Change Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CHANGE CONSULTANT

Project Background
The Network for Surveillance for Pneumococcal Disease in the East African Region (netSPEAR) is an independent project whose mission is to provide regional surveillance data on Pneumococcal disease and other causes of Meningitis that kills large numbers of African children each year. netSPEAR is hosted by the KEMRI / Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi, Kenya and is funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Since its inception in August 2003, the Network for Surveillance of pneumococcal Diseases in the East African Region (netSPEAR) (www.netspear.org) has been working with partners predominantly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to support surveillance on the causes of meningitis and, in a more limited way, bacteraemia / severe pneumonia. The 13 surveillance sites are predominantly government hospitals but also include mission hospitals and hospitals supported by research centers.

To ensure sustainability and standardization with other regional networks, since 2009, netSPEAR has been working to integrate its surveillance activities with the Health Ministry disease surveillance offices, in the three partner countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, under the general umbrella of WHO-AFRO coordination. The integration has raised a need to have key country surveillance teams identified and for facilitated development of project plans for taking forward their countries’ surveillance activities as netSPEAR’s role is reduced to regional activities.

To facilitate the development of these key surveillance teams; netSPEAR seeks a consultant to help manage this change in structure. This is a 6 months consultancy and the consultant will be based in Nairobi.

Scope of Work and responsibilities of the consultant

1. Work as directed by the Principal Investigators, to meet the objectives of this consultancy.
2. Undertake background reading on netSPEAR and, if necessary, meningitis and pneumonia surveillance to understand the processes involved. These extend from the clinical case definition through to microbiological identification of pathogens.
3. Meet with key stakeholders World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MOH) and the netSPEAR team and establish business relationships.
4. Work with these key stakeholders to identify Senior Officials in both the WHO country offices and MOH in the three partner countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda that will take responsibility for coordinating aspects of bacterial surveillance activities currently supported by the netSPEAR team (In country surveillance team). Assist these key teams to develop a budgeted, project plan to be submitted to WHO-AFRO for taking forward the country-level surveillance activities currently undertaken by netSPEAR. Differentiate key tasks to be taken on by countries and those that will remain the responsibility of netSPEAR / the regional reference laboratory.
5. Work with these Key teams to draft MOU between WHO-AFRO (funders), Ministry of Health (recipient) and netSPEAR (advisor) to ensure clear lines of responsibility for purchasing and procurement, supportive supervision, overall in-country governance and financial reporting, data gathering collation and analysis, use of regional specialist microbiology services, communications and advocacy in each country.
6. Support the in-country surveillance teams to produce individual country funding proposals/applications of sufficient quality and precision to be submitted to the World Health Organization/Africa Regional Office (WHO/AFRO) for forward funding for 2012.
7. Prepare countries to present their project plan and budget in a three country forum with representatives from WHO by August 2011
8. Represent netSPEAR at meetings with stakeholders including government and WHO and if required make presentations on behalf of netSPEAR in scientific / surveillance meetings / workshops.

To meet these objectives the consultant is expected to:

1. Develop a personal project plan and timetable to complete the transition process by August 2011 and discuss this with netSPEAR’s principal investigators and (using email / Skype) with WHO/AFRO Rota/PBM coordinator.
2. Work from the offices provided in Nairobi and with its project administrator
3. Plan country level meetings, coordinate these meetings and achieve pre-specified deliverables according to the project plan
4. Plan their travel / working time in line with agreed financial guidelines and reporting requirements of the KEMRI-WT research programme.
5. Abide by the general employee terms and conditions and codes of conduct of the KEMRI-WT Research Programme while in their employment
6. Produce clear, monthly progress reports to be submitted to netSPEAR’s principal investigators and WHO/AFRO.

Timeline: March 2011 to August 2011

Qualifications and experience of consultant
• 5 or more years project management experience ideally after an MPH / MSc. degree or equivalent experience in the fields of social research, public health, health systems or related fields.
• An understanding of health care and institutions in East Africa and familiarity with basic public health principles
• Experience in managing transitions and in particular of dealing with planning projects with government partners in ministries.
• Some experience or understanding of disease surveillance or childhood immunization is an added advantage
• Experience in microbiology or clinical paediatrics would be an added advantage
• Excellent English communication and negotiation skills
• Excellent English writing skills and proven track record of report writing in English

Final terms and conditions for the successful consultant will be negotiated with the netSPEAR team and principal investigators

Applications should be sent to:
The Project Administrator,
KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme,
P.O. Box 43640, 00100-Nairobi
Email: netspear@nairobi.kemri-wellcome.org

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