Consultant, Development of National Cholera Plan at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Job Purpose

• In 2021, according to the Global Task Force for Cholera Control (GTFCC) around 50 countries are still affected by cholera. The number of people living in cholera hotspot is estimated to be between 40 to 80 million. The burden of diseases remains extremely high with 1.3 to 4 million cases every year, including 21 000 to 143 000 deaths globally.
• The GTFCC is a partnership of more than 50 institutions, including NGOs, academic institutions, and UN agencies, with a secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• In 2017, the GTFCC launched the Global Roadmap to 2030 which aims to eliminate cholera in 20 countries and reduce the number of cholera deaths reported every year by 90%.
• In 2019, Cholera-affected countries have called for additional technical support from the GTFCC in the development and implementation of their multisectoral National Cholera Plans for control or elimination (NCPs). In response to countries’ needs, the GTFCC has established a Country Support Platform (CSP) that will support efforts - primarily at national level - to control and eliminate cholera.
• The CSP was launched in 2020 and it is hosted by the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).
• The CSP is supporting cholera-affected countries by working towards the following outcomes:
  • Cholera-affected countries have an NCP and a multisectoral coordination mechanism to align government, national actors, GTFCC partners and key stakeholders towards a shared strategy.
  • With the support of the CSP, the cholera-affected countries have mobilized resources toward the funding needs identified in their NCPs
  • The cholera-affected countries receive multisectoral technical support and capacity building for the formulation and the implementation of their NCPs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The overall objective of the consultancy:

• The overall objective of the deployment is to support the GTFCC partners and the countries in the development and/of Nigeria National Cholera Plan (NCP)

Project Objectives
The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the Nigerian national authorities in the development of their NCP through the following activities:  

• Support Nigeria in the review and development of its NCP,
• To update information and data (e.g. for hotspot identification, situational analysis) from relevant multisectoral authorities and partners to allow for a better understanding of the specific context;
• Support with integration of all appropriate information collected through desk review, stakeholder consultation of various pillars into the NCP.
• Support with the preparation and/ or facilitation of multisectoral workshops as part of the NCP development
• Support the national cholera control mechanisms through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and multisectoral partners on cholera control activities targeted at identified cholera hotspots.

Specific Outcomes:

• In collaboration with NCDC and CSP and partners of all relevant sectors
• Prepare a timeline for a step-by-step development of the NCP.
• Update the NCP with the latest country situational analysis, this should include:
  • A desk review of existing cholera/acute watery diarrhoea related strategies, plans and recommendations, including OCV operations, if applicable; this activity should be done in liaison and close collaboration with cholera technical task force pillar members
  • Update stakeholder analysis, including health services and WASH providers, decision-makers and end users at national and sub-national level in identified priority hotspots areas.  
  • A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis drafted through stakeholder consultations/ collaboration with members of the technical task force for each pillar and reviewed and validated through a multisectoral workshop.
  • Support with the development of a costed operational plan with feasible and specific actions to implement the cholera control (workshop and post-workshop)
• Output 1 (deliverable):List and describe/review/map relevant data, plans, stakeholders, government actors and national development programmes directly or indirectly linked to cholera prevention and control.
• Output 2 (deliverable):List and where applicable review/map relevant data, plans, stakeholders, government actors and national development programmes supporting the elaboration of the
• Output 3 (deliverable): Draft document of situational analysis (including SWOT) by pillar, developed in consultation with task force members, ready for discussion at the NCP workshop; this draft will be the basis for discussion at the NCP workshop to develop the national goal, pillar specific strategic objectives and operational plan
• Output 5 (deliverable): based on existing strategic documents for cholera response and preparedness (including NCP draft) consolidate and update identified focus areas and gaps following the NCP workshop and prepare the template to document the costing of the NCP.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (Continued)
Method of delivery and reasons for selecting that method:

• The national consultant will carry out this consultancy through stakeholders’ consultations and desk reviews of various documents.

Support to be provided to the consultant:

• The consultant will closely work with the Head of National Cholera Coordination of the NCDC with technical support from the CSP team in country and Geneva and administrative support from the IFRC Abuja cluster delegation.

 Schedule for payment of fees:

• 30% advance payment if requested and balance upon delivery as described herein.

Time Allocation, for budget purposes:

• The proposed time frame is 60 days with a maximum of 54 working days.
• Start Date: 18th of April 2022
• Ending date: 30th June 2022
• Location: Nigeria: Abuja and fields where necessary.

Management of Consultancy

• The consultant will be technically managed by NCDC Deputy Director IM and Head of Country Cholera Coordination and the Country Support Platform (CSP) Country Delegate in Nigeria
• The consultant will have direct reporting to line to Thomas MOLLET, Senior Officer, CSP coordinator, WASH in Development
• This consultancy will be contracted by the IFRC Abuja Country Cluster in Abuja / Nigeria

Requirements
Education:

• Master's Degree Project Management / Public Health or similar field related to health strategic development.

Experience:

• Five years of experience in strategic development and management in communicable disease control programmes.
• Field experience in cholera outbreak in emergency operations.
• Experience working in a multisectoral coordination role in communicable disease prevention and control programmes in low-income countries.

Knowledge, Skills and Language:

• Good knowledge of national and international multi sectoral approaches to cholera preparedness and response.
• Good analytical thinking skills.
• Skills in developing and facilitating strategic documents, operational plans.
• Good understanding of the GTFCC road map and CSP mandate.
• Good Knowledge of English language.

Technical Competencies:

• Identifies and establishes key operational partnerships.
• Designs and leads a multisectoral gap analysis and development of a national strategic and operational plans.
• Interpret and critically analyse key epidemiological cholera data for programme implementation.
• Knowledge of and ability to use the GTFCC hotspot identification tool.

Competencies and Values:

• Communication
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Judgement and Decision Making
• Customer Relations
• Creativity and Innovation
• Building Trust