Job Description

Consultancy service for the development and finalization of NAS curriculum for Newborn Pre-transport, Global Health

Location:
Accra
Ghana

TERMS OF REFERENCE / SCOPE OF WORK (SOW):

Consultancy service for the development and finalization of NAS curriculum for Newborn Pre-transport stabilization and care during transport

Background

Project HOPE, through the U.S. Government-funded Integrated Health Partnership (IHP), in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the National Ambulance Service (NAS), is supporting the development of Ghana's first national competency-based training curriculum on newborn stabilization and care during transport.

Although Ghana has made significant progress in improving maternal and child health, neonatal mortality remains a major contributor to under-five deaths. Many newborns require who referral specialized care experience delays in stabilization, inconsistent transport practices, inadequate monitoring during transfer, and limited capacity among transport personnel. These gaps compromise the quality and safety of newborn referrals and contribute to preventable morbidity and mortality.

To strengthen the continuum of newborn care, Project HOPE will support the development, validation, institutionalization, and rollout of a standardized national curriculum that equips ambulance personnel and other healthcare providers with the knowledge, practical skills, and competencies required to safely stabilize and transport small and sick newborns.

Project HOPE therefore seeks the services of a qualified consultant to lead the technical development of this curriculum and related training materials.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop, validate, and support the institutionalization of a competency-based national training curriculum on newborn pre-transport stabilization and care during transport for adoption by the National Ambulance Service and the Ghana Health Service.

Objectives of the Consultancy

The consultant will:

• Develop a comprehensive competency-based national curriculum on newborn pre-transport stabilization and care during transport.
• Develop standardized training materials and competency assessment tools.
• Facilitate stakeholder consultations and technical validation of the curriculum.
• Develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) package for national and regional master trainers within the NAS and GHS.
• Develop an implementation framework for institutionalizing the curriculum within NAS training systems and continuing professional development programmes.
• Develop supportive supervision, mentorship, and quality improvement tools to sustain implementation.

Scope of Work

The consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

• Curriculum Development

Develop a competency-based national curriculum covering the full continuum of newborn pre-transport stabilization and care during transport in consultation with national stakeholders.

• Development of Training Package

Develop accompanying training resources including:

• detailed training contents and guidelines (including facilitator guides and participants handbooks)
• Power point presentations, including access to recommended visual aids/videos
• Pre and Post tests
• SOPs, protocols and algorithms

• Stakeholder Engagement and Validation

The consultant will:

• Facilitate Technical Working Group meetings.
• Present draft curriculum for technical review.
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback.
• Facilitate a national validation workshop.
• Produce and submit the final approved curriculum package.

• Institutionalization Framework

Develop recommendations and implementation guidance for:

• National rollout of the curriculum.
• Establishment of a national pool of master trainers.
• Cascade training at regional and district levels.
• Integration into National Ambulance Service pre-service and in-service training.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation.
• Supportive supervision.
• Mentorship.
• Quality improvement.
• Monitoring and reporting.

• Deliverables

The consultant shall deliver:

1. Inception report detailing the consultancy approach, work plan, deliverables and timeline.
2. Draft competency-based national curriculum on newborn stabilization and care during transport.
3. Facilitator's Guide.
4. Participant Manual.
5. Training slide deck.
6. Simulation and practical skills package.
7. Competency assessment package.
8. Pre- and post-training assessment tools.
9. Skills assessment/OSCE tools.
10. Job aids and clinical algorithms.
11. Training of Trainers (ToT) package.
12. Supportive supervision and mentorship tools.
13. Monitoring, evaluation, and quality improvement tools.
14. National curriculum validation workshop report.
15. Final revised curriculum and complete training package incorporating stakeholder feedback.
16. Institutionalization and implementation framework for national scale-up.
17. Final consultancy report.

• Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 45 working days over a period of approximately three months

• Reporting

The consultant will report to the Chief of Party, Integrated Health Partnership (Project HOPE) and work closely with the Ghana Health Service, National Ambulance Service, and the Technical Working Group established for this assignment.

Required Qualifications

The consultant should have:

1. An advanced degree in Pediatrics, Neonatology, Nursing, Midwifery, Emergency Medicine, Medical Education, Public Health, or a related field.
2. Demonstrated experience in newborn care, neonatal stabilization, and referral systems.
3. Proven experience in developing competency-based training curricula and adult learning materials.
4. Experience facilitating technical working groups, curriculum validation, and Training of Trainers.
5. Strong knowledge of WHO newborn care standards and competency-based education.
6. Excellent technical writing, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Expected Outputs

Upon completion of the consultancy, Ghana will have:

1. A nationally approved competency-based curriculum on newborn stabilization and care during transport.
2. Standardized training materials and competency assessment tools.
3. A Training of Trainers package to support national and regional capacity building.
4. An implementation framework to guide nationwide rollout and institutionalization.
5. Tools for supportive supervision, mentorship, quality improvement, and ongoing competency assessment.