Technical Expert on the implementation of Regional Spending Assessment tool on HIV in Region III and Region IVA

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Background

General Information

Job Title:

Technical Expert on the implementation of Regional Spending Assessment tool on HIV in Region III and Region IVA

Brand:

UNDP Philippines

Duty Station:

Homebased, Manila, Philippines

Contract Duration:

80 working days spread over 6 months

Type of Contract:

Individual Consultant

Languages Required:

English, Filipino

1. Project Title

UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF)-supported Joint UN Plans on AIDS

1. Background and rationale

The HIV situation in the country can be described as hidden and growing. Based on the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) published by the Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health (DOH-EB) in September 2021[1], the number of HIV-positive reported cases in the country has reached a total of 90,960 since January 1984.

While the national HIV prevalence remains low at around 0.1%[2], men having sex with men are disproportionately affected, accounting for 83% of all new infections. As before, newly diagnosed cases are mostly concentrated in the National Capital Region (NCR), having the highest proportion of newly diagnosed cases in February 2021 among all the 17 regions in the country at 31%.

The Philippines is also far from reaching the 95-95-95 targets of UNAIDS[3]. Among the estimated 97,000 people living with HIV in the Philippines, only around 73% are diagnosed. Among those diagnosed, only around 61% are enrolled to treatment. Viral load suppression remains, reaching only 28%, compared to the 95% target.

Generally, the policies and programs implemented in the country are in line with the Republic Act (RA) 11166 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018, which repealed RA 8504 also known as the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998 and made health services for HIV more accessible to Filipinos. Various activities on prevention and control, treatment, care and support, including advocacy, training and other management costs were implemented in the previous years.

An examination of the country’s total HIV spending over five years (2011–2015)[4] showed an erratic trend, peaking in 2014, followed by a slight decline in the succeeding year. Notably, in 2014–2015, a large share of total annual spending came from public sources, from 33% in 2011 (USD 4,181,000) to 73% in 2015 (USD 1,303,200). However, despite the growing HIV epidemic in the country, external sources from which a substantial bulk of the annual spending came from (ranging from 26% to 56%) remained virtually the same, from USD 3,872,000 in 2011 to USD 4,582,000 in 2015.

In terms of type of activities that were financed, these were mostly geared towards prevention given the low prevalence rate. Prevention related activities include mass media, school-based education programs, condom promotion, and STD treatment, among others. Activities related to program management were also financed. These include surveillance, training, advocacy and communication, among others.

Through national documents such as Health Sector Plan for HIV and STI for 2015–2020 and Sixth AIDS Medium Term Plan for 2017–2022, as well as various international obligations, the Philippines is committed to halting and reversing the spread of HIV. Hence, mobilization of resources is critical in keeping the prevalence of HIV low and the rate of transmission slow. To achieve UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, it is also important that enough resources are allocated based on evidence-based planning to ensure that key populations at risk prevent infection and maintain negative, while the people living with HIV are afforded necessary treatment and care services.

In 2021, UNDP conducted a regional spending assessment for HIV in NCR and this year, UNDP is conducting a regional spending assessment for HIV in Region III and Region IVA in order to estimate the amount of spending for HIV programs and activities in the region and to highlight gaps in the current interventions given the disease burden and HIV expenditure through a participatory approach. Regions III and IVA are the next priority regions after NCR because of high burden of disease in the areas. This regional spending assessment will contribute to supporting the LGUs allocate the resources more effectively and appropriately and consequently help in improving access to health services. The regional spending assessment will also provide a reporting mechanism that will make HIV spending assessment for other regions feasible.

[1] DOH-EB. (2021 November). HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines.

[2] Gangcuangco, L. M. A. (2019). HIV crisis in the Philippines: urgent actions needed. The Lancet Public Health, 4(2), e84.

[3] UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO, & ADB. (2019). HIV and AIDS Data Hub for Asia Pacific: Philippines.

