Terms of Reference for a Short Term Consultancy to Develop Training Materials and Conduct Training on HIV M&E in Zanzibar

Zanzibar AIDS Commission

Terms of Reference for a Short Term Consultancy

to Develop Training Materials and Conduct

Training on HIV M&E in Zanzibar

Revision: 9 March 2006

1.

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ZAC’

The Zanzibar AIDS Commission (ZAC), established in 2002 by an Act of Parliament, is responsible for managing and coordinating the national response to HIV and AIDS in Zanzibar.

Soon after ZAC’s establishment, it commenced consulting with stakeholders to develop a national HIV/AIDS strategic plan. The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar published its National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNSP) in 2005. The ZNSP is primarily focused on HIV prevention, which is appropriate, given that Zanzibar has a concentrated HIV epidemic and a low general population prevalence of around 0,6% (ZACP ANC surveillance report, 2004). Now that the ZAC has a clear mandate of what it should coordinate and facilitate (namely, all actions in the ZNSP), its focus can shift to its mandated, long-term and primary role: managing and coordinating the national response.

Another major area of focus of the ZAC in the first two years of its existence was resource mobilisation. In this area, the ZAC has been successful. It has mobilised resources for its own administration and operational set-up and recurrent costs, and for the implementation of HIV/Aids strategies as defined in the ZNSP from UNDP, ActionAid SIPAA, GFATM and the World Bank.

After mobilising resources, the ZAC also set up its financial accounting system to track and account for all financial expenditures. The ZAC’s financial system was set up to manage each source of funding as a separate ‘project’. Every project has its own cashbook and its own set of books, hereby giving the ZAC the ability to report individually on the progress made with utilising the funding that it receives from different development partners.

Currently, the ZAC uses the funding it receives primarily to fund its own activities and to coordinate the national response. In the near future, this will change. The ZAC has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TASAF II (Second Tanzania Social Action Fund) to manage a World Bank-funded Community AIDS Response Fund (CARF) on its behalf. This implies that the ZAC will expand its role: it will not only manage its own activities and coordinate the national response, but also to fund HIV interventions implemented by other providers of HIV and AIDS services.

The ZAC’s role has therefore evolved: whilst it was intended to only coordinate the national response to HIV and AIDS, it actually now fulfils a threefold role:

a) Coordinator and facilitator of the national response to HIV and AIDS b) Funder of HIV interventions

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ZAC

The ZAC has a Board of Commissioners, and a Secretariat that is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the ZAC. The ZAC Board of Commissioners appointed full time staff in the ZAC Secretariat to execute the functions of the ZAC and its Secretariat; specifically to manage all three roles of the ZAC. The ZAC Secretariat has the following organisational structure:

Executive Chairman Commissioners

Executive Director

Pemba Officer Head of Policy and Planning Head of Advocacy and IEC Head of Finance and_{Administration}

M&E Officer Planning Officer

IEC Officer FBO Officer

Logistics and Supplies Section Human Resources Management Section

Finance & Accounts Section

The work of the three divisions in the ZAC Secretariat focuses on all three of its roles. Each Division’s work guided by a quarterly work plan; corresponding budgets are prepared at the start of every quarter. These work plans are funded through the ZAC’s various funding sources.

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ZAC

The ZAC’s responsibilities stretch wider than just its responsibility to fulfil the three roles described in section 1.1: it not only has to fulfil these roles, but also monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness with which it fulfils all three its roles. This monitoring and evaluation of each of its three roles should take place through the following mechanisms:

Role 1: ZAC’s role as coordinator and facilitator of the national response to HIV/AIDS – the extent to which the ZNSP has been implemented by all sectors should be measured through a national M&E System for HIV/Aids.

Role 2: ZAC’s role as funder of HIV interventions – the extent to which the ZAC has disbursed funding to implementing partners should be measured through detailed data on activities obtained from implementing partners to whom the ZAC sub granted; this is typically done through an activity-based reporting system that is linked to implementer work plans and sub grant proposals.

