Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project: Selection of agency to conduct baseline citizen’s engagement study in Pauri and Ramnagar clusters

India - P148531 - Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project - IN-UKHFWS-148113-CS-QCBS

Country: India

Project Id: P148531

Project Name: Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project

Loan/Credit/TF Info.: IDA-59480

Notice Version No.: 1

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

[CONSULTING SERVICES– FIRMS SELECTION]

INDIA – Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project

Loan No./Credit No./Grant No.: 5948-IN

Assignment Title: Initial Scoping Study towards Communication and Citizen’s Engagement in Pauri and Ramnagar Clusters

Procurement Plan Reference Number :IN-UKHFWS-148113-CS-QCBS

The Government of Uttarakhand has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project [UKHSDP].  The Uttarakhand Health and Family Welfare Society [UKHFWS] which is the implementing agency for the UKHSDP intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The Consulting Services [“the Services”] include providing services for Initial Scoping Study towards Communication and Citizen’s Engagement in Pauri and Ramnagar PPP Clusters

The UKHFWS of the UKHSDP now invites eligible consulting firms [“Consultants”] to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

Request for Proposal [RFP] documents will be issued to shortlisted consultants and a consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection [QCBS] method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 and revised July 2014 [“Consultant Guidelines”], setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

To participate in the e-tendering process, a firm is required to enroll on the e-Procurement module of the Central Public Procurement Portal [URL: http://uktenders.gov.in] free of charge.

The REOI is available online at Uttarakhand e-tender portal http://www.uktenders.gov.in from 28.12.2019 to 13.01.2020 [up to 1500 hours IST] for viewing/downloading free of cost.

Expression of Interest [EOI] must be submitted online only at http://uktenders.gov.in by or before 13.01.2020 [up to 1500 hours IST].EOI submitted through any other mode shall not be entertained.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours [i.e., 1000 to 1700 hours].

Project Director

Uttarakhand Health System Development Project

2nd Floor, Red Cross Building, Danda Lakhaund

Sahastradhara Road

Dehradun

Uttarakhand  PIN- 248001

INDIA

Phone : 91 11 1352607610

E Mail – apd.ukhsdp@gmail.com

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INITIAL SCOPING STUDY TOWARDS COMMUNICATION AND CITIZEN’S ENGAGEMENT STUDY IN PAURI AND RAMNAGAR CLUSTER

Background

One of the key components of the Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project (UKHSDP), supported by the World Bank, plans to improve equitable access to quality health services for the predominantly remote population of the state, through various forms of private sector engagement including public-private partnerships (PPPs) in service delivery. The project also aims at promoting greater stewardship, strengthening technical and managerial capacity in the state directorate for private sector engagement, improving information systems for better monitoring and administrative support. In addition, the project would extend coverage of Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY) beyond hospitalization to include primary healthcare services as well. To augment community ownership of the process of improving the health services especially in the PPP clusters, Uttarakhand Health and Family Welfare Society (UKHFWS) intends understand the barriers in accessing public health facilities and initiate a process of communication and citizens engagement. The communication and citizen engagement aims to connect with citizens during the entire project cycle with awareness building, identification, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project interventions, using the overall engagement spectra[1], i.e. Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, and Empower.

In the state, there is a lack of specialized facilities/skilled manpower in the government District Hospitals, Sub District Hospitals and CHCs. The Health System in the state suffers on many levels as the tertiary level of diagnostic facilities and specialized doctors to provide post diagnosis consultation are mostly available in foothills and plain areas. As a result, the patients come to plain area, Dehradun and Haldwani in particular, to get both diagnostic and post diagnosis service. This is putting a tremendous load on the hospitals in plain areas. An important reason for low health indicators in the state has been limited access to fixed health care facilities due to poor transportation infrastructure in the more remote and interior regions. Thus, the geographic and infrastructural challenges present major barriers to the population’s access to basic health services. The population is constrained from reaching health facilities due to mountainous terrain, poor transportation infrastructure and geographic distance.

With these challenges in mind, under the UKHSDP it is planned to work for improving the health indicators of the local communities through innovative approaches that expand the reach of quality health services in the state. With this view, a pilot was already initiated in Tehri cluster comprising District Hospital Baurari, CHC Beleshwar and Devprayag, and further scaling up is being taken up in Pauri cluster, and Ram Nagar Cluster, where procedure of tendering is under process.

Objective of the Study

The qualitative study will provide a situation analysis to inform the development of the communication and citizen engagement plan for the project.  The situation analysis aims to strengthen the process of initiating communication and citizen engagement.  The current study focuses on the Pauri and Ramnagar areas targeting the six health facilities which are planned to be operated through a PPP (i.e. Pauri cluster comprises of District Hospital Pauri (Male & Female) located in Pauri town, Pauri Garhwal District, CHC Ghandiyal in Kaljikhal block and CHC Pabau located in Block headquarter at Pabau town; and in Ram Nagar Cluster comprises of Sub district hospital Ramnagar, (district Nainital), CHC Bhikhiysen (district Almora) and Bironkhal (district Pauri) and their catchment area populations.

