Terms of Reference for Consultant

Content development for Scientific Seminar intended to develop and update knowledge of
Community Paramedics

A. Background

Swisscontact, Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation, is headquartered in Zurich and was founded in 1959 by Swiss private sector and academia for sustainable development cooperation.  Swisscontact promotes economic, social and ecological development by supporting people to successfully integrate into local commercial life. We create opportunities for people to improve their living conditions as a result of their own efforts. The focus of our systemic interventions in the private sector is the strengthening of local and global value chains. Through its projects, Swisscontact enables access to professional training, promotes local entrepreneurship, creates access to local financial service providers and supports the efficient use of resources with the goal of successfully promoting employment and income generation.

As an initiative to support Bangladesh in reaching the target of ensuring quality healthcare services at rural level communities, Swisscontact, in association with Novartis, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Julius Baer Foundation, is implementing the ASTHA (Achieving Sustainability Towards Healthcare Access) project. The project facilitates the development and integration of Community Paramedic services in rural Bangladesh. Its focus is to increase healthcare outreach in the rural inaccessible pocket areas, with special attention to Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Family Planning (FP) and Basic Primary Healthcare Services.

‘Community Paramedic’ is a two-year full-time course, designed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) where students acquire and develop skills on Maternal and Child Health, Reproductive Health, Family Planning and Primary Healthcare services. Training institutes affiliated with the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC) are conducting this course to develop trained Community Paramedics for rural communities of Bangladesh.  After completion of 2 years’ training, students must sit for a final exam organized by BNMC and BNMC also provides practice registration among qualified Community Paramedics. Qualified Community Paramedics are eligible to do self-practice at the grassroots.  

ASTHA is currently in its Phase II (January 2019 to December 2022) which will emphasise on business viability of Community Paramedic Training Institutes (CPTIs) and Community Paramedics (CPs) and on acquiring important partnerships for nationwide scaling up and sustainability. The project operates in seven districts, namely, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Barguna, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Nilphamari and Patuakhali.

The project is working in the following strategic areas: 

• Strengthening CP Programme 
• Enhancing the capacity and service provision of CPs
• Sensitising and involving public and private scale agents to promote CP service nationwide
• Creating mass awareness about CP profession and quality CP services

B. Objective

The objective of the contract is to develop contents for updating the knowledge of Community Paramedics on different important emerging health issue/priorities as part of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and sensitizing Community Paramedics about Referral System. Moreover, it is intended to make a strong network between Community Paramedics and Graduate and postgraduate Doctors/Government Facilities with an objective to establish an effective referral system.

C. Scope & Activities

Scope of the Work

The scope of work under the cooperation agreement would be mainly focused on developing contents on selected health priorities/topics to update knowledge of Community Paramedics in details on specific disease or critical issues to be dealt in rural settings. Expected contents should have realistic approaches with practiced solution and with high degree of professional knowledge. The contents need to be relevant to CP profession and have modern implications and innovation. Images and relevant video clips must be added for better understanding of the topic.

Tasks of the Service Provider

The consultant has to -

• Develop contents on selected topics
• Develop power point presentation in a prescribed format in Bangla that will be treated/used as a trainer’s module
• Develop a content’s outline in Bangla by using MS word that will be treated as participant’s handout
• Prepare assessment tool in Bangla (Pre and Post-test questionnaire and answer sheet)
• Prepare contents that is elaborate enough to cover a seminar of approximately two and a half (2.5) hours.

Role of Swisscontact (ASTHA)

A technical team of ASTHA will provide necessary technical assistance as and when required and will be responsible for-

• Selection of the medical area/ topic
• Give necessary feedback on developed contents for its quality improvement
• Bear cost as per approved budget

D. Duration of the contract

July 2019 - December 2020

E. Deliverables

The consultant has to provide the following deliverables by the due dates as specified:

F. Required Documents

All bidding consultants are required to submit the following:

• A technical proposal (Maximum 15 pages) showing understanding of the assignment, assessment tools, time-line (activity plan) etc. Consultants are also requested to attach a sample content on ‘Peptic Ulcer Disease’ with the technical proposal.
• A separate financial proposal (a sample attached in section G) setting out a detailed budget for the assignment;
• A summary of relevant services (if any) provided during the last 3 years;
• Submission of detailed CVs;
• It is mandatory for the bidders to submit documentary evidence demonstrating their legal, taxation and financial status. This includes:
  • Tax identification number (TIN);
  • VAT registration number (if applicable);
  • A certificate of incorporation (if applicable);
  • Trade license (if applicable);
  • NGO bureau registration (if applicable);
  • Joint stock registration certificate (if applicable)
  • Proof of a segregated account (providing the name and address of such account);
  • A signed statement testifying that all information contained within the proposal is correct and true.

G. Budget Format

H. Selection criteria

While the exact set of criteria will usually vary based on the nature of the assignment, the following criteria are generally applicable for evaluation of the potential consultant:

I. Submission Details

Interested bidders should submit the technical and financial proposals and other necessary documents as hard (financial and technical proposals in two separate envelops) copy for the above-mentioned tasks by 21th July 2019 before 4:00 pm to the address mentioned below:

Coordinator – Finance and Procurement
House 19, Road 11, Baridhara, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh

For more information please e-mail: tamiz.mullick@swisscontact.org

N.B.: Swisscontact reserves the right to reject or cancel any offer