[4] SHIFT. (2017). National Situational Assessment of HIV Financing in Philippines. AFAO, APCASO, & APCOM.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Scope of Work

To ensure successful implementation of the project, it is proposed that a Technical Expert on Regional Spending Assessment on HIV be engaged as an Individual Contractor (IC). The scope of work includes:

1. Collection of available data on planned budget and actual spending on HIV in Regions III and IVA, for 2018, 2019, and 2020 from relevant financing agents including LGUs, some NGOs, other contributors (e.g., UN agencies), DOH, PNAC, DSWD, DOLE and DILG using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP.

2. Development of a brief report on regional spending assessment on HIV for Regions III and IVA for 2018, 2019, and 2020 using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP; and

3. Proposal of reporting mechanism through participatory approach (e.g., FGD with the stakeholders) for government or public sources on regional spending assessment on HIV taking into consideration the Open Government Partnership Commitments and Citizen’s Participatory Budget

4. Correlation of the result of RASA to Regional Commitments and Policy Index (RCPI) and provide recommendations to fill in the gaps.

5. Presentation of the RASA report to at least 50 participants in Regions III and IVA.

The IC will directly report to the HIV Response Officer (UNDP Philippines Institutions and Partnerships Team) with guidance from the Institutions and Partnerships Programme Team Leader and Programme Analyst, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub HIV, Health and Development Team, DOH and UNAIDS.

1. Expected Output and Deliverables

The Individual Consultant is expected to accomplish the following:

Deliverables / Outputs

Estimated Duration to Complete

Target Due Dates

Approvals Required

Initial report encompassing summary statistics of collected available data on planned budget and actual spending on HIV in Regions III and IVA for 2018, 2019, and 2020 from relevant financing agents including LGUs, some NGOs, other contributors (e.g., UN agencies), DOH, PNAC, DSWD, DOLE and DILG using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP

40 working days

1. HIV Response Officer

Programme Analyst

Programme Team Leader

Final report on regional spending assessment on HIV for Regions III and IVA for 2018, 2019, and 2020 using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP

30 working days

1. Report on the reporting mechanism through participatory approach (e.g., FGD with the stakeholders) for government or public sources on regional spending assessment on HIV taking into consideration the Open Government Partnership Commitments and Citizen’s Participatory Budget, together with the recommendations generated from the correlation with RCPI result

5 days

1. Presentation of the RCPI report to at least 50 participants from Regions III and IVA

5 working days

2. Institutional Arrangements

3. The Individual Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Programme Team Leader and close coordination with the Programme Analyst and HIV Response Officer of the Institutions and Partnerships Programme Team.

4. The Consultant shall consider at least five (5) working days lead time for UNDP to review outputs, give comments, certify approval/acceptance of outputs, etc.
5. The Individual Consultant is expected to respond to mobile and email communications within 12 hours for efficient coordination and meet on a regular basis for updates.
6. UNDP Philippines shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have direct relation to the project.
7. This consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment with minimal face-to-face coordination in some exceptional instances such as follow-up sessions

8. The Individual Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment and workstation.

9. Duration of Work

The Individual Consultant will be engaged for 80 working days spread over 6 months unless revised in a mutually agreed upon timetable. The long-time duration of the contract is proposed to give way to the election period which may affect the implementation.

Changes in the duration of the contract will be implemented through issuance of a contract amendment.

1. Duty Station

The Consultant’s duty station is in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila but the assignment is expected to implement with a work-from-home arrangement. However, in some exceptional instances (e.g., follow-up sessions), the IC may engage in limited face-to-face coordination within the priority areas and only as deemed necessary. Travel expenses should be included in the financial proposal.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, all work of the Consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local government.

