July 27, 2007

Empanelment of consultants and agencies and institutions.

Avert Society was set-up in November 2001 for managing the HIV/AIDS prevention project in Maharashtra consistent with National Aids Control Program. It is a registered Society that aims to increase the use of effective and sustainable response to reduce the transmission and mitigate the impact of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and related infectious diseases. Major strategies/components of its activities include: Prevention services, Care & Support services, capacity building of institutions, Communication and Research.

To implement the strategies of the Avert Society the consultants and agencies / institutions are hired to do various assignments under each strategy. The details of requirement of the consultants and agencies / institutions each strategy wise is as given below.

Consultants for Prevention (Targeted Intervention & Work Place Intervention Project) of Avert Society:

Avert Society is a registered society established as a joint venture of NACO and the Government of Maharashtra with financial assistance from USAID to mitigate the impact HIV in Maharashtra. It is an HIV/AIDS funding organization in Maharashtra, supporting Targeted interventions in seven districts namely; Nagpur, Aurangabad, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Thane and Mumbai, while Care and Support and Work Place Intervention funding support is given across Maharashtra.

Avert Society supports intervention project to Non-brothel based sex workers, slum population, truckers, MSM, IDU, youth etc. To reach out to the workforce, Avert engages private sector, organized and unorganized sector through Work Place Interventions. Lastly to address the issues of people living with HIV/AIDS and the affected Avert supports Drop-in-centers, VCTCs, Community Care Centers and home-based care programs.

Avert Society for its Prevention Intervention, (which includes targeted intervention and work place intervention), plans to empanel consultant to/for;

  • To conduct mid- term evaluation/ evaluations of its sub grantees.
  • To conduct Participatory Site Visit for capacity building every six months.
  • To document its various programs/activities/workshops of sub-grantees.
  • For processing new applications, conducting site visits and report writing.
  • To develop strategy papers and action plans to strengthen its Prevention work in Maharashtra.
  • To conduct training programs and other capacity building exercises for its sub-grantees

Educational qualification:

Master in Social Work/ Masters in Sociology/Masters in industrial relations and human resources/Masters in Rural and Community Development. Supporting qualification in the area of human resource development, industrial labour issues, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS would be an added advantage.

Skills and experience:

  • Should have minimum of 3-5 years experience in project planning, execution, management, monitoring and evaluation in the area of social development preferably in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and control and/or sexual health and/or reproductive and child health.
  • 2-3 years of experience of working on Corporate Social Responsibilities in organized and/or unorganized sector
  • Should have proficiency in project monitoring, evaluation report writing and documentation
  • Should have experience of organizing training sessions, workshops, conferences on development issues, preferably in the area of HIV/AIDS and/or sexual health and/or reproductive and child health.
  • Fluency in English and Hindi. Fluency in Marathi is desirable for Work Place Intervention.
  • Fluency in Marathi and Hindi. Fluency in English is desirable for Targeted Intervention.

Consultants for Communication

Avert Society; Maharashtra plans to empanel Communication Consultants. The job profile will include assisting Avert Society in its various activities aimed at achieving communication objectives set in relation to its mandate to reduce the impact and control of HIV/AIDS in Maharashtra.

The consultants should have a working knowledge of the following areas and expertise in any one or more area/s.

  • Providing inputs in developing creatives across all elements of mass and interactive (non-conventional) media.
  • Supervising planning, formative research, message development, material design, pre-testing and monitoring of the creatives to be implemented through various media.
  • Supervising media planning and buying in various media like print, electronic and outdoor.
  • Supervising ideation, creation and production of print and electronic material.
  • Supervising planning and co-ordination of events and promotions in Maharashtra.
  • Drafting of press releases and organizing press conferences.
  • Supervising and maintaining of the Avert website and newsletter.
  • Translation jobs of creatives

Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years experience in the above fields.

