Myanmar: Consultant – Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) Case Study

Title: Consultant – Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) Case Study

Project: Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG)

Duty station: Yangon, Myanmar

Section/Unit: 3MDG Fund

Contract/Level: International Specialist ICA, IICA 3

Duration: 1 February 2016 – 31 May 2016 (maximum 35 days worked on retainer basis)

Supervisor: 3MDG Fund Director

1. General Background

(Brief description of the national, sector-specific or other relevant context in which the individual contractor will operate)

UNOPS is the Fund Manager for the Three Millennium Development Goal (3MDG) Fund, a multi donor fund supported by Australia, Denmark, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA. The Fund was established in 2012 to provide support for health needs in Myanmar. The three components of the 3MDG are:

1. Maternal, Newborn and Child Health care. Increasing the availability and accessibility of essential services;

2. HIV, TB and Malaria. Support for specific interventions for populations and areas not supported by the Global Fund;

3. Health systems strengthening.

The detailed program description is outlined in 3MDG Fund Description of Action, available on the www.3MDG.org website.

The 3MDG Fund follows an overarching goal to contribute to national progress towards the three health MDGs and universal health coverage through a rights-based approach. This means ensuring equitable access to health services, empowering women, engaging communities in decision making and implementation, and ensuring the voices of minorities and other vulnerable groups are heard. This is part of 3MDG’s broader efforts to contribute to better health for all in Myanmar through a responsible, fair and inclusive health sector.

To strengthen this rights-based approach to health, the 3MDG Fund provides capacity building support for all of its partners (international NGOs and local Civil Society Organizations, including those who deliver programmes in some parts of the country where conflict has existed until recently, or is ongoing) to engage communities through responsible, fair and inclusive practices to enhance patient satisfaction and contribute to better health for all in Myanmar. This supports the UHC strategy of “strengthening community engagement in health service delivery and promotion”.

Partners and other stakeholders need tools and resources, awareness, skills and confidence to use responsible, fair and inclusive practices in their everyday work. Health outcomes, service quality and patient satisfaction can be improved by strengthening the competence of staff, health service providers, communities and civil society organizations.

In January-June 2015, a total of 1,309 staff were trained on accountability, equity, inclusion and conflict sensitivity issues – including 992 from 3MDG implementing partners (including INGOs, LNGOs and CBOs), and the remainder from non- partner groups such as LNGOs and from CBOs. This included training in May 2015 on Information Sharing, Participation and Feedback and Response Mechanisms (FRMs) attended by 25 participants from 21 organizations.

Before the training (in 2014), very few 3MDG partners had formal FRMs in place, and in most cases communities had not been consulted on how they prefer to provide feedback. Now almost all participating partners are either developing FRMs or strengthening existing FRMs.

This is an important development as FRMs are a key way to seek beneficiary views and address concerns to improve service quality. In order to achieve Health for All in Myanmar, fundamental changes need to occur in the relationships between health care providers and the communities they serve, especially the poor and marginalised, to achieve improvements in service quality, access and utilisation. Notably, many of the partners are firstly consulting with communities across Myanmar on their preferences to provide feedback and piloting various designs to ensure that their FRMs are context-appropriate and effective.

In 2014, 3MDG partners completed an Accountability, Equity, Inclusion and Conflict Sensitivity self-assessment, to evaluate how they are practicing the principles of responsibility, fairness, inclusion and do-no-harm in their 3MDG health interventions. This assessment includes a module on FRMs. It also requires partners to consult with community beneficiaries through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to hear their perspectives on health service provision. As part of the conduct of the assessment and through FGDs, in 2014, 458 women and 463 men) were consulted to seek their perspectives on health service provision. The assessment will repeat in 2015 and 2016.

Furthermore, and across the most recent reporting period of January-June 2015, 3MDG partners received a total of 514 instances of feedback and provided responses to 322 (63%), indicating that FRMs are gradually being used by communities and that suggestions are being addressed.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

(Concise and detailed description of activities, tasks and responsibilities to be undertaken, including expected travel, if applicable)

The 3MDG Fund is seeking a Consultant to undertake a Case Study of Community Feedback Mechanisms used by its implementing partners (IPs). This role represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to the 3MDG’s Health for All team and work closely with diverse stakeholders. Under overall supervision of the 3MDG Fund Director, and secondary supervision of the Accountability Programme Officer, and in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, the incumbent will:

1. Undertake, in close consultation with the Accountability Programme Officer, the preparation of a case study work plan, including budgets, facilitation requirements, travel schedule and staffing support needs from 3MDG.

