Context :

Background :

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE, for Office International des Epizooties) is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2019 counted a total of 182 Member Countries.

The OIE maintains permanent relations with nearly 75 other international and regional organisations and has Regional and Sub-regional Representations on every continent, of which 4 in Africa: Bamako, Mali; Gaborone, Botswana; Tunis, Tunisia and Nairobi, Kenya.

http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Media_Center/docs/pdf/Key_Documents/EN_LeafletOIE_web.pdf

http://www.oie.int/

Purpose :

About the OIE and the European Union funding :

The OIE has a long-standing relationship with the European Union, mainly though the European Commission instruments DG-SANTE and DG-DEVCO, as well as the European Parliament (ACP Secretariat), which dates back several decades. The current project has been funded by the Parliament and implementation/coordination entrusted to the Commission, through the European External Action Services (EEAS), more specifically the EU Delegation in Nairobi. The Project under review is implemented under direct management by the Commission, i.e. applying EU financial rules and regulations.

The Project under review was approved as the result of two annual grants by the European Parliament, one in 2013 and one in 2014, for the strengthening of veterinary services and for the piloting of rabies elimination strategies, respectively.

Both grants were merged into one financing agreement in 2015, aimed at combining the two Project outcomes and at the same time extending the scope of the ongoing Strengthening Veterinary Governance in Africa (VETGOV) Programme, which had begun in 2012 and ended in July 2017. This European Development Fund (EDF) Programme was implemented through three distinct Contribution Agreements (CA) with the OIE, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). As a result, both the Project under review and the VETGOV Programme are inextricably linked and overlapped in implementation (as far as the OIE is concerned) for 18 months, between January 2016 and July 2017).

About the SVSDC Project :

The Strengthening Veterinary Services in Developing Countries (SVSDC) Project is a 4-year project funded by the European Union, through the European Parliament and the European Commission, aimed at building better African Veterinary Services that deliver effective governance, health safety, food security and food safety for their citizens.

This Project specifically addresses the compliance of African Veterinary Services with the standards on the quality of Veterinary Services of the OIE.

The project consists of two components:

1. Veterinary Services that deliver effective governance, health safety, food security and food safety for their citizens are improved
2. African countries wishing to embark on rabies control and elimination programmes with relevant tools and technical assistance are supported and aims to achieve 5 outputs :

• Output 1.1: The legislative framework of African Veterinary Services is enhanced
• Output 1.2: National Veterinary Services have been gradually brought up to the standards of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), through the implementation of OIE PVS Pathway missions and of their recommendations.
• Output 1.3: A PVS-based tool has been developed to enable Regional Economic Communities (REC) to exploit data from national PVS Pathway missions conducted in their Member States to develop regional investment plans and monitor progress in the compliance with OIE standards and guidelines
• Output 2.1: The implementation of the National Strategic Plan to eliminate human rabies in Kenya is being supported, in collaboration with relevant partners.
• Output 2.2: An OIE Regional Vaccine Bank for canine rabies in Africa has been established and provides technical expertise for the development and implementation of regional strategies.

The Project is therefore continental in scope as PVS Pathway missions and the Rabies Vaccine Bank benefit all African OIE Member States (MS), but with specific regional (North Africa) and national (Kenya) actions being undertaken in respect of rabies elimination.

The Project’s Financing Agreement was signed on 24 December 2015 and will end on the 23 December 2019. Initially budgeted for 36 months (three years) it was last year extended (at no additional cost) for another twelve months.

The budget stands at a total of EUR 3.5 million, of which 2.0 million is for the first component and 1.5 million for the second component, dealing with rabies. The project is 100% funded by the European Union, without (costed) counter-part contribution from either OIE or Member States.