Consultants for Care & Support Projects

To address the issues of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and the affected Avert Society supports various themes in Care & Support viz; Drop-in-centers (DIC), Voluntary Counseling & Testing Centers (VCTCs), Community Care Centers (CCC), Home Based care (HBC) and Orphan & Vulnerable Children (OVC) programs.

Avert Society for its Care & Support projects, plans to empanel consultants to/for;

  • To conduct mid - term evaluation/ evaluations of its sub grantees.
  • To conduct Participatory Site Visit (PSV) for capacity building every six months.
  • To document its various programs/activities/workshops like Induction trainings, Proposal Development, Experience Sharing & Review Meeting (ESRM) of sub-grantees.
  • For processing new applications, conducting site visits and report writing.
  • To develop strategy papers and action plans to strengthen the quality of the Care and Support interventions (Client Flow, Data flow process, Clinical and Counseling process, etc) in Maharashtra.
  • To develop and monitor quality of services in all the themes, to monitor and develop SOPs in the care and support process.
  • To conduct training programs and other capacity building exercises for its sub grantees and motivate model centers of care and support.
  • To evaluate the programs in the capacity of each theme mentioned above as per the NACP and global guidelines.

Educational qualification:

Degree in Community Medicine and Public Health/ HIV/AIDS Medicine/ Infectious diseases / Dermatology/STI/ OBGY/Pediatrics/Surgery/Microbiology with HIV/AIDS related expertise/ Master in Social Work/ Masters in Sociology/Masters in Clinical Psychology & Counseling/Masters in Rural and Community Development. Supporting qualification in the area of human resource development, industrial labour issues, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS would be an added advantage.

Skills and experience:

  • Should have minimum of 3-5 years experience in project planning, execution, management, monitoring and evaluation in the area of Care and Support (Clinical, Psycho-social, Socio-economic support) in Care and Support services in HIV/AIDS under various themes (CCC,DIC,HBC, VCTC/PPTCT,OVC), social development, awareness, prevention and control and/or sexual health and/or reproductive and child health
  • 3-5 years of experience of working Community Care Centers, Drop in Centers, VCTC/PPTCT, HBC, OVC programs in HIV/AIDS or other communicable diseases (TB-HIV). Past experience in managing HIV/AIDS with a clinical and holistic approach as per NACP and global guidelines will be an asset.
  • Should have proficiency in project monitoring, evaluation report writing and documentation. Past experience in research (operational/other) in behavioral aspects, clinical, epidemiological aspects will be an additional asset.
  • Should have experience of organizing training sessions (TOT), workshops, conferences for Care givers, Health Care providers managing the various themes, government and private HCPS and Laboratories, counseling in care and support, preferably in the area of Clinical Care, Psycho-socio-economic care, Opportunistic Infections and ART management in HIV/AIDS and/or sexual health and/or reproductive and child health. Knowledge of Participatory Learning Methods and Adult learning methods will be an asset.
  • Fluency in English Hindi and Marathi.

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Avert Society is a smoke free environment and encourages gender empowerment in its staff policy.

Consultants for Research - Invitation for Expression of Interest (EOI) for empanelment of Research institutions / Agencies/Academic Institutions/Universities/Individual Consultants for Research in HIV/AIDS sector

Avert Society works with different research agencies/institutions/ individual consultants to implement priority research activities as per national and state level agenda for evidence based planning, evaluation and advocacy for policy implementation.

Avert Society wishes to undertaken the several formative/ evaluative research studies in the current fiscal year in the following sector:

  • Epidemiology and Basic Sciences
  • Care & Support
  • Behavioral and Social Sciences

Interested institutions (Govt. and private)/agencies / academic institutions/universities/individual consultants are requested to send their Expression of Interests (EOI) enclosing their detail capability document (research experiences especially in HIV/AIDS sector, academic and professional qualifications of the core team members, available field and analysis support, availability of other infrastructural logistics necessary to carry out research studies, list of studies done in this field and any other relevant information).

Capacity Building: Institutions (for Training) and Consultants:

The Avert Society is in a process of empanelling various institutions, providing capacity building of project management, medical, social and financial discipline. In addition, the society also empanelling eminent professional who would be interested to provide independent consultancy and take part in the various program implementation during the project life cycle.

