Assistive Technology Assessment (ATA) Consultant 203 views1 applications

CHAI Liberia Overview

Founded in 2002, by President William J. Clinton and Ira C. Magaziner, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (“CHAI”) is a global health organization committed to saving lives, reducing the burden of disease and strengthening integrated health systems in the developing world.

In 2006, CHAI was the first international NGO to help Liberia’s government rebuild after a decade-long civil war in Liberia had killed an estimated 270,000 people, decimated the nations’ health infrastructure and hindered the country’s ability to deliver vital health and social services. The partnership between Liberia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) and CHAI evolved from being HIV specific to addressing key healthcare challenges ranging from supply chain management, health workforce, and health financing, across various vertical programs including HIV, Malaria, and Maternal, Neonatal, Sexual & Reproductive Health.

The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI) has contracted CHAI – at the request of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) – to scope the potential for global market-based interventions related to assistive technology (AT) (https://www.who.int/disabilities/technology/en/). The AT sector in low and middle-income countries such as Liberia faces multiple barriers both in supply of appropriate, affordable, and quality products and in demand for these products by users, service providers, and national health systems. As a first step, understanding (un)met need and current delivery systems will allow government to better plan for provision of AT and increase access to AT in the public sector. In line with the above, CHAI Liberia will support a scoping exercise and assessment to understand Liberia’s need for AT; existing legislation, policies; products and services provided through different systems, including public, private and non-governmental organizations.

Assignment Overview
The main objective of the consultancy is to conduct an assessment of AT provision in Liberia at the national level, using the WHO’s Assistive Technology Assessment-Capacity (ATA-C) Tool as guidance. The ATA-C tool has been developed by the WHO to evaluate the country’s capacity for AT provision. The assessment will cover the following topics with regard to AT provision in Liberia:

• Stakeholder – Identify stakeholders in the AT sector in the country or region, both on the Government and non-governmental side; understand their roles and programs related to AT.
• Policy and Financing – Capture existing policies related to AT, existing schemes or programs providing access to AT, and schemes that could potentially be used for future AT financing.
• Product and Procurement – Map the availability of assistive products in the country or region, how quality is assured, and assistive product procurement and supply processes
• Provision – Map the service delivery system/s in which assistive devices are provided to users, which include policies or guidelines for prescribers and providers, entities and facilities where service delivery occurs, and how connected the service delivery system/s are through a referral mechanism.
• Human Resource – Understand the availability and distribution of general and AT-related health workforce, the existence of institution providing formal training program for the corresponding workforce, as well as the existence of AT related training in the country.
• Population Data – Identify what information systems exist that collects information related to AT, the prevalence of functional limitations and health conditions where AT is commonly needed.

The findings will be used by CHAI and the Liberian government for the following:

• Awareness raising – improve Liberia’s knowledge and understanding of the current landscape of AT as well as their capacity for AT financing, procurement and service provision
• Policy and program design – support AT policy/program design and implementation, ultimately enabling Liberia to meet population needs and ensuring that appropriate quality AT is available and affordable to all

Consultant Profile:

This position requires an individual who is comfortable working with minimal oversight and direction. He/she should ideally have extensive experience navigating the Liberian context and be comfortable approaching suppliers, policy makers and other key stakeholders. Ideally, this person will have a strong interest in expanding access to assistive technologies and some familiarity with the landscape in Liberia.

Reporting lines:

The Consultant will report to the SRH Senior Associate in Monrovia and work closely with CHAI Liberia Country Leadership as well as CHAI’s global New Markets Opportunity Team. The WHO team in Liberia will also provide integral support to the assignment. In order for the assessment to be successful, the Consultant must also establish good working relationships with key stakeholders from line ministries, healthcare institutions, civil society organizations and other international NGOs.

Qualifications

• University degree in public health, health sciences, social sciences, political sciences or related discipline
• At least 3-5 years of practical experience in research or project planning and management in the health sector
• Previous experience in conducting desk and literature reviews, and in qualitative research (including key informant interviews)
• Demonstrated experience in convening meetings and facilitating discussions among government and non-government stakeholders
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and resourceful when faced with difficult or frustrating working conditions; independent and able to work with minimal supervision
• Excellent spoken and written English, and ability to streamline large amounts of information for wide dissemination
• Very high proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite (particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Previous experience working in the AT or related sector strongly preferred
• Previous experience working in Liberia strongly preferred
• Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Liberians are strongly encouraged to apply

Duration and Location of Assignment

The duration of the assignment will be 3 months and the Consultant is required to be in Liberia for the entire duration of the study. The Consultant must have their own transportation to meet with stakeholders throughout Monrovia (and to other cities if needed).

Payment Schedule

The Consultant will be paid by deliverable and is expected to adhere to deliverable due dates, with due date extensions to be agreed upon by CHAI under extenuating circumstances. Additional provisions for work related expenses will be discussed during the contract negotiation period.