Terms of Reference for a consultant to develop a set of practices of delivering harm reduction and other services for people who use drugs in emergency situations

Posted on by Igor Gordon

COVID-19 crisis clearly showed that flexibility of harm reduction services during crisis can prevent social isolation instead of social distancing of people who use drugs, even in places where harsh drug policy environment exists.

While global guidelines and strategies for harm reduction interventions (mainly to prevent infectious diseases and less overdoses) have been developed, these cannot be applied in rapidly changing environment of social, medical, legal, political, or financial challenges that for example happened during COVID crisis[1].

The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) as a part of the three years project of the International Harm Reduction Consortium “We Will Not End AIDS Without Harm Reduction” is looking for a consultant to collect and document a set of promising and innovative practices of delivering harm reduction services in emergency situations (e.g. quarantine during COVID-19 crisis) from all the world. The set will be used for the evidence-informed advocacy for policy change and to make possible implementation of evidence based innovative approaches in the harm reduction programs, based on the client’s needs.

Tasks of the consultant and expected results:

  1. Identify the list of respondents with whom interviews regarding innovative and promising practices of delivering harm reduction and other services for people who use drugs in emergency situations will be conducted (not less than 10 practices collected) and align it with EHRA.
  2. Develop a questionnaire for the interviews.
  3. Conduct interviews with the identified respondents according to the developed questionnaire.
  4. Analyze collected information.
  5. Develop a report of case studies of promising and innovative practices of delivering harm reduction and other services for people who use drugs in emergency situations (e.g. quarantine during COVID-19 crisis) together with recommendations on how to do so (up to 40 pages, in English or Russian).

Proposed timeline:

  1. Draft questioner developed by July 27, 2020;
  2. The first draft of case studies report for further EHRA comments developed by August 31, 2020; 3. The final report of case studies, taking into account comments from EHRA developed and submitted to EHRA by September 30, 2020.

Requirements to Consultant:

The submitted applications will be evaluated by the selection committee of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the bids (the maximum possible number of points is 100):

  1. Experience in conducting interviews and developing reports in the field of harm reduction (links to developed reports should be submitted in the letter of interest) (40 points);
  2. Wide range of contacts on regional and international level to identify list of respondents and collect innovative and promising harm reduction and other services practices in emergency situations (suggested list of respondents should be submitted in the letter of interest) (30 points);
  3. Proposed cost of services and number of working days (20 points);
  4. Literate written English or Russian (10 points).

How to apply

The candidates are invited to submit their CV and letter of interest with suggested respondents list and links to developed reports, and state the daily rate in EUR (should be provided in EHRA’s template) by e-mail referenced under title “Consultant to develop a set of practices” to Eliza Kurcevic at eliza@harmreductioneurasia.org  by 12th July 2020, 24:00 EET.

Results will be announced by 15th July 2020. Each candidate will be contacted individually.

Payment

Payment for the work of the consultant under this ToR will be decided based on the results of the tendering process. The work under this ToR for the consultant should not exceed 8 working days altogether over a period of two months. The stated daily rate should be confirmed by the consultant. The final daily rate could be the subject to agreement between the parties. In case the consultant can’t confirm the stated daily rate or EHRA is not being able to agree the daily rate with the consultant, EHRA reserves the right not to sign the contract with the expert and approach the next candidate in line in accordance with the results of the tendering process.

Any questions regarding the participation should be sent to eliza@harmreductioneurasia.org

[1]  https://old.harmreductioneurasia.org/hr-programs-overview-in-a-covid-19-situation/