Medical Doctor - SRHR expert

Terms of Reference:  Medical Doctor/SRHR expert-

Project Title

Lifesaving WaSH and Protection Response to the Multifaceted and Protracted Crisis in Refugee-Hosting Beqaa Region, Lebanon

Donor

Global Affairs Canada, GAC

Project Location

Bekaa (North Bekaa)

SRHR Counselling Duration

Between August and October 2022

1. About Oxfam:

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to build a future where everybody enjoys equal rights and has enough to eat every day. Together with our partners, we are working in more than 90 countries to build this positive future now. We save, protect, and rebuild lives in times of crisis, support lasting solutions to poverty, tackle inequality and stand up together to break down the barriers that keep people poor. Our purpose is to help create lasting solutions to the injustice of poverty. We are part of a global movement for change, empowering people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty. And we are building this positive future now.

1. BACKGROUND:

Maintaining sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is both a health necessity and a fundamental right. Yet, awareness and knowledge of SRH among girls and women in the Beqaa region is limited. This leaves them vulnerable to serious health concerns and connected sociocultural issues such as SGBV, intimate partner violence, early marriage and pregnancies, adolescent disempowerment, SRH stigma, and the disengagement of men and caregivers in SRH. Forced displacements heighten the risks of poor SRH and reduced access to quality and unbiased healthcare. The ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon has only exacerbated challenges of available SRH services and access to resources, such as contraception and menstrual products. The safety of women and their access to support and health services have also been severely affected by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a pressing need for increased quality, accessible and comprehensive SRH and SGBV services and education for adolescent girls and young women, as well as for the collection and sharing of in-depth evidence of SRH knowledge, practices, and attitudes among different vulnerable groups, in different contexts and locations across the country. According to Oxfam’s most recent Gender Analysis, 14% of women (20% Lebanese women; 11% Syrian women) are not consulted in decisions related to their pregnancy. Furthermore, 32% of women participants reported spending more than LBP 100,000 per month per HH (almost 15% of the official Lebanese minimum wage) to buy sanitary pads, yet almost two thirds of participants had no income, but relied primarily on debt and humanitarian assistance as their main source of income. Challenges related to MHM touch on every aspect of women’s lives, restricting their mobility and access to services, education and work, hindering their physical and mental health, and increasing stigma.

Currently, Oxfam is implementing a GAC-funded project entitled “Lifesaving WASH and Protection Response to the Multifaceted and Protracted Crisis in Refugee-Hosting Beqaa Region, Lebanon.” The Ultimate Outcome of the project is to improve health, safety and exercise of equitable human rights for crises-affected women, men, girls, and boys in the wider Beqaa region of Lebanon. This will be achieved through the integrated WASH and Protection Intermediate and Immediate Outcomes, with an increased focus on women’s leadership and the strengthening of Community-Based mechanisms. Under this project, Oxfam will further work on promoting sex-positivity, bodily agency and autonomy, and safe sexual and reproductive health behaviours and practices.

1. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Oxfam is looking to contract two medical doctor/nurse midwife/SRH (one man and one woman) expert who will provide SRH counselling for men and women in targeted communities within the informal settlements in the Beqaa region. Counselling sessions will include key information, preventative measures and tailored referrals to beneficiaries based on their specific needs.

1.  TIMEFRAME, KEY ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED LEVEL OF EFFORT (expected deliverables and tentative plan that includes working days, reporting, roles, and responsibilities):

The consultant is expected to provide the deliverables within a period that extends between August and October 2022 as per the below preliminary timeframe :25 working days in Bekaa region.

1. Counselling will be conducted inside the informal settlements (inside the focal point tents) in North Bekaa.
2. Working hours: 10:00 AM till 3:00 PM (5 hours per day)
3. Oxfam with collaboration of Nabad will be responsible to communicate with the communities (schedule meetings)
4. One Oxfam staff and one Nabad staff will be present at field level to organize the counselling sessions, attendance and collecting feedbacks.
5. Transportation to the field shall be included in your offer.
6. Tentative plan will be shared with the consultant prior the site visits
7. Prepare and deliver a final evaluation report including the learning outcomes, feedbacks, recommendations from the counselling.

1. Consultant Qualification:

This consultancy should be led by a person (or persons) with:

1. Degree in medicine with a specialization in SRH or midwifery certification and prior experience in working on sexual and reproductive health.
2. Ability to design awareness and counselling sessions.
3. Strong communication skills in Arabic.
4. Prior experience working with refugees and vulnerable communities is preferred.
5. A familiarity or direct experience working in Lebanon or in the Middle East broadly, is preferred.
6. Flexibility to provide support.
7. Availability to start immediately

1. Payment and instruction for interested consultants:

Oxfam payment terms: 100% after satisfactory completion of service.

Note that payment will be made based on the budget in the offer (not based on actual expenses incurred by the consultant). No receipts will be requested from the consultant towards the end of the contract.

1. Codes of Behaviour:

The process will be directed by Oxfam’s guidelines for the ethical conduct of evaluations and research, guiding the team of consultants through careful consideration of the key ethical implications at every stage of the harvest. These guidelines are available at this link: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/undertaking-research-with-ethics-253032

1. Sharing and using the findings:

The final report will be shared internally with Oxfam staff and affiliates. It will also be shared externally with relevant actors and organizations. Generated data will be used to inform Oxfam’s programmes in Lebanon.

1. Disclosure:

Although free to discuss with the authorities on anything relevant to the assignment, under the terms of reference, the consultant is not authorized to make any commitments on behalf of Oxfam. All data collected as part of this consultancy belongs to Oxfam and public dissemination of the data and findings and recommendations can only be done with the written consent of the Oxfam.