2. Prepare and facilitate consultation sessions with 3MDG IPs both in Yangon and in the field to learn about, document and evaluate the various CFMs that are being used.

3. Assess the overall effectiveness of the CFMs, including but not limited to:

4. Identifying successes and challenges of different models and approaches that are being used by IPs to ascertain and respond to feedback from the community, and how these differ in various geographical regions (including those that are considered to be conflict affected) and between the Component 1, Component 2 and Component 3 IPs.

5. Assessing IP capacity to implement CFMs at present and in the future, including identifying good practices to date and areas for improvement. Provide commentary on realistic expectations for CFM maturity at this point in Myanmar’s health sector, considering the broader social, historical, political, and economic context.

6. Analysing the extent to which the community is aware of the CFM; uses the CFM; and receives a satisfactory response when feedback is provided. Use the AEI&CS Assessment results from 2014 and 2015 to inform this analysis.

7. Considering whether the CFMs accommodate, and are sensitive to, the different needs of women and men, of ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups;

8. Identifying good practices, including where CFMs are linked to other key stakeholders, including the Township Health Department.

9. Analysing whether feedback and responses are captured and recorded systematically, and how IPs adjust and improve their current health programmes based on feedback received.

10. Considering any evidence to indicate that CFMs are contributing to changes in relationships with communities and other stakeholders in the health sector.

11. Hold a de-briefing session with 3MDG on the outcomes of the consultations, indicating key issues, findings (best practices, success stories and challenges) and recommendations.

12. Prepare one draft overall report sharing the overall outcomes, best practices, lessons learned and recommendations; share with the 3MDG Fund for feedback; then produce a final overall report including aggregate analysis of the effectiveness of CFMs implementing by IPs.

13. Undertake other duties related to the implementation of the Case Study that may be assigned by Fund Director by consultation with Accountability Programme Officer.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

(Clear description of measurable outputs, milestones, key performance indicators and / or reporting requirements which will enable performance monitoring)

The 3MDG Fund Director, with support from the Accountability Programme Officer, will monitor the performance of the incumbent in line with his/her assignment against the workplan developed at the beginning of assignment.

4.Qualifications and Experience

(List the required education, work experience, expertise and competencies of the individual contractor. The listed education and experience should correspond with the level at which the contract is offered.)

1. Education

(Level and area of required and / or preferred education)

· A Master’s degree in political science, social science, public health, or other related field relevant to the above duties with 7 years of professional field experience in a context relevant to this position or Bachelor's degree with 9 years of field experience is considered as equivalent.

1. Work Experience

(List number of years and area of required work experience. Clearly distinguish between required experience and experience which could be an asset)

· A minimum 7 years of relevant experience in the area of social development, beneficiary accountability, and community engagement in a development context is required;

· At least 2 years previous experience in implementing projects related to community feedback mechanisms, in the Myanmar context is required;

· 2 years in a good knowledge of civil society in Myanmar is required;

· At least 2 years writing and analytical skills is required.

· Ability to work with minimal supervision in a complex environment is essential

· Willingness to undertake regular field visits in difficult conditions is essential.

· Previous successful involvement in the health sector in Myanmar is an asset;

· Proven experience in undertaking activities aimed at engaging and empowering local communities, including poor, vulnerable and marginalised groups is an asset.

· Strong communication and facilitation skills, and ability to establish good working relations with colleagues and stakeholders in a sensitive environment is an asset;

Language

· Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Key Competencies

(Technical knowledge, skills, managerial competencies or other personal competencies relevant to the performance of the assignment. Clearly distinguish between required and desired competencies)

Knowledge Management and Learning

· Promotes a knowledge-sharing and learning culture in the office;

· In-depth knowledge of development issues;

· Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;

· Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;

Development and Operational Effectiveness

· Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;

· Ability to lead implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects;

· Ability to lead implementation of new systems (business side), and affect staff behavioral/ attitudinal change;

· Excellent conceptual and analytical abilities and an analytic approach to information management.

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