Role 3: ZAC’s role as manager of HIV activities – the extent to which specific, budgeted activities in he ZAC work plans have been implemented, should be measured through the ZAC’s own activity-based reporting system, linked to ZAC quarterly work plans and budgets.

Since Role 2 is sub contracted to TASAF and Role 3 is a relatively straightforward activity reporting system used by each Division in ZAC, the remainder of this proposal will focus on monitoring and evaluation the first role of ZAC.

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ZNSP

To monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the ZNSP implementation (i.e. monitor and evaluate the ZAC’s first role), the ZAC developed a National Monitoring and Evaluation System for HIV and AIDS (‘M&E system’). The purpose of the M&E system is to track the spread of the virus, to monitor the extent to which the country has responded to it, and to assess the effectiveness of the ZAC in managing it.

To ensure the effective implementation and operation of the M&E system, the ZAC developed a series of documentation for it:

The ZAC also constituted, as per the provisions in the M&E framework, a national M&E Task Team on HIV/Aids in Zanzibar (METTHAZ). METTHAZ is a multisectoral consultative group that is tasked with advising on and harmonising HIV/AIDS Monitoring, Evaluation, Information Systems, and Research efforts in Zanzibar.

With all the documentation developed and consultative structures put in place, the ZAC signalled its intent to operationalise the M&E system by inviting technical support from the Global AIDS M&E Team 1_{(GAMET). The}

GAMET member conducted a mission to Zanzibar in December 2005, and assessed the status of the M&E system (the detailed assessment report available upon request from the ZAC secretariat).

The assessment confirmed that:

a) Most M&E documentation has been developed, but that the M&E documentation needed some additions and refinements

b) The M&E unit was not sufficiently skilled or staffed to operationalise the M&E system

c) The indicators in the M&E system needed to be reviewed to accommodate the nature of the ZAC’s epidemic. More indicators focusing on vulnerable and risk groups should have been added.

d) Data sources that would be used to determine indicator values from time to time were not sufficiently

developed. The workplace survey, behavioural surveillance, programme monitoring system and health facility surveys were not executed on a routine basis.

e) M&E decentralisation was planned, but there was no real capacity or assigned responsibility in the districts to implement it. The district HIV focal persons were already assigned with this responsibility.

f) Supervision and data auditing was referred to in the M&E system, but procedures were not developed for it. Procedural guidelines needed to be developed for it.

g) Communication and advocacy for HIV and AIDS M&E was weak and needed to improve. A communication and advocacy plan should have been developed.

h) Capacity for HIV M&E was lacking in the ZAC itself and amongst all coordinating bodies and implementing partners; the training manual was only partially complete and not adequate for all M&E needs. M&E training materials should be refined, new ones developed, and a cadre of skills training consultants established.

i) An information system for HIV/AIDS M&E data, specifically to capture all indicator data, had been planned, but not yet established. An integrated HIV M&E database should be developed, after the minimum database functionalities have been approved by ZAC.

j) There was some technical support For HIV/AIDS M&E, but the technical support was insufficient to assist during the operationalisation of the M&E system (experience has shown that this is an intense period of support). Residential M&E technical support for the first year of the operationalisation of the M&E system was necessary.

Further to the assessment, the ZAC organised a national M&E workshop with METTHAZ members from 25 to 27 January 2006. Day 1 of the 3-day workshop was devoted to discussing M&E concepts (i.e. the theory of HIV M&E),

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day 2 was dedicated to reviewing all existing and proposed new M&E system documentation, and day 3 focused on the development of a national Road Map for HIV and AIDS M&E in Zanzibar (‘M&E road map’).

The M&E Road Map is a national, integrated plan of action for to operationalise Zanzibar’s M&E system. It is not the ZAC’s work plan for M&E; it includes the activities of ALL stakeholders that have a role to play in the M&E system. It is a unified work plan and unified budget2_{. The benefit of such a unified work plan and budget is that it allows the}

ZAC’s M&E Unit, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners providing M&E support and technical assistance, other public sector institutions, private sector companies, NGOs, CBOs and the faith based sector to all align their M&E processes with that of the national M&E system requirements and to, collectively, operationalise the national M&E System in a synchronised, integrated, and comprehensive manner.

