Sierra Leone_RFI-636-22-SIHSA-00001.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Request For Information (RFI) No.: RFI-636-22-SIHSA-00001 Release Date March 22, 2022 RFI Closing Date & Time April 11, 2022, at 08:00 AM GMT Activity Title Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA) Submission must be emailed to aasante@usaid.gov with copy to conakryoaa@usaid.gov Posting Websites https://www.grants.gov https://sam.gov https://www.usaid.gov/guinea https://www.usaid.gov/sierra-leone

Dear Interested Parties:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Guinea and Sierra Leone hereby issues a Request for Information (RFI) to gather feedback to strengthen the design of the activity with the preliminary title: Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA). The anticipated goals of the activity are to improve quality Family Planning and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent health (FP/RMNCAH), and malaria services;

increase adoption of selected key optimal behaviors to improve health in selected districts in Sierra Leone.

This RFI is issued solely for information, research, and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal nor a Request for Application. The RFI does not commit the U.S.

Government to issue a solicitation. When a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on https://www.grants.gov or https://sam.gov in the coming months. Interested parties will receive confirmation acknowledging receipt of their emailed responses. Please consider the following when preparing your responses and comments:

● Subject Line. RFI/ Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity

● Attachment A. Background and purpose of the proposed activity.

● Attachment B. Questions are applicable to all organizations regardless of whether or not they currently work with USAID in any capacity (prime or subaward).

Interested parties must respond via email on the closing date shown at the top of this cover letter to aasante@usaid.gov with copy to conakryoaa@usaid.gov.

Thank you for your interest in USAID projects.

Sincerely, Albert P. Asante Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer Office of Acquisitions and Assistance

Albert Asante Digitally signed by Albert Asante Date: 2022.03.22 09:10:51 Z

Attachment A: Background and Purpose

I. Introduction

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to collect written information about an activity with the preliminary title: Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA), in which USAID seeks feedback from potential implementing organizations, local, international, and other development partners.

II. Purpose

This RFI is to gather market insights and strategic inputs for an upcoming activity to improve the performance and functionality of the health systems to deliver quality, integrated health services, with a focus at the district and community levels. Health services include delivery of primary health care at Primary Health Units (PHUs) and community-outreach and district hospitals. This RFI also seeks strategic inputs regarding community-level promotion of optimal key health behaviors to prevent illnesses.

USAID is seeking:

● Input regarding organizations’ capacity to support USAID objectives of improving health outcomes in Sierra Leone.

● Recommendations on how best to strengthen the health system to improve the delivery of high-quality, integrated approaches of FP/RMNCAH and malaria health services, specifically at district and PHU levels. Recommendations should ensure availability of client-centered, high-impact, and quality services in selected districts where SHISA will be implemented with a specific focus on improving equity and reaching the most vulnerable segments of the population, especially vulnerable adolescents, women and children.

● Recommendations on how best to promote adoption of key selected healthy behaviors at households and community levels USAID may use the feedback from this RFI to develop the future anticipated programs.

Attachment B: Questions to Interested Parties

Interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the items listed below. The total number of responses must not exceed five (5) pages, including a one (1) page limit for summarizing your organization’s capacity to support USAID in Sierra Leone’s objectives of improving the quality of Family Planning, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health (FP/RMNCAH) and malaria health services and promote adoption of selected key behaviors.

The remaining four (4) pages must respond to the integration of services questions and provide any other insights or experience in strengthening and integrating FP/RMNCAH and malaria services to ensure client-centered, high-impact, high-quality services are available to people in Sierra Leone, with a focus on the most vulnerable, and promoting the adoption of key selected health behaviors. Please include specific experiences relevant to the Sierra Leone context.

Organizational Capacity Statement

Provide a summary of organizational core technical and structural capabilities with examples of experience and achievement, geographic locations, models of service delivery, health system strengthening approaches resulting in increased demand for services and adoption of optimal health practices, models of strengthening community engagement, models resulting in increased private sector engagement, financial management, organizational capacity as well as experience with donor funding including USG compliance standards. Also, indicate your organization's primary point of contact (i.e., name, title, phone number, and email address).

Questions to Interested Parties

1. What is working well in the delivery of Family Planning, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health (FP/RMNCAH) and malaria services at the central, district, and facility levels in Sierra Leone?

2. What challenges exist at district and community levels that affect the delivery of health services and would require context-specific approaches (geography, remoteness of some districts, limited focus on some districts, segments of population, socio-cultural norms, gender norms and practices, etc.)?

3. What challenges and opportunities might be associated with integrating FP/RMNCAH, and malaria services at district and community level (PHUs)?

4. Regarding malaria prevention and control interventions (i.e., case management, malaria in pregnancy, other drug-prevention interventions, social behavior change), what opportunities, challenges, bottlenecks and new tools exist to accelerate progress and strengthen quality malaria programs and services to reach high-risk vulnerable populations in targeted high burden areas?

5. In your experience, what strategies and activities have been implemented to keep health services (FP/RMNCAH, malaria) resilient against shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

What innovative approaches have been demonstrated to ensure that the most vulnerable segments of population continue to have access to quality health services in times of shocks?

6. The activity seeks to demonstrate innovative models to catalyze private sector engagement.

In your experience, what interventions are currently being implemented to engage with the private sector in FP/RMNCAH and malaria?

7. Reaching adolescents (married, unmarried, in-school, out-of-school, pregnant/parenting as well as not) to improve their health outcomes is one of the objectives of SIHSA. What evidence-based interventions, both health-specific and cross-sectoral, have been demonstrated in Sierra Leone or in the region to effectively meet the health needs of adolescents including MNCH and malaria (not limited to FP/RH)?

8. The planned activity seeks to promote adoption of selected key health behaviors. In your experience, what would be some of the barriers, including gender and socio-cultural norms, that hinder adoption of optimal behaviors? What would be your recommendations for the planned activity to reach its objective of building “healthy communities and families”?

9. Strengthening data for decision-making (i.e., planning, budgeting, quality improvement, monitoring) is essential to continue to build effective health systems. What would be your recommendations for strengthening data information systems at all levels: central (DHIS2), district (DHMT), and point of service delivery (facilities, private sector distribution, and community-based distribution)? Which initiatives are currently done in Sierra Leone to address some of the issues regarding data quality and data-use for decision-making at national, district, and facility levels?

10. What would be your recommendations to strengthen the capacity of the MOHS central level to lead, plan, and coordinate across reproductive health, maternal and child health and malaria programs? Which priority gaps do you think could address?

11. The Government of Sierra Leone has launched a new Community Health Initiative (i.e.

National CHW Strategic Plan 2021-2025), led by the MOHS Community Health Hub. In your opinion, what are some of the opportunities this activity could consider strengthening this initiative? What are some of the bottlenecks, challenges that this activity could consider addressing?

12. Building highly skilled, competent frontline health workers (nurses, midwives, health officers) is essential to improving quality of services. Which innovative approaches are being developed in Sierra Leone or the region that foster “learner-directed” approaches?

13. In its Mission Statement, USAID states that it seeks to "help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance." With this in mind, what would be your recommendations for all donors to consider in order to support a transition from reliance on donor funded programs to building country ownership for improved health?