Tender Description

1           Context and rationale 1.1           About SOS Children’s Villages

SOS-Kinderdorf International, also known as "SOS Children's Villages International – SOS CVI" is an association duly registered under the laws of Austria, with registration number (ZVR-Zahl) 083115702, with its Head Quarter office at Hermann-Gmeiner-Straße 51, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. SOS CVI is a Global Federation of National and Member Associations working in 137 countries and territories with focus to provide alternative care for children who have lost parental care, or at risk of losing. SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia is a Member Association of the Global Federation which has officially been working in Somalia since 1983. SOS Children’s Villages concept, the organization pioneered a family approach to the long-term care of orphaned and abandoned children in Somalia. SOS has a zero-tolerance policy on child safeguarding and prevention of sexual harassment and exploitation at work place. SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia currently works in four regions; Banadir Regions (Heliwa, Garasbaley, Kahda, Dharkenley and Daynile districts) southwest-state (Bay and Bakool regions) Hirshabelle State (Middle-Shabelle region- Balcad, Jowhar, Adan Yabaal & Adale districts).

SOS CV manages a huge multisectoral assistance project covering three districts (Heliwa, Baidoa & Balcad) in Somalia with annual reach of more than six hundred thousand beneficiaries in 2023 alone through Cafimad plus Consortium. Cafimad Plus comprising of six partners is at different levels of EPHS alignment. The consultant will guide the implementation teams to align the project with Somalia EPHS standards and norms.

1.2           Description of programme location and context

Health service delivery in Somalia heavily relies on donor funding and SOS CV through Cafimad Plus ECHO funding provides funding to implement multisectoral assistance to lives of crisis affected communities in the country. The project implemented in Heliwa, Baidoa & Balcad districts offers health, nutrition, WASH, protection and crisis response to vulnerable women, children, adults and elderly in select priority districts. Somalia adopted the EPHS policy to guide and accelerate access to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and promote a set of cost effective evidence based interventions with high impact.

The EPHS 2020 policy therefore aims to address all high-burden conditions through simple, low-cost, high-impact interventions, establish demand-driven services to facilitate more accurate costing, facilitate integrated service delivery, link services to level of care/platform of delivery, allow dynamic adaptation to operationalize the package in variable contexts with distinct delivery platforms, provide a foundation for service planning, workforce mapping and training competencies, support progressive realization and account for the need to increase service delivery capacity over time and support expansion to additional services when additional resources become available.

SOS CV through static facilities, mobile clinics and community level actions provides 6 CORE EPHS interventions including maternal and reproductive health, child health, communicable diseases surveillance and response, none communicable diseases, HIV/TB control and first aid and injury. Secondary health component is offered in district hospitals providing 4 additional services namely: - Management of chronic & other diseases, palliative care, and care of elderly; Mental health and mental disability; Dental health; and eye health. Integrated services including nutrition, protection, health, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), is offered to women and children. Treatment and care for women and children provided is based on Somalia's standard treatment guidelines

SOS CV operates across 8 HTR districts, addressing the needs of fresh IDPs by delivering humanitarian assistance and providing EPHS aligned services to women and crisis-affected children. Pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) have access to quality maternal health services, including Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC), deliveries, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CeMONC). ANC/PNC clients undergo various assessments, including weight/height measurements, hemoglobin testing, urinalysis, syphilis screening, fundal height measurement, Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS), Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) prophylaxis, and PMTCT. Women seeking delivery benefit from inpatient care, intravenous antibiotics/fluids, labor monitoring using partograph, complications management, mother and newborn resuscitation. The integration of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and child protection (CP) services is scaled up using cluster-approved guidelines, including sensitization to minimize stigma. Case management and psychosocial support for GBV victims is provided, with periphery staff referring cases to static facilities.

Child health package covers EPI, treatment of common childhood illnesses, hospitalization care for children and surveillance of epidemic diseases for children is provided.

The facilities provide first aid treatment for injuries and refer major surgical cases to more specialized facilities.

Malnutrition screening for PLWs and under-five children, treatment of SAM & MAM is offered including SAM with complications in children through inpatient care.

WASH services are integrated into the health and nutrition program, and caregivers educated on good hygiene, hand hygiene, and enrolled in the WASH program. Beneficiaries receive soap, detergents, and water treatment tablets, and WASH Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials  distributed.

Community empowerment through CHWs, VHCs, Mother-to-Mother Support Groups (MTMSGs), and Father-to-Father Support Groups (FTFSGs) are prioritized for scale-up. CHWs were deployed to High Targeted Response (HTR) areas, providing ICCM, ICCM+, hygiene promotion, follow-up, case referrals, and health education to households.

Referral services link SOS CV and other facilities including referral for HIV/TB cases.

1.3           Rationale and overall objective of EPHS Alignment

The main purpose of the consultancy is to study Somalia EPHS policy and align SOS CV health & nutrition services  with the policy and support implementation. The specific objectives of the assignment are to:

1. Study current SOS CV health & nutrition program to determine the level of EPHS alignment in terms of EPHS package, staffing norms and standards, financing, health information system, leadership & governance, supply & equipment needs.
2. Develop guidelines or SOPs to guide SOS CV Senior Management in EPHS alignment & implementation
3. Guide the EPHS Alignment and implement smooth handover of EPHS services to government and federal member states stewardship
4. Support the process of EPHS alignment, engagement with key stakeholders to ensure smooth transition of SOS CV health & Nutrition program in select districts to government ownership and leadership
5. Document learnings from the EPHS alignment design, process and implementation to guide future EPHS alignment and make recommendations

Skills Required

Attachment

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