Consultant-Hospital Services Evaluation

1. BACKGROUND TO THE ASSIGNMENT: International Medical Corps supports multiple secondary healthcare facilities and hospitals across Sudan, delivering lifesaving services in a complex humanitarian context characterized by conflict, population displacement, disease outbreaks, and severe health system disruptions. Recent field monitoring visits have highlighted the need to strengthen hospital management systems, nursing supervision, clinical governance, infection prevention and control (IPC), emergency and critical care services, medical documentation, patient record management, and quality assurance mechanisms. In addition, there is a need to improve the capacity of hospital leadership teams to effectively oversee service delivery, patient safety, staff performance, and hospital operations. To address these gaps and support the continuous improvement of quality healthcare services, IMC seeks to engage an experienced International Hospital Management and Nursing Quality Improvement Consultant for a short-term technical assignment. 2. PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen the quality, safety, efficiency, and accountability of services provided in IMC supported hospitals through targeted technical assistance, mentoring, and capacity building of hospital management teams, nursing staff, and clinical personnel. The consultant will support the establishment of sustainable systems for clinical governance, quality improvement, emergency and critical care, infection prevention and control, safe medication management, medical records management, and mortality and morbidity reviews. The assignment aims to leave behind strengthened institutional systems, improved clinical practices, and a cadre of trained hospital personnel capable of maintaining and advancing quality standards beyond the consultancy period. 3. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: The Consultant will provide technical leadership and hands-on support to strengthen the quality of care, clinical governance, nursing services, and hospital management systems across IMC supported hospitals. Working closely with IMC technical teams, hospital managers, nursing supervisors, clinicians, pharmacists, and Ministry of Health counterparts, the consultant will conduct comprehensive assessments of hospital operations and develop targeted quality improvement plans to address identified gaps. A key requirement of the assignment is for the consultant to be physically deployed across the four IMC supported hospitals in Darfur, spending a minimum of one month in each hospital to ensure in-depth engagement, direct observation of clinical and managerial practices, and sustained on-site mentoring of hospital teams. This extended presence is intended to allow for practical, hands-on capacity building, real-time problem solving, and progressive improvement tracking within each facility. The consultant will support the strengthening of health services through mentoring, coaching, and capacity building of supervisors and frontline staff, with a focus on improving patient care standards, documentation, patient monitoring, and ward management practices. The assignment will also include strengthening emergency and critical care services, triage systems, referral pathways, and adherence to standardized clinical treatment protocols through practical training and bedside mentoring. A key component of the assignment will be the enhancement of infection prevention and control (IPC) systems, patient safety measures, and safe medication management practices, including collaboration with pharmacy teams to improve medication handling, administration, and monitoring processes. The consultant will review and strengthen medical records and hospital information management systems to improve the completeness, accuracy, accessibility, and confidentiality of patient records and clinical documentation. The consultant will establish or strengthen clinical governance mechanisms, including routine mortality and morbidity reviews, clinical audits, quality assurance processes, and performance monitoring systems. These mechanisms will be used to identify service delivery gaps, analyze clinical outcomes, and support continuous quality improvement initiatives within the hospitals. The consultant will deliver structured training, on-the-job coaching, nursing/medic supervisors, and clinical staff, while developing sustainable systems and capacity transfer plans to ensure that improvements are institutionalized and maintained beyond the duration of the consultancy. The assignment will culminate in the development of hospital-specific quality improvement plans, capacity-building materials, and a sustainability and transition strategy outlining recommendations for continued strengthening of hospital services and management systems. W eekly coordination with IMC focal point; monthly progress briefs and brief progress reports; final report submitted at the end of the four month assignment. All deliverables submitted electronically in IMC-approved formats; payments linked to deliverable acceptance. 4. DELIVERABLES DESCRIPTION: Deliverables per Hospital (4 Week Deployment Period) Week 1: Hospital Entry, Rapid Assessment and Stabilization Plan Hospital stakeholder mapping and service overview Rapid Hospital Functional Assessment Report, covering: Emergency and inpatient services Nursing services and ward organization IPC systems and compliance including cleaning and disinfection of biomedical equipment Pharmacy and medication management including end user pharma stocks in wards. Clinical documentation and patient records Hospital management and governance systems Critical gap analysis summary (Top Priority Issues List) Immediate Action Plan focusing on life-saving and patient safety risks. Workplan for 4 week hospital engagement validated with hospital management DUE DATE(S) Hospital 1: Umdukhun Hospital (31 August 2026) Hospital 2: Golo Hospital (30 September 2026) Hospital 3: Nyala Hospital (31 October 2026) Hospital 4: Nyala Hospital (30 November 2026) Week 2: System Strengthening & On-the-Job Capacity Building Recommend/schedule nurses' shift rota in the hospital. Emergency and critical care systems strengthened, including: Functional triage system established or reinforced Emergency flow pathway standardized Nursing supervision and ward management coaching IPC improvement actions initiated, including: Hand hygiene and isolation practices reinforced Waste management corrective actions implemented Cleaning and disinfection of biomedical equipment Medical documentation review report, highlighting gaps in patient files and corrective measures First round of bedside coaching sessions conducted, with attendance and competency tracking Effective medication supply chain management for inpatients. Week 3: Consolidation of Systems and Clinical Governance Setup Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) reinforced or introduced and staff oriented, including: Triage SOP Medication administration safety SOP Availability/development and use of patient nursing care documents such as drug dilution and reconstitution document/SoP, patient admission files and tools, patient handover and taking over SoPs , referral and discharge procedures, death notification and management. Mortality and Morbidity system established, initiated or strengthened with SoP and template, including: First structured M&M review conducted Action points documented Clinical audit initiation report (at least 1 priority audit area) IPC audit report with corrective action tracking Medication safety improvement report, including high-risk medication practices, drug management in wards Patient flow and emergency department optimization report Week 4: Institutionalization, Handover and Sustainability Final Hospital Improvement Summary Report, including: Key improvements achieved Remaining gaps Hospital Quality Improvement Action Plan (finalized and handed over) Capacity Transfer Report, including: Staff trained (nurses, managers, pharmacists, admin staff) Competency improvements observed Handover and Sustainability Plan, including: Responsibilities transferred to hospital teams Continued monitoring mechanisms Exit Presentation to Hospital Management and IMC Team Minimum Deliverable Standards per Hospital At the end of each 4 week deployment, each hospital must have: Functional or improved triage system Strengthened nursing supervision and ward management practices Active IPC monitoring and corrective action system Functional M&M review process Improved patient documentation system Improve medical supplies management for inpatients 4.1. