Background:

In July 2020, USAID developed a Supplemental Program Description for SSBH focused on targeted support for the Government of Nepal’s (GoN) response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with federal, provincial, and local-level health sector counterparts, the SSBH team has been working since then aiming at strengthening the health sector response to the pandemic, reducing transmission of the virus in Karnali and Lumbini Provinces, and mitigating the effects of the pandemic on delivery of essential maternal, newborn, and child health services. SSBH recruited and deployed more than 60 professional staff and consultants to provide technical, operational, and material support for Nepal’s pandemic response, while building on the Activity’s established structures, working relationships and technical approaches.

The two-year Health Emergency Response (HER) component of SSBH will be phased out by the end of September 2022. Accordingly, the team will plan and undertake an internal review of HER activities to determine (a) the extent to which planned interventions succeeded in building counterpart capacity and systems to respond to future emergencies, and (b) whether the immediate assistance provided by SSBH was timely, appropriate and responsive to GoN priorities for the response. SSBH will use the findings of this review to document successes, issues, and challenges, and identify transferable lessons to guide future design and implementation of health emergency response programs.

Objective of the Assignment

The objective is to review the activities of Health Emergency Response Supplemental Program of SSBH per the approved Program Description (emergency response pillars one through nine), to determine if the activities were implemented strategically, appropriately, and timely to strengthen Nepal’s health system response to the COVID-19 epidemic and future emergencies.

For the detailed SoW, kindly visit the link. 

Scope

• Level of Effort: Estimated 33-35 days, with 1-2 trips to Karnali and Lumbini Provinces, and in Kathmandu
• Period of Performance: expected July 20 – September 15, 2022

Requirements for the consultants

The Team Lead will be responsible to guide the overall process, analysis and report writing and ensuring quality of the deliverables. 

Consultant - Team Lead

• Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Public Health and/or Infectious Diseases
• Minimum of eight years of prior experience in the health sector with experience on review and assessment of public health activities (experience in public health emergency preferred)
• Familiarity of context, health systems, COVID-19 situation and health system response in Nepal
• Excellent communication, analytical and report writing skills in English. Proficiency in Nepali language preferred.