Consultant to Support Establishment of Eswatini Midwives Community of Practice Platform

HEALTH STRENGTHENING FOR HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR A CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT ESTABLISHMENT OF ESWATINI MIDWIVES’ COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

Reference Number: 276464-CS-CQS

• Project Background

To meet the National Health Sector Strategic Plan’s (NHSSP II 2019-23) policy objective – “build an efficient, equitable, client-centred health system for accelerated attainment of the highest standard of health for all people in Eswatini” – the Ministry of Health recognizes the need to invest in health system strengthening to improve the coverage of essential services and the quality of care. Modernizing the foundations of the health system and applying evidence-based improvements are key to achieving better quality care and, through that, reduced child and adult mortality and stunting for human capital formation.

To address key sector challenges in the health sector, the Ministry of Health is implementing HS4HCDP with the aim of improving the coverage and quality of key reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), nutrition and non-communicable disease (NCD) services in Eswatini. The project focuses on strengthening the health system and ramping up investments in RMNCAH, nutrition and NCD services (hypertension and diabetes) to address critical human capital challenges, including stunting and child and adult mortality, applying a life course approach. The project includes the following components: Component 1: Improve health service delivery to increase the coverage and quality of health services to build human capital; Component 2. Increase community demand for RMNCAH, nutrition and NCD services; Component 3. Strengthen the Ministry of Health’s stewardship capacity to manage essential health and nutrition services and project activities; and Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response Component.

• Background to the Assignment

The Kingdom of Eswatini has made some progress in improving its national RMNCAH indicators. However, a maternal mortality ratio of 452 per 100000 live births, under-five and neonatal mortality rates of 67 and 20 per 1000 live births respectively, are considerably quite high by regional and global comparison.

According to the 2017 National Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Report, the proportion of pregnant women delivered in health facility remained high between 90% and 95% for the period 2013 to 2017. The number of home deliveries has declined from 10% in 2015 to 5% in 2017. About 88 % of births occurring in the two years preceding the 2014 MICS survey were delivered by skilled birth attendants and nearly three-quarters of the births (70 %) in the two years preceding the survey were assisted at delivery by a nurse or midwife.

Available data shows that access of maternal and newborn health services by formal and skilled health care providers has improved, but the challenge hinges on the health care system and related standards of care to reduce the number of preventable and manageable disease conditions leading to avoidable deaths.

Skilled labor force and especially availability of qualified midwives hold an important solution to address many causes of maternal and newborn deaths. The 2014 Lancet Series on Midwifery showed that interventions provided by the midwifery workforce could reduce maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths in low-income and middle-income countries by 30–80%, depending on the level of intervention coverage at national level. The report went further to indicate that more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes were achieved when the workforce included enough midwives who were educated, trained, licensed, regulated, and working in an enabling environment

It is against this background that the Ministry of Health in Eswatini intends to establish a National Midwifery Communities of Practice (CoP). CoPs are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Members commit to a shared competence that sets them apart from other people. In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information.

Members of a CoP are practitioners in a specific area of specialty, in this instance midwives. They share experiences, stories, tools, and ways of addressing recurring problems—in short, a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction.

• Objectives of the Consultancy

The assignment aims to support the Ministry of Health to establish a COP for Eswatini midwives and develop a guiding document related to terms of reference to ensure implementation of the CoP activities.

The task extends to development of an online web platform which will be used as a key national CoP resource Centre to enhance midwives’ interaction at national level.

Key strategies proposed at the end of the assignment should reflect that having a website alone does not on its own create a community of practice; but interacting and learning from each other makes a community of practice. The final strategic guiding document should include proposed measures for consideration by the Ministry of Health to ensure functionality and sustainability of the proposed platform.

• Qualifications of Consultancy Firm:

• The consultancy firm should be registered or incorporated in, and employing individuals and personnel who are nationals of, World Bank member countries subject to their eligibility as stipulated in the “World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Bank Borrowers, July 2016 revised November 2017 and August 2018”.

• The consultancy firm shall ensure adequate staffing resources are available to complete the work and shall not engage in any assignment that may place them in the position of not being able to carry out the specific services described in these TORs.

• The consultancy firm bidding for the assignment should have the necessary key staff required to carry out the services and have the financial and technical resources required to undertake the assignment.

• The consultancy firm should be able to demonstrate at least eight (8) years of experience in providing similar services and of at least three (3) similar assignments successfully performed in the last five (5) years.

Key Staff:

The consultancy firm should provide the following key staff together with any additional staff necessary to complete the work defined under the TORs. Key staff should have the qualifications and experience as set out below:

Team Leader (Midwifery Expert):

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing with midwifery and experience in developing a COP.

• Master’s in Public Health or any advanced Midwifery qualification will be an added advantage.

• Excellent writing and analytical skills and strong oral communication skills are required.

• Fluency in English (speaking, reading and writing) is a requirement.

• Familiarity of the Health Sector context is required and relevant experience in Africa is an added advantage.

IT expert:

• Master’s in Computer Science or related field;

• Professional certificate in MCSA, MCSD, MCPD or related certificate as well as Computer skills including Microsoft office, spreadsheet, database, etc. Knowledge and experience in conducting similar work is an added advantage.

• At least 5 years of experience in database management, data and software security, web development and system programming/development.

• Duration of Assignment

The proposed duration of the assignment is three (3) months.

The MOH now invites interested, qualified firms to indicate their interest in providing technical support and services under this consultancy. Selection shall be on the basis of examination submitted qualifications and experience in conducting such study.

APLICATIONS:

Submit a detailed copy of experience and qualifications of conducting such study. Application should be addressed to:

The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health; 2nd Floor Ministry of Justice Building, Mbabane. Postal address: The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health P.O. Box 5; Mbabane, Eswatini.

Electronic applications should be sent to Project Coordinator; [email protected] copy to [email protected]; [email protected] and [email protected] no later than 11.00 hours on 29th April, 2022. All applications will be acknowledged but only shortlisted firms will be contacted. Contacts: (00268) 24045514; (00268) 24042431