Job Vacancy: Job title: Call for proposal (readvertised): Evaluation on MSF’s lassa fever project in Abakaliki, Nigeria
Job description: MSF Operational Center of Brussels (OCB) has been supporting the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital of Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria, since 2018, aiming to provide quality care for Lassa fever patients as well as contribute to changes in policies and practices. The project aims to be “catalyst for change, responding to a neglected disease, with specific focus on reducing mortality, conducting research, and advocating for policy change at country and possibly regional (West Africa) level”.
This evaluation is wanted by the project and support teams in country and headquarters, to better understand achievements of the project to date (2018-2022) as well as highlight areas requiring attention or adaptations for the future. Findings and recommendations will inform the next project cycle and decision-making as part of the MSF OCB’s annual planning process for 2024 (The Annual Review of Operations (AROs) held in October-November 2023).
Please download the terms of reference for more information on the evaluation and how to apply:
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BACKGROUND
Lassa fever in West Africa
Unlike most viral hemorrhagic fevers, Lassa fever is an endemic disease in West Africa, and not a rare virus that emerges as sporadic cases or in outbreak form. Although it is difficult to determine the true incidence, it is estimated that up to 300,000 infections and more than 5,000 deaths from Lassa fever occur yearly across West Africa. An infection with Lassa fever leads to death in more than 40% of hospitalized patients. Lassa fever has the highest incidence of any viral haemorrhagic fever in the world, with the most cases in Nigeria and the Mano River Union (MRU) countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. The Lassa virus is one of only eight pathogens that the World Health Organization considers to be of the highest priority, “likely to cause severe outbreaks in the near future, and for which few or no medical counter measures exist” (WHO, 2017).
MSF-OCB project in Abakaliki, Nigeria
As an emergency medical humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has historically been intervening in many contexts dealing with outbreaks, including hemorrhagic fevers, as well as neglected tropical diseases. MSF Operational Center of Brussels (OCB) has been supporting the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital of Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria, since 2018, aiming to provide quality care for Lassa fever patients as well as contribute to changes in policies and practices. In the view of MSF, Lassa fever remains a neglected disease in Nigeria with major gaps in public health knowledge (e.g., estimating the real disease burden and prevalence or understanding the transmission patterns), interventions (i.e., optimal case detection and treatment), and investment in Research and Development for better diagnostics, treatment or vaccines, and intervention models.
A Lassa fever outbreak was declared at the end of 2017, and MSF OCB teams visited Ebonyi State in February 2018. After two months of support came an official request from the AE-FUTHA, calling for a longer intervention from MSF. The rationale for the opening of the project was based on three main gaps identified:
- Epidemiology and notably active surveillance, including contact tracing
- Case management, including patients’ journey, infection prevention and control procedures (IPC) and safe burials
- Diagnostics and laboratory services, with long turnaround time and distant sample testing
The Abakaliki project has two main components:
- Direct response: aiming at protecting healthcare workers (HCWs), caregivers and other patients and providing quality care for suspected and confirmed cases. This component includes Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Case Management.
- Operational research and advocacy: aiming at changing practices and policies through advocacy and results of operational research.
According to 2022 project document, the project aims to be catalyst for change, responding to a neglected disease, with specific focus on reducing mortality, conducting research, and advocating for policy change at country and possibly regional (West Africa) level.
PURPOSE AND INTENDED USE
This evaluation is wanted by the project and support teams in country and headquarters, to better understand achievements of the project to date (2018-2022) as well as highlight areas requiring attention or adaptations for the future. Findings and recommendations will inform the next project cycle and decision-making as part of the MSF OCB’s annual planning process for 2024 (The Annual Review of Operations (AROs) held in October-November 2023).
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND QUESTIONS
The evaluation seeks to assess the overall value of the Abakaliki project for the period 2018-2022. * How relevant was the project and did it remain relevant when considering the needs, the context and the principles and priorities of MSF?
- How appropriate was the design of the project considering its overall and specific objectives, as well as the context and needs?
- To what extent has the project achieved its objectives, both in terms of direct response and with regards to its catalytic ambitions?
- Which resources were needed for the project, were they available and to what extent were they used efficiently?
- How coherent and connected is the project, with regards to local and global capacities and resources, in general and in the field of LF specifically?
- What is the impact of the project?
EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
- Inception Report
The inception report ought to include a detailed evaluation proposal including the methodology and evaluation protocol, developing further what has been proposed in the proposal. MSF attributes great value to the inception stage, particularly when ensuring shared understanding of a complex evaluand is key.
- Real time learning
Debriefing with the team in Nigeria, in connection to the field visit.
Continuous feedback to the consultation group for the evaluation, as preliminary findings emerge.
- Draft Evaluation Report
The draft ER ought to answer to the evaluation questions and the evaluation’s stated purpose with the intended use in mind, basing this on analysis, findings, and conclusions – and if relevant – lessons learned and/or recommendations.
- Working Session
As part of the report writing process, a working session will be held with the commissioner, consultation group members and SEU evaluation manager. The evaluation team will present the preliminary findings, collect feedback and facilitate a discussion on recommendations (either to co-create recommendations or, if already developed, to discuss their feasibility).
- Final Evaluation Report
The final report will have addressed feedback received during the working session and written input from the feedback loop.
- Dissemination and use
- Presentation and discussion of the Final Evaluation Report to a general MSF audience in the form of a webinar.
- Summary report and/or other adequate support to share evaluation findings with patients and communities not least.
- Other sense-making exercises, workshops and dissemination and use activities may be suggested in proposal, during or at the end of the evaluation process.
The key deliverables (inception report, draft/final report) will be processed through a feedback loop, collecting input from the consultation group (see below, Practical Implementation of the Evaluation). Each deliverable is reviewed by the SEU and endorsed by the evaluation’s commissioner.
TOOLS AND METHODOLOGY PROPOSED
In addition to the initial evaluation proposal submitted as a part of the application, a detailed evaluation protocol will be prepared by the evaluators during the inception phase, following access to documentation and initial discussions with the consultation group for the evaluation. The inception report will include a detailed explanation of proposed methods and its justification based on validated theories. It will be reviewed and validated as a part of the inception phase in coordination with the SEU.
RECOMMENDED SECONDARY SOURCES
- Routinely collected medical data (raw data from medical databases)
- Project documents (project proposals, logframes, strategies, situational reports, annual reports, project visit and end of mission reports, organigrams, project budgets, assessments reports)
- Operational research initiatives
- National, regional and global documentation and guidelines
- External literature and documentation
- Strategic MSF and OCB documents, including Strategic Orientations, Operational Prospects, Medical Department Strategy, guiding principles
PROFILE/REQUIREMENTS FOR EVALUATOR(S)
The evaluation requires an individual or team of individuals who can demonstrate competencies in the following areas.
Requirements * Proven evaluation competencies
- Academic background in public health
- Experience in global health programming and project management, notably infectious diseases, and epidemic response.
- Clinical experience of Lassa fever / program management experience linked to Lassa Fever.
- Experience in Operational Research and Advocacy
- Fluency in English (spoken and written)
Valuable * MSF experience and/or understanding
- Knowledge of the West Africa region and specifically Nigeria
- Additional languages that could serve the evaluation process (eg documentation, interviews)
The SEU references SEVAL’s professional competencies, available at .
Location: Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
Job date: Tue, 16 May 2023 22:30:36 GMT
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