Organizational Context

Large-scale epidemics and pandemics pose a serious threat not only to global health security but also to countries, communities, and individuals in their efforts to achieve resilience. Epidemics and pandemics affect all sectors, impacting routine health services, economic and food security, trade, education, civil order, communication, transportation, and many other areas of life. The threat of emerging infectious diseases, including those of zoonotic origin, and the increasing prevalence of diseases previously controlled by antimicrobials and vaccination efforts cause concern to the global health community.

Communities play an important role in the prevention, early detection, and early response with regard to this threat. Engagement of communities in epidemic and pandemic preparedness is vital to ensure early action and response to mitigate impact, including the delivery of normative health services.

At the end of 2017, the IFRC launched a program focused on Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness (CP3), utilizing a whole-of-society, all-hazard approach. Several key interventions occur within the program focused on three primary workstreams: Community Preparedness, National Society Preparedness, and Key Stakeholders Engagement. In 2024, the program enters its second phase. IFRC is also looking to expand its epidemic preparedness programming beyond the CP3 initiative with the support of additional partners.

Through CP3, the IFRC supports communities, National Societies, and partners in preventing, detecting, and responding to disease threats to enhance preparedness for future health risks. CP3 is currently operational in seven countries: Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Uganda. The program’s extensive demographic and geographic reach covers multiple counties and communities within the targeted locations. It involves partnerships with National Societies, governments, international and local organizations, and various community stakeholders.

The CP3 program involves various stakeholders at different levels:

• Target Population: The program primarily targets communities in seven countries: Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.
• Key stakeholders, such as:
  • Community and religious leaders, as well as various community groups and leaders (e.g., traditional healers, women groups, community health units, associations)
  • One Health partners at the national and sub-national levels, including human, animal and environmental health authorities
  • Education authorities
  • Disaster management authorities
  • Local governments
  • Private sector entities
  • The media
  • USAID country missions
  • Other USAID implementing partners involved in Global Health Security
• Red Cross Red Crescent Network:
  • Red Cross Red Crescent-National Societies in the respective countries
  • IFRC Headquarters and Regional Offices for Africa and Asia-Pacific, as well as IFRC Country Cluster Delegations covering the target countries.

For further information on the CP3 program and its approach, please visit our website: Epidemic and pandemic preparedness | IFRC: https://www.ifrc.org/epidemic-and-pandemic-preparedness

Job Purpose

The purpose of this mid-term evaluation is to analyze and provide recommendations based on the findings from the first phase of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program (CP3) covering October 2017 to September 2023 to assess its delivery to communities, National Societies, and key stakeholders. The IFRC and National Societies will use the evaluation findings and recommendations to learn from Phase 1 to refine its programming as it enters a new phase and potential geographical expansion.

The CP3 mid-term evaluation will refer to the vision and key objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which the CP3 program contributes to by bridging high-risk communities with local and national health authorities. It will focus in particular on the relevant WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE) indicators (v.3.0)as well as related to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Benchmarks for International Health Regulations (IHR) Capacities.

The findings from this evaluation will inform how the CP3 can better support the JEE’s identified priorities, ensuring that efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to public health risks are effective, efficient, and sustainable.

While the program is implemented in seven countries, the mid-term evaluation will, due to time limitations, conduct country visits will take place only in a subset of countries and counties. However, it is expected that remote interviews cover all countries.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Please click here for detailed job duties and responsibilities.

For this multi-country epidemic and pandemic preparedness program, the IFRC secretariat is seeking the assistance of a public health M&E consultant/consultancy team to:

• lead the evaluation design, in consultation with IFRC
• develop qualitative and quantitative data collection tools
• conduct stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions
• synthesize the evaluation report
• assist with tools and planning of finding validation workshops and draw these findings into the overall final evaluation conclusions and report

Position Requirements

Education

Required

• Certifications in monitoring & evaluation and post-graduate (Master’s) degrees in public health, epidemiology or other health-related sciences.

Experience

Required

• Minimum of 10 years of monitoring and evaluation experience.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation in humanitarian contexts, with a focus on public health.
• Minimum of 10 years of demonstrated experience in conducting multi-country program evaluations.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluency in English and French (written and verbal).
• Knowledge and experience in the humanitarian field and development programs and projects, and participatory methodologies for fieldwork.
• Strong analytical skills. Ability to synthesize and present findings and conclusions, make practical recommendations and prepare well-written, timely reports.
• Proven track record of conducting qualitative research including the development of interview schedules, qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external partners and stakeholders at all levels.
• Knowledge and experience of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, including partnership dynamics.
• Availability to travel to conduct fieldwork in the seven countries and IFRC regional offices.

Comments

Given the program’s scale, experienced evaluation companies are encouraged to apply to ensure that the evaluation team can meet all requirements.

Applicants are expected to provide a detailed description of the evaluation team members, their expertise and capacities and the role that they will play within the evaluation team.

When providing the budget, applicants are also expected to indicate the number of days/hours of dedication per team member and the remuneration applicable to calculate the total cost.