Consultant

Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Video Documentary Making on Human Resources for Health - Pilot Initiatives funded by EU

Position: Consultant

Responsible to: Programme Coordinator

Closing Date for Terms of Reference (ToR) Submission: 22 April 2013

Background

Merlin

MERLIN (Medical Emergency Relief International) is a UK-based Charity Organisation and established since 1993, working in fragile contexts with lack of effective health care. MERLIN focuses on prevention and response to the major health threats and disease burdens in disaster and conflict-affected situation. MERLIN’s approach is needs-based, in line with the Ministry of Health policies while supporting health authorities to deliver health services in a sustainable way. MERLIN’s goals, until 2015, target Response mechanisms (respond to health needs in humanitarian crisis), Recovery (support the establishment of sustainable provision of health care in fragile contexts) and Resilience (support for the increased ability to cope with emergencies). MERLIN is committed to every person’s right to health and believes that everyone should have access to essential health care which requires a functioning health system. Merlin currently runs projects in more than 14 countries including Nepal.

Merlin in Nepal

MERLIN is present in Nepal since 2006 and implements projects in the country through Project and General Agreements with Social Welfare Council. Since 2006, Merlin has been working in Nepal promptly responding to the emergency health needs mainly in the mid-western region in collaboration with government authorities, inter/national non-government organisations, community based organisations and communities to conduct primary healthcare outreach clinics and referral medical camps, construction of health facilities, sanitation activities and disaster preparedness.

Project Background:

Many countries, including Nepal, have critical shortages of health human resources to deliver essential health interventions. Health human resources are crucial if Nepal is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. An urgent need is to provide evidence based facts on human resources for health (HRH) and provides a platform for interaction particularly between government and civil society for effective and acceptable policies, strategies and plans and to build capacity of civil society to actively engage in HRH.

The World Health Organisation puts Nepal among 59 countries with a critical shortage of human resources in health. According to WHO 2006, the health service professional ratio to 10,000 populations is 7 (doctors, nurses and midwives) in Nepal, a lot less than the minimum requirement of 23.

On top of the acute shortage in number, Nepal’s Human Resources for Health is inequitably distributed, vulnerable to migration and poorly retained. There is an imbalance in the production and consumption of human resource in health. Rampant absenteeism is yet another serious problem, particularly in remote areas where the health workers are often absent for a long period of time.

MERLIN started the project “Support to the Health Workforce through Civil Society Engagement†with the financial support from the European Union. This project focuses on enhancing the engagement of civil society in policy development, implementation and monitoring for HRH in Nepal. Inclusive and wider participation of non-state actors with better collaboration among all stakeholders on HRH will support the overall objective of improved delivery of healthcare in Nepal through strengthened HRH policy development and implementation.

The project, implemented in partnership with Society for Local Integrated Development Nepal (SOLID Nepal) is addressing specific HRH gaps and needs in Nepal through a three-pronged approach of research, advocacy and piloting of HRH initiatives.

The pilot project will be run for 6 months from March-August 2013 at 5 districts (Sankhuwasava, Lalitpur, Kapilvastu, Pyuthan and Darchula) with 25 Village Development Committees (VDCs). In the pilot, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and local government representatives are engaged in the identification of viable and sustainable ways to address local HRH issues.

MERLIN is making a Video-Short Documentary for the dissemination of pilot project success. About 15 to 20 minutes Video documentary will be prepared by analysing the pilot project outcomes, lesson learned and best practices. This documentary will be used for further advocacy through sharing the best practices at national and international level at appropriate forums and means.

Objectives of a Documentary making on HRH

There are three objectives of making a documentary:

         Capture the best practices of the Pilot Initiatives on HRH

·         Raise awareness of people, intelligentsia and policy makers on HRH

         Advocate for improving HRH in Nepal

Methodology of Documentary Making

The company hired will adopt the following methodology for documentary making:

Pre-shooting

         Literature Review

·         Consultation

         Preparation of the story-board

Shooting

         Field Visit – Mountain, Hill and Tarai District of pilot project implemented in coordination with Merlin (filled visits should be done at least one time/pilot district)

·         Interview – health service seekers, health workers, policy makers at central to district level, programme implementer.

Post-shooting

         Script Writing

·         Editing

Deliverables

         A-15 to 20 minute Video Documentary (in HD Format) on pilot initiatives: The documentary will be in Nepali with English subtitles.

·         The documentaries will be delivered on CDs (10 copies), a master copy in a cassette and the raw footage in a hard drive.

·         Video Documentary has to be broadcast at least twice in the national Television (TV) channels preferably in Nepal Television/2 (at least one time).

Pilot project is started from March-August 2013. Video Documentary should be submitted by end of September 2013 and broadcasts should be done by end of November 2013.

Scope of Work for the Consultant

         Story boards for 15-20 minutes Video Documentary after literature review and consultation with experts on HRH

·         Shooting footage from the field including interviews of service seekers, programme implementer, health workers and decision/policy makers and experts on HRH

·         Script Writing

·         Narration

·         Video Editing

·         Music and sound effects

·         Sharing for feedback

·         Final Production of the documentaries

·         Report submission

         Broadcasting

ng field visits expenses, broadcasting of the documentary two times on national TV)

Submission Details: Individual form/consultant interested is requested to apply a concept note with detail activity plan and budget plan. These documents, should be submitted to Merlin Nepal, or emailed to logistics@merlin-nepal.org by 22 April 2013. Merlin holds all authority of selection and rejection of the concept note.