Feasibility analysis of a call for proposals to identify civil society projects in Sub-Saharan Africa

1. INTRODUCTION

This document contains the Terms of Reference (hereinafter ToR) for conducting a feasibility analysis of a regular call for proposals to identify civil society projects in Sub-Saharan Africa to support the fight against skin NTDs (Neglected Tropical Diseases).

Anesvad is a Non-Governmental Development Organisation (NGDO) with more than 50 years of experience in the field of cooperation. It is currently present in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose

Our purpose as an organisation, our raison d’être and our ongoing quest is to improve the health of the most neglected people and communities.

Mission

Our mission is to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening public health systems from a human rights perspective.

Anesvad’s interventions will focus on contributing to the control, elimination and, where feasible, eradication of certain NTDs that have a decisive impact on the living conditions of people in vulnerable situations in sub-Saharan Africa. The deployment of the intervention strategy shall contribute to the improvement of the general health level of the prioritised populations.

Anesvad will promote, assist, support and, where appropriate, lead transformation processes that contribute to the effective fight against NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa and, in general, to the effective exercise of the right to health of vulnerable populations, facilitating the necessary involvement and coordination of multiple actors, especially states, and helping to ensure that people and communities are the central figures in these processes.

Anesvad is committed to making it easier for people in vulnerable situations to exercise their right to health through their own means, both public and community-based.

Anesvad’s priority area of action is international development cooperation, including education for social transformation as a complementary area of work.

Vision

Our vision is of a world in which tropical diseases are not neglected and people are able to enjoy good health, and with it, more opportunities to live a dignified life.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE ToR

In December 2018, the Anesvad Foundation approved its current Strategic Plan (SP) for a period of four years, from 2019 to 2022. This SP was preceded by a two-year Transitional Strategic Plan that required an extension of one year, that is, it ran from 2016 to 2018. It was “transitional” since it was the Foundation’s first plan once a new Foundational Model and a New Intervention Strategy were outlined, with both documents based on focusing our work on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in sub-Saharan Africa.

Since the end of 2019, the merging and updating of these two documents establishes Anesvad’s Identity Document, a document that reflects the “essence and meaning” of our Foundation.

Earlier in 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published its Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030 which sets out a series of global targets for 2030 and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate[1] this heterogeneous group of 20 diseases and groups of conditions. Importantly, this Roadmap also outlines the integrated approaches needed to achieve the proposed targets through a series of cross-cutting activities. Of particular relevance here is the integrated approach to tackling the set of skin NTDs, a priority focus of Anesvad’s work.

We are currently in a process of reflection that will enable us to define priorities in the fight against skin NTDs in the context of sub-Saharan Africa with a view to the Foundation’s next Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2026. In this regard, this work represents a vital part of the analysis that will allow us to advance in our work with governments/ministries of health.

To this end, we are issuing these terms of reference, identifying the main needs, priorities, weaknesses and gaps in the fight against these diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE ToR

The general objective is to analyse the feasibility of a regular call for projects aimed at civil society in Sub-Saharan Africa in the area(s) defined in these ToR.

The following are proposed as specific objectives:

· Objective 1: Assess the interest of civil society in the identified areas of action in order to ensure, as far as possible, that the call will have sufficient participation in terms of projects submitted

• The fields of action within the framework of skin NTDs identified for the call are:

• Actions taking into account at least one of the following themes: gender, environmental sustainability, disability, water and sanitation, community reintegration, stigma-discrimination, interculturality, equity-UHC, mental health, poverty-Human Rights, advocacy, mapping, monitoring and evaluation, and cost-effectiveness.

• Actions that lead to the generation and/or strengthening of spaces for coordination between actors involved in the fight against skin NTDs. Special emphasis on multidisciplinary working groups and public/private spaces.

• Actions leading to the involvement of non-health sector actors in the fight against skin NTDs identified in the WHO Roadmap 2021-2030.

· Objective 2: Analyse the potential for involvement of other possible donors

• Which public or private organisations are interested in the call, under what conditions, and what kind of collaboration do they propose?

• Which fields of action are they attracted to? Which are they not interested in?

• What plan should we envisage to try to establish agreements?

· Objective 3: In the case of a positive assessment of the two previous objectives, design a call for proposals model in accordance with Anesvad’s characteristics, which will allow us to fulfil our Mission in an effective and sustainable manner, generating the greatest possible impact in the fight against skin NTDs

Potential aspects to consider in the design of the call model:

• Geographic coverage of the call (the most relevant). E.g. national and/or regional.

• Target audience (type/s – individual actor, consortia, duration of the proposed implementation).

