National Consultant - Health Promotion School Initiative (Namibian Nationals Only)

FINAL TERMS OF REFERENCE

National Consultant - Health Promotion School Initiative (Namibian Nationals Only)

1. Background Global school health initiative

WHO's School Health Initiative, launched in 1995, seeks to mobilize and strengthen health promotion and education activities at the local, national, regional, and global levels. The Initiative is designed to improve the health of students, school personnel, families and other members of the community through schools. The goal of WHO's Global School Health Initiative is to increase the number of schools that can truly be called "Health-Promoting Schools". Although definitions will vary, depending on need and circumstance, a Health-Promoting School can be characterized as a school constantly strengthening its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning, and working.

The general direction of WHO's Global School Health Initiative is guided by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986); the Jakarta Declaration of the Fourth International Conference on Health Promotion (1997); and the WHO's Expert Committee Recommendation on Comprehensive School Health Education and Promotion (1995).

Namibia Health Promoting School Initiative The Health Promoting School Initiative in Namibia originated from the Global Health Promoting School Initiative. The initiative focuses on mobilizing, strengthening and complimenting the School Health Program. Namibia introduced the Health Promotion School Initiatives (HPSI) in 1998, which was aimed at promoting and strengthening health services to all school going children. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) was signed in 2001, to strengthen the collaboration and indicated the roles of both MoHSS and MoE in promoting school health services across the country.

The goal of the HPSI is to provide health services for all school-going children and to empower them with the knowledge and skills they will need to make informed decisions about their health as well as to improve their quality of life.

The initiative has been introduced in all 14 regions and regional committees on school heath were established and trained. Implementation, however, has not been consistent and there is need to invest in training and technical support of selected regions to strengthen the implementation of the school health program. Omaheke seems to be the only region where all schools are health promoting schools and are being rated annually against set indicators and encouraged to improve and maintain their achievements. Additionally, COVID-19 highlighted the vulnerabilities of the school system to withstand shocks in cases health emergencies. This warrants the need to increase capacity in schools to prepare better for the next outbreak to minimize the impact on learning, health, and well-being of learners.

Objective of the Consultancy The consultancy seeks to strengthen the implementation of the school health programme including the Health Promoting School Initiative. The consultancy will also review the schools' preparedness for health emergencies and support the integration of health emergency preparedness in the school health programme. 2. Deliverables 1. Scope of work The consultant will support the trainings of regional school health committees and implementation of the health promoting school initiative in selected regions. The consultant will use the training of trainers' manual to support these trainings and will coordinate between the regional committees and MOHSS to ensure that the planned trainings take place. The consultant will also support the implementation of the regional action plans to ensure that the HPSI is introduced in at least 5 schools in each of the selected regions. The consultant will consider the recently launched global guidelines on HPSI and adjust the training content accordingly.

Additionally, the consultant will provide support to strengthen emergency preparedness in schools to minimize impact of a public health event on learning as well as on the health and wellbeing of the school community. Expected Tasks i. provide a brief inception report on how best the assignment will be carried out. ii. In consultation with WHO and MOHSS identify regions for immediate support and draft a training plan iii. Ensure that at end of each training workshop the region draft an action plan that incorporates the introduction of the health promoting school initiative and integrate emergency preparedness. iv. Draft a training report after each training and provide an implementation status report of the regional action plans. v. Draft an overall project implementation report with key recommendations highlighting weakness, strengths, and limitations. The consultant will be expected to deliver the following deliverables: 1. Inception report that includes an overall approach, conceptual framework to carrying out the expected tasks; these include the identification of regions, implementation of the health promoting school initiative and emergency preparedness and response for schools. - 5 June 2. Draft a training plan and review the training content on school health and the health promoting school initiative aligning to the new Global guidelines on the health promoting school initiative. - 16 June 3. Report on consultations with key stakeholders at national and regional levels on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the implementation of the health promoting school initiative. - 30 June - 4. Provide training on school health and the health promoting school initiative in at least 4 selected regions - 31 July 5. Support the selected regions with the introduction of the Health Promoting School Initiatives integrating emergency preparedness in at least 5 schools in each of the selected regions. - 30 August 6. Draft an overall project implementation report - 5 September 3. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages Identify the educational qualifications and expertise needed for the terms of reference outlined above.

Educational Qualifications

Essential

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in public health or related health programme

Desired:

• A PHD in Public Health or related field.

Experience

• Proven experience in policy and strategy applied in the Namibian context;
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in and understanding of the field of health promotion.
• Experience working with Government Ministries, ideally in document development and review.
• Experience in conducting stakeholder consultations and engagements.

Excellent written English

Skills/Knowledge * Good knowledge and experience of the Namibia Health and Education System

Languages and level required * Very good command of written and spoken English. * Very good presentation and report writing skills. 4. Technical Supervision Indicate the name and title of the supervisor with email address. Mrs Celia Kaunatjike, Health Promotion and Social Determinants Officer, [email protected] 5. Location Please specify where the consultant will work: On site: _WHO Namibia Country Office (please indicate office and duty station)

On site for insurance purposes : Windhoek, Namibia (This is where a duty travel is planned during the course of the consultancy but the consultant is being hired to work from home) 6. Travel - If travel is involved, full medical clearance is required Please specify any expected travel(s): dates, location and purpose.

* Travel dates and location will be determined once consultant is on board, but all are local travel. A living expense is payable to on-site consultants 7. Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded) Rate: 220,482.99 over a period of 3 months and 5 days

Currency: NAD

The payment will be made in three instalments as follows: • 20% upon submission of the Inception Report; • 30% upon submission of the Training Plans and stakeholder consultation report 4 selected regions; • 30% upon submission of the Status of the regional action plans; • 20% upon approval of the Final report on overall project implementation

Work schedule (if applicable 1 June 2023 - 05 September 2023)