Consultant - HFPH Training & Health Promotion

Job Description

Development of the Healthy Family Peaceful Home Training and Health Promotion Package

Consultant name

TBC

Country programme

Lebanon

Medair staff ‘contractor’

Steffen Horstmeier, Country Director, Lebanon

Total time frame

32 working days estimated

Reports in the field to:

Heidi Giesbrecht, Health Advisor

Reports at HQ to:

Emily Sharpe, Senior Health Advisor

BACKGROUND

In Lebanon, Medair currently implements a health project with funding from Swiss Solidarity. The aim of the project is to provide Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese access to life-saving primary health care in Social Development Centre (SDC) clinics and promote behavior change through the Community Health Program, facilitated by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and Community Midwives (CMW) in the Bekaa Valley. This phase of the project is an 18-month project.

The project has 3 immediate outcomes:

1. Improved access for vulnerable women, girls, boys and men (WGBM) to lifesaving primary health care services, including mental health and psychosocial services
2. Improved quality of health care services provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs SDCs and strengthened capacity to respond to the increased health needs
3. Increased health, nutrition and hygiene awareness and practice of key preventative behaviors for vulnerable women, girls, boys and men (WGBM).

Swiss Solidarity has been the lead donor supporting Medair’s health program in Lebanon since 2015, providing Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese access to life-saving primary health care in Social Development Centre (SDC) clinics and promoting behaviour change through the Community Health Program. This support has seen the program grow from four to ten health clinics, reaching areas in the Bekaa Valley with high numbers of refugees (approximately 346,565 Syrian refugees^[1]) and limited health care services, and the integration of a highly effective Community Midwife (CMW) program into the Community Health Program.

One key deliverable in this project is making change in social and behavioral norms that can positively impact reproductive healthcare for women and increase access to medical and psychosocial support services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. In addition, Medair Lebanon and Medair Jordan, in a consortium with Tearfund and ACCTs, as well as Community Based Organizations (CBOs), plan to implement a 2 year community health programme and psychosocial support program. That program will utilize the tools developed under the SwS project. That project objectives are listed below, and they correlate well to the SwS project objectives.

Overall Objective: To improve the well-being and resilience of Syrian refugees and host community women, girls, men and boys (WGMB) affected by conflict and sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).

Specific Objective: WGMB in conflict-affected communities will have improved sustainable access to quality, safe Reproductive Health (RH) and Psychosocial (PSS) services.

The project activities will raise awareness of and promote greater understanding of well-being, trauma, gender norms, available RH and PSS services by delivering a Healthy Family, Peaceful House (HFPH) package through Medair’s Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), Care Groups and Community Based Organisations (CBOs). In addition, the project will increase access with cash for health (Jordan) and subsidies (Lebanon), will build capacity for communities to promote and provide RH and PSS support, and will build capacity in MOH (Jordan) and MOSA (Lebanon) health workers.

PURPOSE

Medair and partners require a Healthy Family, Peaceful House (HFPH) package. The vision for this package is comprehensive compilation of messages and training material on Reproductive Health (RH), Maternal and Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), Psychosocial Services (PSS) and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) topics. The HFPH package (or manual) will be implemented by two modalities: one is community health volunteers who visit households up to 4 times during an individual’s pregnancy and post-partum period and the other is through Care Group Volunteers who are linked to Care Group Champions within CBOs in areas with Syrian refugee and vulnerable host populations.

Medair are currently providing health and some MHPSS services. The materials currently used in these programs for community outreach, health promotion, and training will be shared with the consultant and additional material may need to be identified and shared. The consultant should ensure the HFPH packages are comprehensive (addressing the various health issues within the household and communities) and based on evidence-based practice, and are developed with input from and informed by the targeted beneficiaries.

More specific details on the outputs, as aligned with the purpose of this consultancy, is below.

OUTPUTS

• Development of a comprehensive and integrated HFPH package, using social behavior change communication approaches Evidence based messages on the following topics will be the focus:

• Reproductive Health
• Family planning
• Infant and Young Children Feeding
• Neonatal care
• Attachment and early childhood development
• Basic psychological first aid
• Trauma and PSS (MHPSS)
• Gender norms/masculinity
• SGBV
• Healthy relationships (communication skills, conflict resolution)
• Non-communicable diseasesFor each topic:

• Ensure that key messages and expected actions related to the messages are clear
• Where available use relevant local materials that are already developed to address the audience and their specific barriers or concerns. This could include information from relevant in-country working groups (e.g. RH working group)
• Develop a plan for ensuring that messages address community members’ barriers and concerns, either using barrier analysis or other methods.
• Provide background information for each topic (for better understanding)
• Specify which topic is relevant for which target group, taking into consideration e.g. gender, age and health needs and help identify target groups and potential support groups
• Mapping of available referral mechanisms

1. Develop, field test, and facilitate training of trainers for Medair staff on Care Groups and Design for Behavior Change, integrated with the Happy Family Peaceful House package. Including:
2. This training be designed to prepare Medair and partner staff to train CHVs and CBO leaders to roll out the Care Group Model, implement with good skills for behavior change (such as those in Design for Behavior Change and Make Me a Change Agent), and understand and communicate clearly the messages that make up HFPH.

