Rmi-mof.com



Republic of the Marshall Islands

RMI COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECT

Financed by the World Bank

Terms of Reference

Project Administrator

(Individual Consultant)

Employer: Ministry of Health & Human Services, Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)

Location: Ministry of Health & Human Services. Majuro, RMI

Duration:

Closing Date: until filled

Expected Start Date: May/June

1. Background

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of the world’s smallest, most isolated and vulnerable nations. The country consists of 29 atolls and 5 isolated islands (24 of which are inhabited) and has a total land mass of just 181 km2 set in an area of over 1.9 million km2 in the Pacific Ocean. The population of the RMI is estimated at 53,0661, of which the two largest urban centers, Majuro (the nation’s capital) and Ebeye, have populations of 28,000 and 9,614, respectively.

An outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading rapidly across the world since December 2019, following the diagnosis of the initial cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since the beginning of March 2020, the number of cases outside China has increased thirteenfold and the number of affected countries has tripled. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic as the coronavirus rapidly spread across the world. Figure 1 provides details about the global spread of COVID-19. As of April 9, WHO data shows the outbreak has resulted in 1,439,516 confirmed cases, 85,711 confirmed deaths covering 212 countries. The epicenter of the outbreak shifted from China to Europe and USA in end March 2020.

To date, the RMI remains one among the less than twenty countries without a confirmed COVID-19 case but the government has determined that there is a “moderate to high risk” for COVID-19 to affect RMI due to usually frequent travel between RMI and affected areas such as US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, etc. There are also quarantine compliance issues at entry points and seaports. The remoteness of the RMI has bought the country time in preventing a COVID-19 outbreak, but the prevention strategies deployed present logistical challenges to preparedness and response, raising questions of their sustainability. From March 8, 2020, the RMI prohibited all international arrivals by land and sea, including for Marshallese citizens abroad. As with the rest of the Pacific region, travel restrictions in RMI have resulted in the suspension of nearly all commercial air transport. Currently, cargo is limited to the Asia Pacific Airways flights (arriving twice per week from Guam) and freighter ships (three carriers providing a total of about ten shipments per month). The Pacific Island Forum, multilateral, bilateral agencies and Pacific Governments are exploring the option to establish a Pacific Humanitarian Corridor/Pathway, but this remains to be established. The GORMI is also exploring options to engage the US Department of Defense (DOD) to support COVID-19 related humanitarian transport and logistics. The government has expressed concerns regarding the increased financial and logistical costs impacting food security and the ability to deploy overseas medical referrals and COVID-19 related goods and services to the country.

A COVID-19 outbreak would place considerable constraints on an already under-resourced health care system. There is very limited tertiary care capacity in the RMI, in part because of the size of the population, but also due to capacity challenges. Patients requiring advanced tertiary care are referred overseas, but current travel restrictions limit this as an option. Health services are delivered in two hospitals (in Majuro and Ebeye) and 56 public health centers/dispensaries[1] (primarily located on the outer islands (OIs)). There are 108 hospital beds in Majuro, of which three are intensive care unit (ICU) beds. MOHHS faces several health workforce challenges, including: (i) suboptimal availability and distribution of human resources (there are no respiratory technicians on Ebeye, and limited nursing staff in both Majuro and Ebeye); (ii) limited communication across health facilities programs and providers; and (iii) insufficient staff training, supervision, and performance management. The doctors-population ratio is (1:1452) and does not meet the WHO recommended minimum (1:1000); the nurse to population ratio (1:477) is deemed insufficient for the population. The RMI MOHHS Nursing Workforce Strategic Plan defines a strategy to close this gap over the medium term. Unreliable availability of essential commodities and equipment pose barriers to the effective delivery of routine preventive and curative health services and would be even more problematic in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak. The RMI currently does not have testing capacity for COVID-19 and has been sending samples to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference laboratory in Guam for testing (two persons have been under investigation for COVID-19 and both have tested negative).[2]

