ABOUT MdM MYANMAR
Médecins du Monde (MdM) is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to provide medical care for the most vulnerable populations, the world over, including France. It seeks to stimulate voluntary commitment from doctors, other health care providers, and from those whose expertise in other fields is needed for its activities, to enlist all competent support required for the achievement of its projects, and to seek at all times to encourage close working relationships with populations in its care.
MdM has been operating in Myanmar since 1994. Its main programme delivers comprehensive Harm Reduction and HIV/AIDS prevention and care, focusing on key populations – People who Use Drugs (in Kachin State), and Female Sex Workers and LGBTQI+ (in Yangon).
In Kachin, MdM’s programs are implemented in 2 main sites (Moegaung and Hopin/Mohnyin). Activities include health education in outreach, needles and syringe exchange programme, methadone substitution programme, counselling and HIV testing, and medical care for People living with HIV (STI, opportunistic infections, Tuberculosis and ARV).
In Yangon, MdM is implementing harm reduction (sex work) and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programs for sex workers, LGBTQI+, and people living with HIV, with broad community partnership approaches. Current and future strategy focuses on supporting local civil society and health system in scaling up and provision of health services.
CONTEXT
MdM has been implementing a harm reduction program in Yangon since 2000 focusing on sex workers (cis-women, LGBTQI+). In line with MdM’s strategy to work in partnership with and strengthen local stakeholders, MdM transferred its HIV prevention’s activities by the end of 2021 to local organisations and by the end of 2023, the patients in need of ART were transferred to national hospitals. Since 2018, Myanmar is part of the MdM/AFD Multi-Year Partnership Agreement and is recipient until December 2024. Pursuing the goal of contributing to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare and rights for sex workers, including LGBTQI+, through a harm reduction approach, a new needs assessment was essential further guide the Yangon program. This exercise led to list the existing stakeholders (service providers mapping) and to identify the service gaps (Sex workers in Yangon needs assessment Report, November 2023). According to MdM’s mission in Myanmar’s strategy, to improve the access to services for sex workers in Yangon within 3 years and ensure that comprehensive and quality healthcare services are available, including services responding to gender-based violence, an assessment on the GBV affecting sex workers will be conducted.
1. BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT
In September 2023, (MdM-F) in Myanmar launched the ReSPECT project (Reach, Screen, Prevent, Empower, Counsel and Treat) a sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) project in Yangon, for sex workers and women living with HIV. MdM-F is undertaking a final evaluation of the ReSPECT project which was aimed at achieving access to quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including prevention and management of precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions of Sex Workers and women living with HIV in Yangon region, Myanmar.
The purpose of the evaluation is a formal review of the project’s achievements and lessons learned. The evaluation will provide an independent assessment about the project performance and achievement of intended results. The evaluation will be carried out by an independent consultant. The results of the evaluation will be incorporated into key programme documents and will be widely disseminated to stakeholders at national and international levels and shared with the Embassy of France.
With the funding support from French Ministry of Foreign Affairs the ReSPECT project started in September 2023 and will continue until December 2024. The project was designed following a needs assessment completed in 2023, that included a service providers mapping, that highlighted limited comprehensive SRH services available for sex workers.
The ReSPECT project’s specific objectives are:
- To improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Yangon, Myanmar with a specific focus on vulnerable populations including sex workers and people living with HIV;
- To ensure access to quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including prevention and management of precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions with particular attention to vulnerable populations, including sex workers and people living with HIV.
3 key principles of the SRHR project implemented by MdM was:
- To strengthen people’s ability to access SRHR information, including information on cervical cancer, and women’s ability to make informed decisions about their own health, with a particular attention to vulnerable populations
- To strengthen the continuum of sexual and reproductive health care, in cooperation with existing stakeholders and the national health care system with particular attention to vulnerable populations
- To participate in social change and contribute to reforming public policies through advocacy in alliance with civil society and relevant stakeholders, including capacity fostering of national health workforce enabling relevant SRHR technical trainings and workshops.
Main activities of the project included:
- Tailored SRHR education and awareness to empower beneficiaries
- Free of charge SRH services including access to modern contraception, emergency pill, treatment of STI, secondary prevention of cervical cancer.
- Pilot demonstration for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancerous conditions and support referrals for further diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer based on community-based approach, in partnership with 5 local organisations.