Scope of Work

The study entails following scope of assignment:

• Conduct a qualitative study by collecting and analysing information on the following themes:
  
  • Current health seeking behaviours
  • Barriers to accessing public health facilities
  • Attitudes toward and experience with health care delivery through engagement with the private sector (PPP mode)
  • Community awareness about the UKHSDP project and its activities
  • Concerns about activities
  • Potential communication mechanisms, and
  • Potential role of key community/ local institutions to be involved in citizen engagement and feedback mechanisms.

• Conducting this study will include the full research process, including:
  
  • Study design andmethodology (theory driven) and.
  • Instrument development in English and local languages
  • Recruitment and orientation of the supervisors and field workers for the study
  • Consultations with relevant stakeholders
  • Scheduling of field work in consultation with the client
  • Data collection
  • Transcription and translation of the interviews accompanied by detailed field notes (especially where transcription is not possible or can hinder the main objective of the study) on each of the interviews in English
  • Content analysis of data within the agreed conceptual analytical framework
  • Report summarizing the study findings

The key topicsto be assessed for the baselines are as follows:

Proposed Sample Size and Methodology

The agency is expected to detail out appropriate methodology for the study and present the details in their proposal for review.  The methodology must detail out mapping of stakeholders, type of research tools to be used for different stakeholders, key respondents, and proposed sample size in each of the PPP clusters among other things.

Deliverables

1. Inception Report with study design and methodology
2. Data collection instruments, codebook, field plan, field training plan, quality management plan
3. Training materials for training the field team who will conduct the data collection
4. Data file(s) with transcribed data
5. Draft Report summarizing the research process and findings
6. Final Report incorporating UKHSDP feedback

Timeframe

The work is estimated to take 3 months

Qualifying Criteria for Firm and Qualifications of Staff

Following are the defined qualifying criteria for the Firm/ Agency:

• Firm/ Institution should have at least 5 (five) years of documented experience in the social/development sector studies preferably in the health sector.
• Experience of conducting quantitative and qualitative studies in social/development sector is required.
• Experience of working in Uttarakhand /Other Himalayan States is preferable.
• Demonstrated analytical experience and documentation in English is essential.
• Current availability of team of key professionals with experience in qualitative studies (as described below).

Expected Profile of the Team: (Please note that no CVs need to be submitted at the EoI stage)

The team is expected to be led by a qualified team leader along with team of qualified and competent field staffs trained in effectively administering FGDs and KIIs and conducting qualitative studies.  It is expected that three parallel small team will be deployed at each of the PPP facility area to undertake the facility interviews as well as village level interviews. The team members is expected to be well versed with the knowledge of localculture, language/ dialect and experience of working in Uttarakhand, and preferably having experience of conducting similar studies in Uttarakhand.

Key qualification of Team Leader

Education

• Essential: Fulltime postgraduate degree in Social Development/ Sociology/ Anthropology/ Social Sciences/ Social Work / Public Health/ Extension and Communication/ Management Studies/ Mass Communication from Govt. recognized university.

Experience

• Essential: Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in carrying out qualitative study in health sector.Should have experience of handling consultations with multiple stakeholders, content analysis and analytical report writing.

• Desirable:
  
  • Knowledge of local language/ dialect will be preferred.
  • Preferably having experience of conducting similar studies in Uttarakhand

Competencies:

• Language proficiency (Read, Write and Speak) in English and Hindi
• Excellent writing, communication and interpersonal skills, and an ability to coordinate and work in team
• Excellent analytical writing, presentation and documentation skills

Team Members

Education

• Essential: Fulltime postgraduate degree in Social Development/ Sociology/ Anthropology/ Social Sciences/ Social Work / Public Health/ Extension and Communication/ Management Studies/ Mass Communication from Govt. recognized university.

Experience

• Essential: Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience in carrying out qualitative study in health sector.Should have experience of handling consultationswith multiple stakeholders, conducting FGDs and in-depth interviews, and documentation. .

Client’s Input and Counterpart Personnel including Data and Facilities to be provided by the Client

The Firm/Agency will work under the overall direction and guidance of the UKHSDP office with direct reporting to the Additional Project Director, UKHSDP and work closely with his team. The UKHSDP will provide reasonable support as and when required to the Consultant for efficient performance of the assignment.

Review & Monitoring

The performance of the / Firm/ Agency will be assessed on the basis of agreed deliverables and their quality. The / Firm/ Agency will prepare a detailed action plan for the assignment and share it with UKHSDP. A joint monthly review mechanism will be put in place and represented by officials and / Firm/ Agency from UKHSDP. UKHSDP will inform the agency in writing of any suggestions/recommendations related to the assignment. The Consultancy/ Firm/ Agency will comply with the recommendations made by UKHSDP and complete the assignment accordingly at no additional cost. If there are any grievances for any party, it must be shared with the other party in writing. 

Review Committee will be comprised of the following members:

Project Director /Additional Project Director; UKHSDP

Joint Director; HSS UKHSDP

Assistant Director Procurement; UKHSDP

Any other official designated by Project Director

[1]Strategic Framework for Mainstreaming Citizen Engagement in World Bank Group Operations http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/266371468124780089/pdf/929570WP0Box380ategicFrameworkforCE.pdf