Consultancy - Insecticide-Treated Net ITN Channel Optimization

Organizational Context

Consultancy - Support for process mapping for insecticide-treated net (ITN) distribution channels, compilation of tools and resources for ITN channel assessment, planning and budgeting, development of budget templates and collection and compilation of cross-country results

About IFRC

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. At Geneva level, the Health and Care Department’s (HCD) Strategic Direction focuses on Health Systems Strengthening and WASH Systems Strengthening through four pillars: Global Health Security, Global Health Protection (UHC), Global WASH Services and Transformative Partnership.

About AMP

The Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP) is a workstream within the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and is an integral part of RBM’s Country and Regional Support Partner Committee (CRSPC). AMP is a global partnership including government, private sector, faith-based and humanitarian organizations. Housed and chaired by the IFRC, AMP is focused on three main activities: (1) coordination of partners involved in insecticide-treated net (ITN) campaign and continuous distribution activities; (2) development of operational guidance for planning and implementing ITN distribution through all channels; and (3) technical assistance to national malaria programs and partners based on requests.

Job Purpose

Project context:

Global malaria and vector control initiatives face significant biological and non-biological threats which have led to plateauing or reversal of progress. These challenges have been exacerbated by global funding cuts for both ITNs and operational delivery budgets alongside population growth and increasing instability in many malaria-endemic countries. This is forcing national malaria programmes (NMPs) and their partners to consider alternatives to the typical cycle of three-year (for most countries) universal coverage ITN mass distribution campaigns coupled with ITN routine distribution through health facilities, including more diversified and potentially lower-coverage approaches tailored to population demographics, malaria transmission, insecticide resistance profiles, ITN access and use data and other factors. Despite almost a decade of testing alternative channels for ITN distribution, key questions remain unanswered to provide evidence for large-scale reconsideration of the ITN distribution status quo. Moreover, tools for decision-making are not sufficiently aligned to NMP needs or streamlined across partners to ensure optimal use to maximize impact on disease transmission.

Optimizing ITN distribution through campaign and continuous channels will require a shift from advocating for universal (100% access, with a minimum 80% use target) to optimal coverage, maximizing averted malaria cases with available funds. This may involve moving away from distributing ITNs everywhere to more targeted approaches – for example, prioritizing ITN distribution through routine antenatal care (ANC) and immunization services, prioritizing biologically vulnerable infants and pregnant women; other continuous distribution (CD) channels such as schools; and new approaches.

NMPs face growing pressure to evaluate, select, and implement the most cost-effective mix of ITN distribution strategies available to them. Following sub-national tailoring initiatives to determine the core sets of interventions for malaria control and elimination by geographical area, NMPs are also required to make decisions at national and sub-national levels, according to settings, priorities and available budget.

To better understand ITN distribution through different channels and strategies, the costs and cost drivers of different channels and the potential impact of different channels or combinations of channels, AMP is implementing a project to better understand and guide ITN channel optimization in collaboration with Emet Research and Analytics (Emet) and Imperial College London and with a focus on three to four countries.

Overall Objective

Job Duties and Responsibilities

We are looking for the consultant support for project start-up, compilation of existing resources and tools, development of budget templates, and support for process mapping and costing (tools, cross-country compilation, etc.)

Specific Objectives

• Collect and compile existing documents (AMP, RBM) that can be used to support process mapping for different ITN distribution channels, ITN channel assessment, costing of ITN channels, planning and budgeting of ITN channels, etc.
• Develop a list of available tools by toolkit section, including age and “readiness” for inclusion as resources (quality, completeness), and identify gaps in resources and materials.
• Finalize community-based distribution (CBD) process assessment documents from Burundi as part of the global resource package and identify gaps for a “complete” CBD assessment, planning and implementation package (identify elements of the package that would crosscut the channels).
• Develop brief case study/summary, incorporating lessons learned from the field work and interviews to support other NMPs planning for SBC.
• Coordinate with the project team to support the compilation of global and country-specific project documents and support the uploading and organization in the shared project Google Drive. Examples include:
• ITN campaign or CD planning documents, budgets, success stories, lessons learned, and reports for countries in scope;
• Information/data collection tools (e.g. VSM, Results-based and Activity Based Contracting (RBC and ABC), process assessments for different channels);
• Existing reports that may be relevant (e.g. from TA provided to NMPs);
• Policies, procedures, data sources and processes for sub-national tailoring, prioritization and channel selection and the outputs/outcomes of work to date.
• Support preparation of project tools and materials, which may include:
• Process mapping and costing/cost comparison tools;
• Assessment tools, decision trees, budget templates;
• Partner mapping tools.
• Support the project coordination team in reviewing and contributing to the outlines, and drafts for key project deliverables as shared by the project coordination team, to allow for structuring and compilation of documents.
• Additional tasks as required during project implementation and reporting.
  