Given the genesis of the Project as an extension of, and alignment to, the VETGOV Programme, no dedicated steering committee mechanism had been anticipated in the project document (Action Document) and hitherto SVSDC Project management has reported to the Project Steering Committee Meeting (PSCM). More information: http://www.rr-africa.oie.int/svs.html

2. Duties and responsabilities :

Objectives of the assignement and scope of work :

As the SVSDC Project nears completion, and as per recommendations 9 and 10 of the Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) mission, conducted in October 2018, the OIE wishes to organise a formal one-day closing meeting of the SVSDC Project, during which a final report will be presented (to be delivered at the end of October 2019 through a concurrent international consulting assignment) and during which the outcomes of the project – in particular with attention for “lessons learned” and a view to the future – will be discussed with relevant stakeholders, i.e. international technical agencies, regional technical agencies, regional economic communities and a selection of national stakeholders. At this stage, the comprehensive list of stakeholders to be considered for this closing meeting includes:

1. AU-IBAR
2. COMESA Secretariat
3. EAC Secretariat
4. ECCAS Secretariat
5. ECOWAS Secretariat
6. EU Delegation to Kenya
7. FAO – ECTAD EA (Nairobi)
8. FAO – ECTAD Tanzania
9. GARC / PARACON
10. IGAD Secretariat
11. MS : Nigeria
12. MS : Kenya (Nat. Government, ZDU)
13. MS : Kenya (Nat. Government, DVS)
14. MS : Kenya (Laikipia County Gov.)
15. MS : Kenya (Siaya County Gov.)
16. MS : Kenya (Machakos County Gov.)
17. MS : Senegal
18. MS : South Africa
19. MS : Tunisia
20. MS : Tanzania
21. OIE (RAD)
22. OIE (SRR EA)
23. OIE (SRR NA)
24. OIE (WFU) Project Manager
25. OIE (WFU) Vaccine Bank Manager
26. SADC Secretariat
27. UMA Secretariat
28. WHO – AFRO / Kenya

• AU : African Union
• COMESA : Common Market For Eastern And Southern Africa
• DVS : Directorate of Veterinary Services
• EA : East Africa
• EAC : East African Community
• Economic Community of Central African States
• Economic Community of West African States
• ECTAD : Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases
• EU : European Union
• FAO : Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
• GARC : Global Alliance for Rabies Control
• IBAR : Interafrican Bureau For Animal Resources
• IGAD : Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
• MS : Member State(s)
• PARACON : Pan-African Rabies Control Network
• RAD : Regional Activities Department
• SADC : Southern Africa Development Community
• SRR : Sub-Regional Representation
• UMA : Union du Maghreb Arabe
• WFU : World Fund Unit
• WHO : World Health Organisation
• ZDU : Zoonotic Disease Unit

Expected outputs and deliverables :

The assignment should be concluded and deliverables surrendered latest by 12 December 2019 to the OIE Representation in Nairobi (srr.eastern-africa@oie.int), with copy to p.bastiaensen@oie.int and l.greve@oie.int.

The consultant should ensure the delivery of the following outputs:

• The target audience is identified, well-understood and an agreement is reached on scope and format of the closing meeting with the OIE;
• The consultant(s) finalise(s) the agenda, based on a draft agenda provided by the OIE;
• Possible social media channels are identified and messages and visuals jointly prepared;
• The OIE is informed – in time – on special needs of the consultant(s) (e.g. technical equipment) in the build up to the meeting;
• The OIE staff and the consultant(s) are mutually informed on their roles and necessary contributions, especially with regard to their necessary involvement during the closing meeting;
• The consultant(s) facilitate(s) the closing meeting and – along with the OIE Communication Unit and the Regional Representation – engage with the social media as prepared (above);
• The consultant(s) engage(s) with the audience, using participatory methods and an –overall- relaxed and informal style, in order to generate valuable responses and feedback;
• The consultant(s) record(s) the minutes of the meeting and produce – within one week – the draft proceedings of the meeting.

The closing meeting of the Project will be held, tentatively, on the 4th of December 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The language of the meeting and spelling/grammar of all output materials is UK/English.

All documents are to e submitted electronically, in Word format, Power-Point format and/or Acrobat Reader format (pdf) as appropriate. An appropriate template for the list of participants will be provided by the OIE. Maps are submitted in high resolution format as separate jp(e)g or png files.

Copyright and usage :

None of the reports, documents and related supports may be used in other publications, whether paper-based or electronic, without the prior and written approval of the OIE Director General.

The OIE will have the full copyright for the raw material as well as for the final documentation. The material will be used for OIE and European Union documentation and publications, including online sources.

