Progress Reports, National AIDS Spending Assessment (NASA) and UNGASS reports as well as World Bank and Data Hub country profiles; Review of international and normative guidelines for key populations (e.g., 2016 WHO Consolidated Guidelines for HIV Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Key Populations, Implementation Toolkit for Key Populations, etc.); The desk review will take into account the key recommnedations from national reference documents and is not intended to replicate or duplicate existing plans and strategies already being undertaken.
 

Part B: In-country Assessment

This activity will include, but not be limited to:

1. An initial meeting with representatives of CCM, PR, and SRS working with key population;
2. Visits to at least two sites for observation of package delivery;
3. Visits tor SRs/SSRS to examine M&E forms and systems;
4. Key informant interviews with government officials, public and private health workers, NGO staff, KP representatives, technical and other development partners (including UN agencies
    

During these visits, interviews and discussions will be done to undertake a situational analysis of what is currerently being implemented and piloted at the country level in accordance with international normative guidance, what revisions can be feasibly introduced or scaled-up, and what are the various legal, policy, funding, or service infrastructure barriers that prevent service revision including  the  introduction or scale-up of new HIV innovations. These include but are not limited 1) PrEP, 2) HIV Self-Testing, & 3) Community-Based Screening.

 

Part C: Report Write-up

Based on the data from the desk review and in-country assessment, the consultant(s) will develop a preliminary report with recommendations to be shared at a country meeting with partners

 

Based on the desk review and in country assessments, the consultants will develop reports with guidance from and in collaboration with AFAO country leads, UNAIDS, the National STD and AIDS Control Program, and other partners. These reports will address the objectives of the review stated above and are defined in the deliverables and scope of work section below. The final report will be shared with SKPA partners at regional and national levels and be published on AFAO’s website.

 

Activities:

Activities	Duration of Consultancy	Outputs	Deadline
Desk review and development of assessment protocol, methodology, and tools	5 Days	Desk review report and assessment protocol	28th September 2019
Field visits and stakeholder consultations	10 Days	Field assessments	11th October 2019
Drafting of the preliminary Reports	8 Days	Preliminary reports	23rd October 2019
Presentation of preliminary reports to PR and SR teams	4 Days	Incorporated feedback	30th October 2019
Drafting of the final Reports	8 Days	Final reports	15th November 2019
TOTAL	35 days

 

 

Deliverables:
 

Deliverable	Deliverable due date
Desk review report, development of assessment protocol, methodology and tools	28th September 2019
Preliminary reports for discussion at country level. These reports must include the following components 1) KP package of services assessment; 2) PrEP Feasibility assessment; 3) HIV Self-Testing Feasibility Assessment; 4) Community Based Screening Assessment; 5) Enabling Environment Assessment; 6) Roadmap to Achieving 90-90-90.	23rd October 2019
Final signed off reports incorporating feedback and recommendations from SR and PR Country team. These reports must include these 6 components: 1) KP package of services Assessment + recommendations; 2) PrEP Feasibility Assessment + Recommendations; 3) HIV Self-Testing Feasibility Assessment + Recommendations; 4) Community Based Screening Assessment +Recommendations; 5) Enabling Environment Assessment +Advocacy Plan; Roadmap to Achieving 90-90-90 + Recommendations	15th November 2019

 

 

 

Selection Criteria

 

Qualification, Skills, Experience and Role

Essential Extensive experience in HIV programing and strategy development Strong understanding of recent innovations in HIV programming including community-based screening, PrEP and self-screening Demonstrated experience in HIV responses in Asia and the Pacific, including through advocacy and capacity development and institutional strengthening for community organizations. Experience in qualitative as well as quantitative methods and theory development  Demonstrated experience in working with key populations and civil society Demonstrated experience in monitoring and evaluating development programs Demonstrated experience in writing succinct and clear evaluation report Demonstrated experience in working collaboratively to resolve complex issues, including with stakeholders who may hold differing views and conflicting interests.    Strong ability to critically analyse information and proactively identify requirements and offer recommendations and solutions. Desirable Technical experience in public health program management Tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience in international development, policy, management, public health, social sciences, communications or a similar field.

 

Time Scheduling

The consultant(s) will be contracted for a maximum of 35 days from 23 September 2019 to 30 November 2019.

 

*Please note that TOR is subject to possible revision prior to consultancy agreement contract signing.

 

Deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) is close of business

Monday 16 Septemeber 2019.

All submissions should be submitted to sriyal@fpasrilanka.org and Philips.Loh@afao.org.au.

Please contact Sriyal or Philips for any further questions.

Contact : sriyal@fpasrilanka.org

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