Background

In a February 2010 meeting, civil society activists identified hepatitis C as a major health threat for Georgian society and prioritized a set of strategies for improving the response to hepatitis C in the country (advocacy agenda):

•          developing and adoption of national program on hepatitis C;

•          strategies to reduce diagnostics and treatment prices, including analysis of price formation and comparison of costs in neighboring countries;

•          ensuring current Global Fund grant's support for expanding its work among people who inject drugs with hepatitis C related information, counseling and tools.

The next immediate step is a high level meeting with government officials in autumn 2010.

To work on the agreed strategies and activities, civil society groups formed a hepatitis C working group for continued coordination and advocacy. The selected organization will thus need to work with this hepatitis C working group and engage broader civil society in preparations for the high level meeting and beyond it.   Follow up actions including writing of a meeting report, leading a strategy process resulting in a written strategy document for longer term hepatitis C action based on meeting discussions, and other advocacy actions are expected.

Tasks

1. Lead organizing of a high-level meeting, with the goal of increasing political commitment to hepatitis C issues:

•         To advocate for the meeting and engage relevant partners from governmental sector, academic institutions, NGOs and international organizations;

•         To frame meeting goals, objectives, agenda, participants, materials, resolution and other elements of the meeting to meet civil society needs;

•         To lead the immediate follow up of the meeting, including production and distribution of meeting report;

•         To engage media as appropriate to support meeting objectives.

2. Coordination and consultation with the hepatitis C working group regarding the high level political meeting and follow up:

•          To coordinate hepatitis C Working Group meetings (at least two in preparation for the political meeting and two after it) and its recordings;

•          To ensure the working group's web-based and other communication;

•          To report to the working group on developments and activities and get relevant advice and direction;

•          To support the development of the working group (capacity building, review of membership and enrollment of new members);

•          To agree on key messages of civil society, as well as input regarding agenda, participants, speakers, materials;

•          Facilitation of the process of preparation of strategy by the working group.

3. Creation of Hepatitis C advocacy strategy plan:

•          Identify advocacy priorities for next 18 months based on preparations for and discussions at high level political meeting;
•          In consultation with the working group, to develop a civil society advocacy plan (strategy) in the follow up from the high level meeting including objectives, timelines, resources required, partners.

4. Expected Outputs:

1.      High level political meeting;

2.      An active hepatitis C working group;

3.      At least 4 convenings of the Working Group;

4.      Meeting report;

5.      Strategy document and action plan outlining actions that need to be pursued in 2011-2012.

5. Management and liaising with donor:

•          To allocate part time qualified, senior staff member (in total approximately 2.5 working days a week)  and related administrative support as needed, with       relevant work space and  supervision;

•          To liaise with OSGF and OSI as donors and technical support providers.

Qualifications

•          Significant policy advocacy experience, including government relations and experience impacting policy development;
•          Experience organizing high level political meetings;
•          Knowledge of national health policy and issues related to hepatitis C in Georgia;
•          Previous work with marginalized populations;
•          Activist background and good media contacts;
•          Working knowledge of Georgian, Russian and English.

Budget

The budget of the 9 months project must not contain actual expenses of high level meeting with government officials in autumn 2010. The sum of the project budget must not exceed $ 12, 000 (please, note: in case of necessity the project budget can be increased up to $20, 000).

Application

Interested NGOs should provide an application in the OSGF standard application format (http://www.osgf.ge/files/grants/Application_Form_New_Geo_0dssn_R4H4_-ii7I4LbTi.doc ) both in Georgian and English languages.

The application (apart from standard OSGF application requirements) should include the following information:

• Overview of experience in Hepatitis C issues  and other health policy advocacy work;
• Overview of experience in organizing high level political meetings and past outcomes of such meetings;
• description of existing resources that will be utilized in this project including human, technical and materials;
• CVs of all personnel who will be engaged in the project (each - not more than 3 pages);
• 2 recommendation letters from experts or organizations working in health policy and advocacy.

Submission

The applicant organisation should provide one original and 2 two copies of the application, together with electronic version of the complete application pack (details of the OSGF standard application format and process can be accessed at http://www.osgf.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=51)

Timeline

The deadline for submission of application packs is 17.00 of June 15, 2010. Incomplete applications or applications received after the indicated date and time will not be considered.
A group consultation for organizations wishing to participate in the competition will be organized on June 9 at 17.00 at the OSGF office (address : 10, Chovelidze st, Tbilisi ; Tel : 25 04 63, 25 05 92).

For further information, please, contact Tea Akhobadze - OSGF Public Health Unit Coordinator. Tel: 26 04 63, 25 05 92; e-mail: teaa@osgf.ge