Community Health Systems Monitoring and Evaluation Consultancy

BACKGROUND

The USAID (United States Agency for International Development) global Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS) helps low- and middle-income countries transition to sustainable, self-financed health systems to support high performing health systems. The LHSS activity in Colombia will work with the Colombian government and local stakeholders to reduce financial barriers to care and treatment, ensure equitable access to essential health services for Venezuelan migrants, Colombian returnees, and receptor communities, improve the quality of health services, and strengthen health sector resiliency.

Led by Abt Associates, the five-year Colombia activity will build local capacity to sustain strong health system performance, supporting Colombia on its journey to self-reliance and prosperity. Specific objectives include:

1. Strengthen governance and management of the migrant health response.
2. Promote sustainable financing of health services for migrants and receptor communities.
3. Strengthen mechanisms to increase access to high quality, appropriate health care services for migrants and receptor communities; and
4. Strengthen the health system’s resiliency to respond to current and future shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the third objective of the project, interventions will support the Colombian government, territorial health entities, health service providers, and communities to increase access to and quality of care for migrants and receptor communities utilizing a community health approach. Intervention 3.1 Improve access to community primary care, support the implementation of the Comprehensive Territorial Action Model (MAITE) in La Guajira and Valle del Cauca departments, and identify the necessary conditions for strengthening care in the territories of Maicao (La Guajira), and Palmira and Cali (Valle del Cauca). The participation of members of the host communities in defining the community health approach is recognized as fundamental to success, as they live in the territories with the Venezuelan migrants and are directly affected by the limited access to quality primary healthcare services in each of the zones.

Save the Children as part of the LHSS project, conducted a Participatory Assessment (PA) in the selected territories as part of a range of formative research activities to inform the design of a community health approach that will expand access to quality primary care services for migrants and receptor communities. The PA combines processes of understanding the context and culture of communities through collaborative research engagement with community members. It helps understand and identify solutions to pressing concerns and challenges including in relation to empowerment, community development and health (Baum et al., 2006).

In addition, we conducted community co-design workshops based on the “Systems thinking for health” approach which proposes a vision that includes the community as an essential part of the health system. In both departments, LHSS conducted a co-design workshop in La Guajira and Valle del Cauca in May 2021 to identify barriers and facilitators (technical, financial, human, or social) that prevent or facilitate the implementation of the community approach in the territory. The workshop also generated solutions, through collaboration between members of the health system, communities, and other key actors, to sustainably strengthen the implementation of PHC models with a community approach. Finally, these workshops provided a space to analyze information and generate action planning based on a theory of change.

OBJECTIVE

Save the Children requires a consultancy to support the selection / creation of indicators and tools related to activities under Intervention 3.1 (described above) and an application of the ICF/Cedars sustainability framework. Working closely with the team, this support will enable the Comunidades saludables project to communicate achievements and challenges both within the project and with key stakeholders, and provide an example of monitoring and evaluation tools that can be used by government counterparts beyond the life of the project.

ACTIVITIES, TASKS, AND DELIVERABLES

1. Selection of Indicators and Creation of an Index (complete by August 15)

• Support and advise Save the Children-LHSS team members on the selection of indicators aligned to each component of the sustainability framework
• Develop an index comprised of these indicators that can be used to characterize progress toward objective 3.1.
• Select existing or develop new data collection tools for the indicators chosen.

2. Supporting Monitoring, Learning, and Assessment Planning (complete by September 15)

• Support the team to develop an internal learning agenda on the interventions under 3.1.
• Recommend approaches to monitor and assess the sustainability planning process, system navigators innovation, and adaptation of the Community Action Cycle.

3. Deliverables (completed by September 15)

• Composite index of indicators, indicator matrix, and related data collection tools
• PPT to explain and walk through the index (for external audiences)
• PPT summarizing the decisions around the internal learning agenda and detailing recommended approaches for monitoring and assessment that the project can apply in its remaining period of implementation

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

August 1 – September 15, 2022

The start and end dates are subject to change depending on the implementation timeline of the LHSS project and when the consultant passes the required background check.

PROPOSED BUDGET

The supplier should propose a budget for the full Scope of Work in US Dollars for no more than 8 days level of effort. SC will issue payment once the Save the Children – LHSS Technical Lead approves the deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS/CRITERIA

Consultants will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Resume and evidence of similar type of work – 60%
• Reasonable budget – 30%
• Past performance – 10%