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CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
TO06-2020-EOI005- EBONYI STATE EOI #2 REFERENCE NUMBER: EOI NUMBER IHP-TO03-2020. EOI005-BAUCHI STATE
TITLE: STATE HEALTH ACCOUNTS FOR EBONYI AND BAUCHI STATE GOVERNMENTS UNDER THE “USAID INTEGRATED HEALTH

PROGRAM:

Please note that technical requirements deliverables and other conditions may change significantly before the actual RFP released. This is just an EOI and not a Request for Proposal (RFP) Please simply submit an EOI at this stage.

OVERVIEW
USAID’S INTEGRATED HEALTH PROGRAM (IHP) would like to invite eligible contracting companies, research firm for profit and not for profit national entities to conduct a State Health Accounts study for Bauchi and Ebonyi States. IHP works closely with state governments in Bauchi and Ebonyi States to support established Helath and development plans, build capacity and ensure owbnership of interventions, systems and results.
IHP promotes integrated packages of services in the six core intervention areas of HSS and RMNCH+N, while cross cutting the priority areas include gender and social inclusive, sustainability and country ownership. With government, community and private sector partners, IHP strives to achieve three objectives

i. Strengthen Health system while supporting PHC services
ii. Improve access to PHC services
iii. Increase quality of PHC services

Over the years, USAID supported the Nigerian government towards achieving universal Health coverage (UHC) through improved Health financing.

IHP health systems strengthening approach is in Iine with USAID’s strategy of supportting the Nigeria government in conducting Health financing assessments to provide evidence for advocacy and inform health financing p-olicy reform and actions. Financing for healthcare services in Bauchi and Ebonyi states come from a combination of sources include national and state government allocations, official development assistance from foreign governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, payment by public and private health insurers, payment by private enterprises and out of pocket payments, Bauchi and Ebonyi now wish to conduct state health accounts studies that will track resource allocation and expenditures across the different sources, determine which health services are been purchase/prioritized by the financing scheme and from whom they are purchased. The state health account study will provide a means of determining variations in health financing patterns in the state that are typically masked by national level, aggregated data and will add to the body of evidence required to diagnose issue and develop responsive policies and intervention,. The generation of the critical evidence provided by health accounts is expected to set Bauchi and Ebonyi states on the path to improving their sourcing of health services, increasing efficiency of revenue generation, allocations and purchasing of health services and ultimately, improving health outcome and achieving financial protection for the populations in the state. It is also expected that the states, through their involvement in the design and implementation of this study, will strengthen the capacity required to institutionalize and oversee the periodic development of state Health Accounts.

This expression of interest is open to registered Nigerian firms or a consortium of organizations in Nigeria who may or may not be resident in any of the IHP states but who are technically capable of providing the required services in either one or both of the focus states (Bauchi and Ebonyi). This will be fixed price contract that pays for pre-defined milestones and deliverables.

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this assignment is to engage a suitably qualified and experienced firm(s) to provide technical service to support the development of state health accounts in Bauchi and Ebonyi states, Nigeria with the aim of understanding the accounts and pattern of health spending in the economy and the nature and flow of fund within the healthcare system.

The successful firm(s) will be required to conduct the state health account studies for Bauchi and Ebonyi states alongside stakeholders from the state ministries of health and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies in order to transfer knowledge and enhance state ownership. The successful firm(s) will be expected to work with data obtained from the household health expenditure surveys (HHES) conducted for Bauchi and Ebonyi States in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
Scope of assignment scope of work
The engagement will comprise of four broad activities implemented using a capacity building approach aimed at improving and institutionalizing the state stakeholders skills in conducting periodic state health account studies
• Planning scoping and development of a framework of the state health accounts
• Development of data collection strategy and data collection
• Data mapping using the health accounts production tools (HAPT), analysis and reporting
• Development of a strategy/plan for institutionalization of the state health accounts study in the focus states (Bauchi and Ebonyi)

Planning Scoping and Development of a Framework of the State Health Accounts
1. Engage the state ministry of health and other identified stakeholders’ to determine the scope and timeline of the state health accounts, understand the existing systems and mechanisms for this will include, but not be limited to the federal ministry of health, the state chapter of the National Bureau of Statistics, the state ministry of economic planning and budgeting and other ministries, departments and agencies supporting Health care delivery in the state classification and categorization of required data and determine the extent to which required data already exist within the system
2. Develop a framework for the state health account studies including a methodology, a map of data needs and sources, description of date categories, a detailed work plan and a stakeholder engagement plan
3. Collaboratively with IHP and in consultation with the state Ministry of health and the Health Financing Equity and investment Technical Working Group (HFE-TWG) identity a core technical group that will support the execution of the study. Conduct a capacity building workshop with the core technical group to familiarize them with the study methodology, agree on the classifications and boundaries of the study and refine the work plan and stakeholder engagement plan.

