IFRC seeks a consultant with technical expertise in Public health to support the development of the Healthy ageing strategy and Framework for Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.
Background and rationale
The world’s population is ageing rapidly. The number of people aged 60 and over is expected to more than triple by 2100. Life expectancy has doubled in the last century and it will continue to increase in the next decades in countries around the world. An ageing population presents economic, health, social, and cultural challenges as well as opportunities for individuals, families, societies, nations, and the global community. This will especially be the case in the least developed countries, where two-thirds of the world’s population over the age of 65 will reside by 2050.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its 192 National Societies promote healthy ageing and a life-course approach that focuses on empowerment and the promotion of human dignity with an emphasis on tackling discrimination, stigma, and ageism. An ageing population stands to have a profound effect on the social and economic make-up of communities across the world. Older people are also disproportionately affected by non-communicable diseases, which account for more than two-thirds of death globally (source: WHO). Ensuring elderly populations can live life with dignity and without discrimination is a crosscutting theme relevant across many of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially with regards to the goals on SDG 1: ending poverty and SDG 3: ensuring health and well-being across all ages.
National Societies have several ongoing programs and services for older people that foster healthy ageing and promote intergenerational solidarity. Through this, we advocate with and for older people at the local, national, and international levels. This rapid demographic transition presents an urgent need to not only to scale up, but also to develop innovative solutions that identify the vulnerabilities of older people, mitigate risks, and ensure that their needs are met, wherever they may be.
With the WHO declaring 2021 – 2030 the decade of healthy ageing, this is the opportunity to prioritize a rights-based approach to ensuring the health and wellbeing of older people, in all contexts. With the support of a consultant, IFRC seeks to develop a new framework to guide the IFRC Network in healthy ageing for the next decade. **
Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy
In 2019, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies adopted Strategy 2030, which outlines the strategic direction of the organization for the decade 2020-2030. The scope of IFRC’s work in healthy ageing is in direct alignment with Strategy 2030’s view to establishing a global network of strong and effective local actors that prevents and alleviates human suffering, specifically Goal 2 to ensure that people lead safe, healthy and dignified lives, and have opportunities to thrive; and Goal 3 to People mobilize for inclusive and peaceful communities.
Older people remain one of the most vulnerable and excluded groups in society. Therefore, and in order to preserve the health and dignity of people of all ages, the IFRC reaffirms its commitment to help ‘reach the last mile’, ensuring that nobody is left behind without access to adequate healthcare and social links that are so important to a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.**
Objectives of the consultancy
The main objective of this consultancy is to develop a strategy and framework including the priorities on healthy ageing for the RCRC network in all settings including development, emergencies (including COVID 19) and protracted crises / fragile contexts. This will require a desk review of IFRC and National Societies’ activities, tools, and resources in healthy ageing and the extensive consultations and interviews with various RCRC stakeholders including IFRC Geneva, Field offices, and other departments, National Societies in different regions, and other key stakeholders like WHO etc.
The proposed strategy and framework will be grounded in four pillars to prioritize and streamline the work of IFRC and National Societies in all settings including development, emergencies (including COVID 19) and protracted crises / fragile contexts in healthy ageing: (1) Ensuring the physical, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of older people, (2) Addressing ageism and age-based discrimination and exclusion, (3) Promoting intergenerational solidarity and dialogue, and (4) Positioning IFRC and National Societies as leaders and advocates for healthy ageing. To this aim, developing a Healthy Ageing Strategy and framework for the RCRC network is an integral step in operationalizing the IFRC Health and Care Framework, Community health strategy, Community engagement, Mental health framework, Protection, Gender and inclusion and its broader strategies in health and care, all in a view to support strategy 2030.
Key Deliverables
· An inception report that demonstrates a clear understanding and realistic plan of work for the assignment.
· Health ageing strategy
· Healthy ageing Framework including the priorities to implement in different settings
· At least 5 case studies of good practises from National Societies implementing healthy aging programmes/projects in different contexts.
Management of the consultant
The consultant will be line managed by the IFRC Senior officer – Care in Communities – Community Health, Health and Care Department, Geneva. The position may be home-based with travel to field and Geneva (if needed).
Proposed steps to follow
Desktop research and review of existing tools and resources
Review of existing Red Cross tools and studies.
Consultation and interviews with various RCRC stakeholders including IFRC Geneva and field offices, National Societies in different regions, and other key stakeholders like academia, WHO, etc
Submit the initial draft
Submit the second draft incorporating the feedback
Final draft and presentation after incorporating the feedback and inputs.
Finalise and submit the IFRC Community health strategic framework.
Proposed time frame
The consultancy will be for 30 -35 working days. To be completed by 31st December 2020.
Consultant profile
· Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Public Health/ global health / Gerontology / Social Work
· Medical/nursing/clinical university degree
· At least 7 years of work experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with a focus on healthy ageing, health in emergencies, or Community health
· Preferred experience working in an RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC
· Knowledge of community health, care and support, healthy ageing and experience in practically applying this knowledge into policy, programmes and positioning
· Previous experience in strategy, frameworks guidelines and tools development
· Fluently spoken and written English and Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)
· Displays gender & diversity sensitivity and adaptability
Notes
- The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC and the standard contractual terms will apply.
- Agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed at a cost in accordance with the IFRC’s relevant regulations.
How to apply:
Notes
- The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC and the standard contractual terms will apply.
- Agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed at a cost in accordance with the IFRC’s relevant regulations.
- Applications should include the following documents:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. A cover letter summarizing your experience, suggested an approach to the work, your daily rate, and three professional references.
Interested candidates should send their CV, letter of interest, and daily consultancy rate in CHF (Swiss francs) and three professional references to health.department@ifrc.org. Email subject: “Consultancy - RCRC NETWORK HEALTHY AGEING STRATEGY AND FRAMEWORK”.
Deadline to send the application: Sunday, 25 October 2020, 11am Geneva time
Please note that only candidates shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.