Consultancy offer: creation of standardised training materials for MSF surveillance systems

CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides life-saving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. As an independent medical humanitarian organisation, we deliver care based only on need, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation.

MSF Luxembourg

MSF Luxembourg is a historical partner section of the MSF movement created in 1986. With 35 staff members, the section’s team works to raise awareness on humanitarian issues among Luxembourg’s population, raise funds needed to finance humanitarian interventions, supports MSF volunteers who go into the field and carry out operational research projects directly linked to health programs to help improve their efficiency and effectiveness. 

Luxembourg Operational Research unit (LuxOR) 

LuxOR was founded in 2009 and is a part of the MSF-OCB Medical Department but collaborates widely with entities in the MSF movement. Operational Research helps MSF take an in-depth look at its programs and operations, evaluates what is working well, and shows what can and needs to be improved.  

Since 2019, LuxOR took up the support and a coordination role for the different epidemiology advisors and field epidemiologists, providing technical support, guidance and advice to the field-epidemiologists with the aim to improve data quality, analyses and visualization to support operational decision-making.

Manson Unit

The Manson Unit is a multi-disciplinary medical team within MSF UK working together with Operational Centre Amsterdam’s Public Health Department. We aim to improve the quality of MSF’s medical programmes worldwide, so the best possible care is delivered to our patients.  

Gap Analysis

Outbreak response, surveillance, surveys, and operational researchform the pillars of MSF epidemiologists’ activities. Within the surveillance pillar, Community Based Surveillance (CBS) systems are implemented in many projects to help with early detection of outbreaks and other health events and guide operational decision making. As such, adaptable standardised data collection and analysis tools have been developed and deployed.  

However, there are no standardised training materials developed based on adult learning principles. As a result, epidemiologists lose time re-making/adapting CBS training materials that may not be as impactful as intended. Having standardised training materials would improve the timeliness and quality of CBS implementation. 

Therefore, standardised training materials Community Event Based Surveillance (CEBS) and Community Indicator Based Surveillance (CIBS) based on adult learning principles need to be created.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a training package for MSF epidemiologists in collaboration with health promotion colleagues, to use when implementing CEBS or CIBS using existing tools and methodologies from within and outside MSF.

ACTIVITIES

Under the guidance of the epidemiologists in both MSF LuxOR/OCB and the Manson Unit/OCA, the consultant will: 

• Establish a work plan with a timeline for the development of the training materials (listed in the Deliverables section), which includes coordinating the feedback and revisions; 
• Create an outline for the content listed in the Deliverables section for feedback purposes from relevant technical advisors; 
• Revise outline based feedback; 
• Submit final revised packages; 
• Conduct a webinar for MSF epidemiologists on the content of the training packages.  

DELIVERABLES 

Creation of two training packages: one for CEBS and one for CIBS, including: 

1. Training manual for epidemiologists and health promotors 

• Objectives for the training 
• Outline of the training modules 
• Detailed session/lesson plans including timeframes, activities and key messages 
• Speaker notes 
• Guides for exercises 
• Template presentations 
• Training evaluation plans 
• Guidance for tailoring content to various contexts 
• Collection of tools that be used for implementation 

    2. A webinar introducing MSF epidemiologists to the training packages.

REQUIREMENTS

• Experience and knowledge:
  • Working with MSF or other NGOs in humanitarian responses.
  • Designing and/or implementing of developing and Community Based Surveillance (Event- and Indicator-Based) in humanitarian settings. 
  • Developing and delivering training materials for humanitarian settings with limited resources, and for various user groups with different learning modes. 
  • Developing training materials for adult learners and health education. 
  • In-depth understanding of instructional design models and pedagogical learning theories. 
• Management and leadership skills: 
  • Demonstrated ability to cooperate and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders. 
  • Strong team-working skills, particularly in a matrix management environment. 
  • Excellent organisational and project management skills. 
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
  • Ability to transfer knowledge effectively. 
  • Excellent communication skills, oral as well as written. 
  • Creative flair, demonstrable through extensive portfolio. 
  • Enthusiastic and highly motivated. 
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver in an international and multi-cultural environment. 
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioural Commitments
• Adhere to the MSF Principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Language(s): Fluent in English, written and speech. 
• Software: Knowledge and working proficiency of Microsoft 365 environment including Teams and SharePoint. 
• Place of work: All work will be done remotely.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply via this form and upload: 

• Your motivation letter
• Your proposal including: 
  • A proposed approach 
  • A high-level plan 
  • What you see as being in / out of scope 
  • Assumptions made, questions or areas of uncertainty.
  • Examples of previous work – provide a summary of similar work that you have developed and delivered before.
  • Estimated time and fees
• Your CV (and team members’, where appropriate). 

Deadline for applications: 13 June 2025

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