Republic of Moldova

National short-term consultant to update curricula for medical students, residents and doctors and include opioid substitution treatment

Vacancy Number: Pr14/00733

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	03 Dec 2014, 17:30 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	08 Dec 2014
Reference to the project:	UNODC Moldova
Expected Duration of Assignment:	December 2014-January 2015
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online by pressing “Apply online” link no later than December 3, 2014. Any request for clarification must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: ina.tcaci@unodc.org.UNDP/UNODC will respond by standard electronic mail and will send copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Background

Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the only region where HIV prevalence clearly remains on the rise. The HIV epidemic that is mainly IDU-driven poses one of the most formidable challenges to the development, progress and stability of the countries of the region. Moldova has a significant HIV epidemic which is particularly concentrated among certain sub-populations, such as injecting drug users. HIV prevalence among the general population is currently 0.37%. As of January 1st, 2014, a cumulative number of 8,667 HIV cases were registered, including 2,997 in the Transnistrian region.

Drug dependence treatment is key to helping injection drug users reduce HIV transmission risk. Linking HIV prevention, treatment and care programs and drug dependence treatment offers considerable potential. The HIV/AIDS prevention capacity of drug treatment services can be strengthened by introducing, linking or improving HIV preventive interventions across different treatment programs. Substitution Maintenance Therapy (SMT) for opioid dependent people who inject drugs proved to be particularly effective for HIV prevention, treatment and care and can serve as a platform for antiretroviral treatment of drug-dependent people with HIV. Despite the fact the SMT programmes have been implemented in Moldova since 2004, it is still not widely available in all drug dependence treatment facilities and not applied as a standard drug dependence treatment practice for opioid drug dependent people.

Scope of work

UNODC promotes diversified and accessible quality drug dependence treatment and care services, including HIV/AIDS prevention and care through providing training on evidence-based drug dependence treatment for health and social service providers, based on the UNODC TREATNET Training Package. This training package was developed by International consortium of clinical experts, researchers, and trainers from international Capacity Building Consortium, led by the University of California Los Angeles/Integrated Substance Abuse Program (UCLA/ISAP) and have been used to train professional in many countries of the world in the last 5 years.

There is a need to update the existing curricula for 4-month initial training of narcologists that is used in the post-graduate narcology faculties in line with the TREATNET modules. It is also necessary to find ways to bridge information of the training package into the post graduate curricula for primary specialization and professional upgrade courses for narcologists. This information needs to be coordinated with Comprehensive Package of interventions for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV among people who inject drugs.

Requirements for experience

1. Academic Qualifications:

• Master degree in medicine or public health management or other relevant field;

      2. Years of experience:

• At least 5 years of teaching experience in higher medical education institutions, post-graduated or professional development institutions;

      3. Competencies:

• Experience of analytical work and medical science research or medical training on issues related to psychiatry and drug dependency;
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to drug dependence treatment and HIV prevention and care among people who use drugs; 
• Excellent writing and presentation skills and ability to conduct desk research.
• Ability to work in a team and take initiative;
• Good knowledge of Romanian/Russian is required, English proficiency would be an asset.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
2. Financial proposal;
3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references or the dully filled Personal History Form (P11).

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).  

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

 

Disclaimer In case of discrepancies between the text published on the website and the contents of the supporting documents, the provisions, instructions and conditions included in the supporting documents (published as Adobe Portable Document Format files) shall prevail. In case of discrepancies between the English version and the Romanian and/or Russian versions of text, documents or other content published on this webpage, the English version shall prevail.

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