Competencies

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN mission, vision, values, and ethical standards
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Promotes UNDP's agenda in meetings

Other Competencies

• Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize, and execute effectively;
• The initiative, good analytical skills, mature judgment, and ability to work under tight schedule while respecting deadlines achievement, ethics, and honesty;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a diverse environment
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external clients;
• Demonstrated ability to function in a team environment and to deal with a complex multi-stakeholder environment
• Good ability to use information and communication technologies as tools and resources;
• Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skills focus on results, ability to interact productively in a teamwork environment

Required Skills and Experience

1. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

The Individual Consultant should meet the following minimum qualifications and competencies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, Community Development, Public Health, Public Administration, or relevant field from a reputable university

Experience

Must have at least five (5) years of experience in development and implementation of HIV Financing, health, or gender development work

Skills/Certification

At least two (2) years of experience in research, secondary data collection, and quantitative data analysis

Language

English, Filipino

Core Competencies

Leadership, Communication, Planning and Organizing

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN mission, vision, values and ethical standards
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Technical Competencies

Technical review on HIV budget and financing

Other Competencies:

• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and mature judgement well-planned and organized;
• Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize and execute effectively;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a multi-cultural team environment;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team and with stakeholders;
• Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skills

1. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The Individual Consultant must send a financial proposal based on an all-inclusive lump-sum amount for the delivery of the outputs below. The total amount quoted shall include all cost components required to deliver the services identified above, including professional daily fees X number of person-days and any other applicable costs (e.g., software and online tool/platform subscriptions) to be incurred by the Individual Consultant in completing the assignment.

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the Individual Consultant at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Individual Consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables by target due dates. Outputs will be certified by the Programme Analyst of Institutions and Partnerships prior to payments.

Tranches

Deliverable/Outputs

Due Date

Percentage of Fee

Tranche 1

Initial report encompassing summary statistics of collected available data on planned budget and actual spending on HIV in Regions III and IVA for 2018, 2019, and 2020 from relevant financing agents including LGUs, some NGOs, other contributors (e.g., UN agencies), DOH, PNAC, DSWD, DOLE and DILG using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP certified acceptable by UNDP

TBA

30%

Tranche 2

Final report on regional spending assessment on HIV for Regions III and IVA 2018, 2019, and 2020 using the developed RASA questionnaire by UNDP certified acceptable by UNDP

TBA

30%

Tranche 3

Report on the reporting mechanism through participatory approach (e.g., FGD with the stakeholders) for government or public sources on regional spending assessment on HIV taking into consideration the Open Government Partnership Commitments and Citizen’s Participatory Budget, together with the recommendations generated from the correlation with RCPI result certified acceptable by UNDP

TBA

20%

Tranche 4

Presentation of the RCPI report to at least 50 participants from Regions III and IVA certified acceptable by UNDP

TBA

20%

TOTAL

100%

1. Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents may be requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experiences from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate
3. At least two (2) relevant samples of written work in research, secondary data collection and quantitative data analysis

4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Individual Consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

5. Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

The Offers received will be evaluated using a combined scoring method - where technical proposal will be weighted 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30 points.

The CV will be reviewed using the criteria in the table below. Only offerors who will obtain a minimum of 70% or 49 out of 70 obtainable points will be shortlisted and considered for evaluation of financial proposal.

The CV and technical proposal will be evaluated based on the following:

Technical Qualifications

Points Obtainable

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, Community Development, Public Health, Public Administration or relevant field from a reputable university

14 points for a minimum and additional 2 points for a post-graduate degree

20

Must have at least five (5) years of experience in development and implementation of HIV Financing, health, or gender development work

21 points for 5 years of experience, additional 3 points per additional year

30

At least two (2) years of experience in research, secondary data collection, and quantitative data analysis

14 points for 2 years of experience, additional 2 points per additional year

20

Total

70

Only applications with 49 points will be eligible for the financial evaluation.

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the documents mentioned above.

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b) Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (Annex 2) are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors are also available:

http://gofile.me/292aN/FJEcICt8l

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification.

Please see the deadline of submissions above.

Because of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.

Apply now

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org