Handicap International - Training Facilitator

TERMS OF REFERENCE
Facilitation of institutional strengthening process for Home Based Care teams and support groups implementing community based HIV & AIDS care and support in Trans-Nzoia and Garissa Districts
1. Introduction
Handicap International is an international Non-Governmental, non-profit making, non-political and non-religious organization that is specialized in disability and development. A strong emphasis is placed on empowering people with disabilities as well as those suffering from chronic conditions such people living with HIV through their integration into mainstream development activities and the provision of appropriate health and rehabilitation services to ensure equal opportunities for all.
2. Project background
With funding from Academy for Educational Development (AED) Capable Partners Program, Handicap International has been implementing a HIV/AIDS project since 2006. The goal of the project is to improve access to quality and comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and care services for people infected and affected by HIV & AIDS and to prevent the spread of the disease among the youth and people with disability in Nairobi, Garissa, Trans-Nzoia and West Pokot.
In the Care and support component of the project, HI has worked in partnership with Community Home-Based Care teams and support groups of people living with HIV to enhance access to and utilization of HIV/AIDS services. In collaboration with the ministry of health , Handicap International scale-up the medical care for AIDS clients at the Health facility level through capacity building of health workers and establishment of HAART clinics presently referred to as comprehensive care Centers (CCC).
In Trans Nzoia: A team of 120 active community health workers formed 12 HBC teams who are currently providing actual care at home to affected families and create linkages through referral networks within the district, including MOH through the National Leprosy and TB Programme, Primary Health Care, ART and HBC programmes, Kitale Aids Programme, AMPATH, Health right International., and the Constituency Aids Control Committees.
Handicap International has capacity built the teams through trainings and continuous support supervision in collaboration with the MOH. The trainings so far done and had the participation of members for the HBC teams and support groups include, Treatment Literacy and Drug Adherence, Post Exposure Prophylaxis management and general Infection control strategies, community strategy, Home Based Care Training, Memory book project and Behavior Change Communication.
They have since facilitated the formation of 12 support groups namely; Cherangany, Daima, Simba Apha, Bushere, Sipha, Kitale Vision, Tumaini, Tumechanuka, Shepherd, Muroki Ushirikiano, Healing Support Group and Ingakha Support self help group, some of which have also gained from the above trainings and also provide peer to peer HBC services and adherence counseling in the community.
Through their own initiatives, 5 HBC teams have initiated Income Generating Activities and registered their groups as CBOs and some like Saboti and Sipha have developed proposals and been funded by TOWA through NACC.
In Pokot, Handicap international trained 15 community members on Home Based Care in 2006. They have been providing home based care services to clients since then and this has led to formation of 3 support groups for people living with HIV in the region, one group (Kanamakegh) has gone ahead and registered as a CBO and members have started a poultry project to support their initiatives and the clients they serve.
In Garissa:
Handicap International supports 1 HBC team and 4 groups of people living with HIV in conducting monthly group therapy sessions. The 4 groups have a total enrolment of 169 members (55 males and 114 females).
3. Rationale
As the 4-year project comes to an end, HI acknowledges the need for institutional strengthening of some of these groups so as to sustain provision of effective HIV/AIDS services. This facilitation also seeks to act as a learning process to enable the groups develop action plans to manage themselves in an autonomous and independent manner. Strengthening and empowering these community based structures will help:

* Improve operational capacity to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery at the community level.
* Improve group financial capacities to attract and manage resources prudently.
* Build structural capacities to allow effective coordination and management of group resources and activities.
* Reinforce relationship capacities to enhance internal cohesion of the group, build trust to win community ownership, and establish functional linkages with other partners to provide both technical and financial support.


4. Specific objectives
The Specific Objectives for the facilitation are:

1. To document detailed group profiles of the Psychosocial Support Groups and Community Home-Based Care teams.
2. To facilitate learning process to build capacity of the groups through self assessment focusing on (i) operational capacities, (ii) governance capacities, (iii) financial capacities, and (iv) relationship capacities.
3. To support the groups in ranking their activities and developing Action Plans to guide implementation of these activities.

5. Expected outputs
Major outputs of this facilitation are:

1. Selected 10 Self Support Groups/Home based Care Teams have developed institutional strengthening plans and action plans.
2. A comprehensive report with recommendations covering key findings from the self assessment and SWOT analysis of 10 support groups and community home-based care teams.
3. Annexed inventory of Psychosocial Support Groups and Community Home-Based Care teams detailing the nature of their activities, membership, geographical coverage, partners, physical location, contact details among other useful information
4. Annexed sample of questionnaires and /or tools used to collect the data.

6. Methodology and time frame
1. Pre-selection of Self Support Groups and Home based Care teams
2. Self guided assessment for each group/team selected
3. Participatory development of plan of actions.
4. Profiling and Reporting
The facilitation is expected to be implemented from 24th May for a period of 25 days.
7. Required competencies
The scope and comprehensiveness of this assessment require the services of a Postgraduate degree, preferably in social / economic sciences, or public health, proven expertise in participatory organizational strengthening needs analysis with in-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS Care and Support programmes.
9. Application
Interested candidates should send the following documents to
hrofficer@handicap-international.or.ke on or before 20th May 2010 including the following:-

1. Brief proposal on how to achieve the stated objectives with clear methodology. (in summary not exceeding 3 pages)
2. A detailed work plan and budget to undertake the work. The work plan should not exceed 7 weeks.
3. Copy of functional curriculum vitae clearly showing previous experience in similar assignments