Request for Proposal For Strides-Global Emergency Response-Consultant

Request for proposals for STRIDES-Global Emergency Response-Consultant-RFP-002 Scope of Work This consultancy will produce a standardized, all-hazards SimEx approach, with templates and guidance that STRIDES Program Countries can use to design, conduct, evaluate and follow up on simulation exercises. The approach will cover the full range of outbreak scenarios, including: One Health and zoonotic events (for example, avian influenza, anthrax and Rift Valley fever) Ebola disease and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Marburg Cholera, mpox, measles, respiratory pathogens and other priority threats A central feature of the approach is the systematic integration of the 7-1-7 timeliness target into every type of SimEx. This applies to discussion-based exercises (orientations and tabletop exercises) and to operations-based exercises (drills, functional exercises and full-scale exercises). Embedding 7-1-7 metrics will help countries plan to meet timeliness benchmarks, and identify bottlenecks to detection, notification and response. The consultancy works under the STRIDES Emergency Response Technical Team and the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Team. The ideal candidate has strong technical grounding in emergency preparedness and response and in exercise design and facilitation, along with practical experience applying the 7-1-7 framework. Depending on need, there may be the possibility to extend this consultancy for three additional months. 1. Global SimEx and 7-1-7 Landscape Review Review existing SimEx materials, reports and after-action from leading organizations, including WHO (including the WHO SimEx Manual and OpenWHO), Africa CDC, CDC, Resolve to Save Lives (7- 1-7), TEPHINET/FETP, FAO/WOAH (for One Health exercises), the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and other recognized institutions. This review will: catalog the available materials by exercise type (orientation, tabletop, drill, functional and full-scale) and by hazard, including One Health and zoonotic events, Ebola disease and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, cholera, mpox, measles and respiratory pathogens; assess how well each set of materials applies to, and can be adapted for, STRIDES-supported country contexts; document existing approaches to measuring timeliness in exercises, including any application of 7-1-7 milestones and bottleneck analysis; and identify which materials can be adopted as they are, which should be adapted, and where new content is needed. 2. Review of Existing STRIDES SimEx Materials and Reports Compile and review the SimEx materials and outputs that STRIDES and its supported countries already have, including: concept notes, scenarios, MSELS and facilitator materials; evaluation forms; and after-action reports and improvement plans from past exercises. This review will map how exercises are currently planned, conducted, evaluated and documented across STRIDES countries, and whether and how timeliness or 7-1-7 metrics are captured; assess the quality and consistency of existing materials and identify those that can be standardized and reused across countries; assess how far recommendations from past exercises have been followed up; and compare current STRIDES practice against the global landscape from Task 1 to identify priority gaps and opportunities that will inform the standardized toolkit 3. Capacity Development on SimEx Design, Facilitation and Evaluation Assess the learning needs of priority audiences, including STRIDES staff, Ministry of Health and PHEOC staff, animal and environmental health sector counterparts, and FETP graduates. Recommend a tailored capacity development approach, then design and deliver practical SimEx training packages based on adult learning principles. The packages will: prepare facilitators, controllers and evaluators to design and run all types of exercises using the toolkit, including capturing and analyzing 7-1-7 metrics; combine virtual sessions with self-paced content such as short modules, recorded walkthroughs and job aids, plus in-person practice where feasible; include evaluation metrics and pre- and post-training assessments, with approaches adjusted based on the results 4. Country-Level SimEx Support and Piloting Pilot the toolkit with selected STRIDES Program Countries by providing technical assistance. This includes supporting countries to plan, conduct and evaluate a range of exercise types and hazards. Refine the toolkit based on pilot experience and country feedback. 5. Integration with MEL and the STRIDES Resource Library Work closely with the STRIDES MEL team to align SimEx 7-1-7 metrics with STRIDES learning agendas, indicators and reporting. Make sure exercise data can be compared with 7-1-7 data from real events and reviews. Link all templates, guidance and knowledge products to the STRIDES resource library so country teams can access them. 6. Sustainability and Handover Guidance Provide recommendations for sustaining SimEx practice beyond the consultancy. These should cover: national ownership and multi-year exercise programming; roles and responsibilities; building a pool of trained national facilitators and evaluators; periodic synthesis of new exercise findings; and mechanisms for keeping materials aligned with evolving global guidance, including updates to the 7-1-7 framework, and with country needs. Tender Link : https://solicitations.fhi360.org/ConsultantSolicitation.aspx