Zambia DISCOVER-Health Project Consultant SOW: Qualitative Data Analysis and Reporting Writing Technical Assistance

 

USAID DISCOVER-Health Project, PrEP Integration Study

LOE: ~40 days | Period of Performance: January – March 2022

To apply, please submit your resume to jessica_posner@jsi.com by Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 5pm EST.

The DISCOVER-Health project is seeking technical assistance for the qualitative analysis of key informant interview transcripts, overall analysis and report writing. Please see detailed Scope of Work attached. 

The USAID DISCOVER-Health Project (the Project) is designed to take quality health services to under-served communities and populations, in order to address critical gaps in both access and equity, towards achieving defined public health goals and outcomes, including achieving HIV epidemic control in Zambia. Leveraging its unique hub-and-spoke model that delivers health services in 271 facilities, the Project provides direct service delivery as well as supports private sector engagement through social marketing activities and a total market approach (TMA).

At national level, the Project, implemented by JSI, supported development of the National PrEP Framework. It also continues to support the introduction of PrEP by leveraging its social behavior change technical capacities to develop media campaigns promoting PrEP access, uptake and continuation during periods of risk.6 In these activities, the project applied a human centered design (HCD) process to incorporate the voices and perspectives of end-users and to identify and address facilitators and barriers to health-seeking behaviors for each high-risk community.7,8

In 2018, JSI, through the Project, was one of the first implementing partners mandated by the Zambian government to roll out PrEP nationally. In collaboration with other implementers, including the USAID Zambia Community HIV Prevention Project, the large PEPFAR DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) program, and the USAID Open Doors project (which works with KPs), JSI has since rolled out PrEP in 255 project-supported facilities and 24 DREAMS sites.

Overview of the work:

To inform national scale-up efforts there is a need to understand current experience with PrEP integration in RMNCH services, and the motivations/barriers to accessing and using PrEP, including how to reach priority populations that do not or would prefer not to utilize existing service sites. The research will therefore take place in current locations where PrEP has been integrated (i.e. in public health facilities located in Central and Copperbelt).

Research aim(s)/General Objective and Specific Objectives

The overall aim of this activity is to assess USAID DISCOVER-Health’s experiences with PrEP- RMNCH integration, review the impact of PrEP integration on RMNCH services, and provide  recommendations for strengthening PrEP services.

Primary research objectives include:

1. Assess strategies for integrating PrEP within the project’s RMNCH service delivery platforms

2. Understand client and provider experiences with current PrEP integration, including any impact on RMNCH services

3. Gain insights on the motivations and barriers to PrEP use, non-use and continuation among target populations including AGYW and PBFW

4. Understand client and provider experiences with PrEP services and use due to COVID-19  

5. Generate recommendations to improve access, use and continuation of PrEP in existing service modalities to reach target populations.

 

Research questions

The research seeks to address the following study questions:

1. How has the integration of PrEP into RMNCH services affected the uptake, continuation and service delivery experience of PrEP, and other services, e.g., FP, RH, MNCH, HTS etc.?

2. How can the PrEP – RMNCH integration model be strengthened in order to improve, uptake, continuation and delivery of PrEP and RMNCH services at public sector facilities and DREAMS sites?

3. How has COVID-19 impacted uptake, continuation and delivery of PrEP and RMNCH services at public sector facilities and DREAMS sites

 

The lead technical consultant for this technical assistance will be  responsible for guiding the data analysis. The consultant, in collaboration with Discover H team team members will develop a codebook including primary and secondary codes. All coding will be done in Nvivo. 

There will be regular check-ins, in the place of inter-coder reliability tests to ensure both coders and the consultant are aligned. Project team members may also provide a review of a sample of coded transcripts early in the process. 

Attachment Scope of Work

Date Issued: December 21, 2021 12:00 am
Due Date: December 29, 2021 5:00 pm EST

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