Call for consultancy- to develop context specific community conversation facilitator guide for child eye health program

Light for the World invites all interested and eligible companies/individual consultants who have potential and experience in providing a consultancy service in the sector.

Terms of reference to develop context specific community conversation facilitator guide for child eye health program

1. Introduction

Eye health situation in Ethiopia is one of the worst in the world as evidenced in the 1^st National Survey on Blindness, Low Vision and Trachoma (2005/2006) which reported a prevalence rate of 1.6% for blindness and 3.7% for low vision. Cataract (49.9%), trachoma (11.5%), corneal opacities (7.8%), refractive error (7.8%) and glaucoma (5.2%) were reported as the leading causes of blindness. Likewise, trachoma (47.8%), cataract (42.3%), and refractive error (33.4%) were reported as leading causes of low vision.^[1] Childhood blindness is estimated to have a prevalence of 0.1%. Nonetheless, the number of blind years is very high, and its impact is comparable to cataract blindness in adults with 50% prevalence. Common causes of childhood blindness, among other diseases, include congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, measles infection, ophthalmia neonatorum, refractive errors, strabismus, amblyopia, retinoblastoma, and vitamin A deficiency, of which some are preventable⁶.

Childhood blindness is a significant contributor to the global economic burden of blindness and disability-adjusted life years. Control of blindness in children is closely linked to child survival. It is a known fact that the causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment are different from adults, and many are preventable at community level, and blinding condition can also increase child mortality. Surviving children are subjected to large numbers of “blind years” and/or lazy eye (amblyopia) that “shuts off” with permanent loss of vision if not identified early and get treated. In comparison with adult blindness, visual impairment in children poses challenges[2].

At least 19 million children worldwide are visually impaired[3]. As 80% of what a child learns is processed through the visual system[4], poor vision, if left uncorrected, can have a life-long impact on a child’s education and social development. Worse, it is estimated that two thirds of children in developing countries die within 2 years of becoming blind[5].

Light for the World has designed and together with its implementing partner , is being implementing child eye health project: 1,2,3…I can see project to address the childhood eye health conditions in its focus countries.

Through the “1,2,3, I can see” programme on child eye health in Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso, Light for the World will make use of proven solutions and cooperate with its local partners to build sustainable, accessible, and quality ophthalmic services for children from birth onwards. By strengthening the health systems, eye problems will no longer be a determining factor in children’s future.

2. Understanding of the Project

1,2,3 I can see program promote child eye health in Ethiopia aims to bring long-term sustainable impact and system change, the cooperation and coordination with stakeholders of several levels of governance and society is key. To achieve our vision, the programme develops three strategic objectives which serve as objectives for activity development in the action plan:

Strategic objectives:

1: Evidence based planning and, policies and leadership improved

It is paramount that the Ethiopian government identifies Child Eye Health as a government priority and puts in place the necessary policies, systems, and resources. Policies, systems and resources should be developed and allocated based on concrete evidence.

2: Improved service services delivery for child eye health

Adequate infrastructure and a variety of trained, motivated human resources are indispensable to provide quality services to children, alongside needed assistive devices and medicines.

3. Identification and referral system at community and primary health care levels strengthened

Selected model districts will serve as microcosms for piloting all aspects of Child Eye Health services, generating crucial data and lessons learned, as well as best practices for replication and upscale.

Geogrgaphical Reference

The programme will be implemented with focus on Gondar (Gondar town and West belesa district), Amahara Region and Arbaminch ( arbaminch town and Arbaminch zuria district) in SNNP Region. Advocacy activities will also take place at National and Regional levels.

Objective 1: Evidence based planning and, policies and leadership improved

Result 1.1 Relevant stakeholders understand the need to integrate child eye health in HMIS

Result 1.2 Government plans, strategies and policies reflect child eye health adequately

Result 1.3 High quality data on child eye health is available as part of HMIS

Result 1.4 child eye health is high on and fully integrated in government agenda

Suggested Indicators (1^st 3-year implementation phase):

Objective 2: Improved service services delivery for child eye health

Result 2.1 one pediatric developed (HR+ infrastructure) in Ethiopia

Result 2.2 R2C spectacles available in Ethiopia and reliable sources for custom made spectacles in Ethiopia

Result 2.3 Education staff understand and know how to promote and implement school eye health

Result 2.3 Adequate HR for eye health available ( focus on pediatric)

Result 2.4 All necessary appliances are available and accessible to all children in need

Objective 3: Identification and referral system at community and primary health care levels strengthened

Result 3.1 tools for identification and referral system at community, primary and schools are available and used

Result 3.2 community/village teams/ PHCW and teachers skilled at identification and referral in pilot regions

Result 3.3 Relevant stakeholders are actively engaged on the topic of Child and School Eye Health

Result 3.3 Functional referral system in place (community-primary- secondary and tertiary)

3. Purpose and objective of the constancy

3.1 Purpose of the consultancy

Therefore, the purpose of this consultancy is to develop two context specific Community Conversation facilitators guide on child eye health to improve the awareness of the community towards child eye health and to increase child eye health service uptake and promote blindness prevention behaviors among the target community.

3.2 Objective of the consultancy

· To identify the Knowledge and behavioral gaps in the community by reviewing the baseline and KAP assement and gender analysis studies conducted by Light for the World

· To develop context specific child eye health community conversation facilitators guide/manual

· To train Light for the World and partner staffs based on the newly developed CC manuals

· To develop monitoring tools that can help to track the progress and change in the behavior, attitude and practice of the community

4.Scope of the Consultancy

The consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks

· Review baseline and KAP survey and gender analysis reports conducted by Light for the World and other secondary sources on child eye health

· Conduct discussion with field based staffs to understand the situation on the ground

· Conduct field visit and consult communities in Gondar town, west Belesa districts and Arbaminch woredas to assist development of context specific CC guide

· Identify topics/issues/ strategies that should be included to bring the desired behavior, attitude and practice changes for child eye health.

· Prepare a draft community conversation facilitators manual that also includes monitoring tools in consultation with the program team and relevant stakeholders

· Pretest the draft CC facilitators guide and revise based on the findings

· Conduct training to relevant staffs based on the developed CC facilitators guide

5.Deliverables/output

The following deliverables or output is expected from the evaluation team.

· inception report

· Presentation on the inception report

· Draft community conversation facilitators guide

· Final community conversation facilitators guide/manual

· Train relevant staffs and stakeholders on the community conversation on developed facilitators guide prepare a training report.

The manual will be developed by hiring external consultant. The consultant should have the following qualification.

· Proven experience in facilitating community conversation

· Extended knowledge and experience in the area of child eye health