Call for Proposal RESEARCH EVALUATION ON CONTACT INVESTIGATION APPROACH

Term of Reference

RESEARCH EVALUATION ON CONTACT INVESTIGATION APPROACH

1.       Background

‘Aisyiyah (http://www.aisyiyah.or.id/) is a Muslim women's organization founded in 1917 in Indonesia. ‘Aisyiyah is one of the largest non-profit religious women's organizations in Indonesia. This organization focuses on Islamic movement, da’wah, and tajdid in all areas of life including the field of health and education.

In New Implementing Period (2018-2020), ‘Aisyiyah has been chosen as Principal Recipient (PR) of Global Fund to carry out a “Community TB-HIV Care Program” to represent the Indonesian Civil Society. ‘Aisyiyah is responsible to coordinate community level activities of Sub-Recipients (SRs) as the representative of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) that currently covers 14 provinces and 130 districts/cities in Indonesia.

The aim of this NIP program is to reduce morbidity and mortality from TB and HIV in the 34 provinces in Indonesia. Another goal is to strengthen the health system and the community to be able to increase the achievement of TB control programs in Indonesia and to encourage successful treatment, especially patients suffering from DR TB.

Indonesia is one of the countries with highest TB burden in the world. According to the Global TB Report (WHO, 2018), Indonesia’s TBC incidence in 2017 was 842,000 cases with estimated MDR/RRT TB around 12,000 cases. Taking into account the notification rate of 446,732 in 2017, only 53% of all cases have been found whereas the remaining 47% is either left unreached and untreated or has been found and treated but unnotified to the national program. Patients who have not been reached become a source of infection to people.

Indonesia up to now continues to strive to eliminate TB disease. TB prevention is carried out using promotive and preventive aspects while still paying attention to curative and rehabilitative aspects with the aim of protecting public health, reducing morbidity, mortality or death so as to prevent the transmission and negative effects caused by tuberculosis.

In the current Round New Implementing Period (R-NIP) ‘Aisyiyah utilizes contact investigation approach as a strategy for finding new TB cases. Since this is a new approach, it is important to investigate its effectiveness by the end of the first year to understand if any improvement needed for the second and third year of the program implementation.

Therefore, to understand how the new approach works especially in the context of community and based on the current data on new TB cases contributed by the community, PR TB-HIV ‘Aisyiyah will conduct research evaluation on contact investigation approach. It is expected that there will be lessons learned and recommendations from this evaluation that could be used not only for the PR ‘Aisyiyah program but also for strengthening the community strategy for planning and implementing TB control programs more effectively and efficiently.

2.       Objectives

General Objectives:

The main objectives of this research evaluation on contact investigation are three-folds:

1)      To investigate the effectiveness of the contact investigation approach used in the current NIP program for finding new TB cases;

2)      To compare the contact investigation approach with the traditional community outreach approach that PR ‘Aisyiyah has used in the previous period;

3)      To provide recommendations on the current approach for Y2 and Y3 TB cases findings. 

Specific Objectives: 

1)      To evaluate the overall implementation of contact investigation compared to the traditional approach used previously by PR ‘Aisyiyah.

2)      To learn how the strategies for contact investigation approaches work in the community context that include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges, compared to the previous traditional approach.

3)      To provide recommendations for effective case findings methods in the context of the community.

3.       Output

Outputs of this evaluation include:

1)      Research evaluation Report on the implementation of Contact Investigation to improve new TB case findings.

2)      Documents for improving contact investigations for communities and services in carrying out a strategy to find TB cases actively.

3)      Availability of case finding learning model by ‘Aisyiyah community including recommendations for the implementation of case finding in the second and third year during the NIP program.

4.       Methodology

This research evaluation should incorporate mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative approach) for data collection and analysis, and include literature review, observation, focus group discussions, in-depth-interviews and surveys for addressing the questions of differential impacts, how and why the intervention worked or did not work in improving outcomes of interest and assessing unintended consequences.

5.       Scope of Work and Duration

Locations for this evaluation will be in 9 provinces and 24 cities/districts. The selection of locations will be based on certain criteria which to be discussed further with the TA.

This research will be done in 4 months (April - July 2019).

The consultants will be responsible for timely delivery of the outputs and deliverables and prompt reporting and presentation of raw data, draft and final report to PR TB ‘Aisyiyah (electronic and hard copy) in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

The consultants will work closely with and will send all deliverables to Research and Advocacy Coordinator of PR TB ‘Aisyiyah.

6.       Qualifications

1.       Eligible applicants are institution(s) or research organization(s) from university or civil society organization(s).

2.       Collaboration across disciplines and institutions/organizations are highly encouraged.

3.       Research Team/Personnel have experience in conducting research

4.       Proven a good quality of research publications and disseminations

5.       Capacity to use new technology and innovation

7.       Submission Procedures

A.      The applicants should submit proposal with the following required documents:

1..              Expression of Interest

2.              Organizational Profile

3.              CV’s of Research Team/Personals

4.              Sample of previous research or survey report

Expression of Interest for this Research includes following:

-          Technical Proposal consists of background, objectives, significant of study, methodology, conceptual frame work, proposed activities, implementation plan, and timeline. The consultants should also describe their experience in conducting similar research, and their experience in financial management.

-          Budget Proposal includes:

·         Research activities (75%)

·         Program Management (incl. Fees and administrative support) (not exceed 25%)

B.      Briefing session will be conducted at PR TB Aisyiyah office, Jalan Tebet Timur Dalam Raya No 63, Tebet, Jakarta Selatan, on 20 March 2019, 13.30-15.30. This briefing session is not mandatory.

C.      Only shortlisted and qualified applicants will be contacted for presentation of research proposal.

D.      This research activity is expected to start in Mid April 2019.

Please send the Expression of Interest to: adminnip@pr-tbaisyiyah.or.id with subject line: “Expression of Interest_Research Evaluation Contact Investigation_name of applicant” by 1^st of April 2019.

The applicant can submit the proposal in English or Bahasa Indonesia.