Development of Data Collection Strategy and Data Collection
4. Develop survey instruments and protocols for collection of relevant data, Bauchi and Ebonyi states conducted Household Health Expenditure Surveys in 2017 and 2018 respectively, however, further surveys may be required to estimate private enterprise and development partners’ contribution to health expenditures
5. Facilitate training workshop(s) for the core technical team and state-assigned interviewers on survey implementation, including the survey instrument, protocols and management of challenges and adverse events (logistical, technical, and managerial) that may arise during fieldwork. Where practicable, bidders may indicate how they will leverage online survey tools to collect the relevant data
6. Coordinate and supervise the administration of the survey instrument by the core technical team and interviewers. Coordinate and supervise the collection of non-survey data required for the state health account working with the core technical team and the relevant state ministries, department and agencies
7. Collate and evaluate the data and information collected from the survey and other sources. Advise and provide technical support for producing estimations for missing data and resolving outlying and conflicting data Evaluation process will include cleaning and validating data collected with state stakeholders
Data Mapping Analysis and Reporting using the Heath Accounts Production Tool (HAPT)
8. The core technical group enter/upload cleaned and validated data into the Health Accounts Production Tool, apply relevant weights and classify data into expenditure categories identified previously using guidance from the WHO/USAID developed HAPT manual (attached in Appendix)
9. Generate agreed output tables and charts from the HAPT and develop a summary presentation of output into a PowerPoint presentation for validation with the HFEI-TWG, the leadership of the state ministry of health and relevant government agencies
10. Following validation, develop detailed state health accounts report outlining the methodology, results of the study and policy implications and recommendations for the state(s)
11. Co-facilitate, along with the core technical group a dissemination workshop for the state health accounts report
Development of a strategy/plan for institutionalization of the state health accounts study in the focus states (Bauchi and Ebonyi), this will factor the following:
12. Governance structure- in consultation with the state stakeholders proffers recommendations for the institutional leadership and ownership of periodic production of the state health accounts. The recommendations should also include the clear delineations of responsibilies within the team modalities for ensuring strong and explicit linkages with other agencies to facilitate access and validation of data and linkage of the state health account results with planning and budgeting processes
13. Develop a data collection manual which outlines standards for data collections and analysis, provides guidance on relevant source for data collection and recommends estimateion methods for data gaps likely be present given the current mechanisms for recording and reporting data in the state. Proffer recommendations for incorporating required data fields for the state health accounts into routines systems for data collection and reporting in the state (s)
14. Develop a funding plan which outlines the key cost requirements for conducting the state health account(s) and alongside IHP and stakeholders, considers options for integrating the state health accounts costs as part of the state ministry of health budget. In determining the cost requirements, bidders will be expected to consider cost-efficient processes and methodologies for periodic data collection, analysis and reporting.

DELIVERABLES
1. A State health accounts framework (Inception report) which shall include the following:
a. a detailed description of the methodology (which shall follow the World Health Organization 2011 System of Health Accounts (SHA2011) which will be used to produce the health accounts in a manner that promote comparability across countries)
b. a detailed, final work plan indicating the activities to be implemented, timelines and responsibilities for implementing the activities
c. A summary of the Health care financing system, structure and classifications in the focus state(s). it will also include the identifications of data sources and the gaps in information which exists
2. Final survey instruments and protocols for data collection and finalized tools for collecting non-survey data
3. Completed training of the core technical team and state-assigned interviewers as evidenced by attendance lists, pre and post evaluation tests and pictures. At least 3 separate capacity building sessions are expected to be held during the course of this engagement with 2 targeted at the core technical team and 1 targeted at state-assigned interviewers
4. Original (Uncleaned) data files; cleaned data file; a clean, analytic data set in the required format (to be stipulated at time of contract signing) with data correctly organized, variables named and labeled; and a code book.
5. Draft state health accounts summary report (in format agreed at time of contract signing) for presentation and validation with key government agencies and stakeholders
6. Final health accounts production tools with uploaded data and generated output tables and charts
7. Final state health accounts report, incorporating the feedback received at the stakeholder consultations, to be used for dissemination
8. State health accounts institutionalization strategy report which will include governance arrangements, recommendations for streamlining data collection and options for funding the production of periodic state health accounts

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING THE EOI:
1. Submit a letter indicating interest in applying for a contract to provide the required services in one or more states, specifying which state(s)
2. Submit a maximum of two-pages concept note using the template provided
3. Submit a simple cost estimate.
4. Provide evidence of eligibility as per the requirements stated below

Full application package can be downloaded from this link: xxx

Key requirements
A Nigeria-registered firm or company
Have a minimum of (5) years experience in providing services for qualitative and quantitative data collection, economic modeling, data analysis and reporting
Have sufficient numbers of proficient personnel who have relevant previous experience in qualitative and quantitative research technique, economic modeling and analysis
Have experience in recruit/assembling a critical mass of experienced personnel needed for fieldwork/data (qualitative and quantitative) collection
Previous experience implementing a successful contract of a similar nature (at the national or state level). Please specify the funder, researches implemented, description, summary of findings and geographic location/ spread of work. Have experience in training personnel for qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis and reporting if bidding for more than one state, demonstrate capacity to execute the contract across the multiple states simultaneously, ability and willingness to abide by the terms of U.S. government standard provisions, including the “protecting life in Global Health Assistance” by accepting the provisions in their Award https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303mab.pdf.

The following are not eligible to apply:
• Political parties or institutions
• Governmental organizations, agencies or parastatals
• Public international organizations (PIOs)
• Organizations and individuals who are debarred as contained in the excluded parties list and the United Nations Security Council Sanctions list, or the U.S office of foreign Asset Control specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.
• Any individual or organizations that have been indicted for misusing USAID funds in the past. All eligible organizations will be invited to submit a full application.