Community-Led Action Planning Process Guide

Terms of Reference (TOR): For the Finalization of the Community-Led Action Planning Process Guide

Location: remote (USA)

Background

The MOMENTUM suite of awards is a flagship program designed to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity in high-burden, USAID-supported countries. MOMENTUM aims to accomplish this goal by strengthening the capacity of country institutions and local organizations to introduce, deliver, scale up, and sustain the use of evidence based, high-quality maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), voluntary family planning (FP), and reproductive health (RH) public and private sector services. MOMENTUM’s vision is that all individuals, families, and communities have equitable access to and make use of comprehensive, high-quality maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition programs, voluntary family planning services, and reproductive health care that best meets their needs.

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will build health system resilience in fragile settings and improve outcomes of maternal, neonatal and child health services, and reproductive health and family planning care. MIHR is designed to include a comprehensive, flexible package of support in countries of operation as they overcome context-specific health challenges and progress towards the achievement of self-reliant health systems.

The project is being implemented by an IMA World Health led Consortium of which GOAL is a member. GOAL’s role on the program is as the lead technical advisor on health resilience.

To support communities to become more resilient, with a specific focus on MNCH/FP/RH, MIHR developed a process at the end of 2022 to engage communities in developing their own action plans for health resilience. This Community led guide has been piloted and implemented in several communities in South Sudan with plans for expansion to Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the DRC in the coming months. The Community-led Action Planning Guide facilitates this process by providing a structured framework for communities to identify their health challenges, prioritize interventions, and mobilize resources effectively, ensuring that the action plans are tailored to the local context and needs. This initiative is part of a broader effort to equip communities with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively prepare for and respond to shocks and stressors with a specific focus on MNCH/FP/RH.

Objective

The consultant will refine the Community-Led Action Planning Guide to strengthen and enhance its utility in fostering health resilience aimed at enhancing health resilience in fragile settings with a particular emphasis on MNCH/RH/FP. This involves incorporating global best practices and adhering to already established guidelines, making this guide an essential tool for communities to effectively navigate and mitigate health related shocks and stresses.

Scope of Work

• Conduct an in-depth review of the materials already developed by MIHR team and related documentation (AAR reports and training reports etc).
• Conduct a review of global best practices, and existing guidelines related to community-led action planning, health resilience, and participatory planning processes.
• Identify and integrate relevant standards, principles, and strategies from these sources into the guide and facilitation manual to ensure the content is grounded in proven methodologies and aligns with international best practices.
• Engage with field level stakeholders in South Sudan to gather insights on their experiences with the tool.

Deliverables

• A finalized version of the Community-Led Action Planning Process Guide that reflects global best practices and adheres to relevant guidelines, ensuring its suitability for diverse community settings – in MIHR branding.
• A powerpoint summarising the community action plan – in MIHR branding.

Duration and working arrangements

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 6 (six) days, over a one month period.

The consultant will report to the Health Resilience Lead and will work remotely from their own premises. Communication will be undertaken via email and online meetings.

Payment for consultancy services, which will be agreed with the successful applicant, will represent all costs payable for the consultancy services provided.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Public Health, Emergency Management, Health Systems Strengthening, or related fields.
• Proven expertise in emergency preparedness and response planning, particularly in health sector contexts.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, training facilitation, and development of practical guides and tools.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills
• Deep understanding of global best practices and guidelines related to community-led action planning, health resilience, and participatory processes.
• Experience in synthesizing and applying international standards and evidence-based approaches to practical, community-level interventions.

Application Process

Interested consultants should submit a CV, cover letter with cost proposal, recent samples of similar work and reference by X date to XX.

Prospective applicants should submit the following documents in electronic form to [email protected] by 22 March 2024.

Reference number in the Subject line: USA-CORE 105-25941:

1. Technical proposal/project plan of maximum two pages, including:

• the applicant’s understanding of the assignment
• details of tasks
• proposed methodology, including sources of information
• proposed schedule/timeline including number of days required for each task

1. Resume and cover letter outlining your relevant skills and experience (including your contact details)
2. Up to two recent samples from similar pieces of work (please do not include any confidential / sensitive information within these samples)
3. Cost proposal
4. Details of three relevant referees who can be contacted to verify the information shared

Support provided by MIHR

• Provision of all MIHR Community-Led Action Planning (CAP) related documents
• Provision of a list of resources to review pre-identified by MIHR
• Provision of MIHR branding guidelines
• Support with graphic design if needed
• Assistance in connecting to relevant staff/ stakeholders