Project Aim and Background

SIDC is a Lebanese non-profit civil society organization established in 1987 and officially registered 9/AD in 1992. SIDC meaningfully engages vulnerable populations to promote their health and well-being in relation to HIV, harm reduction, SRHR and mental health, supporting them in enjoying their human and gender rights and working towards an inclusive society free of stigma and discrimination at national and regional levels.

Within the framework of the Global Fund-funded MC MENA III Grant, SIDC is seeking a consultant to generate evidence and strategic outputs to support the sustainability and financing of community and CSO-led HIV services in Lebanon.

Community and CSO-led services are essential for reaching key populations and addressing HIV service gaps, particularly within Lebanon's challenging economic and health-system context. However, stronger evidence is needed on the cost structure, reach, outcomes, resource use and value of these services to support donor engagement, resource mobilization and longer-term discussions on sustainable financing, including Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and social contracting.

The consultancy will therefore undertake a pragmatic cost and value analysis of community/CSO-led HIV services and translate the findings into practical, funder-facing strategic outputs, including an Investment Case for Community-Led HIV Services and a Costed Menu of Community-Delivered HIV Services.

The analysis will be anchored primarily in SIDC data and extended to other CSOs where feasible, or extrapolated where organization-specific data are not available.

1. Objectives

The overall objective is to characterize the cost structure, service outcomes and value of community/CSO-led HIV service delivery in Lebanon and translate this evidence into strategic outputs that support sustainability and future financing.

Specific objectives include:

Map selected community/CSO-led HIV services and their principal cost components.

Estimate unit costs for selected community-delivered HIV services using available financial and programmatic data.

Analyze available evidence on service reach, outcomes, relevance, resource use and added value.

Identify key cost drivers, operational considerations and factors affecting sustainability.

Develop an evidence-informed Investment Case for Community-Led HIV Services.

Develop a Costed Menu of Community-Delivered HIV Services, including estimated unit costs and delivery models.

Present and validate findings with relevant national stakeholders, CSOs and donors.

2. Scope of Work

The consultant will:

Review relevant national and organizational documents, programmatic and financial data, existing studies, and applicable WHO and HIV investment/costing guidance.

Develop an appropriate methodology and costing framework, including data requirements, assumptions and limitations.

Conduct an introductory meeting with SIDC, NTAP and relevant CSOs to align on the methodology and facilitate data access.

Map and analyze selected community-led HIV services, including, as relevant, outreach, HIV testing, linkage to care, peer navigation, harm reduction and other community-delivered interventions.

Analyze service costs, unit costs, reach, available outcomes and resource use, identifying key cost drivers and value-for-money considerations.

Build on existing evidence, including relevant MENAHRA harm-reduction costing/cost-effectiveness work, to avoid duplication.

Develop a technical brief and evidence summary presenting the main findings.

Develop an Investment Case translating the evidence into a clear case for sustained investment in community-led HIV services.

Develop a costed menu of selected community-delivered HIV services to support future budgeting, resource mobilization and financing discussions.

Facilitate a stakeholder dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including MoPH, NTAP, CSOs and key donors, and incorporate feedback into the final outputs.

3. Methodological Considerations

The methodology will be refined during the inception phase based on available data. It should follow relevant WHO costing principles and apply appropriate value-for-money considerations, including economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity.

The Investment Case should draw, where appropriate, on relevant WHO sustainability and investment-case guidance and the UNAIDS/WHO HIV investment framework.

The consultant must clearly distinguish between actual data, estimates and extrapolations and document all significant assumptions and limitations.

4. Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:

Phase 1 – Inception

Inception Report, including methodology and costing approach, data sources and access plan, stakeholder mapping, workplan, assumptions and limitations.

Introductory meeting with NTAP, SIDC and relevant CSOs to align on the methodology and facilitate data access.

Phase 2 – Evidence Generation
3. Technical Brief on the cost structure, unit costs and service outcomes of community/CSO-led HIV services.
4. Evidence Summary on community-led HIV services, including reach, relevance, resource use, outcomes and added value.

Phase 3 – Strategic Outputs
5. Investment Case for Community-Led HIV Services in Lebanon, presenting the evidence and financing rationale for sustaining priority community-led services.
6. Costed Menu of Community-Delivered HIV Services, including service descriptions, delivery models, estimated unit costs and key assumptions.

Phase 4 – Validation and Finalization
7. Stakeholder dialogue/validation meeting with relevant national stakeholders, CSOs and donors.
8. Final revised package, incorporating stakeholder feedback and including final editable costing tables and analytical files.

5. Duration and Timeline

The assignment will be implemented in four phases according to a detailed workplan agreed with SIDC during the inception phase.

The Inception Report and introductory stakeholder meeting should be completed by the end of the first month of the assignment. Deadlines for subsequent deliverables will be agreed with the selected consultant based on the approved methodology and availability of required data, with all deliverables to be completed no later than 31 March 2027.

6. Qualifications and Experience

The consultant should possess:

Advanced degree in health economics, economics, public health, health financing, health policy or a related field.

Demonstrated experience in health costing, economic analysis, health financing and/or value-for-money analysis.

Experience with HIV programming and community/CSO-led health service delivery.

Experience conducting costing and unit-cost analyses and/or developing investment cases.

Familiarity with WHO costing approaches and relevant HIV financing and sustainability frameworks.

Strong quantitative, analytical and report-writing skills.

Experience engaging government institutions, CSOs, donors and development partners.

Knowledge of the Lebanese health and HIV context is highly desirable.

Excellent English; Arabic is an asset.

Ability to work independently and meet agreed deadlines.

The consultant may apply as an individual or as part of a consortium/team.

7. Commitment to Quality Work

The consultant shall use an evidence-based and transparent approach and ensure high-quality and timely completion of all deliverables.

All data sources, assumptions, costing methods and limitations must be clearly documented. Confidential organizational, financial and client information must be appropriately protected, and no personally identifiable client information shall be included in the deliverables.

All final reports, costing tools, analytical files and other outputs produced under the consultancy shall be submitted to SIDC in editable and final formats.

The consultant shall not publish or disseminate the results of this assignment without prior written consent from SIDC.

Consultant to Generate Evidence and Strategic Outputs to Sustain Community/CSO-Led HIV Services in Lebanon