SayPro Micro enterprise ComBaCaL coordinator – Terms of reference

SolidarMed is looking for a coordinator of the micro-entrepreneurship component of a large Non-Communicable Disease program in Lesotho (duration 1 year, starting July 2022).

Micro enterprise ComBaCaL coordinator – Terms of reference

Rationale

In 2020, a consortium led by SolidarMed won a competitive call by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) with a project to improve the health and well-being of people affected from Non-Communicable Diseases in Lesotho: ComBaCaL (Community-Based chronic disease Care Lesotho). The other members of the consortium are: the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, the Ministry of Health Lesotho, the National University Lesotho (NUL) and a representative community leader. The project will last for 5 years, having started in Q1 2021, ending in Q4 2025.

Building on previous and ongoing community-based HIV/TB care and eHealth programs in two districts – Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong – ComBaCaL aims to establish and validate a large-scale community-based NCD care model, built upon the Lay Health Worker program and integrated in HIV/TB care, with the following components:

1. decentralized NCD care through lay health providers;
2. e-Health-tool to monitor patients at village, facility, district and central level (incl. a patient empowerment component);
3. self-sustainability through micro-entrepreneurship;
4. a cluster-randomized trial to generate policy-relevant evidence;
5. co-creation of freely available generic training material and monitoring tools.

These Terms of Reference relate to (iii) and the implementation of a micro-enterprise concept for the ComBaCaL project. We will recruit a total of 100 lay health workers who will provide free community-based health services for non-communicable diseases (NCD) to their community members. Their activities will include diagnosis, prevention and treatment to local households.

With the aim to ensure long-term sustainability beyond the secured funding cycle, the lay health workers are encouraged to start-up their own business. For this, the project will (1) provide adequate entrepreneur training, (2) organize ongoing mentoring and (3) grant access to micro financing schemes. This initiative aims to support the lay health worker’s economic condition to ultimately ensure his/her voluntary services to NCD patients.

The training will be based on the SIYB (Start and Improve Your Business) developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Scope of work

• Coordination of the SIYB training for Lay Health Workers in mostly rural settings
• Develop, test and implement the appropriate supervision and mentoring structure for the up to 100 micro-entrepreneurs in the two districts
• Develop, test and implement an efficient micro-finance system as well as ongoing management and oversight of the financing tool
• Integrate a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation tool to enable impact measurement and academic publication at later stages

Setting/Background

Lesotho experiences a double burden of disease with the continued high prevalence of communicable diseases and a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In 2018, HIV prevalence (15-49 years) was 23.6% and tuberculosis (TB) incidence was estimated at 724/100,000. Lesotho has made significant progress towards the global HIV and TB goals, through on decentralized models of care and task-shifting to health workers at primary and community level to deliver accessible, equitable and differentiated services ensuring access for rural communities.

SolidarMed aims to expand quality and reach of NCD care in two rural districts of Lesotho: Butha-Buthe (120,000 people) and Mokhotlong (100,000 people). Butha-Buthe district is rural with most of its people surviving on subsistence agriculture. Butha-Buthe town is the major semi-urban town, situated about 129 km (2 hours’ drive) from the capital Maseru and hosts an increasing number of small-scale businesses. Mokhotlong district is extremely rural and suffers from harsh weather conditions with dry snowy winters. With the lowest population density (24/sq km), access to health services is severely compromised due to the poor terrain and road infrastructure. Mokhotlong town is 297 km from the capital Maseru (5 hours ‘drive) and 169 km from Butha-Buthe town (3 hours’ drive) along the only tarred national road in the district.

Professional Qualifications and experience

The coordinator will need to have the following qualifications and experience:

• Masters in Business Administration from a reputed University
• Strong interest in micro-entrepreneurship in developing countries.
• Proven experience in planning and execution of related/similar projects
• Experience of exposure to Start Up / micro-enterprise or enterprise formation is a strong asset
• Teaching experience in related field and for similar population groups is an asset
• Demonstrate exposure and experience in utilizing monitoring and evaluation methods
• Knowledge/experience working with diverse stakeholders.

The coordinator should demonstrate the following abilities:

• Excellent report writing and English language skills
• A track record of innovative thinking;
• Work independently within strict timelines;
• A “start-up” mentality
• Possess interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills.

Duration of assignment

The coordinator should be available to start the assignment from July 2022 and be available for a period of 1 year. The coordinator will be based in Lesotho, in Butha-Buthe district. A non-Lesotho resident will be appointed under a volunteer contract.

Renumeration will be commensurate with seniority and experience.

Reporting

The micro-enterprise coordinator will provide monthly progress reports to the extended management team.

The coordinator will work in a matrix structure. The direct supervisor will be the project Manager for ComBaCaL in Lesotho. Technical steering and guidance will be provided by the program Manager for Lesotho, based in SolidarMed’s Office in Switzerland.