Despite notable progress in expanding Primary Health Care (PHC) coverage across the country, substantial gaps remain in service readiness, workforce distribution, and supply chain efficiency. Rural and urban disparities in service availability and quality persist, while fragmented administrative structures and human resource systems often hinder effective coordination within the evolving health reform landscape. These challenges directly impact the continuity, quality, and equity of care delivery at the PHC level.
Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires that PHC facilities are functionally ready - with adequate human resources, essential medicines, diagnostics, equipment, and reliable supply chain mechanisms. Ensuring supply-side readiness is therefore a critical determinant of PHC performance, sustainability, and resilience, particularly in the context of emerging health sector reforms and decentralization efforts.
In line with this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has initiated a reform-driven assignment to develop an evidence-based Supply-Side Readiness Plan. This plan will serve as a strategic instrument to improve coordination among service delivery, workforce deployment, logistics management, and essential medicines supply across all PHC facilities. The initiative is also aligned with national priorities and the recommendations of the Health Sector Reform Commission Report 2025, which emphasizes institutional restructuring for better efficiency, accountability, and service integration.
The consultant will develop an integrated Primary Health Care (PHC) Boundary Framework and Urban PHC Transition Model that define and institutionalize the PHC service package across Bangladesh. The framework will ensure a standardized package of essential services, medicines, diagnostics, and a skilled workforce embedded within existing rural and urban facility tiers.
This assignment aims to establish clear functional boundaries for PHC delivery to transition from fragmented, project-based systems to a sustainable, institutionalized model within the national health structure.
Objectives of the AssignmentReview and map existing PHC service packages, delivery mechanisms, and integration points in both rural and urban contexts.
Define the PHC boundary encompassing essential promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative services suitable for existing facility tiers (community clinics, union sub-centres, upazila health complexes, and urban primary health centers).
Develop a list of essential medicines, diagnostics, and supplies required for the PHC package.
Recommend an appropriate mix and distribution of multidisciplinary health workers for PHC delivery.
Align the PHC boundary with existing delivery platforms, referral systems, and national standards.
Propose implementation and monitoring mechanisms for sustaining the PHC boundary within health sector reform initiatives.
A. Situational Review
Review the existing policy, institutional, and operational arrangements for PHC service delivery in both urban and rural Bangladesh.
Map PHC coverage, governance structures, workforce distribution, and resource flows.
Identify key implementation challenges, opportunities, and lessons from ongoing pilots and global models.
B. Framework Development
Design a scalable implementation framework for PHC expansion in urban wards and rural unions.
Define governance, service delivery, workforce, financing, digital health integration, and monitoring components.
Develop a costed Supply-Side Readiness Plan, including strategies for facility management, workforce optimization, and essential supply assurance.
Specify key operational standards and sustainability mechanisms.
C. Stakeholder Engagement
Conduct structured consultations with MoHFW departments, LGD, city corporations, NGOs, and development partners.
Facilitate technical workshops for review, validation, and refinement of the draft framework.
D. Finalization and Validation
Prepare the final Implementation Framework document incorporating stakeholder feedback.
Present the framework to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), MoHFW, and WHO for final endorsement.
Expected Deliverables:
Sl. No.
Activities
Deliverables
Timeline
1
Situational Analysis & Supply Chain Readiness Mapping
Readiness Assessment Report – including mapping of PHC coverage, facility readiness, and supply-side bottlenecks in workforce, infrastructure, and essential commodities.
Day 1–15
2
Development of Draft PHC Implementation Framework
Draft PHC Implementation Framework – encompassing governance, financing, workforce, supply chain, and service delivery components.
Day 16–25
3
Stakeholder Consultation & Validation Workshops
Stakeholder Consultation Report – summarizing multi-stakeholder feedback, consensus, and recommendations for PHC supply-side reform.
Day 26–33
4
Preparation of Final Supply-Side Readiness Plan
Final Supply-Side Readiness Plan – including implementation roadmap, costed action plan, monitoring indicators, and risk-mitigation framework.
Day 34–45
5
Technical Presentation and Knowledge Sharing Session
Technical Presentation / Workshop Materials – for dissemination and policy dialogue with MoHFW, WHO, and development partners.
Day 46–48
6
Final Review and Submission
Consolidated Final Report – integrating all feedback, recommendations, and approved implementation roadmap.
Day 49–50