2. The RMI COVID19 Emergency Response Project

The Government of RMI (GORMI) has mobilized its National Disaster Committee (NDC) lead preparedness and response to a potential COVID-19 outbreak. The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) in the Office of the Chief Secretary has activated the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) and its technical clusters (Water sanitation and hygiene, health, logistics, infrastructure and other relevant agencies) to provide coordination and implementation advice on COVID-19. Routine support from US Federal Grants to the Preparedness and Surveillance Departments in MOHHS have enabled the country to sustain a minimal level of health preparedness and rapidly mobilize the NEOC, initiate multisectoral communication, and begin trainings. However, the MOHHS recently conducted a preparedness self-assessment in late March 2020 and scored at 57/100, largely due to the absence of human resources, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other infection prevention and control (IPC) supplies, and laboratory capacity.

The GORMI has developed the RMI CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan to outline the priority actions across sectors to strengthen the preparedness of the country to rapidly detect and respond to the potential introduction of COVID-19. The Plan focuses on seven key components of the Framework of Action in the WHO Novel Coronavirus Technical Guidance: (i) command and coordination; (ii) surveillance, risk assessment and response; (iii) laboratory; (iv) clinical case management and infection prevention and control; (v) public health intervention including points of entry measures; (vi) risk communication; and (vii) logistics, procurement, and supply management.

The RMI COVID-19 Emergency Response Project aims to prevent and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Project will provide financial support to the GORMI in implementing the COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan. Project objectives will be achieved through two components: (i) Emergency COVID-19 Response; and (ii) Implementation Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. Component 1 will provide immediate support to RMI to prevent COVID-19 from arriving in country, and in the event COVID-19 is introduced to limit local transmission and equip the health system to simultaneously respond to the outbreak and sustain routine services. Component 2 will provide technical, operational and administrative assistance to the GORMI on all aspects of project management and implementation, including relevant M&E activities.

3. Objectives of the assignment

The Project Administrator supports the MOHHS, generally, and the Deputy Secretary (Project Director), specifically, in the delivery of COVID19 response to the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Project Administrator will support the Deputy Secretary in day-to-day planning, coordination, and implementation of activities, strengthening institutional and systems capabilities, and building staff capacities for effective COVID19 preparedness and response. The Project Administrator will also support the MOHHS in the planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of World Bank financing for the GORMI COVID-19 response.

4. Scope of Services

• Provide backstopping support to the Deputy Secretary (Project Director) as a point of contact for the RMI Ministry of Health’s COVID19 preparedness and response work. Assure that all such enquires are acknowledged and responded to promptly, and disseminated to the appropriate authorities within MoHHS;

• Draft letters, memos and other official communiques for the Director of Public Health and Minister of Health & Human Services (MoHHS);

• Screen all e-mail correspondence and surface mail and handles all routine administrative matters for and under the discretion of the Deputy Secretary

• Handle all dissemination of correspondence from the Deputy Secretary to local, regional and other partner stakeholders;

• Plan and convene meetings, including conference calls, take minutes and handle follow-up communications as directed by the Director or Minister;

• Lead the coordination with the Division of International Development Assistance (DIDA) Central Implementation Unit (CIU) team on activities required to ensure adherence to World Bank finance management, procurement and safeguards policies

• Assist the Project Director in the development and maintenance of the Project’s Annual Workplan and Budget and Project Operations Manual, as per the agreements in the Project appraisal document and financing agreement;

• Provide secretarial support to the National Emergency Operations Committee, EpiNet outbreak response team, to the Public Health Managers Meeting, and other meetings as directed by the Director of Public Health

• Attend regular NDC, NEOC, and health cluster meetings for COVID-19 response as directed by the Project Director

• Establish and maintain an electronic and paper filing system to keep key Public Health and Primary Care documents in order

• Assist the Project Director in the monitoring of the Project budget and ensuring effective financial management of activities within that framework between the CIU, Logistics Cluster, and relevant MOHHS focal point;

