Needed Early Detection Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Development of Early Detection protocol for Jordan

1. General information

1.1 About Humanity & Inclusion

Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire for a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity.

Handicap International changed its name and became « Humanity & Inclusion ». Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

HI has offices in 63 countries; for further information about the association: www.hi.org

1.2 About Humanity & Inclusion in the country/region

HI has been operating in Jordan since 2006, implementing projects ranging from the provision of comprehensive rehabilitation services, directly, through service providers or through a community based approach; inclusive local development, disability movement strengthening through capacity building of Disabled People’s Organizations and multi-stakeholder dialogue, among others.

In line with the Jordan Response Plan and the 3RP Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, HI has always sought to integrate resilience and sustainable elements throughout its interventions, by adopting a twin-track approach which seeks to simultaneously address the direct needs of beneficiaries all the while engaging in dialogue with them, with local authorities and local actors to empower them to claim and address their rights to access these services.

Since late 2015 and in line with the evolution of the Syrian crisis into a protracted one, HI adjusted its strategy of intervention to progressively shift from direct to indirect service provision through partners. As of July 2017, the Jordan mission comprises a single entity seeking to ensure the continuity between emergency response, rehabilitation and development.

2. Context

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) has been implementing an EDEI project in Jordan supported by DFID since April 2018 through project titled “Safety and dignity for Syrian Refugees and vulnerable Jordanians with disabilities”. As such, HI proceed to acquire consent from partner ministries namely; MoH and MoSD being that in Jordan, Early Detection (ED) services operate under the Ministry of Health (MoH), while Early Intervention (EI) services operate under the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD). Hi mapped catchment areas in the capital city Amman and surrounding areas to identify PHCs and MoSD EI centres to work with.

With regard to ED services provision, EDEI project follows systematic process to identify children with developmental delays and/or disabilities through adopting community-based rehabilitation approach CBR. Therefore, volunteers are selected from local communities and trained on using screening tool developed by the EDEI project team covering ages last from birth to 6 years, and a referral form to primary health centres PHCs that is used when the screened child is 5 years or less. That is, Volunteers conduct daily visits to different families in the catchment area and apply the screening tool. Once a child is screened, s/he is referred to nearest partner PHC for medical assessment and follow up, as well as to early intervention services offered by the EDEI project. Accordingly, the EDEI team, in collaboration with MoH, has held several training workshops aimed at equipping PHCs staff of physicians, nurses and midwife with knowledge about the HI and EDEI project, as well as referral mechanisms from EDEI project to PHCs. These workshops also aimed at enabling PHCs staff to conduct physical assessment to referred children in accordance with the child growth and development monitoring record that is developed by MoH.

For children referred to EI services, they are to undergo developmental assessment covers major areas of development such as, physical and motor development, cognitive, and behavioral development, sensory and communication development. EI services is provided once a child needs for intervention is established based on assessment results. These services are delivered by means of well-trained intervention team of CBR volunteers and include physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, and home-based educational intervention sessions following portage model.

In an endeavour to expand and enhance the quality of EI services, the project has also supported several capacity building trainings on early intervention model (e.g. portage) through which it has supported the creation of core training teams at MoSD who has supported the cascading of the same trainings to their field staff working in EI service centres.

Through the above project the team has responded to MoH and MoSD ministries request for ED/EI systems to be strengthened so as to standardise and improve service provision. Furthermore, there is currently no existing referral framework in place between ED and EI services operating under both ministries. These gaps at the national level affect the quality of EDEI services provided to children in need and their families. It is based on this premise that intervention agreement between HI and MoH and MoSD was reached.

Through additional DFID funds, HI had the possibility to implement a new project titled Improving the national Early Detection and Early Intervention (EDEI) framework in Jordan for the period October 2019-September 2020.

The proposed action further builds the ongoing action already highlighted above. One of the results is focused on development of ED and EI protocols through the newly approved action. This will help providing the much-needed guidance to streamline the provision of related services which are currently rather sporadic and disjointed thereby seeking to create much needed collaboration between MoH and MoSD in being able to enhance service delivery for targeted beneficiaries.

3. Objective

This consultancy seeks to enhance the quality of early detection services in Jordan through the creation of national ED protocol and referral framework between MoH and MoSD. MoH core staff will be train on ED protocol and, together with MoSD core staff, on the referral framework so that maternity and childhood departments will be able to provide high quality standardized early detection services.

