Project Title: Evaluation of routine immunization delivery in the Philippines
Period of performance: November 2024 to July 2025
Background: The Philippines is a lower-middle-income country in Southeast Asia. The country has 7,641 islands with over 300,000 square kilometers of total land area. The country’s three main island groups are divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, 146 cities, 1,488 municipalities, and 42,046 barangays. The current population is estimated at 109 million, of which approximately 56% live in urban areas. The Philippines’ health services are decentralized and the health sector is composed of many autonomous local health systems run by provinces, municipalities, and cities with national guidance and other support provided by the Department of Health (DOH).
The Philippines’ National Immunization Program (NIP) has grown over time but there is still much to be accomplished. For example, the latest WHO/UNICEF national immunization coverage (WUENIC) estimates indicated that the Philippines is no longer in the top 20 countries with the largest number of zero-dose children, with an estimated 163,000 in the country. DTP1 and DTP3 coverage have also increased and were 91% and 89%, respectively, in 2023. However, the country has not yet reached its longstanding objective of fully immunizing 95% of its children. Moreover, coverage with measles (MCV1, MCV2) and polio (IPV, POL3) vaccines in 2023 was less than 83%. The country has experienced considerable barriers to routine immunization coverage in recent years, such as stock outs of routine vaccines, lack of public confidence in vaccine safety, and others. The DOH remains committed to reaching national goals for immunization and using evidence generated from NIP evaluations to improve program performance.
Objective of project: To support the National Immunization Programme in identifying and implementing an evaluation to inform strengthening of routine immunization activities in the Philippines
Period of performance: 106 working days distributed from November 2024 to July 2025
Method of payment: Daily
Scope of Work:
The primary purpose of the position is to provide leadership, technical assistance, coordination, and capacity building related to the activity. Under the guidance of national and regional immunization program leadership, the consultant is expected to work closely with US CDC and implementation partner to execute the following responsibilities:
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop an activity plan with timelines and milestones
Develop stakeholder engagement advocacy tools including PowerPoint slide decks and others as needed
Map stakeholders & partners to be engaged (including DOH, Subnational, WHO, EPI staff, TWG members, IPs, Donors)
Plan and coordinate advocacy visits to identified stakeholders with the US CDC technical team
Meet with key stakeholders such as DOH staff and others to reach consensus on an evaluation project topic
Liaise and regularly meet with the DOH and sub-national health authorities to discuss and provide updates on the progress of the evaluation
Develop an evaluation protocol in collaboration with TEPHINET, the CDC technical team, and DOH, based on in-country expressed gaps in the routine immunization program
Develop quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, including translation of said tools as necessary
9. Obtain any necessary clearances or approvals from the relevant government entities, and including ethical and scientific review by the relevant IRB)
Oversee and review training materials developed by the research implementing partner and collaboratively assist in the development of training materials, training agendas, standard operating procedures, and other study tools
Conduct field activities for data collection including provision of technical assistance and support for facilitation of data collector training, pre-testing of data collection tools, and site visits (e.g. questionnaire administration to relevant stakeholders, qualitative interviews)
The consultant with support of the TEPHINET team will lead the process of identification, recruitment, supervision and payment of 10 data collectors.
Support supervision of quantitative and qualitative data collection
Analyze data and develop a draft report of the evaluation based on the findings
Organize and facilitate a one-day results dissemination meeting with stakeholders
Complete a final report including a description of the results of the evaluation
Complete any additional duties as outlined by TEPHINET
Expected deliverables:
Evaluation protocol
Data collection tools
Any necessary in-country approvals for the project
Summary presentation of the evaluation findings
Report of dissemination meeting
Final report of evaluation to inform next steps to support routine immunization in the Philippines
Reporting line:
The consultant reports to the TEPHINET Public Health Advisor. The consultant will receive regular technical support and guidance from the TEPHINET Director of Strategic and Technical Initiatives and US CDC to develop, implement, and monitor the work.
Location: Philippines
Communication support: Consultant will receive monthly stipends for phone calls and internet use
Travel:
● The consultant will be expected to make internal field travels during the data collection phase of the project if needed.
Minimum Qualifications:
● PhD, MD, or a M.Sc. in public health, community health, social science, epidemiology, or any other relevant discipline;
● At least 5 years of practical experience in the evaluation of projects, project management, and designing and strengthening disease surveillance systems.
● Experience in providing technical assistance to national governments and international organizations
● Experience in quantitative and/or qualitative data collection
● Strong knowledge of stakeholder engagement and management
● Fluent written and spoken English; competency in Tagalog is considered an asset
● Ability to live and work in the Philippines
Prior experience technically supporting CDC-funded projects, work experience in the area of immunizations, or in the Philippines will be an added advantage.
Start date and duration:
Consultant is expected to start the assignment in October/ November 2024 to July 2025.
Flexible Work Requirements:
The consultant can enjoy flexible, remote work. However, the necessary equipment and software required for the effective performance of the aforementioned tasks must be in place. The remote workplace must have a secure and proper work environment including appropriate workspace and any computer equipment and related telecommunication communications required. Staff who work remotely are responsible for all costs associated with their remote work location, computer maintenance, anti-virus proof for the entire period of the project, including but not limited to electricity and internet connectivity, phone charges, and printing supplies.
Submission of Resumes and CVs: sngobua@taskforce.org or sngobua@tephinet.org
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