TERMS OF REFERENCE: Consultancy to revitalize Strategic Plan for the Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy to revitalize Strategic Plan for the Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA)

1. Background

GAVA is a technical advisory group and coalition of partners committed to supporting countries to scale up and improve their vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programs in settings where vitamin A deficiency (VAD) remains a public health problem, as a means to accelerate progress toward child survival and reduce the global impact of VAD. GAVA provides a forum for achieving consensus on research, policy and program approaches, translating evidence into action, sharing lessons learned, and coordinating policy and guidance—all focused on the role of VAS for preschool-aged children within the context of other VAD control and child survival programs.

GAVA was first established in 2006 and is comprised of a global network of stakeholders engaged in VAD and/or VAS. The Secretariat is hosted and Chaired by Nutrition International, and the core partners that make up GAVA—Nutrition International, Helen Keller International and UNICEF—have been partners in vitamin A for over 15 years. They are joined by a wide range of regular contributors and experts, such as WHO, the US CDC and many academic partners and vitamin A experts around the world making up a diverse membership.

GAVA’s work has been guided by a Strategic Plan developed in 2016, which outlined four goals:

• To catalyze consensus for evidence-based VAS policies and programs within broader child mortality and vitamin A deficiency reduction and control strategies.
• To identify and address priority knowledge gaps for VAS programs.
• To provide program support to improve effective implementation and monitoring of VAS programs.
• To advocate for political will and sustained attention, as well as for financial and technical support for VAS in the context of the broader global nutrition landscape.

The GAVA core partners seek to review its current Strategic Plan for the purpose of updating and renewal, to pursue a focused and long-term direction in continuing its mandate.

The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop a renewed and revitalized five-year Strategic Plan to ensure that GAVA fulfills its mandate.

2. Scope of work

The scope of work for the Consultant will include but not be limited to:

1. Activity 1: Planning
   1. In consultation with GAVA partners, develop a detailed work plan and timeline (Gantt chart) outlining the work required to complete this consultancy, and prepare any necessary tools required to achieve the objectives (see sample questions in Appendix 1).
   2. Deliverable 1.1: Detailed work plan and timeline (Gantt chart)
   3. Deliverable 1.2: A basic framework and questionnaire for the stakeholder/key informant interviews;
2. Activity 2: Stakeholder consultation
   1. Consult with stakeholders, including GAVA core group members, key stakeholders in the field and potential donors, and using an appropriate method of analysis:
      1. Review the vision, mission and broadly the mandate of GAVA;
      2. Review GAVA operations to date and how it has delivered on its prior Strategic Plan and work plan;
      3. Review and update the value proposition, focus areas, strategic objectives and key result areas for a renewed 5-year Strategic Plan.
   2. Deliverable 2: A report summarizing the process of stakeholder consultation, including a summary of the results from the stakeholder consultations and interviews.
3. Activity 3: Develop framework
   1. Propose a framework for a renewed 5-year strategy for achieving the strategic objectives and key results;
   2. Deliverable 3: A draft framework for a renewed five-year Strategic Plan.
4. Activity 4: Validate framework
   1. Facilitate a GAVA meeting of its core partners (potentially face-to-face) to validate the framework and supporting GAVA members to craft a renewed 5-year Strategic Plan.
   2. Deliverable 4: A brief report summarizing the processes and outcomes of the GAVA partner meeting.
5. Activity 5: Finalize Strategic Plan
   1. Based on the outputs of the meeting, finalize a renewed Strategic Plan for GAVA.
   2. Deliverable 5: A renewed five-year Strategic Plan.

4. Timeline

This assignment is expected to be carried out for a period of approximately 40 working days, between the months of June and October 2023. This can be negotiated depending on the approved work plan.

5. Expertise

a) Academic qualifications

• A master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field related to planning, communications, public health nutrition or international development.

b) Experience

• At least five years professional experience in strategic planning and management;
• Demonstrated experience in working with government partners and other stakeholders in public health nutrition programs especially in the area of vitamin A and/or micronutrient interventions.

c) Skills and competencies:

• Ability to work with minimal supervision;
• High-level written and oral communications skills;
• Must be a results-oriented team player that exhibits high levels of enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy and integrity;
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and professional skills interacting with donors, government and development partners;
• Skills related to facilitation of stakeholder engagements/workshops;
• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments;
• Experience in research, policy development, management and programming-related work.

6.  Application process

Applications must include the following:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Proposal for implementing the assignment, including a Gantt chart
• Quotation for assignment, including but not limited to:
  • Key proposed activities; and
  • Number of days per activity and daily rate.

Deadline for application: June 19, 2023, at 8:00 AM EST. Please send all documents by e-mail to info@gava.org, with copy to cgomez@nutritionintl.org.

APPENDIX 1

Draft sample questions for GAVA stakeholder consultation