Having such ED national protocol created would expand the current action HI is implementing through EDEI project and would impact on over 500 PHCs distributed throughout Jordan with positive reflection on early detection service provision. This would also ensure sustainability of the action for many years to come.

4. Expected Result

1. National ED protocol is developed in collaboration with MoH and the women and child health directorate.
2. National referral framework between MoH and MoSD is developed in coordination with a second consultant who will be in charge of facilitating coordination with MoSD and the disability directorate.
3. A ToT package for the new ED protocol is developed.
4. A Training package for ED – EI referral framework is developed.
5. MoH core staff (head and supervisors of women and child health directorate, heads of PHCs and health directorates in targeted areas) are trained on the ED TOT package and will in turn train early detection professionals (physicians, nurses and midwifes).
6. MoH and MoSD core staff (head and supervisors of women and child health directorate, heads of PHCs, health directorates, supervisors in MoSD, head of MoSD centers and workers in EI units in targeted areas) are trained on the ED – EI referral framework

5. Methodology

ED consultant will be required to undertake the following actions to realise the above results, namely:

National ED guideline is developed in collaboration with MoH and the women and child health directorate.

· Reviewing existing ED documentation and related relevant documents on national ED policy.

· Conduct meetings and interviews with MoH committee, EDEI project staff and other relevant actors.

· Investigating relevant literature on best early detection practices

· Conducting a comprehensive revision and evaluation of current early detection services provided to normally developing children and children with atypical developmental or disabilities in collaboration with MoH.

· Lead a launching workshop with the MoH and other actors.

· Plan for and lead the MoH and the women and child health directorate ED committee meetings to support the development of the national ED protocol.

National referral framework between MoH and MoSD is developed

· Reviewing existing national referral framework between MoH and MoSD.

· Liaising with the second consultant regarding the creation of the referral framework who in turn will facilitate the coordination with MoSD and the disability directorate

A ToT package for the new ED protocol is developed

· Develop action plan with MoH to implement the ED protocol in its maternity and childhood departments.

· Developing ToT package for MoH core staff on the validated national ED protocol.

A ToT package for the

A training package for ED – EI referral framework is developed.

· Develop a training package with MoH and MoSD on the created referral mechanism to be implemented in the PHCs centers, MoSD EI units and other EI services.

MoH core staff are trained on how to implement the protocol and train field staff on its application

· Lead the ToT of MoH core staff on how to implement the ED protocol and how to train maternity and childhood staff on its application using the developed ToT package

MoH and MoSD core staff are trained on the new referral framework between ED and EI services

· Lead the ToT to MoH and MoSD core staff on how to implement the referral framework and how to train maternity and childhood staff in addition and MoSD centres staff on its application using the developed ToT [BN1] package.

6. Expected deliverables

6.1 Deliverables

· An Inception report specifying the methodology and tools to be used the development of the ED national protocol and the referral framework

· Final and validated version of ED national protocol.

· Final and validated version of referral framework.

· ToT manual providing guidance on how to deliver trainings to other MoH ED staff.

· ToT training package on ED – EI referral mechanism

6.2 Evaluation date and schedule

It is expected that the duration of this consultancy will be 5 months of working period to be spread through 8 months’ time.

· The first and longest period of the consultancy will be dedicated to results 1, and 2.

· A period of time of max 2 months could elapse between the creation of the ED protocol and referral framework and the delivery of the trainings.

· During this time MoH will need to endorse the ED protocol. These weeks will be partially used for the preparation of trainings manual and materials.

An action plan will need to be submitted as part of the inception report.

7. Expertise Required from The Consultant(s)

· Earned degree in medicine (paediatric degree is an assets) or other relevant medical professionals.

· Experience in different aspects of early childhood development.

· Experience in detection of development delays and disabilities in early childhood.

· Experience in policy writing.

· Experience in developing early detection guidelines or other governmental guidelines.

· Experience in facilitating workshops and committees at governmental level.

· Strong report writing skills.

Qualified persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply!

8. Payments

Payment will be done, upon receipt of invoice, by bank transfer. The tranches are to be agreed at the time of signature of the contact. In all cases, maximum 30% of the agreed price will be transferred only upon validation by HI of the final deliverable.

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