• Monitor and assure that required weekly, monthly and quarterly reports needed by the Bureau of Public Health and Primary Care are produced on time and relevant staff are informed in a timely manner of reporting submission deadlines

• As directed, assist the Project Director in regularly collecting, compiling all of the capacity development/training, data management, and outputs/results/impacts of the PIHOA-supported consultants that will be included into programmatic reports to the World Bank as per performance reporting requirements and timelines

• Assist in the preparation of semi-annual Project reports (financial and programmatic) for the World Bank, coordinating with the Office of Health Planning, Policy, Preparedness, and Epidemiology to ensure up to date progress reporting against implementation and project results indicators;

• Assist the Project Director in coordinating with the CIU to develop and maintain the Project Procurement Plan, ensure the upload and management of procurement activities in STEP (the World Bank Procurement System - Systemized Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement); monitor and record the status and progress of purchase orders (POs), contracts, and bids, including set-up of Contracts and PO management tracking sheet, as requested.

• Assist the Project Director with managing contracts and monitoring quality and timely receipt of deliverables, especially with PIHOA;

• Manage the Bureau of Public Health and Primary Care motor pool, assuring that vehicles are signed in and out in an orderly fashion, that use of vehicles is coordinated across Public Health programs, and the preventive maintenance of vehicles is kept up to date

• Assist the Project Director in the maintenance of the monitoring and evaluation framework;

• Assist in project recruitments and oversee the briefing, induction and settling in of new personnel;

• Represent the COVID19 project at meetings, workshops, trainings, and forums as required and delegated by the Project Director;

• Produce monthly progress reports, including any travel required to travel to the outer islands and other locations to provide similar administrative support;

• Other duties as required by the Project Director.

This description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties.

5. Arrangements

The Project Administrator will report to the Deputy Secretary and be accountable to the Assistant Secretary (DIDA) of the Ministry of Finance, Banking and Postal Services. The Project Administrator will be located in the Office of Health Planning, Policy, Preparedness, and Epidemiology in the MOHHS. Over time this may change dependent upon requirements. Office space, including office furniture, access to IT equipment including a computer, stationery, and internet will be provided by MoHHS.

For performance evaluation purposes, the Deputy Secretary shall be responsible for undertaking a preliminary performance evaluation in accordance with the minimum standards of the CIU. The evaluation will take into account the performance evaluations of other relevant stakeholders. All performance evaluations shall be reviewed, approved and filed by the Assistant Secretary (DIDA) of the Ministry of Finance, Banking and Postal Services. The terms and conditions of employment under the project shall comply with Marshallese national labor and employment laws and shall be in line with the project Legal Agreements between GoRMI and the World Bank.

6. Selection Criteria

Mandatory Requirements

a) Bachelor's degree OR Associate's Degree with 2 years of experience OR High School Diploma and five years of related working experience

b) Experience in analyzing data and preparing routine reports;

c) Experience in public health program planning, management, and administration strongly preferred.

d) Experience in coordination and harmonization of activities;

e) Excellent written and spoken English skills. Marshallese language skills preferred;

f) Excellent interpersonal skills, team player, and ability to work under stress;

g) Demonstrated leadership skills, and the ability to manage and resolve problems and handle tough discussions.

Desired Competencies

a) Understanding of the medical field and public health programs, epidemiology, or public health preparedness;

b) Openness to working collaboratively with a diverse team;

c) Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues;

d) Ability to identify complex issues and to respond and handle accordingly; does not add unnecessary complexity to tasks or projects;

e) Advanced computer skills with proficiency in Windows, Microsoft Office, especially with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Skype.

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[1] Outer Island dispensaries are staffed by a para-professional health assistant (high school graduates who receive an intensive 18-month core curriculum, covering English, basic anatomy and pathophysiology, and basic pharmacology). Dispensaries are often without electricity and have limited stocks of equipment and pharmaceuticals. They are often equipped only to provide emergency first aid.

[2] There remains uncertainty regarding the testing strategy for potential cases identified after the cessation of the flights to Guam and before the arrival of GeneXpert cartridges.

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