Assessment of clinical quality & standards of patient care in Sightsavers partnerships

Sightsavers is looking for reputable consultants/companies to conduct an assessment of clinical quality and standards of patient care in Sightsavers partnerships in India and Malawi, and is calling for an expression of interest and submission of a study protocol to undertake the clinical assessment.

Sightsavers is an international development organisation whose mission is to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Over the 60 years that Sightsavers has been in existence, it has helped restore sight to over five million people and supported over 200million treatments, thereby averting potentially blinding conditions for over 70 million people across Africa, South Asia, India and the Caribbean. Sightsavers currently works in 34 countries and supports 276 health initiatives representing 79% (£15,186,000) of total programme spend.

Sightsavers is increasing its investment in quality assurance within a quality improvement framework that helps gather evidence of the quality and safety of the clinical work that its partners provide, and measure and support improvements in standards of practice and care among its partners. This assessment therefore is an important step in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the current status of quality, as well as understanding the range of outcomes that supported programmes deliver. To summarise, the purpose of this assessment is to measure and describe the quality and standards of patient care in Sightsavers’ supported clinical programmes, the effectiveness of clinical outcomes, and how they range across different programmes.

Sightsavers is calling for expressions of interest from reputable consultants/ organisations to undertake this clinical assessment. Sightsavers will provide one member of the team - a practicing ophthalmologist with high level clinical, surgical and public health experience. It is expected that the remainder of the team to undertake this assignment should - as a minimum - consist of the following:

1. A public health person specialising in the quality of health systems, and with very good experience in working in Africa and Asia.
2. A social scientist with experience working with clinical and public health programmes, particularly assessing perceptions of outcomes and impact.
3. A practicing ophthalmic nurse or equivalent officer with experience in managing high quality and high volume operating theatres, and nursing activities in eye health service delivery systems.

Please see the full terms of reference for this assignment.

The assessment (from initial data collection to submission of final report) is expected to take place between: 14 September and 15 December 2012. The final report should be available no later than 15 December, 2012

How to express your interest:

To express your interest to undertake this assignment, please download our expression of interest template and return this, along with the completed budget template, by email toevaluations@sightsavers.org. Expressions presented in any other format, including the submission of CVs will not be considered.

Deadline for receipt of expressions of interest: 3 September 2012.

The successful applicant will be contacted by 14 September 2012 and should be ready to start the evaluation within 10 working days of being awarded the contract.

We very much regret that, in view of the large number of expressions we receive, we are unable to respond if you are unsuccessful. Should you not hear from Sightsavers within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful. I am sure that you will understand the need to concentrate resources towards our work.

Thank you for your interest in Sightsavers.