Consultant to analyze the functions and cross-references between different state agencies across the perspective of TB response in Ukraine / Консультант з проведення аналізу функцій і взаємодії державних органів у питаннях протидії ТБ в Україні

The TB Europe Coalition (“TBEC”), non-profit foundation registered in the Netherlands, is pleased to announce a call for expression of interest to analyze the functions and cross-references between different state agencies across the perspective of TB response in the framework of  the Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS) grant, provided by the Stop TB Partnership and TB-REP 2.0 project “Advancing People-Centered Quality TB Care – From the New Model of Care Towards Improving DR-TB Early Detection and Treatment Outcomes”, led by Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center) and financed by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Background information of projects:

The current assignment is planned as a synergy of two projects:

• Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS) grant, provided by the Stop TB Partnership[1], is aimed at the transformation of the TB response so that it is rights-based, gender-transformative, people-centered and accountable, and serving to strengthen the engagement and effectiveness of TB affected, community-based entities at national level to progress efforts to identify and overcome barriers to access, and to advance partnerships between civil society and TB affected communities in neighboring countries.

The CFCS grant for the EECA region supports community and civil society actors at national and regional levels to implement key actions to achieve the targets and commitments made in the Political Declaration on the Fight against Tuberculosis (Political Declaration on TB) which was endorsed at the UN High-Level Meeting on TB (UN HLM on TB).  The regional project “PRO-ACT TB 2022″, led by TBEC and funded by the Stop TB Partnership within Challenge Facility for Civil Society, is focused on Europe region (particularly Eastern Europe and Central Asia) to enhance civil society and community coordination and capacity to strategically contribute to national and regional efforts and reaching the targets of Political Declaration on TB. The project addresses the regional and national operational dimensions of the meaningful involvement of affected communities and civil society in TB response and ensure the learning channel between neighboring countries to share evidence on effective approaches of community advocacy for sustainable TB finance and rights-based, gender-equitable and people-centered TB services.

• TB-REP 2.0 project “Advancing People-Centered Quality TB Care – From the New Model of Care Towards Improving DR-TB Early Detection and Treatment Outcomes”, led by Center for health policies and studies (PAS Center) and financed by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, is aimed at fostering timely TB case detection and improved treatment outcomes in patients with special emphasis on drug-resistant TB, through meaningful involvement of communities and civil society and integrated people-centered TB care delivery systems able to address the needs of key and vulnerable populations, and continuous technical assistance is provided to countries to catalyze advocacy efforts, assess partnerships and advocacy strategies for civil society organizations (CSOs) and regional stakeholders, as well as forge partnerships with the national TB caucuses.

Developed document will contribute to the TB-REP 2.0 project’s line 1.1.3. “Advocate for policy changes and forge sustainable relationships between all country and regional stakeholders in the fight against TB”. Furthermore, recommendations developed based on lessons learned from Ukraine’s example will be replicated in countries of the EECA region and in particular in the TB-REP 2.0 project countries.

The objective of the assignment:

To analyze the functions and cross-references between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, other Ministries and their subsidiaries (if needed)[2] as well as the Country Coordinating Mechanism (hereinafter – CCM) in Ukraine across the perspective of joint collaboration in the TB response and with particular focus on civil society and TB affected communities’ involvement in the Ministerial collaboration and service provision.

The analysis will allow civil society and TB affected communities to strengthen its role in intersectoral collaboration and to understand the possible ways of collaboration from the perspective of the stakeholders’ functions and scope of work. Increased intersectoral collaboration will further support the processes of multisectoral accountability in TB (MAF-TB)[3] to ensure that the commitments of the political declaration resulting from United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on TB are put into practice[4].

