RAPID RESPONSE SERVICES CONSULTANCY

Introduction

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an African-led research institution. The Center is committed to generating an Africa-owned body of region-wide evidence to inform decision making to advance effective and sustainable responses to the most critical challenges facing the continent. APHRC (https://aphrc.org) is headquartered in Nairobi (Kenya) with offices in Senegal and presently works in over 30 sub-Saharan countries.

APHRC has embarked on a four-year research-to-policy program called ‘challenging the politics of social exclusion’ (CPSE). The program seeks to support the full domestication and translation into practice of continental commitments, forged collectively by African States. This is to enhance the sexual and reproductive health and realize the rights of all, including young people and women, in pursuit of the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and development that leaves no one behind. The aim of the CPSE program is to act as a critical and neutral knowledge partner to the constellation of actors working towards the full domestication and implementation of continental commitments on the sexual and reproductive health, and the rights of Africa’s young people and women. As a knowledge partner, CPSE will work to support these actors in developing and deploying effective, evidence-based advocacy, specifically on three focal SRHR issues:

• The sexual and reproductive health and the rights of adolescents.
• Access to safe abortion and post-abortion care.
• The discrimination of marginalized sexual and gender minority groups.

Project approach

CPSE’s work is anchored on partnerships with key government and civil society bodies at the regional and sub-regional levels, in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa in seven countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and Liberia. Across these geographies, CPSE encompasses three key pillars of work, namely:

(i) Research – generating policy-relevant evidence

(ii) supporting the use of evidence in advocating for change and

(iii) strengthening capacities of policy partners to use evidence and learning to achieve change.

As part of the program, CPSE intends to operationalize a Rapid Response Service (RRS) that will facilitate the provision, in a timely manner, of rapidly produced, high-quality, synthesized evidence to our regional and sub-regional policy and CSO partners.

Scope of work and detailed schedule

APHRC is seeking the services of a trainer, to develop and facilitate training on RRS guides and processes including operationalizing rapid response services within an institution, conducting rapid reviews and developing rapid response briefs, among other methodological approaches to evidence synthesis and knowledge translation. The training will target select APHRC researchers, policy engagement and communications personnel.

APHRC’s responsibilities

• APHRC shall accompany and support the consultant in the development of the workshop program
• APHRC shall provide guidance and high-level administrative support such as making available relevant documentation and tools

Outputs/ Expected deliverables

1. Preparation and contextualization of training materials
2. Effectively facilitate workshop from 6-10 April 2020
3. Support in the development of rapid response briefs and/or other relevant activities for one of our sub-regional partners
4. Support in the development of an operational model for establishing a rapid response service within APHRC

Essential skills and experience

• Must have over five years of experience conducting Rapid Response training with five examples of work done over the last three years
• Qualifications and/or experience in evidence-informed policy-making
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills
• Flexibility when working around busy schedules
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Fluency in English and/or French
• Ability to focus on the task at hand (and not mixing up with other competing consultancies)

Contract duration: February – April 2020

The period of performance for this Scope of Work is from March to May 2020. The training is to take place from 6-10 April 2020.

Application procedure

If you meet the criteria above and are interested in this exciting opportunity, please email consultancies@aphrc.org and a copy to wopondo@aphrc.org with the subject: CPSE Rapid Response Training Consultant by 06^th March 2020.

Your submission should include the following items.

• A cover letter outlining your suitability for the assignment
• A concept note/work plan articulating the frameworks and processes that will be used to implement the activities in this consultancy (a maximum of four pages).
• A detailed CV or summary of past experience including five references that we can contact
• Budget including consultancy rate per day and all costs