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT DELIVERABLES The assignment will be implemented through a phased, hospital-embedded, hands-on approach combining assessment, rapid improvement, capacity building, and system institutionalization. The consultant will spend four weeks in each hospital, beginning with a rapid functional assessment and development of an immediate action plan focused on critical patient safety and service delivery gaps. This will be followed by intensive on-the-job training and mentoring of clinical, nursing, pharmacy, and hospital management teams, with emphasis on emergency and critical care, IPC, triage systems, safe medication management, medical documentation, and hospital governance. The consultant will also establish or strengthen key clinical governance mechanisms, including mortality and morbidity reviews, clinical audits, and performance monitoring systems, while also supporting hospital managers to improve leadership, supervision, and operational planning. Each hospital engagement will conclude with consolidation of tools, finalization of a quality improvement plan, and structured handover to ensure sustainability. IMC field teams will actively participate in delivery and application of the tools. IMC will provide technical oversight and approve all deliverables. Progress will be tracked through bi-weekly coordination and monthly reporting. 5. FUTURE PHASES (IF ANY) This consultancy is designed as a time-bound assignment. Following completion of the four hospital deployment cycles, IMC will implement a structured follow-up phase to ensure sustainability and consolidation of gains. This phase will include periodic remote technical support from the consultant and IMC technical teams, focusing on monitoring implementation of hospital Quality Improvement Action Plans, troubleshooting operational challenges, and reinforcing clinical governance systems such as mortality and morbidity reviews, IPC compliance, and hospital management meetings. Where feasible, a follow-up mission or remote review session may be conducted after 4-6 months to assess progress, validate system functionality, and provide additional targeted guidance. IMC field teams and trained hospital focal persons will take the lead in sustaining the improvements, with continued internal monitoring through established hospital KPIs, supervision tools, and quality dashboards. Any future expansion or additional expenditure on goods or services will be subject to funding availability and separate approval. 6. TRANSFER OF SKILLS (IF ANY) The key objective of the consultancy is the structured transfer of knowledge, clinical skills, and hospital management competencies to ensure sustainability beyond the assignment period. This will be achieved through continuous on-the-job mentoring, bedside coaching, and hands-on training of hospital managers, nursing supervisors, clinicians, pharmacists, and administrative staff throughout the 4 week engagement in each hospital. The consultant will prioritize training-of-trainers (ToT) approaches, particularly for nursing leadership and hospital management teams, to enable local staff to continue delivering training and supervision after the consultancy. Practical skills transfer will focus on emergency and critical care management, triage, infection prevention and control, safe medication practices, clinical documentation, and mortality and morbidity review processes, alongside hospital governance and performance monitoring systems. IMC/SMOH Standardized tools, SOPs, checklists, and job aids will be co-developed with hospital teams to reinforce learning and institutionalize practices. By the end of each hospital engagement, designated focal persons will be identified and mentored to lead continued implementation, ensuring that skills and systems are embedded within routine hospital operations. Independent contractor (Consultant) Specifications To perform this consultancy successfully, an individual must be able to perform each task with or without reasonable accommodation. Requirements Essential Desirable Qualifications Master's or advanced Degree in Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Nursing Administration, Public Health, Hospital Management, or related field. Additional certifications in critical care, emergency nursing, IPC, quality improvement, or hospital management are highly desirable. Experience Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible clinical nursing experience. Minimum 5 years of experience in hospital quality improvement and nursing supervision. Demonstrated experience working in emergency, critical care, or humanitarian health settings. Proven experience designing and delivering capacity-building programs. Experience establishing quality assurance and clinical governance systems. Experience conducting mortality and morbidity reviews. Experience supporting hospital management and administration systems. Previous experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, or resource-limited settings strongly preferred. Previous experience with international NGOs or UN agencies preferred. Previous experience in Sudan or similar complex humanitarian contexts is an asset. Prior experience in Sudan or any similar complex humanitarian settings, with strong cultural sensitivity and adaptability. Competency Strong expertise in emergency and critical care nursing. Advanced knowledge of IPC systems. Strong understanding of clinical governance and quality improvement methodologies. Expertise in hospital management systems. Experience with medical records and health information systems. Strong facilitation, mentoring, and coaching skills. Excellent report writing and analytical skills. Excellent communication, facilitation, and documentation skills, including development of practical tools and reports. Language(s) English Arabic Not Applicable Please refer to the Scope of Work above to view this Individual Consultancy details and requirements. Tags capacity development health care delivery health systems strengthening humanitarian response management consulting Skills Hospital Management Clinical Governance Infection Prevention Control Process Improvement Mentoring English Arabic The recruiting organization, International Medical Corps, has not specified a closing date for this vacancy or continues to list jobs after their stated closing date. Because such positions may remain open, they are listed here until removed from the recruiting organization's website. Click the button below to verify its current status. More Information and Application Details