2. DEFINITION OF THE CONSULTANCY MISSION
OBJECTIVE
This evaluation is a summative evaluation, which purpose is to evaluate the ReSPECT project’s outcomes. It will measure the project’s effectiveness, efficiency and relevance and assess the feasibility of the very innovative model proposed, as well as the partnership modalities to be favored to ensure its appropriateness and sustainability. The evaluation will also contribute to feed the advocating efforts MdM is supporting in Myanmar, to ensure the access to more comprehensive SRHR services to sex workers.
SCOPE OF WORK
The end of project evaluation will assess the project performance towards achieving its mandated outputs and outcomes over the operational period. The review will explore the strengths and weaknesses of the project. It will highlight all factors influencing the effective and efficient implementation of the interventions and their contribution towards the realization of the programme outcomes and outputs. Based on the analysis it will draw conclusions regarding the outcomes and outputs. As such, the evaluation will also identify lessons learned, good and promising practices. It will then formulate recommendations to consider for future projects. The evaluation will cover all the project areas in Yangon, since its start in September 2023 and will cover all the activities and services implemented in the ReSPECT project.
Further information about the scope of work will be released to the selected candidate.
BUDGET
The Consultant shall submit a detailed cost breakdowns budget proposal based on the given budget, along with indicated timelines in working days, for the consultancy. The budget may include the consultancy fee (either in daily rates or as lumpsum amount in Myanmar Kyats), transportation costs of the Consultant in Yangon, and fees related to document printing, stationaries, translation/transcription, and other incidental costs etc. related to the consultancy.
MdM will cover the costs (venue, food/per-diem, and transportation costs of the participants) for organizing FGDs and the consultant workshop.
3. PROFILE SOUGHT
The skills required for the mission are:
– Proven experience in Project Evaluation. If the candidate is not a Myanmar national: Experience in working with an interpret.
– Technical expertise in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and harm reduction are required.
– Professional experience in health and rights of sex workers, and/or health and rights of people living with HIV and/or community-based health interventions are preferred.
– Myanmar nationals are strongly encouraged to apply. If international, good knowledge of the Myanmar context will be appreciated.
– Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory.
4. INDICATIVE TIMETABLE
Deadline for an expression of interest: 11/10/2024 at 12 noon (Myanmar time)
Preferred mission launch date: 21/10/2024
Preferred date for the “field” phase: 30/10/2024
Preferred final report delivery date: 18/12/2024
This timetable is for information only and subject to modification.
How to apply
5. DETAILED APPLICATION METHODS
DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED
Service providers wishing to express their interest are invited to submit the following 2 elements:
1. Up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) of a maximum of 3 pages for each member of the proposed team and stating as applicable the consultancy firm to which each team member belongs.
2. A letter of interest of a maximum of three (3) pages, indicating: experience of comparable missions, at least two (2) credentials concerning the performance of comparable contracts, dates of availability for the consultancy process, etc.
3. A proposal of a timeline for the evaluation, that explains the different steps adopted for the evaluation. The proposal will include the delivery of 1) an inception/design report; 2) a preliminary results and recommendations report; 3) a first draft of evaluation report and 4) a Final Evaluation Report that will include an executive summary.
The expression of interest will be considered complete if it includes the following 2 elements. It must be sent via email to: < [email protected] > with the subject line “End of SRHR project evaluation”. Expressions of interest submitted in any other manner will not be taken into consideration.
Thedeadline for submitting an expression of interest is 11/10/2024**.**
A maximum of six (6) candidates will be shortlisted and invited to submit a complete technical and budget proposal in response to the terms of reference to be provided to them.
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
All information obtained in the context of this expression of interest is the subject of IT processing aimed at creating and archiving a professional file for each application received and for the purpose of any potential audit of our internal procedures. The data collected is sent to: Direction Santé Plaidoyer de MdM-F. In accordance with the French and EU legislation in force, you have the right to access and amend any information relating to you and you can exercise this right by emailing < [email protected] > or writing to Médecins du Monde France, Direction Santé Plaidoyer, 84 avenue du President Wilson 93210 Saint-Denis. You may also object to the processing of your data on legitimate grounds.
In order to be authorized to apply, bidders must be able to establish, at the discretion of MdM, that they meet the legal, technical and financial conditions applicable and that they have the necessary capacity and sufficient resources to carry out the mission.
Médecins du Monde reserves the right to fill the vacancy before the closing date for applications.
MdM stands up for the integration of people living with disabilities and fights against discrimination.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Our objective is to create an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the populations we support; we strongly encourage applications from those who are marginalized and considered as vulnerable groups.