INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR TRAINING, REVIEW OF INFORMATION EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNICATION MATERIAL FOR KEY POPULATION GROUPS ON LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES.
- Introduction
Lesotho is committed to achieving the 90–90–90 targets that aim to have 90% of all people living with HIV who know their HIV status, 90% of all people who know their status to be on treatment, and 90% of all people on treatment to have viral suppression by 2020. The 2016/17 Lesotho Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA) findings have provided an indication that the country is on track to achieve these 90–90–90 targets by about 2020. Specifically, the survey showed that that 77.2% of people living with HIV between ages 15 to 59 years report knowing their HIV status; 90.2% of people living with HIV between ages 15 to 59 years who know their HIV status, report current use of ART; and, 88.2% of people living with HIV between ages 15 to 59 who report current use of ART are virally suppressed. Despite the good progress made, HIV incidence and HIV-related mortality, remain a priority as the country is still one of the world’s countries severely affected by the HIV and TB epidemics. Additionally, key populations (KPs), also remain one of the population groups highly vulnerable to HIV infections in Lesotho.
In response to reversing the current trends, the country has renewed commitment to attaining the HIV and AIDS epidemic control by end of 2023, as outlined in the National HIV & AIDS Strategic Plan (NSP) 2018/19 – 2022/23. Specific to reversing the HIV pandemic among KPs, the NSP 2018/19 – 2022/23 has outlined implementation of interventions to scale up provision of differentiated and comprehensive HIV prevention, care and support service package for female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons (TGs). The goal is to reach at least 6,000 full-time and occasional FSW, their regular clients and stable sexual partners, and at least 14,000 MSM and TGs and their permanent sexual partners by end of 2023. Additionally, FSW, MSM and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) networks are aimed to be strengthened, and their capacity developed to contribute actively to programming for HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention and treatment access. The NSP further highlights the need to address the structural barriers that KP face in accessing HIV services, through strengthening the capacities of FSW and MSM/LGBTI networks to contribute actively to programming for HIV, TB and STI prevention and treatment access as well as to contribute to reduction of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) towards KP, including violence by law enforcement agents.
Furthermore, Lesotho being party to the Global Prevention Coalition, has launched the Lesotho HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map for acceleration of HIV prevention to reduce new infections by 75%. So, as part of accelerating prevention at country level, reduction of SGBV needs to be prioritised to ensure SGBV screening, referral and support of clients who experience SGBV as part of service package provided to key populations.
Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is therefore to engage an individual consultant, who will work under the guidance and supervision of Pact to support training of key population groups on SGBV, review and develop SGBV messages which will be on information education and communication (IEC) material.
Scope of Work and Tasks of the Assignment
The consultant is expected to lead and to undertake the training on SGBV to key population staff to enable screening for SGBV, development of database for the SGBV reported clients and post violence care and routine tracking of the outcomes on post referrals.
- Outline the training methodology:
- The structure or design of training
- Approach of training on SGBV.
2) Facilitate training of peer staff on legal and rights issues for Key population.
- Messaging on SGBV focusing on laws and policies that affect rights of the key population communities.
- Development of the SGBV messages
- Pretest the message
- Finalization of messages based on pretest results
- Submit a report on training, review and messaging on SGBV IEC material.
- Expected Deliverables
The expected deliverables are follows:
- (electronic copy in editable format)
- Timing and Duration of the Assignment
The assignment is expected to be implemented within a period not exceeding twenty-four (24) workdays, spread over a month in April 2020. The indicative timelines are as follows:
- Training of staff on SGBV – 3 days
- Report writing – 1 day
- Review and development of IEC material on laws and policies that affect rights of key population community – 19 day
- Report writing – 1 day
- Reporting
The consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of Director Disease Control, Ministry of Health, and in consultation with the National KP HIV Prevention, Care and Support Focal person and Education department. The LINKAGES Lesotho Project Director will be responsible for administering the contract.
- Consultant’s Eligibility
The consultant should meet the following requirements:
- Must hold a postgraduate degree in Law or other legal and rights relevant qualifications;
- Experience of 5 years or more working in laws; particularly in laws and rights pertaining to HIV and AIDS programs.
- Demonstrated technical expertise in law and a good understanding of HIV and AIDS specific to key populations will be an added advantage.
- Experience of 5 years or more in communication and writing and training including experience in drafting or copy-editing of strategic document such as strategic plans, guidelines, public policies etc. The consultant must submit at least two samples of recent work for similar work done to demonstrate the ability to meet the requirements of the assignment.
- Proven experience working with a wide range of partners and reaching consensus and accommodating their critical inputs into the process; and
- Excellent English writing skills.
- Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Inputs/Services to be Provided
The consultant will be expected to use their own resources to carry out the assignment.
Pact Lesotho/LINKAGES Lesotho will: 1) provide the relevant documents to the consultant 2) convene meetings with the KP HIV Prevention, KP TWG, Care and Support TWG for consultations as necessary; and, 2) provide other support as may be required to ensure successful completion of this assignment.
- Application Submission Requirements
Interested individual consultants are requested to submit their application to [email protected] or hand deliver at Pact Lesotho Offices located at 4th Floor, MGC Office Park, Corner Mpilo Boulevard and Pope John Paul II Road, Maseru, by Friday, 03rd April 2020.
The applications should include the following:
- A cover letter;
- A detailed CV indicating qualifications and relevant experience of the consultant;
- A proposal indicating the description of the proposed approach to the scope of work, work plan with timelines and a detailed financial proposal (inclusive of VAT); and,
Two sample(s) of recent written work from a similar assignment