Consultant - Health Portfolio

Background

The American Red Cross (ARC) seeks an experienced consultant with a background in health programming and evaluations in international settings, to lead a review of ARC’s current Haiti health related programming. This review will provide recommendations for future interventions (including geographic locations). It will also inform a draft of the health component of an internal ARC proposal (to be submitted to NHQ) outlining its urban development program (Integrated Neighborhood Reconstruction and Recovery Program) in Carrefour Feuilles, Port au Prince.

The January 2010 earthquake is one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. Approximately three million Haitians were affected, with more than 1.3 million people displaced . Displaced households were forced to find refuge in overcrowded camps, living in tents or under tarps in unsanitary conditions without proper hygienic resources. A recent report indicates there are still 519,000 displaced people living in camps as of 30 November 2011 . The risk of disease and illness has been high, and ARC was in a position to establish an emergency health promotion project (PEHP) in many of those camps. With the sudden outbreak of cholera, ARC also implemented an emergency response which includes supporting multiple local and international partner organizations to address cholera in rural and urban areas throughout Haiti. These are joined with other ARC implemented health projects, which include a current multi-regional HIV/AIDS program and a recently ended malaria/hygiene project in the N/NE departments. Reviewing these current projects is crucial in identifying the most effective methods for ARC’s continued support to the health sector, considering multi-sectoral integration, especially as the overall HAP focus transitions to the larger integrated approach in two specific neighborhoods of Port au Prince.

Over the next four to five years, ARC will implement, through two phases, an Integrated Neighborhood Reconstruction and Recovery Program. The goal of this urban development program is to enhance community and household resiliency, while providing safer, healthier and more secure living conditions. As the program's primary implementation area, ARC has chosen two neighborhoods in Carrefour Feuilles, Baillergeau and Campeche. Carrefour Feuilles is a district of Port-au-Prince where a high proportion of homes were damaged or destroyed by the January 12 earthquake. ARC already has a long history of programming in Carrefour Feuilles, both before and since the earthquake, resulting in strong links with the local population.

The specific objectives of this urban development program are to: 1. Improve access and use of land, housing, services and infrastructure 2. Enhance local market and household economy by providing opportunities for income and asset security 3. Improve knowledge, attitude, practices, capacities and social responsibility of community and service providers by promoting social and healthy behaviors The health component of this urban development program and future programming outside of Port au Prince (in existing or new areas to be identified) is expected to be part of an integrated program combining a holistic health approach (including Community Based Health and strengthening of referral systems) with ARC’s work in the area of disaster risk reduction and water and sanitation.

Purpose of consultancy

The ARC is requesting the help of consultants to assist the Country Director and Program team to review the health portfolio, provide recommendations for future programming (both in Port au Prince and in existing or new areas outside of the capital) and draft the health component of the ARC proposal outlining its urban development program in Carrefour Feuilles, Port au Prince.

Key Activities

- Analyze ARC health projects’ results, effectiveness and relevance. These projects include hygiene promotion/PHAST, HIV/AIDS prevention, and cholera response activities.

- Determine needs, opportunities and ARC's capacity for future programming in current health areas

- Coordinate with Senior Health Delegate (Haiti) and Health Technical Advisor (NHQ, Washington DC) on specific analysis criteria, future needs assessment and identification of partners.

- Identify current and future areas of intervention that ARC can continue to directly implement as well as opportunities for implementation through partnerships

Key deliverables

- Report with findings and recommendations 
- Draft of Phase II proposal health component

Possible trips to Washington DC for debriefing.

**See attached Terms of Reference for all details