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BACKGROUND
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), or excessive bleeding after childbirth, remains a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Despite the significant progress made in skilled birth attendance and availability of proven interventions for prevention and management of PPH, timely access to blood transfusions as an essential component of emergency obstetric care remains a challenge in settings where the national blood supply and safe blood systems are inadequate.
The Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) within USAID’s Bureau for Global Health is providing MCH core funds through two global health mechanisms—the Health Systems Strengthening Accelerator (HSS Accelerator) and Market Access and Innovative Financing (MAIF)—to develop and implement a program of work in Safe Blood in select countries. Specifically, the Accelerator and MAIF, in close collaboration with USAID Missions, will utilize the USAID Safe Blood Starter Kit (developed under the Advancing Postpartum Hemorrhage Care activity) in 3 program countries—Liberia, Malawi, and Rwanda—to help analyze existing blood systems, identify primary barriers/challenges to availability of safe blood for treatment of PPH, and identify solutions/opportunities.
The HSS Accelerator is seeking a locally-based consultant in Liberia to support this work with project management and technical assistance. The consultant will lend their expertise and guide work in the initial implementation of the Starter Kit to assess existing challenges/barriers to the availability of safe blood as well as help analyze findings and develop an agenda for county-level interventions (phase 1 of the activity).
The consultant will join the HSS Accelerator team initially for phase 1, but, as needed, may also support longer-term implementation in counties as well as national-level action planning (phases 2 and 3 of the activity) based on phase 1 findings.
SCOPE
As part of the HSS Accelerator team, the consultant will serve as a technical expert and facilitator to the Accelerator, MAIF, USAID Mission, and Government of Liberia partnership. The consultant will work collaboratively with all teams to identify and analyze country priorities to improve safe blood systems (utilizing the USAID Safe Blood Starter Kit), design and roll out county-level interventions, and advance national-level action planning. The consultant will play leading and facilitator role at workshops and convenings, engage in day-to-day liaison and coordination with key national and county-level actors on behalf of the implementers, and contribute to the analysis and development of key outputs.
CONSULTANT’S SCOPE OF WORK
- Support the Accelerator and partners in conducting a rapid review of recent work done and major blood system challenges in Liberia (using the USAID Safe Blood Starter Kit) to identify feasible and urgent county-level interventions. This would include:
- Reviewing available documents, previous assessments conducted on Liberia’s blood system, strategic documents guiding government’s priorities on safe blood, etc.,
- Supporting the Accelerator to identify country stakeholders (both public and private) with relevant credentials and experience in maternal and child health (MCH), blood system, and health policy to participate in one-on-one stakeholder interviews, convenings, and workshop(s)
- Helping with setting up a “Safe Blood Working Group” of key stakeholders to guide and inform the activity throughout
- Help to conduct key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders to gather data and perspectives and apply the Starter Kit in line with the country context
- Serve as an in-country liaison to relevant government stakeholders and the USAID Mission in Liberia
- Support in facilitating an in-country or virtual (TBD) workshop with the Safe Blood Working Group and other relevant stakeholders to review findings from rapid desk review, assess county-level implementation ideas, and translate evidence and perspectives into practical, actionable content
- Support HSS Accelerator and MAIF to translate findings from data collection and workshopping activities into county-level implementation plans by using systems thinking (identifying systemic barriers, underlying causes, and feasible solutions)
As needed and agreed following phase 1, the consultant will continue to support the implementation of county-level interventions as well as subsequent or concurrent national-level action planning through the remainder of the project (phases 2 and 3 of this activity in Liberia). This extended work may also include:
- Supporting the HSS Accelerator and MAIF with light-touch technical expertise for further development of the toolkit, including data collection and synthesizing initial findings, such as rapid review of progress made in 3-4 counties.
- Participating in cross-country learning and sharing of lessons with two other intervention countries (Malawi and Rwanda) and USAID missions as work progresses in Liberia.
LOCATION
The Consultant must be based in Liberia for the entire duration of the consultancy. However, he/she may be required to co-locate or meet with support staff from a locally-based Accelerator partner organization.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
EDUCATION AND PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE
- Masters or higher degree in public health, medicine, or related field (e.g., public policy or nursing) with significant work experience focused on blood systems, maternal and child health, or clinical management of post-partum hemorrhage at health facilities in Liberia.
- Work experience of 10-plus years in the health sector in Liberia, preference will be given to those with demonstrated experience in the following areas:
- Maternal and child health, obstetric care in primary health and emergency settings, blood banking and transfusion, management and supply of health commodities,
- Working alongside key stakeholders in the health sector (e.g., government, civil society, private sector, development partners, etc.) in senior advisory capacity
- Facilitating qualitative meetings, workshops and/or processes
- Conducting qualitative research, ideally on clinical protocols and policy design
- Experience using systems thinking approaches and learning and evaluation methodologies
- Experience working with USAID projects and mechanisms
RELEVANT SKILLS AND STRENGTHS
- Deep knowledge of and expertise in health system issues in Liberia, including:
- Systemic issues related to PPH and MCH, specifically delivery of maternal and child health services in primary and emergency care settings, including financing, governance and policy (e.g., hemovigilance), demand and supply of key commodities
- Blood delivery systems
- Actors and institutions in the health system and their dynamics and interactions
- Strong English language and communication skills—both written and verbal. Writing skills must be sufficient to prepare and edit regular and ad-hoc reports.
- High level of organization, attention to detail, professionalism, reliability and ability to evaluate program level activities.
- Enthusiasm, energy, and good judgement.
- Diplomatic skills in order to form good working relations with technical level national and local government officials, other development partners and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and email platforms is required.
- Consultant must have a strong capacity to manage activity goals and achievements, both technical and financial;
- Must have skills in project programming and strategy development; and must be able to work effectively in a team environment to achieve consensus on policy, project and administrative matters.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT
The activity shall commence in July 2022 for a planned implementation period of approximately 2 years (maximum 4 months of phase 1, and 1.5 years of phases 2 and 3). The consultant will initially be hired for and involved intensively in phase 1 activities and will be engaged as needed for the remainder of the program. The consultancy fee will be based upon timely completion of deliverables as agreed. The consultant will submit invoices along with completed deliverables in order to receive payment.
DELIVERABLES
REPORTING PROCEDURES
HOW TO APPLY:
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and nurturing an energetic, collaborative and diverse workforce. R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.