Subsequent to the workshop from 25 to 27 January 2006, the ZAC held a meeting with those international development partners that could not be at the workshop in Zanzibar to discuss the assessment results with and to present the M&E road map to them. This meeting took place on 1 February 2006 and was attended by UNAIDS, CDC, US government, ActionAid SIPAA, and the World Bank. Please refer to Annexure A for a copy of the draft M&E Road Map.

The participants at the aforementioned HIV and AIDS M&E workshop also identified some key tasks that were essential for the operationalisation of the M&E system. These tasks were on the critical path of the road map, meaning that the other tasks could not be completed until these tasks have been executed.

The tasks on the critical path are:

Task 1. Finalise, approve and launch all M&E System documentation Task 2. Finalise and approve M&E Road Map

Task 3. Cost and secure funding for all aspects of the Road Map

Task 4. Secure human resources for ZAC and for districts, and technical support Task 5. ZHAPMoS (Zanzibar HIV & AIDS Programme Monitoring System) training Task 6. Training in M&E concepts

At the meeting on 1 February 2006, the development partners supported these critical tasks as being of utmost importance. All partners committed to providing comments on the M&E road map, so that the road map can be approved (Task 2). ActionAid SIPAA committed to assisting the ZAC with costing the national M&E Road Map (Task 3), whilst the World Bank pledged support with finalising the M&E documentation (Task 1) and with Task 4. UNAIDS indicated that it would assist with all the critical path tasks.

Further to this meeting, it was also clarified that SIPAA ActionAid and NYADEFU (local consultancy) are busy developing a 10 month training programme for CSOs in HIV and AIDS M&E.

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Given the ZAC’s commitment to complete the activities on the critical path by the end of April 2006, the ZAC wishes to appoint two training materials consultants – one local consultant and one regional consultant. The objective of this consultancy is to create a cadre of training consultants who are equipped with the necessary skills and tools to enable them to build practical skills in ZHAPMoS reporting amongst all HIV stakeholders in Zanzibar. This objective is in line with Tasks 5 and 6 of the critical path of the M&E Road Map.

Further, the role of the regional consultant will also be to mentor and support the local consultant, whilst the role of the local consultant will be to support and learn from the regional consultant, as a capacity building exercise.

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Similar to the way in which UNAIDS and its co-sponsors prepare a Unified Budget and Work plan every year to guide the activities and expenditure of all co sponsors and ensure unified, synchronised and integrated action

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ZAC expects that the regional and local consultant will, together, deliver these 13 deliverables: TRAINING PACKAGE FOR M&E CONCEPTS

1. Training curriculum for training in generic M&E concepts (as per the curriculum formats provided by ZAC) 2. Facilitator guide for training in M&E concepts (this is an update of an existing draft manual, developed by a

local consultant in Zanzibar)

3. Participant’s guide for training in M&E concepts 4. Teaching aids for training in M&E concepts SUPPORT WITH TRAINING PACKAGE FOR CSOs

5. Training curriculum for NYADEFU and SIPAA ActionAid’s process of developing a long term training programme in M&E for CSOs

6. Advice and comments on the draft training materials that they have developed TRAINING PACKAGE FOR ZHAPMOS TRAINING

7. Two training curricula for ZHAPMoS training (as per the curriculum formats provided by ZAC) – one curriculum is for the Training of Trainer session, and another, separate curriculum, for the training of HIV implementers 8. Facilitator guide for ZHAPMoS training (this is a new manual, based on manuals from other countries that have

already been developed

9. Participant’s guide for ZHAPMoS training

10.Training material resource list for training sessions 11.Teaching aids for ZHAPMoS training

CREATE CADRE OF SKILLED ZANZIBARI TRAINERS

12.Wording of newspaper advertisement to invite persons to apply to become ZHAPMoS trainers 13.Report on 2 week workshop to train a cadre of potential ZHAPMoS trainers

14.Assessment report for each potential ZHAPMoS trainer, with a recommendation as to whether the person

should be appointed

All deliverables are to be presented as drafts in electronic formats first. Upon receipt, ZAC will present all deliverables to METTHAZ and GAMET for approval. Drafts need to be approved by METTHAZ before the consultancy team commence with the next stage of development.

