Background

Ukraine still faces the second highest HIV epidemic in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Even though new HIV cases are decreasing globally, Ukraine continues to experience an increase in HIV incidence, especially among key populations at higher risk of HIV. Data demonstrate that stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are widely spread in Ukraine. Despite the overall improvements in both the health care and the human rights environments relevant to HIV and TB in the country, certain barriers to service provision do persist. Key obstacles and issues related to human rights, stigma and discrimination against PLHIV, key populations and people affected by TB that hamper national responses have been extensively documented, and include the following:

1.            Poor access to diagnostics and HIV-treatment for PLHIV and key populations;

2.            Stigma and discrimination against PLHIV, people affected by TB, people who use drugs, sex-workers and the LGBTIQ community.

3.            Disclosure of confidential information about a person’s HIV-status.

In May 2019, the National Coordination Council on HIV, AIDS, TB  response in  Ukraine, chaired by the VPM, approved a Strategy on Comprehensive Response to Human Rights-related and Legal Barriers to Access to HIV and Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment Services by 2030 (the Strategy). The implementation plan for 2020-2023 is developed (hereinafter referred to as the Plan). The Plan provides a detailed description of the comprehensive response to human rights and legal barriers to access to HIV and tuberculosis prevention and treatment services for 2020-2023 and encompasses all the necessary measures to sufficiently reduce or completely remove human rights barriers to access to HIV and tuberculosis services. The implementation of the Strategy and the Plan is coordinated by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders at national level.  With the continuous support provided by UNDP Ukraine to create enabling legal and policy environment related to public health in line with the ongoing HIV and TB response, UNDP aims to support initiatives that strengthen the health system and overcome legal barriers. Based on a request from the civil society and current epidemiological and political situation in the country, there is an urge to establish effective and comprehensive way for different stakeholders to be able to find information about different types of services related to HIV and TB, in this respect medical, legal, case management, substitution therapy, etc.

In line with this, UNDP seeks the services of a National Consultant to create a repository of the aforementioned services in Ukraine and to work with an IT specialist to design, validate and promote the platform. 

Duties and Responsibilities

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

This main objective of this assignment is to develop a digital platform that maps the HIV/TB medical and human rights counselling services and its further validation and promotion among local stakeholders nationwide. The platform design should allow to be accessed by various end-users, particularly patients, their families and other national/local stakeholders and private sector representatives and will contain information on available HIV and TB related services nationwide.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant will be responsible for conducting the following activities in order to achieve the overall goal of the assignment:

• Perform thorough review of medical, legal, counselling, case management, and other HIV and TB-related services in Ukraine.

• Create a repository of the aforementioned services with the necessary contacts, websites and other means of direct communication with the implementing organisations/institutions, hours of operation and short description of services provided.

• Work with an IT specialist hired by UNDP to create the structure of the electronic platform and its technical capability.

• Validate the platform with different stakeholders, prepare a promotion plan for the platform and implement the promotion plan upon the platform readiness.

Deliverables

The expected duration of the assignment is up to 3 months. The target date for the start of work is July 1st.

Copyright

An Intermediate and Final reports should be submitted in English. The title rights, copyrights and all other rights whatsoever nature in any material produced under the provisions of this TOR will be vested exclusively in UNDP.

MONITORING/REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Work-progress reporting/monitoring meetings will be held with the National Consultant on a regular basis. UNDP will be responsible for all quality control and evaluation of work-progress of the performance of National Consultant. No reports or documents should be published or distributed to any third party without prior approval of the UNDP.

PAYMENT METHODE

Payments will be made in 2 tranches according to the following payment schedule:

First payment - upon satisfactory submission of deliverables # 1 and 2 - 50%

Second payment- upon satisfactory submission of deliverables #3 and 4 - 50%

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The consultant shall be responsible for managing the process of the work implementation, its resources, logistics and expenditures related to the tasks in timely and accurate manner. The consultant will be reporting to Health Programme Specialist with cross-functional reporting responsibilities to Chief Technical Advisor.

Competencies

• Demonstrate/safeguard ethics and integrity;  

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;

• Self-development, initiative-taking;

• Act as a team player;

• Encourage and participate in open communication in the team, communicate effectively;

• Create synergies through self-control;

• Manage conflict;

• Informed and transparent decision-making.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum qualifications and experience:

 Education:

• Advanced university degree in Human Rights, Public Health, Social Work, Community Work or other relevant area.

Experience: 

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in working in the field of HIV/TB

• Previous experience of work with key populations is an asset;
• Knowledge of international and national policies, guidelines and relevant reports regarding HIV/TB in Ukraine;

• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian, working knowledge of English

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

• Letter of interest/proposal, explaining why the applicant considers him- or herself the most suitable for the work.
• Personal CV in the form of P11, including information about past experience in similar projects / assignments and contact details for referees.
• Financial proposal

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced university degree in Human Rights, Public Health, Social Work, Community Work or other relevant area -Bachelor`s degree - 15 pts, Master`s degree - 17 pts, PhD degree - 20 pts);
•  At least 5 years of relevant experience in working in the field of HIV/TB - (5-6 years - 24 pts, 7 years and more - 30 pts);
• Previous experience of work with key populations - 5 pts;
• Knowledge of international and national policies, guidelines and relevant reports regarding HIV/TB in Ukraine - 5 pts;
• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian, working knowledge of English - 10 pts.

Evaluation method:

Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight: 70%

* Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

Travel

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.