Avert Society aiming at strengthening institutional and individual capacities to respond to HIV/AIDS. The key result areas are support to MSACS and MDACS, support to NGOs funded by MSACS and MDACS, support to Municipal Bodies, Training of Health Care Providers, NGOs skill development through training, developing Manuals and Hand books, developing centers of excellence.

A. Capacity Building (Institutions)

Institutions providing medical, social, management training on a regular/turn key basis in the following areas are invited:

For capacity building of NGOs for working in the prevention of HIV/AIDS

  • Project formulation (needs assessment and proposal development) and Project Management skills (Grants management and accounting procedures).
  • Basic facts on STD/HIV/AIDS
  • Communication skills/Material Development-Performing acting/Traditional theatre.
  • Training of Trainers on Peer Education
  • Condom Social Marketing/VCTC/STI Management.
  • Counseling
  • Home and Community based care for people living with HIV and care takers
  • MIS/Date Management
  • Clinical/Medical Issues HIV/AIDS related
  • Manual Development.
  • Training in Advocacy, networking and documentation

Capacity building of NGOs in Care and Treatment Projects:

  • Training of VCTC staff (Doctors, lab technicians and Counselors)
  • Specific training for Drop in centers for PLHAs, Orphan Vulnerable children, Community Care Centers, Home Based Care Center
  • Training Of Health Care Providers in STI and HIV/AIDS management - allopathic Doctors, Non-allopathic Doctors, Pharmacist, Nurses and allied workers, Community Health workers and Lab Technicians.
  • Training of doctors on ART
  • Capacity Building Needs assessments in all the above mentioned areas

B. Programme Support Professionals/Consultants:

Individual professionals/consultants to provide consultancy and to be a part of various advisory and review team on a turn key basis in the following areas:

  • All the above mentioned in 'A'
  • Project appraisal and review.
  • Joint appraisal
  • Communication (Creative Team)
  • Research (medical, social, clinical)
  • To serve as a member in advisory teams
  • Monitoring and evaluation, Short/Medium/Terminal Evaluation
  • Conduct Capacity Building Needs Assessment

Essential Requirement and Prior Experience:

  • The individuals/consultants who have got experience of 10 years or more in providing consultancy on the above and are willing to travel extensively in the state of Maharashtra, would be desirable.
  • Knowledge and experience in working in the State of Maharashtra and conversant with Marathi/Hindi would be an added advantage.
  • Institutions/Individuals that have experience in handling professionals from the highest level to grass root level are desirable.
  • Institutions should have a good orientation with five to seven years of experience in conducting training, capacity building from grass root level NGOs to senior personnel of Government/Private agencies in the areas of health and development issues. Specific focus on HIV/AIDS related issues would be preferred.
  • Expertise in training needs assessment, curriculum development, participatory implementation training methods, developing training modules and training evaluation is essential. Institutions should have core faculty with experience in training in English, Marathi and Hindi languages. Affiliation to recognized Universities in India/abroad will be ideal.

Expected Functions/Roles:

  • Provide training and skill development to persons at different levels. Government/NGO/Private Agencies through out Maharashtra on a continual basis.
  • Follow-up of training programmes at NGO sites.
  • Monitoring and evaluating the training inputs and recommend up-gradation of training materials.
  • Contracts will be awarded to institutions that qualify based on a technical and financial review of the institution's capacity and feasibility to conduct the capacity building programs.
  • Individuals/Institutions having their base in Maharashtra would be an added advantage.
  • Those who fulfill the above criteria may send indicating their area(s) of interest in their proposals with the profile of the Institutions/Individuals.

Interested candidates who fulfill the above criteria are requested to immediately apply to the following address 

The Project Director
Avert Society
AcWorth Complex
R A Kidwai Marg
Wadala
Mumbai 400 031
Tel: 24164510/28
Fax: 24163996
Email: info@avertsociety.org