• Steps involved in the call

• Formats required (application form, etc)

• Resources required (material and human)

• Proposal for follow-up to the implementation

• Timetable

• Other operational aspects

4. METHODOLOGY AND WORK PLAN

METHODOLOGY

In their technical proposal, the consultancy team shall describe, in a manner as detailed as possible, the research methodology with which the targets are to be achieved.

WORK PLAN

In their proposal, the consultancy team shall provide a clear outline of the work plan to be followed during their work, how they plan to liaise with the person responsible for following up this work on behalf of Anesvad, the methodology to be used, the tasks/actions to be carried out, the deliverables and their deadlines. They will also draw up a timetable detailing the duration of each of the phases.

ASPECTS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

IN TERMS OF COUNTRIES

Prioritise the 4 countries where we are currently working: Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo. Also consider the 3 Sub-Saharan African countries where the organisation has begun to analyse the potential for collaboration with the Ministries of Health: Cameroon, Liberia, Congo and Nigeria.

REGARDING CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS

Value international and national organisations present in the countries and/or region with experience in project management and in any of the identified areas of action.

REGARDING THE AMOUNTS OF THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Consider starting with modest amounts (1M) and gradually increasing them as the call for proposals develops. Even so, higher amounts can be considered if there is a certain security of a positive response.

REGARDING THE DURATION OF THE PROJECTS

Assess what is considered most appropriate according to the analyses to be carried out.

REGARDING THE DONORS TO BE CONTACTED

Assess both public and private donors, establishing priority groups based on geographical proximity, similar objectives and long-term commitments.

5. STRUCTURE AND SUBMISSION OF THE CONSULTANCY DELIVERABLES

The consultancy process will result in two documents.

A. A feasibility report of the call for proposals on the basis of the first two objectives set, which should follow the below table of contents:

1. Introduction

2. Methodology used to carry out the consultancy process

3. Constraints and limitations of the study carried out

4. Actions carried out. Compliance with the Work Plan

5. Narrative response to the objectives set

6. Conclusions and recommendations

There is no limit as regards length, although it will limit itself to answering the objectives set.

B. Design of the call for proposals detailing the points specified in objective 3.

6. CONSULTANCY TEAM

The number of members of the consultancy team will be proposed by the consultancy entity (attach CVs of the proposed team). The consultant/consultancy team must meet the following requirements:

• Experience in consultancy in the sector of NGDOs, international cooperation and human development in general.

• Experience in designing/managing/evaluating calls for proposals.

• Experience of working with civil society in Sub-Saharan Africa

The consultancy team, if applicable, will appoint a coordinator (Team Leader) who will be ultimately responsible for the work and for liaising with the contact person with Anesvad.

The consultancy team must guarantee its independence from the Anesvad Foundation.

7. PREMISES OF THE CONSULTANCY, AUTHORSHIP AND PUBLICATION

Anesvad considers it essential that the consultancy team conducts itself in a professional and ethical manner, respecting the following premises:

• Anonymity and confidentiality. Respect the right of individuals to provide information while ensuring their anonymity and confidentiality during the consultancy.

• Responsibility. Mention in the report any disagreements or differences of opinion regarding the findings and/or recommendations.

• Comprehensiveness. Highlight necessary questions for a more complete analysis of the consultancy even if they are not specifically mentioned in the ToR.

• Independence. The team must have no links with Anesvad Foundation.

• Validation of the information (veracity). The consultancy team guarantees the veracity of the information collected and will be responsible for the information contained in the final report.

• Issues. Any problems that arise during the consultancy must be reported immediately to Anesvad. Otherwise, such problems may not be used to explain the failure to achieve the results set out in these ToR.

• Copyright and dissemination. All copyrights remain with the entity contracting the consultancy. The dissemination of the final report and the information collected is the prerogative of Anesvad. In case of publication of the report, the consultancy team will be named as the author of same.

8. DEADLINES AND PAYMENTS FOR THE CONSULTANCY SERVICE

The rough timeline for the complete consultancy process is as follows:

• The signing of the contract and of the consultancy service between Anesvad and the consulting team will take place on the 12^th of November, 2021.

• The contract will have an estimated duration of five months from the signing of the contract to the approval of the final report.

• The preliminary version of the report is due by the 7^st of March, 2022. The final version of the report, reviewed by Anesvad, is due to be submitted by the 11^th of April, 2022.

These deadlines may be modified to a small extent, depending on what was negotiated with the contracted consultancy team, and shall be stipulated in the contract.

Payments will be made upon signing the contract and against delivery and approval by Anesvad of the deliverable outlined below:

• Contract signing: 50%

• Delivery of the final report: 50%

[1] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240019027 (expanded version at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240010352)