3. Qualifications and experience :

Eligibility criteria (either united in one candidate or provided by several proposed team members, as applicable) are as follows:

• Academic degree in a relevant field of expertise;
• At least 7 years proven experience as a professional facilitator, audience moderator and consensus builder;
• At least 5 years of experience with international animal or public health-related topics;
• Familiarity with different participatory engagement and group dynamics formats;
• Work experience with OIE, WHO and/or the European Commission / Union is an asset;
• Prior exposure to the PVS Pathway methodology is regarded as a strength, but is not essential;
• Work experience in the African context is a prerequisite;
• Excellent software skills (MS Office);
• Strong social competence, cultural sensitivity and excellent communication skills;
• Ability to work in a multinational environment and to deliver milestones in a timely manner;
• Proficiency in English (oral and written English);
• Command of French (by one or more of the proposed candidates) is regarded as a strength, but is not essential, as simultaneous interpretation will be ensured.

4. Work arrangements :

Organizastion of the work :

This is a Nairobi-based and home-based assignment expected to require a total of 18 man-days, whereby there is freedom to conduct this assignment as an individual, or as a team, but with a minimum of 10 actual days.

All necessary support and documentation, including project documents and reports, will be provided to the Consultant(s) by the OIE Regional Representation in Nairobi (srr.eastern-africa@oie.int).

The Consultant(s) is/are not authorised to contact OIE Delegates or any other Member Country representatives directly, at any stage of this assignment. If any, introductions and appointments are to be made through either OIE Representatives in Nairobi, Tunis and/or Gaborone. Only after an initial introduction may the Consultant(s) fine-tune itineraries and appointments.

Table 1. Proposed work plan and itinerary :

Man-days          Day       Date      Month  Itinerary

• 1 Sunday           10              November         Flight : home              Nairobi
• 2 Monday             11          November         (OIE regional office)              Nairobi
• 3 Tuesday             12          November         (OIE regional office)              Nairobi
• 4 Wednesday       13          November         Flight :  Nairobi              home
• 5 Thursday           14          November         home
• 6 Friday                15           November         home
• 7 Monday             18          November         home
• 8 Tuesday             19          November         home
• 9 Wednesday       20          November         home
• 10 Monday             2            December          Flight : home              Nairobi
• 11 Tuesday             3            December          (OIE regional office)  Nairobi
• 12 Wednesday       4            December          (closing meeting)              Nairobi
• 13 Thursday           5            December          Flight :  Nairobi              home
• 14 Friday               6              December          home
• 15 Monday             9            December          home
• 16 Tuesday             10          December          home
• 17 Wednesday       11          December          home
• 18 Thursday           12          December          home

Payment  schedule :

• Thirty percent (30%) of the total price will be paid upon the signature of the contract;
• The balance payment will be issued after satisfactory facilitation of the meeting and upon validation by the OIE of the minutes of the meeting.

5. Structre of the reponse :

Interested applicant(s) are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) including the following:

• Maximum 4-page CV with information on related experience (for each of the candidates, if joint submission);
• Maximum 2-page ‘Expression of Interest’ that provides information on the proposed approach to carrying out the assignment;
• Two (2) samples of previous, published work (reports, videos, meeting minutes,…);
• Contact details of 3 professional referees

6. Response procedure :

The OIE places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment and seeks gender and geographical balance in its international consultants. The OIE welcomes applications of all qualified candidates, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, opinions or beliefs.

If you are interested in the assignment, please complete your application online by 20 September 2019 at the latest by clicking on the following link : https://urlz.fr/aeaT

Should you have any questions, please contact the OIE Regional Representation in Nairobi (srr.eastern-africa@oie.int).

Note that all financial proposals should include all domestic and international ground transportation and flights, accommodation / daily subsistence expenses (meals) and the expected terminal expenses (visas, taxis, excess luggage, internet vouchers, cell phone credit, etc) whilst in Nairobi.

In the first phase, short listed candidates/teams will be invited to make a (video-link) presentation on their EOI’s after which a final screening will be conducted. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday, 4 October 2019 and given further guidelines.