The scope of work:

Individual Consultant will be expected to:

1. Conduct a desk review of the functions of Ministries, governance structures and services of Ukraine, which are directly or indirectly involved in the process of combating the TB epidemic.
2. Make a plan-diagram on Ministerial functions and of interactions between different ministries and departments, as well as analyze possible duplication of functions or gaps in the TB-related services provision.
3. Develop methodology to conduct an analysis of interaction between the authorities and representatives of civil society and the TB-affected community.
4. Provide recommendations on a) strengthening the involvement of representatives of ministries and departments in the fight against the TB epidemic in Ukraine; b) creating mechanisms for involving representatives of ministries and departments in the fight against the TB epidemic in the EECA region (using the example of the lessons learned from Ukraine).
5. Prepare draft report with analysis and recommendations.
6. Finalize the report after comments received from TBEC secretariat.

Duration of the assignment and remuneration provisions:

• The work is expected to start upon signature of the specific agreement with the individual consultant.
• The duration of the agreement is October 15, 2020 – December 15, 2020.
• Payment will be made based on the results of the submitted report, provision of all deliverables to TBEC team and revision of report according to comments provided.
• Remuneration will be paid in US Dollars, so the Consultant should have a USD bank account.
• The Consultant will be responsible for the payment of taxes according to the laws of his(her) country of residence

Qualification requirements:

The individual Consultant, providing consultancy services, is expected to have a strong background in TB and civil society, as well as a good understanding of overall context of the TB programs specific to Ukraine environment.

Experience/Knowledge

• Educational background in public health, health policy epidemiology, public administration, social sciences and in other relevant fields (or commensurable working experience);
• Knowledge and understanding of the national responses to TB, social policy and governance in Ukraine;
• Understanding of TB policies and interventions, and health and social systems in Ukraine;
• Understanding of the policy context of in the WHO Europe region, particularly on transition to people-centred models of TB care; communities, rights and gender; and multisectoral accountability processes
• Familiarity with the civil society and TB affected communities’ actors in Ukraine and the country-specific social context they operate in;
• Proven experience in developing recommendations and methodological guidance documents related to public health and/or social sphere with demonstrated cross-linkages with public health.

Languages

• Knowledge of Ukrainian is required, Russian is desirable.

Conditions:

1. Individual consultants are invited to submit expression of interest for the consultancy services mentioned above.

1. TBEC offers the following type of cooperation:
2. Consultancy Agreement with an Individual Consultant/Expert. The Consultant will be responsible for the payment of taxes according to the laws of his(her) country of residence. Remuneration will be paid in US Dollars, so consultant shall have a USD bank account.
3. The contract will be awarded on the competitive basis to a Consultant/Expert with the highest qualifications and meeting all requirements described in Terms of References (ToR). Consultant will be evaluated based on the qualifications.
4. Consultancy fee for a given assignment will be based on the cost of the final product and will be negotiated with a Consultant/Expert with the highest evaluation results.

5. Your expression of interest should contain the following documents:

• CV with proven experience and qualifications (in Eng/Rus, not more than 3 pages).
• Motivation letter (in Eng/Rus, not more than 3 pages), should clearly describe the relevant experience and skills.

Failure to meet these requirements will lead to automatic disqualification of application;

6. All documents for expression of your interest should be submitted electronically to Anna Medvedenko, Administrative Officer, TBEC, at the following address [email protected]
7. The deadline for receipt of your expression of interest: October 9, 2020, 6 PM, Kyiv time. Late proposals will be rejected.
8. Selected candidate will be contacted by October 12, 2020.  
9. The evaluation and selection will be conducted through procurement procedures set out in the TB-REP2.0 sub-grant agreement between TBEC and PAS Center, as a TB-REP2.0 Principle Recipient of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and are aligned to the World Bank Guidelines. Questions regarding procurement procedures as well as other related to the topic of the current request can be addressed to Anna Medvedenko, Administrative Officer, TBEC, at the following address [email protected].

[1] http://www.stoptb.org/global/awards/cfcs/about.asp

[2] https://www.who.int/tb/publications/MAF_TB_Checklist_Annexes-Form-Final.pdf

[3] https://www.who.int/tb/publications/MultisectoralAccountability/en/

[4] https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/political-declaration-of-the-un-general-assembly-high-level-meeting-on-the-fight-against-tuberculosis