Consultant to Evaluate Capacities and Needs for Support of Orthopedic Workshops

1. Introduction and Background Information 1.1. Humanity and Inclusion Humanity and Inclusion (HI) – previously known as Handicap International- is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. HI is working in more than 50 countries over the World. HI has been working in Vietnam for 30 years, mostly in the fields of health and prevention (mother and child health and road safety), rehabilitation (rehabilitation care for persons with spinal cord injury and brain lesions), education (access to inclusive education for children with disabilities) and livelihoods (access to decent work for people with disabilities). 1.2. Rehabilitation Project The rehabilitation project, funded by the USAID, started in October 2015 and is expected to last for 8 years (until September 2023). The project's goal is to improve quality of life of persons with brain lesions, especially those with brain stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and/or spina bifida/hydrocephalus, by improving access and quality of rehabilitation services. In order to do so, the project develops 4 main approaches:

Strengthening of rehabilitation service delivery (equipping rehabilitation departments and units in hospitals; supporting the development of multidisciplinary, person-centred and evidence-based services; translation and validation of internationally recognized assessment tools and scales; strengthening discharge and transitional care from hospital to home, supporting house accessibility improvement and provision of assistive devices…)
Building Human Resources’ capacities and skills (development of Continuing Medical Education modules; development and strengthening of professional education programs –bachelor and/or master for OTs and PTs; mentoring of rehab care providers through placement of volunteers…)
Strengthening governance and networking (development of National Rehabilitation Guidelines; organization and/or participation to national and international conferences; improvement of managerial practices…)
Improving awareness among general population and local authorities on home accessibility and independent living

1.3. Assistive Devices In the framework of its first approach/objective, the project includes activities related to assistive devices. 1.3.1. Enhancing Access to Affordable and Locally Made Devices and Adaptations The project aims at supporting identification and sharing of simple solutions to improve autnomy and independence of persons with disabilities during daily life activities. This is done through:

An annual contest (Homemade With Heart) that encourages people (both rehab professionals and non-professionals) to share simples adaptations or inventions they came up with to support persons with disabilities during their daily life activities
Sharing of existing resources and guides on homemade devices
Development of “production guides/cards” for simple and homemade house adaptations and ADL devices (feeding, dressing, washing…)

1.3.2. Direct Provision of Assistive Devices Provision of assistive devices will fit the following principles:

300 beneficiaries should be reached
Devices to be provided include (non-exhaustively):
- Mobility devices (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches…)
- Positioning (in particular seating) and support (orthotics, splints…) devices
- Devices to support independence in ADL (feeding, dressing, washing and personal hygiene, cooking…)
“Typical” (but tailored) devices will be proposed. However, the project will also support the development of locally- and/or home-made and affordable devices to support activities of daily living (refer above)

1.3.3. Support to P&O workshops In particular, HI would like to include closer collaboration with existing orthopaedic workshop in the vicinity of the General Hospital in Quang Tri and Central Hospital in Hue (partner hospitals) in order to improve their capacities in producing and delivering orthotics, seats and other devices for persons with brain lesions (in particular children with Cerebral Palsy) 1.4. Prosthetic and Orthotic Workshop Evaluation An international ortho-prosthetist will be recruited in 2021 for a support mission in those 2 vicinities. The international ortho-prosthetist will focus on mentoring, training of the available workforce as well as supporting the provision of aforementioned assistive devices. Due to the limited time of this support, the orthopaedic workshops need to be ready at his/her arrival. Needs for support to make the workshops fully functional and operational should have already been identified. 2. Workshop Assessment 2.1. Objectives and Deliverables 2.1.1. Overall Objective The consultant shall support the project in evaluating the capacities and the needs of the 2 orthopaedic workshops in terms of provision of orthotics and (positioning and assistive) devices to persons with brain lesion (in particular children with CP). 2.1.2. Expected Outcomes More specifically, the consultant is expected:

To provide a “functional description” of the 2 orthopaedic workshops:
- Staff: number, background/training, experience…
- Equipment and consumables: type, state, quality, quantity
- Type of service provided and main patients served
- Price list and existing medical insurance coverage/scheme (items covered/reimbursed by insurance)
- Quality of on-going production and staff capacities (at the time of the visit – staff capacity and production quality assessment does not need to be thorough; a more specific assessment will be done by the P&O who will be based in Quang Tri/Hue)
- Links with other departments of the hospitals (referral and contra-referral, multi-disciplinary approach and coordination with other professionals)
To provide recommendations in terms of:
- Priorities for technical support and building capacities of local staff
- Possible devices to be produced/provided
- Additional equipment and consumables needed to produce orthotics and positioning devices for persons/children with brain lesions
- Local and/or national equipment and consumable providers
- Any other aspects that would facilitate the work of the P&O expert

2.1.3. Deliverables At the end of the mission, consultant is expected to provide HI with the following deliverables:

2 Evaluation Reports, each one including:
- A description of the orthopaedic workshop, including pictures.
- A detailed list of staff and their professional background.
- A detailed list of existing and operational pieces of equipment (including quantity, type, quality, and operational status) and consumables.
- A detailed list of pieces of equipment and consumables to be ordered in order to perform the provision of aforementioned assistive devices, including recommendations on local or national providers.
- Information on current services provided (types of devices and patients, monthly average production…), their estimated quality and existing coordination with other departments of the hospital.
- Recommendations on how to support the development or strengthening of services for persons (in particular children) with brain lesions.

2.2. Consultant and HI’s Responsibilities The consultant:

Review mission agenda and proposes detailed schedule
Run the field mission/assessment
Lead and undertake technical drafting of deliverables
Provide aforementioned deliverables and present them to HI technical team

HI:

Supports with logistics for the field mission
Coordinates with partners (hospitals) to organized the mission and visits
Validates deliverables

3. Additional Information 3.1. Work organization:

National field mission required to Hue and Quang Tri.
The deliverables are preferably to be developed in English.

3.2. Proposed timeframe and mission duration:

Application closing date : September 25th, 2020 (11.59PM, Vietnam Local Time)
Confirmation: pre-selected consultant will receive an answer on September 29th, 2020
Contract signature: contract is expected to be signed by October 2nd, 2020
Field mission is expected to last for about a week and to take place in October 2020
Deliverables: to be defined with the consultant, no later than November 5th, 2020
The total expected workload (preparation and desk review, field mission, reporting) is estimated to 10 working days (2 days preparation, 5 days field mission, 3 days for reporting)

3.3. Selection Criteria: Selection of contractor will be based on series of criteria, among which (not following an order of importance):

Past experiences in developing similar material
Proposal quality, activity planning and timeline
Resources to be mobilized and consultant’s expertise

3.4. Conditions and Terms Under a local service provider contract (freelance), HI offers:

A daily consultancy rate (as per HI’s norms and depending on professional background and experience of the applicant)
Financial support for the field mission (HI will cover the travel costs – i.e. plane ticket, accommodation and local transportation)
Logistic support for the field mission (plane and hotel booking, coordination with local partners…)

HI reserves the right not to award the contract concerned by this tendering procedure should circumstances require, and is under no obligation to provide justification or compensation of any kind to the companies consulted. More information and/or application: Please contact/send application (CV and cover letter/mail) to: Martin Jacobs Rehabilitation Technical Advisor Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International) in Vietnam m.jacobs@hi.org

Tags: Humanity and Inclusion (HI)