Job: Principal Investigator for In-depth Study Consultancy

Location: Washington 

Description

The Inter-Agency Working Group on RH in Crises was created in 1995 and has since grown to become a network of over 1,200 individuals, representing some 450 organizations worldwide. In recent years, the IAWG has generated key tools and guidelines for adequate provision of RH to crisis-affected populations, including the 2010 Revision of the Inter-Agency Field Manual for RH in Crises.

In 2002, the IAWG endorsed a plan to evaluate the efforts made since 1995 to instituationalise reproductive health in programmes serving refugees and internally displaced people. A report was published in November 2004.

Since the publication of the 2004 Global Evaluation, there has not been a systematic study of the availability, quality and utilization of RH services available. Some components of SRH have been studied in different settings such as GBV services in DRC, EmOC in DRC (HeRAMS), but little is known about the availability, quality and utilization of services in crisis affected settings.

The IAWG decided to undertake a review of RH in crisis settings, supported by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US State Department, MacArthur Foundation and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The review will assess the current situation of RH services for crisis-affected populations through a number of methodologies, including an assessment of MISP implementation in a current crisis or crisis response settings, an in-depth study of the availability and quality of RH services in two or more crisis-affected settings and an assessment of institutional readiness and capacity to provide or support RH services among national governments and NGOs.

The purpose of the assessments is to document availability, quality and utilization of RH services in selected crisis affected settings to improve programming and subsequently increase availability, quality and utilization of RH services. The assessments will provide information from a range of conflict affected settings to identify successes, achievements and gaps in provision of sexual and reproductive health services for crisis affected populations. It will inform policies and strategies on how to address sexual and reproductive health needs and rights in emergency situations.

The tentative locations for the in-depth assessments are South-Sudan (Maban) , Burkina-Faso, Yemen and Democratique Republique of Congo (Goma).

Objectives

• To assess the availability, quality and utilization of RH services to inform and guide policy and planning.
• To propose how to adapt programs according to barriers and perceptions, in terms of information, education and communication efforts, and service delivery.
• To highlight differences between policies and practice, evidence-based decisions versus beliefs/myths/perceptions-based decisions.
• To propose how to improve quality and utilisation of services through training of health providers, task-sharing/task-shifting, supplies (including new-devises) and infrastructure as required.
• To systematically assess the availability and use of facility-based RH services

The study will be using both quantitative and qualitative techniques such as focus group discussions, key informant interviews and health facility assessments.

SCOPE OF WORK:

• The consultant will be the principal investigator and the coordinator of all assessments and teams comprising three people in each site.
• Undertake the assessments:
• 10 June to 14 July: South-Sudan;
• 15 July to 11 August: Yemen;
• 19 August to 15 September: Burkina-Faso; and
• 16 September to 13 October: DRC
• Contribute to the development of beneficiary reports and individual country reports.
• Contribute to a multi-country analysis.
• Contribute to the development of a journal article.

DUTIES OF CONSULTANCY:

• Travel to South-Sudan and Yemen 10 June-11 August.
• Travel to Burkina-Faso and DRC, 19 August- 13 October.
• Conduct data analysis.
• Write sections of the reports and journal article and provide overall review of draft versions.

DELIVERABLES:

• Raw and analysed data (in English) from health facility assessments, focus group discussions and key informant interviews from all four studies.
• Country and beneficiary reports in English from each study site, with input from assessment team and global evaluation steering committee.
• Draft article of study for peer reviewed journal, with input from assessment team and global evaluation steering committee.

TIME FRAME OF CONSULTANCY: The consultancy will take place over a period of 18 weeks beginning June 10, 2013 and ending December 10, 2013.

More Info and Application