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The scope of work of the two consultants will entail:

2. Literature review of national HIV and AIDS M&E plan, ZHAPMoS documentation, and samples of draft M&E training curricula from other countries

3. Development of a training curriculum for training in M&E concepts 4. Adaptation of current facilitator’s guide for training in M&E concepts 5. Development of participant’s guide for training in M&E concepts 6. Development of teaching aids for training in M&E concepts 7. Development of two ZHAPMoS training curricula

8. Development of a facilitator’s guide for ZHAPMoS trainers

9. Development of a training materials resource list for ZHAPMoS training 10.Development of teaching aids for ZHAPMoS training

11.Conducting one 2 week training session for training consultants

Further, the regional consultant will also have two additional responsibilities: 12.Mentoring the local consultant

13.Reading through and commenting on the CSO manual, and meet with team developing the CSO manual

During the execution of the Scope of Work, the consultant team will have access to similar M&E training materials that have been developed and also solicit the input and advice from ZAC’s partners in HIV and AIDS M&E.

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To be considered for this consultancy, the regional consultant needs to have the following professional experience and qualifications:

A) The successful candidate should have at least a master’s degree from a recognized institution in strategic management/planning/monitoring and evaluation, and a post graduate qualification in curriculum design. B) Of particular importance is experience in the use of participatory methods, adult learning, and training material

design.

C) Appropriate and extensive experience in the development of publication-quality training materials. D) At least 5 years experience in training adults in advanced subjects (such as at university level)

To be considered for this consultancy, the local consultant needs to have the following professional experience and qualifications:

A) The successful candidate should have at least a primary degree from a recognized institution in strategic management/planning/monitoring and evaluation, and a post graduate qualification in curriculum design. B) At least 5 years work experience in managing, monitoring and evaluating development projects

C) At least 5 years experience in training adults in advanced subjects (such as at university level)

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R

For the duration of the consultancy, the consultant team will report on a weekly basis to the ZAC Head of Policy, Planning and National Response. Progress reports will consist of:

b) activities to be completed during the following week c) delays experienced, and reasons for the delays d) challenges, and solutions to these challenges e) specific actions or involvement required from ZAC

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The task is to commence on Monday 6 March 2006, and conclude on Monday 10 April 2006. Time frames are as follows:

Attend preparatory meetings for a detailed briefing 2 days Week 1

Literature review of national HIV and AIDS M&E plan, ZHAPMoS documentation, and samples of draft M&E training curricula from other countries

3 days Week 1

Development of a training curriculum for training in

M&E concepts 2 days Week 2

Adaptation of current facilitator’s guide for training

in M& concepts 3 days Week 2

Development of participant’s guide for training in

M&E concepts 3 days Week 3

Development of teaching aids for training in M&E

concepts 2 days Week 3

Development of two ZHAPMoS training curricula 2 days Week 4

Development of a facilitator’s guide for ZHAPMoS

trainers 3 days Week 4

Development of a training materials resource list for

ZHAPMoS training 1 day Week 5

Development of teaching aids for ZHAPMoS training 2 days Week 5

Meetings for approvals and updates 2 days Through all 5 weeks

Conducting one 2 week training session for training

consultants 10 days for workshop _{5 days for preparation and}

report writing

Week 7 and 8

8.

C

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C

Consultant CVs will be reviewed based on the following criteria: 1. Experience in curriculum design

2. Experience in the development of textbooks and teaching and learning aids 3. Professional qualifications

4. Experience in training of trainers

5. Experience in training of different levels of stakeholders 6. Experience in similar training materials development processes

7. Knowledge of HIV and AIDS

8. Timing and work plan