Background of the project 

The IRC is leading the REACH project, funded by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, that aims to close the immunization gap in missed communities in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.  Powered by a network of global and local partners, the REACH Consortium works to extend services to children beyond the reach of government systems and ensures that no child, wherever they live, is left behind.

The project is currently documenting key learnings from the project.  This consultancy will lead the documentation of learnings on two topics: risk factors that put the National Immunisation Program (NIP) access and ability to programme at risk, and the documentation of key EPI approaches that have been adapted or adjusted based on implementation within a humanitarian context.  The consultant will engage with IRC staff from the Health Technical Unit, the REACH Project Management Unit (PMU), country offices that are implementing the project, GAVI and other stakeholders. 

The consultant will conduct key informant interviews with 20-40 people, synthesize the learnings, and present them to leaders and implementers of the project at a meeting in Nairobi in February 2025.   Following the Nairobi meeting in February, the consultant will continue to engage with the project, as a reviewer of tools created, and leading the documentation of evidence-based case studies on vaccine service delivery within humanitarian contexts.

Scope of Work:

1.       Review and provide input to the data collection tools

2.       Conduct between 20-40 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)

3.       Desk review, including program documents

4.       Analyze results and synthesize learnings into a slide deck

5.       Present findings at Nairobi meeting in February

6.       Further data collection on select EPI documents that were adapted

7.       Documentation of evidence-based case studies on vaccine service delivery

Deliverables:

·         Deliverables due January 30, 2025

o   Report that documents the risk factors that put NIP access and ability to programme at risk

o   Report that documents key EPI programmatic approaches that have been adapted or adjusted within REACH focus areas

·         Deliverables due June 30, 2025

o   Report that documents evidence-based case studies of vaccine service delivery best practices 

Requirements:

·         Excellent English verbal and writing skills

·         Demonstrated ability to conduct interviews and do high qualitative data analysis

·         Demonstrated ability to synthesize learnings in compelling reports and presentations

·         Experience with EPI and immunization programs

·         Experience with delivery of health services within humanitarian contexts

·         Experience working collaboratively in a team