  

Output/Deliverables

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• CBD process assessment documents from Burundi finalized;
• CBD case study summarizing lessons learned from the Burundi fieldwork and interviews;
• List of available tools by toolkit section, including age and “readiness” for inclusion as resources (quality, completeness), and summary of identified gaps in resources and materials;
• Compiled global and country-specific project documents (e.g., ITN campaign or CD planning documents, budgets, success stories, lessons learned, reports; data collection tools such as VSM, Results-Based and Activity-Based Contracting (RBC/ABC) tools, and channel process assessments; and relevant existing reports, including from technical assistance provided to NMPs), uploaded and organized within the shared project Google Drive according to the agreed toolkit structure;
• Compiled and organized set of policies, procedures, data sources, and processes relevant to sub-national tailoring, prioritization, and channel selection;
• Inputs for the proposed outline/structure for the ITN Channel Optimization project deliverables as shared by the project coordination team, to guide the compilation and organization of subsequent documents and resources;
• Draft project tools and materials to support implementation, potentially including: process mapping and costing/cost-comparison tools; assessment tools and decision trees; budget templates; and partner mapping tools.
  
  
  

Reporting

Regular verbal and written project summaries and progress updates on deliverables, challenges and key strategies to achieve project outcomes provided as requested by IFRC/AMP and the donor.

• Interim report to be submitted with invoices for payments using standard template
• Final report to be submitted within 10 days of the end of the consultancy period with key issues, recommendations, and next steps.
• As applicable, mission reports from in-country travel are to be submitted within 10 days of return from the mission.
• Other project and deliverables tracking updates provided, as requested by IFRC/AMP.
  
  
  

Education

Preferred

• Master's degree in public health
• Expertise in ITN distribution activities.
  
  
  

Experience

Professional Skills & Experience

Strong Experience In Designing And Implementing Public Health Programs

• Led the design and rollout of large-scale public health initiatives.
• Developed program strategies aligned with national health priorities.
• Monitored and evaluated program outcomes to ensure effectiveness.
• Coordinated multi-sectoral teams to implement health interventions.
  
  
  

Experience drafting evidence-based guidance in the area of public health

• Developed guidelines, protocols, and standard operating procedures.
• Synthesized scientific literature to inform public health recommendations.
• Collaborated with experts to ensure guidance reflects current evidence.
• Drafted policy briefs and technical notes for stakeholders.
  
  
  

Prior Experience Working On Malaria Prevention Activities

• Implemented vector control and malaria prevention campaigns.
• Monitored malaria incidence and program coverage data.
• Coordinated distribution of insecticide-treated nets and preventive therapies.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Fluency in English

• Strong written and verbal communication in English.
• Ability to prepare reports, presentations, and technical documents in English.
• Experience participating in English-language meetings.
  
  
  

Fluency in French

• Strong written and verbal communication in French.
• Experience drafting technical documents and reports in French.
• Ability to facilitate French-language meetings.
  
  
  

Competencies, Values and Comments

Alignment To The IFRC’s Objectives And Strategy

The Alliance for Malaria Prevention’s mandate aligns to the Federation’s Strategy 2030 as it supports the achievement of strategic aims: 

• Save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises  
• Enable healthy and safe living  
  
  
  

Project Objectives And Timelines

Objective #1: To support NMPs to develop country-focused guidance and tools and generate the evidence needed to inform national decision-making to optimize ITN deployment (type, scope, scale, channel and frequency) and equity within restrained budgets.  

Desired outcomes: To identify and mitigate multifaceted financial and operational constraints in planning and implementation of ITN distribution.    

Support to be provided to the consultant. The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Lead – Malaria Programmes, who will be responsible for the overall management of the project and quality control of work products and deliverables.

The consultant will be working closely with project team partners and the national consultants to ensure the coordination and timely completion of project deliverables.

The consultant will be supported by the Officer, Alliance for Malaria Prevention Country Support for all administrative/financial matters, as well as for travel planning logistics.

Duration   

• The timeframe of the consultancy assignment will be from August to 31st of December 2026.
• Compensation within the consultancy is based on a daily rate, with eight billable hours equalling one day for billing purposes.  

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