• Facilitators manual
• Manual and material for CHVs, care groups and CBOs
• Facilitating the development of booklets for beneficiaries, including IEC materials for delivery at the household level
• In person training of trainers
• Inclusion of psychological first aid in the training
• Skills assessment of participants

All materials must be available in English and Arabic. The consultant will work with a national staff member or consultant for Medair Lebanon to arrange for appropriate translation when needed, with translated materials pilot tested and back translated as needed.

Qualifications

The relevant candidate will:

• Have a degree in health or similar qualifications with social and behavior change communication background, preferably with a masters’ degree.
• Have at least two years’ experience in social and behavior change communication, preferably in humanitarian settings.
• Have proven experience in supporting SBCC, PSS and/or RH programs and program development. It is preferable for the candidate to have prior DBC and Care Groups experience.
• Have experience developing training curricula for program managers and community health workers.
• Be competent in Microsoft Office.
• Be fluent in written and spoken English. It is preferable for the candidate to also speak and write in Arabic.

ACTIVITIES AND TIMEFRAME

Activity

Estimated Working Days

Location

Review existing health, PSS and protection promotion and teaching material provided by Medair and partners

5

Consultant’s office/Lebanon

Identify additional relevant health, PSS, and protection promotion and teaching material

2

Consultant’s office/Lebanon

Development of an integrated HFPH package with appropriate and relevant promotion and teaching material

7

2 days preparation

5 days field visit

Adapt, compile and develop as needed training and TOT components of the HFPH package (including training on Care Groups and BCC skills such as Design for Behavior Change)

5

2 days in the field

3 days desk work

Conduct one ToT training as a field test, evaluate and adapt package accordingly

10

5 days field training

2 days field follow up

3 days revisions

Conducting interviews via Skype or discussion

1

Consultant’s office

SECURITY

All reasonable steps will be taken to provide safety and security for the consultant; both Medair and consultant accept the inherent risks in working in humanitarian contexts. Medair will not be required to do more than what is reasonable and possible in the circumstances whilst providing a safe and appropriate work environment.

CONSULTANCY FEES AND TERMS OF PAYMENT

• International flights will be arranged by Medair via pre-selected travel agents and will therefore be paid directly by Medair (maximum 2,000USD)
• Accommodation and travel in Lebanon will be arranged by the consultant, with recommendations from Medair.
• The consultancy fees will be negotiated based on bids, calculated on the basis of an estimated 30days of work at a daily market rate for humanitarian sector advisors, and estimated budget for per diem to cover accommodation, food and transport within Lebanon.
• Fees will be paid to the consultant at the end of the contract, upon receipt of the consultant’s invoice, which will list the hours and a breakdown of support hours per country programme.

CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITIES

• All travel arrangements to and from the airport of departure in country of abode
• Fulfil the above outputs as listed within the timeframe stated.
• Obtain the necessary vaccinations before the start of the consultancy (not reimbursable by Medair).
• Comply with and field location security plan and recommendations on dress and behaviour, as given to expat staff.
• Provide laptop, software, or any other relevant equipment for personal use and report writing (not chargeable to or reimbursable by Medair).
• Provide proof of any mandatory liability insurance.
• Provide proof of adequate medical and accidental health insurance coverage.

MEDAIR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide recommendations for accommodation and transport while in Lebanon.
• Provide transport and access to field sites in Lebanon.
• Provide supplementary health coverage for consultants operating in the field will be provided under a group insurance plan (it is not offered as primary medical coverage). This does not include insurance against natural disasters, epidemics, any infectious or chemical risk, and all instances of force majeure.
• Provide interpreter for consultant as needed.
• Provide working facilities which will be as secure as is practical in the circumstances.

DEBRIEFING

Medair contracts for the provision of debriefing after any critical incident or assignment as needed.

APPLICATION DETAILS

• Interested applicants should submit their applications including the below documents:

• Cover Letter: A letter of no more than 2 pages highlighting specific work experience (beyond what is listed in a CV) that applies to the TOR.
• Curriculum Vitae: A current CV, including at least 3 professional references.
• Financial Proposal: A budget for the estimated cost of delivering these services, based on a daily consulting fee rate.Applications should be sent to both: Johan.tenHoeve@medair.org AND dominika.bednarova@medair.org as soon as possible. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

[1] Estimated registered and unregistered Syrian Refugee population within an approximate 5km radius of the 10 SDC clinics Medair currently supports. 97,645 Syrian refugees (16,698 HHs) living in Informal Settlements, based on IAMP 32 data. Approximately 248,920 urban Syrian refugees based on UNHCR registration figures and municipality data.

About the Organization

Medair

Medair is a humanitarian organisation inspired by Christian faith to relieve human suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places. We bring relief and recovery to people in crisis, regardless of race, creed or nationality. As signatories of the Red Cross Code of Conduct, we believe that aid should be given to everyone who is in need, regardless of political, social or religious viewpoint. We save lives in emergencies and then stay to help people recover from crisis with dignity—working side by side with communities to leave a lasting impact. We provide a range of emergency relief and recovery services: health care and nutrition; safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; shelter and infrastructure.